Meal planning is a great way to organize your meals while simultaneously cutting down on unnecessary expenses. This handful of recipes calls for using pantry staples (like the half-used pancake mix or the forgotten box of pasta on the shelf) so you can blast your hunger while going easy on your wallet.
Gourmet Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Swapping out traditional white bread for an artisan loaf is one of the many tricks The Spruce Eats suggests to radically refine your favorite childhood meal. If you’d prefer a heartier sandwich, these tips can just as easily be applied to your favorite grilled cheese, turning a simple snack into a decadent delight.
Doctored-Up Pasta Sauce
This recipe from Coco & Ash turns any old can of pasta sauce into an authentic Italian experience. Use on-hand ingredients you have in the fridge—any protein and veggies—to beef up your pasta. This recipe uses traditional red sauce, but the same techniques work with any canned sauce you may have in your pantry.
Pizza Pancakes for Dinner
If you’re ever debating between breakfast for dinner or pizza for dinner, we may have found the perfect solution! Kitchen at Hoskins combines the two perennial favorites of pancakes and pizza into one fun, delicious meal. Try topping with fresh chives or basil to up the effect.
Tandoori Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
The ultimate meal prep dish, this recipe from Rainbow Plant Life is ideal to make days in advance when you know you’re going to have a busy week. Chickpeas are known for their starchiness and earthy flavor, and drizzling them with olive oil before cooking allows them to soak up extra flavor while producing a softer texture.
Creamy Chicken-and-Rice Casserole
Casseroles are a great way to minimize both the budget and cleanup, but still produce a homey, cozy family weeknight meal. This one-pan Goodtaste recipe hits all the flavor marks, with tender, juicy chicken and light lemon herb notes, producing a risotto-like dish. Make enough to store the leftovers so you can enjoy it again later!
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