5 Meals To Keep In Your Pantry And Freezer

There are weeks when dinner plans fall apart fast.

Schedules run late. Kids are hungry. Energy is gone. And that’s usually when takeout happens, not because it was planned, but because it feels like the only option.

That last-minute decision is one of the biggest grocery money leaks there is.

The fix isn’t complicated. It’s having a few reliable meals already in your pantry and freezer so dinner doesn’t turn into an expensive scramble.

Even the best meal plan can’t account for every curveball week.

That’s why it helps to keep your pantry and freezer stocked with a few simple meals you can make in a pinch.

5 Meals To Keep In Your Pantry And Freezer

I try to keep frozen browned ground beef and cooked, cubed chicken in my freezer to help with quick meals. I also keep shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses in the freezer.

Not only does this save cooking time when making a quick dinner, it also helps stop the money leak that happens when dinner turns into takeout.

You don’t have to have a large family for this to be a good idea. You can freeze individual portions for yourself and still save time and money.

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This is also a good choice for busy seasons when you don’t want fast food to become the default for weeknight dinners.

One of the fastest ways to cook a hearty meal without a bunch of extra effort is an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Pot roast is a great example of a low-effort meal that feels like a real dinner.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for quick and easy meals:

Five Can Soup

1 can Progresso Minestrone soup
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can mixed vegetables
1 15 oz. can black beans (you can also use white beans)
1 15 oz. can white corn
Mix it all together without draining anything and heat. You can even throw this in the Crock Pot for a few hours or all day. Sometimes we add some browned ground beef or cooked chicken to it.

Cheesy Pasta

3/4 box of Piccolini pasta (or whatever you have on hand)
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken
1 can Hunts pasta sauce (or whatever you have on hand)
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook 3/4 of a box of pasta until al dente. Mix in the rest and heat through.

Pizza

Crust:
1 c. warm (not hot) water
2 T. canola oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 c. white flour
1 T. active dry yeast

Mix all ingredients in order listed in bread machine. Use the bread cycle and wait for the dough to be ready.

In a pinch, knead the dough by hand for five minutes. Place dough on a pizza pan sprayed with canola oil or vegetable oil, and spread the dough to cover the pan.

Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, toppings, and cheese. Bake another 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.

If I have pitas or English muffins on hand, I’ll use those in place of homemade crust.

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Chicken Wraps

1 can refried beans
1/2 c. salsa
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken
1 c. cheddar cheese (Mexican blend is good too!)
12 corn tortillas

Mix refried beans, salsa, and chicken. Divide the mix among the tortillas.

Roll each tortilla, and place seam side down in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan sprayed with canola oil or olive oil spray.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

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Grilled Cheese & Soup

You can’t beat the old stand-by. I like to keep several types of canned soups in my pantry so we can use them in a pinch.

So you can save your easy freezer meals for later, try using freezer bags so everything stays sealed tight.

Bags To Prevent Freezer Burn:

• Ziploc bags
• Plastic bags
• Freezer bags
• Resealable bags

Next time you’re making a grocery list, think about the simple ingredients below that you should always keep on hand.

List Of Pantry Staples

For Dry Goods

• Brown rice
• White rice
• Whole wheat pasta
• Bread crumbs
• Nut butters or peanut butter
• Brown sugar
• Bread flour
• All purpose flour
• Cocoa powder
• Chocolate chips
• Flour tortillas
• Tortilla chips

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For Your Spice Rack

• Bay leaves
• Chili powder
• Curry powder
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

Canned Vegetables And Beans

• Garbanzo beans
• Canned tomatoes
• Black beans

Oils To Keep On Hand

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Sesame oil
• Vegetable oil

Soups And Broth

• Ramen noodles
• Tomato soup
• Chicken broth
• Vegetable broth

Great Options For Vinegars

• Apple cider vinegar
• Balsamic vinegar
• Red wine vinegar
• White vinegar
• Rice wine vinegar

Sauces To Add To Your Shopping List

• Soy sauce
• Barbecue sauce
• Hot sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Marinara sauce
• Maple syrup
• Tomato paste
• Coconut milk

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Fridge Staples

• Bell peppers
• Fresh herbs
• Fresh cilantro
• Sour cream
• Diced onion
• Lime juice
• Fresh basil
• Fresh produce

You can get any of these pantry items at any local grocery store. The great thing is most of these items have a long shelf life, so they’re there when you need them.

🛑 Stop grocery spending panic
Most grocery overspending doesn’t come from buying too much. It comes from being tired, having nothing ready, and grabbing whatever works in the moment.

Keeping repeatable meals like these on hand helps stop last-minute takeout, extra grocery runs, and impulse food spending during busy weeks.

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When the pantry’s full but dinner still turns into takeout, the problem isn’t food, it’s fallback meals. That’s what causes last-minute spending, and the Pantry Organization Pack helps you see what you’ve already got and helps you avoid rebuying the same things again.

What are your favorite meals to keep on hand? Do you have any advice for making meals in a pinch?