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10 Easy Dinners Made with Canned Goods from the Pantry

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterCulinary Producer at The Kitchn
I'm a recipe developer, food writer, stylist, and video producer (and The Kitchn's Dinner Therapist), with more than 10 years professional experience. Since graduating from The French Culinary Institute, I've authored 3 cookbooks: Buddha Bowls, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, and The Probiotic Kitchen.
published Feb 7, 2024
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
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Credit: Maria Siriano

The bottom shelf of my pantry is always stacked with a sea of various canned goods. There’s everything from an assortment of beans to canned tomatoes. Keeping these ingredients on hand is just one of my secrets for quick, budget-friendly dinners I can make any night of the week.

From salmon cakes to a rich pasta sauce, canned pantry staples are the star ingredients in these 10 easy recipes.

Easy Dinners Made with Canned Goods from the Pantry

1 / 10
Chickpea Nuggets

A humble can of chickpeas, partnered with a few other pantry staples, is all it takes to serve up these protein-rich, plant-powered nuggets for dinner.

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2 / 10
"Low-Rent" Tuna Poke Bowl

This is how you turn a can of tuna into a totally tasty meal. Toss it with a tangy orange-ginger dressing and serve it with brown rice, creamy avocado, and cherry tomatoes.

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3 / 10
Easy Turkey Chili with Kale

With canned beans, diced tomatoes, spices, and frozen veggies, this wholesome chili is easy enough to pull together for a weeknight dinner.

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4 / 10
Tomato and Feta White Bean Salad
A light and easy recipe for a no-cook tomato and white bean salad. Make it now before the season's tomatoes disappear!
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5 / 10
Spicy Canned Salmon Cakes
These salmon cakes start with canned salmon and use a breading method similar to the best crab cakes for an easy-fancy weeknight dinner.
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6 / 10
Roasted Tomato Soup

There are few things more comforting on cool fall evenings than a warm bowl of tomato soup. This recipe shows you how to bring even more flavor to this classic by first roasting a couple cans of whole tomatoes in the oven.

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7 / 10
Spicy Salmon Black Bean Salad
A quick and easy gluten-free recipe for black bean salad with hot smoked salmon, tomatoes, and avocado in a cumin-lime dressing.
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8 / 10
Sweet Potatoes with Chickpea Tomato Sauce

Canned chickpeas and diced tomatoes are the dynamic duo that come together to instantly turn tender, baked sweet potatoes into a simple protein-packed dinner.

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9 / 10
Chickpea and Cheddar Quesadillas
To make these quesadillas desk-lunch-friendly, we ditched the wedge cut for a technique that keeps the chickpeas and cheese nestled in a closed tortilla.
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10 / 10
Marcella Hazan's Amazing 4-Ingredient Tomato Sauce

This classic sauce will show you once and for all that homemade tomato sauce can be so simple to make. You only need four ingredients, including a can of whole plum tomatoes, to be rewarded with a rich, velvety sauce that is blissfully delicious.

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This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: 10 Easy Dinners Made with Canned Goods from the Pantry