Keeping a pantry stocked with essentials is a convenience in the best of times and a must in the worst. With beans, rice, pasta, tinned fish and canned produce on hand, odds are you can whip up a proper last-minute meal in minutes. (Plus, it means you won’t need to trek to the grocery store or hit the drive-thru window just to eat dinner.) Read on for seven dishes to cook this week starring pantry staples you likely already have in your kitchen.
Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (September 26 – October 2)
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Published Sep 23, 2022
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Shopping List
Produce
2 stalks celery
1 sweet onion
2 jalapeños
1 head romaine lettuce
2 large yellow onions
13 garlic cloves
1 Scotch bonnet (or 1 small jalapeño)
3 limes
1 head cauliflower (or pre-made cauliflower rice)
2 carrots
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 red onion
1 large tomato
4 ounces arugula
One ¼-inch piece ginger
3 bunches scallions
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch basil
1 bunch parsley
2 bunches cilantro
1 bunch chives
Meat
4 ounces pancetta or bacon
1 pound ground Italian sausage
16 large sea scallops
1 egg
1½ pounds chicken strips
Dairy
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
3 ounces Greek yogurt
1 stick unsalted butter
6 ounces plain yogurt
Grains
12 ounces ziti
4 Kaiser rolls
Canned and Packaged Goods
One 6-ounce can tuna
16 ounces chicken stock
Two 15-ounce cans black beans
8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
5 ounces red lentils
16 ounces vegetable broth
One 15-ounce can corn kernels (or 2 fresh ears corn)
One 15-ounce can chickpeas
2 ounces sesame seeds
9 ounces natural peanut butter
Salted peanuts
Pantry Ingredients: mayonnaise, rice wine vinegar, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, chile crisp, vegetable oil, allspice, dried oregano, curry powder, cumin, coriander, extra-virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, chile paste
Monday: Spicy, Crunchy Tuna Salad Lettuce Cups
Have ten minutes and a can of tuna? This eight-ingredient, protein-packed meal is within reach. The kicker is a drizzle of chile crisp on top, which offers savory, umami-laced spice in every bite.
Tuesday: Quick and Easy Spicy Coconut Black Bean Soup
Forget simmering a pot of dried black beans all day long. With the help of canned beans and your blender, this bowl of dairy-free deliciousness will only take you 35 minutes to prepare.
Wednesday: Easy One-Pan Baked Ziti
It’s your pantry’s (and skillet’s) time to shine. The recipe calls on canned crushed tomatoes, pasta, dry spices, fresh herbs and lots of cheese to come together.
Thursday: Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Curried Lentils, Carrots and Yogurt
Vegetarian? Check. One pot? Check. Creamy, flavorful and satisfying? You bet. Substitute coconut yogurt for Greek to make the bowl totally vegan.
Friday: Pan-Seared Scallops with Citrusy Corn Succotash
Savor the last glimmers of summer-with this light-yet-satisfying (not to mention nine-ingredient) stunner. You can shuck two ears of fresh corn if you’d like, but a can of kernels will work just fine in their place.
Saturday: Chickpea Burgers
Sunday: Chicken Satay with Coconut-Peanut Sauce
Peanut butter, coconut milk and soy sauce create the base for the drool-worthy dipping sauce. (It’d also taste great on salmon, pork, noodles or broccoli, BTW.)
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
