Easy Healthy Pantry Meals {Budget-Friendly!}

These easy, healthy pantry meals use ONLY pantry ingredients making them super budget-friendly! Perfect for camping, using up pantry items and.. um.. quarantine?

Hey guys! How are all of you?? We're doing ok here. I'm basically considering myself lucky that I already work from home, waiting to hear from the kids school about remote learning and hoping to pick up maybe one more package of TP. You feel me. 

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about all of you and how I might be able to help you in some small way in this insane time we're living in. I know a lot of grocery stores are still pretty empty (which, btw, is why I didn't end up putting out a meal plan last week), depending on where you are, so I wanted to get some easy, delicious and healthy pantry meals to you asap. 

So on Sunday, I opened my pantry, took stock of what I had on hand and wrote out 10 recipes to test (9 of which made it to this list, so not too shabby!). I wanted to title this post "A foodie in the time of coronavirus", but I thought that would be hard to search google for.

Oh, google, aside from my husband, you're the one constant in my life. 

So I truly started this project with altruistic thoughts of helping you guys, but I'll be honest, I had so much freaking fun working on this. And you know what? I think it's time I made my Chopped debut, peeps. I've got some seriously delicious surprises in here, and I definitely plan to keep making them, no global pandemic needed. 

But really, they're so great to keep in your back pocket for any time unforeseen circumstances arise...

Times when you might appreciate some quick, healthy, budget-friendly pantry meals:

• The power goes out for several days and you have no refrigeration, but can still use the gas stove. (this actually happened to us over the summer, so you never know!)
• Camping - ok, not really an unforeseen circumstance, but it's awesome to have things like this where the ingredients don't need refrigerated!
• You're short money-wise for some reason (ya know, like possibly a global health emergency keeping you home from work, or something super random like that. Just spit-balling here!) and need some cheap, healthy eats to get by for a bit. 
• And, um... ya know, sudden social distancing/quarantine.

Oh, and just FYI, for now, I'm not including 21 Day Fix counts / WW points for these meals. I will likely add them later (because all these meals would be approved!), but I wanted to get these out to you asap!

A few random, definitely non-comprehensive notes about pantry items:

• I considered fresh onions and garlic pantry items for these recipes since they last a long time, don't need refrigerated and most people keep them on hand, but I give instructions on how to make them without (except for the Tikka Masala, the onions are necessary for the sauce). 
• In case you didn't know, they sell shelf-stable almond milk, which is great to have on hand! I didn't use any in these particular recipes, but wanted to throw it out there. 
• Fun, little-known fact: pasta is actually a great source of protein (something I thought a lot about when writing these recipes).
• Here's a big 'ol list of great pantry items to keep on hand from my friend, Nancylynn over at Confessions of a Fit Foodie!

Ok, onto the recipes!

All of the new recipes in this post are lunches/dinners, but here are a few pantry-only breakfasts if you need 'em!

Breakfast Pantry Meals:

• Warm Gingerbread Oatmeal {21 Day Fix} 
• Coconut Millet Porridge with Raspberries - this recipe is delish even without the raspberries!
• Clementine and Cocoa Overnight Oats {21 Day Fix} - drained canned mandarin oranges in juice are a great sub for the fresh clementine's here!

Easy, Quick, Delicious, Dairy-Free, Healthy, Budget-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Pantry Recipes (are these awesome, or what?!):

 Coconut Curry Chickpeas (Vegan)

I made the brown rice in my Instant Pot - here's a great tutorial for Instant Pot Brown Rice! 

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup chopped onion (optional)
• 4 teaspoon curry powder (to taste, this may vary depending on your curry powder blend)
• salt to season
• ⅔ cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar (or other sweetener you have on hand)
• cayenne (to taste, optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat a medium saute pan to medium heat. Spray with olive oil cooking spray, add chickpeas, onions, curry powder and a small sprinkle of salt, stirring and cooking for several minutes until onions soften. 
2. Add the coconut milk and sweetener, cooking and stirring for a few more minutes until sauce thickens. Add cayenne to taste if desired, check seasoning and serve over rice if you like!

Italian Tuna Pasta

How pretty are these whole wheat rigatoni? Of course, you can put this yummy sauce over any cut of pasta! Btw, this is also great using my Fra Diavolo Sauce if you like it spicy!

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup onion, chopped (can sub for some onion powder if you don't have onion on hand)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (I love using my garlic twist {affiliate link} for this! (can sub for some garlic powder if you don't have garlic on hand)
• ¼ cup dry white wine (optional)
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• 32-oz can of no-salt-added tomato sauce 
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 (4 oz) cans of tuna in water (I used albacore, but light tuna works, too!), drained
• 4 cups cooked whole grain pasta

Instructions:

1. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil cooking spray, add onions and cook until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Deglaze with the wine, if using, allowing it to cook for another couple of minutes before adding the tomato sauce, olives, salt, pepper and italian seasoning.
3. Let this heat through, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Gently stir in the tuna, trying not to break it up too much if possible (but not really a big deal if this happens). Add pasta and gently toss. Serve.

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup (Vegan)

This is such a great way to get veggies in!

Makes 4 servings (about 1 ½ cups each).

Ingredients:

• 3 cups roasted red bell peppers, drained (about 2 (16 oz) jars)
•  one 8 oz can and one 15 oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce (so 23 oz total)
• 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• ⅔ cup coconut milk
• ⅜ teaspoon salt
• black pepper, to taste
• cayenne, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a blender, blend together the roasted peppers and the tomato sauce (don't add in the other liquids or it won't blend into a smooth mixture). Add this to a medium sized pot. 
2. Add remaining ingredients, heat through until hot. Check seasonings and serve!

Pasta in an Asian Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
• 8 teaspoon peanut butter
• 2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon chile paste (you could also use sriracha or a little cayenne)
• 4 cups cooked linguini or fettuccini (I actually used these pad thai brown rice noodles that I had on hand) < affiliate link
• chopped peanuts, optional

Instructions:

1. Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey and chile paste. 
2. Whisk in pan until it comes together and thickens into a smooth sauce. Add pasta and toss to coat, adding a little extra broth or pasta cooking water if necessary to thin the sauce out a little. 
3. Serve and top with chopped peanuts if ya like!

Tuna over Spicy Tomato Sauce and Cheesy Polenta

I feel like this one is pretty unassuming in appearance, but I have to say, it's one of my faves on this list! It's crazy flavorful and I'm literally craving it right now just typing it up! My new favorite way to use canned tuna!

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

Sauce: 

• ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup onion, chopped (can sub for some onion powder if you don't have onion on hand)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (can sub for some garlic powder if you don't have garlic on hand)
• 1 Tbs dry white wine (optional)
• 1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• ⅛ teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste

Polenta:

• 4 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cornmeal or corn grits (I used Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits, but either will work!)
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional, but if you have it on hand, it gives a great cheesy flavor to these!)

Remaining ingredients:

• 2 cans tuna in water (I used albacore, but light tuna works, too!), drained
• 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil

Instructions:

Sauce:

1. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, once oil is hot, stir in the pepper flakes for a minute (this makes a delish chili oil!).  Add the onions and cook until softened, then add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Deglaze with the wine, if using, allowing it to cook out for a minute or so before adding the tomato sauce, salt and pepper.
3. Let this heat through, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Take off the heat and pop a lid on it to keep warm while you make the polenta. 

Polenta: 

1. Bring the water and  salt to a boil (I use a high-sided medium-large saute pan for this, but you could also use a pot, it'll just take a little longer to come to a boil).
2. Once boiling, whisk in the cornmeal, reduce heat to low and continue to cook, whisking occasionally until the corn has softened and the mixture is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. 
3. Once finished, stir in 2 teaspoon of olive oil and the nutritional yeast. Divide into 4 dishes and top with the spicy tomato sauce and the tuna. 

Tuna: 

1. You can either heat the tuna through on the stove in a pan or if you have a microwave available you can do what I did (because I didn't want to dirty another pan!) and just top your bowl of polenta and sauce with your portion of tuna and pop it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. 
2. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil if ya like and enjoy!

  Cheater's Tikka Masala Chickpeas (Vegan)

If you can't get all of the spices (except for the garam masala), leave out whatever you can't get and it'll still be delish! 

Makes 4 servings. 

Ingredients:

Sauce: 

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 ½ Tbs garam masala
• 2 teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Remaining ingredients:

• 2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ⅔ cup coconut milk 
• cayenne, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Spray a large saute pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat to medium heat. Saute the onions until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then stir in the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a bubble, turn down the heat and cook for about 5 minutes. You'll want to make sure your onions are pretty soft so the sauce will be smooth.
2. Put sauce mixture into a blender along with the coconut milk and blend for a couple of minutes or until super smooth. 
3. Put the blended mixture back into the pan, adding in the chickpeas and cayenne, if using. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve! 

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Pasta (Vegan)

If you love the sauce from my Spaghetti Squash Boats with Chicken & Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce, you're going to love this one! It's made the same way, but with a little coconut milk from the pantry instead of Greek yogurt!

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz) jar of roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can of no-salt-added tomato sauce
• ⅔ cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 teaspoon nutritional yeast (affiliate link) - optional, but a great addition!
• salt and pepper, to season
• 4 cups of cooked, whole grain pasta

Instructions:

1. Blend peppers, tomato sauce and coconut milk in a blender until smooth. 
2. Heat in a saute pan with the Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, a little salt and black pepper, to taste. 
3. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, then add the pasta and toss to coat. Serve.

Coconut Lentil Soup (Vegan)

Here's another one that's SO much more flavorful than it looks! Those warm, aromatic spices along with the coconut milk in this creamy soup make this one of the coziest dishes ever!

Makes 4 servings (1 ¼ cup each).

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs ground ginger
• 1 cup brown lentils (rinsed and sorted for stones)
• 1 ⅓ cup coconut milk
• 32 oz low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon chili paste (or sriracha or some cayenne), or more, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized pot, saute the chopped onion in the coconut oil until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the lentils, ground ginger, coriander and cumin.
2. Add the coconut milk and broth, seasoning with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer (keeping covered and stirring occasionally) for about 45 minutes or until it magically turns into a thick, creamy soup. Add chili paste to taste, if desired, and serve. 

Salmon over Quinoa with Roasted Red Peppers, Artichoke Hearts and Balsamic Reduction

You guys. This was my first time using canned salmon. I was a little apprehensive, but I might like it even better than canned tuna! And btw, this dish truly tastes anything but canned, it's so good!

Makes 4 servings. 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup quartered artichoke hearts (canned in water and drained)
• ½ cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (here's a great Instant Pot quinoa tutorial!)
• salt and pepper, to season
• 2 (6 oz) cans boneless, skinless salmon
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Heat a medium-large saute pan to medium heat. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and saute the onions. Once softened, add the garlic and cook for a minute more. 
2. Add the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and cooked quinoa, lightly seasoning with salt and pepper. Once everything is heated through (only takes a minute or two), remove from heat and pop a lid on it to keep warm.

Make your balsamic reduction (I do this last because it needs to be used right away or it can get too thick as it sits!):

1. In a small saucepan, add your vinegar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, simmering and whisking until thickened and reduced by half. Be sure to keep a close eye on this, if it gets too thick and syrupy, it'll harden up quickly after it cools. 
2. Heat your salmon, either in a pan over the stove or even in the microwave, the way I suggest in the tuna and polenta recipe above. 
3. To serve, in each dish, place about ¼th of the quinoa/veggie mixture, then ¼ of the salmon and then drizzle the balsamic reduction over all. 

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I really hope you guys love these easy, budget-friendly pantry meals and that they help you and your families. Thinking of you all. 

Don't forget to save these easy healthy pantry meals to Pinterest! ⇓