12 meals from the whole foods pantry

When you have a well-stocked pantry, the hardest part of a meal is often just coming up with recipe ideas.

Whether you are looking for vegetarian dinners, hearty meat main dishes, or even just a healthy lunch idea, these 12 recipes will put your whole foods pantry to good use.

If you are still looking for guidance on stocking your 2014 pantry, check out these posts to get started:

Now here are 12 meals to prepare and enjoy using those ingredients. Grab a pen and paper and make a menu plan for the week!

Black Bean Lentil Burgers

These meatless burgers are a delicious way to use the beans stored in your whole foods pantry. Whether you use canned beans or start with dried legumes, these vegetarian patties make a flavorful lunch or dinner for the whole family.

Get the recipe: Black Bean Lentil Burgers

Baked Lasagna Casserole

Pasta, an easy pantry standby you can always rely on. This baked lasagna simplifies the classic dish even further so that instead of a layered lasagna, here you have a hot, bubbly baked casserole with penne. Not only is it easy to put together, you can adapt it to use whatever vegetables are in season or use canned veggies from the pantry.

Get the recipe: Baked Lasagna Casserole

Stuffed Peppers

These Mediterranean-Style stuffed peppers make a filling meal, stuffed with rice (brown or white), cooked white beans, sun dried tomatoes, and pine nuts.   Using a Greek spice blend to season the rice gives simple baked peppers an extra burst of flavor.

Get the recipe: Stuffed Peppers

Butternut Squash Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese

This recipe is surprisingly healthy for mac & cheese, as it incorporates nearly an entire squash and uses whole-wheat egg-white pasta for a substantial and low-cholesterol meal. This dish is a weekday standby because it feels like a hearty main dish even though it is meatless. Best of all, it can be made in advance to simplify your week.

Get the recipe: Butternut Squash Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese

Malaysian Shrimp Fried Rice

This delicious One-Pot-Meal is easily adapted to the ingredients you have on hand. Start with long-grain brown rice from the pantry, then add in the meat and/or vegetables that work best for you.

Get the recipe: Malaysian Shrimp Fried Rice

Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables

This simple, rustic dish of roasted chicken is easy enough for weeknights but substantial enough for a nicer Sunday dinner as well. The root vegetables are an inexpensive, filling and ultimately healthy  side dish and cook up quite well in the time the chicken needs to be perfect.

Get the recipe: Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables

Winter Pizzas with Whole Wheat Crust

Pizza is the perfect way to utilize ingredients from your whole foods pantry. It is easily adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand and the foods you know your family will eat! Pizza makes it onto our table often because it isn’t dependent on seasonal ingredients – canned olives and artichoke hearts from the pantry taste just as good as fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden.

Get the recipe: Winter Pizzas with Whole Wheat Crust

Sausage, Bean and Pasta Soup with Spinach

With a well stocked pantry, you can always open the doors of your cupboard and find everything you need to make a hearty bowl of soup. The sausage and spinach in this recipe make for a satisfying and memorable flavor combination.

Get the recipe: Sausage, Bean and Pasta Soup with Spinach

quinoa preserved lemon

Preserved Lemon Quinoa with Shaved Brussels and Toasted Walnuts

This tasty dish is can be made with simple things you have in your pantry and refrigerator. There’s no special planning that goes into it. The Brussels sprouts are just a handful, pulled out from the family dinner stores, and they can easily be replaced with other greens or vegetables that you may have on hand. The preserved lemons add a bright flavor that pairs deliciously with the toasted walnuts. It makes a quick lunch or dinner.

Get the recipe: Preserved Lemon Quinoa with Brussels Sprouts and Toasted Walnuts

Coconut Lime Tofu and Rice

This easy and gluten-free Coconut-Lime Tofu & Rice packs a nutritional punch, but you won’t even notice. Feel free to add chiles to spice up the meal, but the simple sweetness of the broth helps to make it a hit with kids and other wary eaters.

Get the recipe: Coconut Lime Tofu and Rice

Chocolate Chip Chili

Not only is this chili a great pantry recipe, it also freezes beautifully. And for the chocolate-chips? They added another dimension of flavor and complement the chilies superbly. Plus, they make a great sell to the kiddos, who often request ‘Chocolate Chip Chili’.

Get the recipe: Chocolate Chip Chili

Layered Taco Bake

This easy weeknight meal is likely to be a big hit with the kids. It’s a great way to add more vegetables into everyone’s diet while still relying on the pantry for beans and grains. The original post also includes some great tips for sneaking more vegetables into your meals.

Get the recipe: Layered Taco Bake

I’m linking up to Menu Plan Monday on I’m an Organizing Junkie.

What are your favorite meals from your whole foods pantry?

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8 Comments

  1. What a great collection! I love the pizza and the stuffed peppers so much!! I do not always have Greek herbs handy, so I use a blend of French herbs to substitute.

    Allison, I discovered your blog via Simple Bites a few months ago, review it on regular basis, but could not write. Work is at times very hectic. I admire you. Your life philosophy (taking life as it is and learning along the way) resonates a lot with me.
    I wish you all the best in the projects that you start this year!

  2. Thanks for the roundup! I always feel like we have “so much food and nothing to eat” when it comes to planning our week. Some of our favorites are pesto pasta with whatever veggies/proteins and pesto tucked in the freezer last summer.

    Rice and beans with a variety of toppings is one my kids actually love. We have a couple different sauces we prepare (with tofu, garbanzo beans, and great spice mixes) or just roll with cheese and salsa toppings.