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Cooped up at Home? Here Are Some of Our Favorite Pantry-Practical Recipes

By Lisa Esile, MS,

Spending lots of time at home presents a new opportunity to cook simple, comforting meals to nourish yourself and your loved ones. Whether you've got a fully stocked pantry or you're a little low on supplies, these pantry-practical recipes will help you cook great-tasting, healthy meals. Feel free to make substitutions. You never know what amazing creations you'll come up with!

Easy vegan casserole with side of spices and herbs

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Potato Casserole

This flavor-packed casserole is surprisingly easy to pull together using pantry staples.
Chickpea Chili–Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Chickpea Chili

For a hearty, comforting meal that requires little prep or clean-up, these baked sweet potatoes topped with an easy chickpea chili are a winner.
rice and beans

Costa Rican Rice and Beans (Gallo Pinto)

This simple rice and bean dish works well as a main or side. Make plenty and eat it for multiple meals—even breakfast.

Shepherd’s Pot Pie

In this comforting plant-based shepherd's pot pie, mashed potatoes top off a medley of frozen veggies in a thick, savory gravy flavored with nutritional yeast. Note: If you don't have arrowroot flour, tapioca flour or potato starch will give similar results.
Quinoa Curry Bowl

Vegan Quinoa Curry Bowl

This quick and easy dish uses frozen stir-fry vegetables along with quinoa, fresh ginger, and garlic. Packed soon after picking, canned and frozen veggies are loaded with nutrients and are great to keep on hand for everyday use. And they're a lifesaver when you can't get to the store.
slow cooker chili

8-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Chili

This slow-cooker chili uses simple ingredients, has a surprising depth of flavor, and is open to endless variations.
chickpea bolognese

Quick Chickpea Bolognese

In this 15-minute pasta dish, whole grain spaghetti (or any pasta you have on hand) gets topped with a simple tomato and chickpea sauce. If you don't have mushrooms, simply leave them out or substitute an equal measure of another fresh or frozen vegetable.
This bean pasta recipe is so easy to put together. I serve this with sautéed kale. I like this dish with a lot of garlic, but adjust it as you wish.

Roasted Tomato and Cannellini Bean Pasta

Fragrant with garlic, this easy tomato and bean pasta is incredibly satisfying and simple to make.
Vegan Noodle Soup

Quick and Easy Noodle Soup

This luscious vegan noodle soup features basic ingredients like onion, celery, and carrots. The chicken-soup flavor comes from a combination of dried herbs: marjoram, sage, and thyme.
Basic Veggie Burger Recipe

Basic Veggie Burger Recipe

This recipe guides you to mix and match beans and grains with your choice of herbs, nuts, and seasonings to create your own tasty veggie burger.

Mexican Veggie Burger

Spiced with chipotle powder and chili powder and packed with rice, beans, nuts, and vegetables, these scrumptious veggie burgers have all the staying power you need.
Close-up shot of a lentil sloppy joe with filling spilling out of bun

Lentil Sloppy Joes

Brown lentils give these sloppy Joes a meaty texture that is as tasty as any meat version and far healthier. If you don’t have burger buns, swap in toasted bread, pita pockets, or tortillas.
Pizza dough with flour sprinkled over

Homemade Oil-Free Vegan Pizza Dough

This easy-to-work-with vegan pizza dough has just four ingredients: Flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.  Now the fun part, choosing what to put on top!
Vegan Gluten-Free Cornmeal Pizza Crust

Quick Cornmeal Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free)

This gluten-free pizza crust has a satisfying crunch thanks to the cornmeal and almond flour. As an added bonus, it's made with baking powder so you don't have to wait for it to rise.
vegan pizza

Potato-Onion Pizza

Potato pizza is an authentic Italian delight with mashed beans and roasted garlic to keep the sliced potato topping in place. This recipe uses Homemade Oil Free Pizza Dough, but you could use whatever dough you have, or even toasted pita rounds.

Chickpea Flour Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free), Plus Topping Ideas

This recipe for chickpea flour pizza crust is gluten-free, easy to make, and delicious. Cook several crusts at once and freeze them for later. Having the frozen crust and bottled marinara sauce on hand means any night can be pizza night.

Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding

Transform leftover brown rice into a mouthwatering pudding by cooking it with plant milk, ground cloves, dates, and cinnamon. (The recipe calls for a cinnamon stick, but 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon will work just as well.) Just sweet enough and very satisfying, it's great any time of the day or night.

Easy Overnight Oats With Chia

If you feeling like a change to your breakfast menu, try these overnight oats. The chia seeds add thickness, and cinnamon and maple syrup add a sweet touch.
Chocolate Pancakes

Chocolate Pancakes

If you keep unsweetened applesauce on hand (and we recommend you do), then you're likely to have the rest of the ingredients needed to make these scrumptious chocolate pancakes.

Egyptian Breakfast Beans (Ful Medames)

This traditional Egyptian breakfast made with dried fava beans, dried cumin, garlic, lemon, and onion, can be served over brown rice. The beans need to soak overnight and take a couple of hours to cook so this is a good dish to make plenty of.
Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

For a comforting, satisfying breakfast, nothing beats good old-fashioned oatmeal. This vegan oatmeal recipe includes raisins for a bit of natural sweetness with no added sugar.
Whole Grain Corn Muffins

Whole Grain Corn Muffins

The base of these gluten-free muffins is made from oat flour, cornmeal, and frozen corn. Unsweetened applesauce keeps them moist and maple syrup adds natural sweetness.
Wholesome Vegan Oat Snackles

Wholesome Oat Snackles

Curb your cravings with these delectable little cookie bites—it’s like having your oatmeal without the bowl! Orange zest gives them a pleasant citrusy flavor, but don't worry if you don't have any on hand: you can leave it out and enjoy the raisin-oat flavors.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Got some peanut butter? Then you'll love these tasty granola bars!
Healthy Brownies

Outrageously Healthy Black Bean Brownies

These vegan brownies are moist, chocolatey, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, and made with just five ingredients: black beans, dates, oats, cocoa, and baking powder.
This chocolate chia pudding recipe is ready in a half hour, making it almost instant! Our girls love this pudding … I am always surprised just how much!

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Our Chocolate Chia Pudding uses few ingredients, all of which you're likely to have lurking in your cupboard. Another bonus is that it sets almost instantly.

Whole-Wheat Berry Muffins

Loaded with berry goodness, these deliciously moist breakfast muffins work equally well with frozen, fresh, or wild blueberries.

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About the Author

Headshot of Lisa Esile, MS

About the Author

Lisa Esile, MS

Lisa Esile is an author, illustrator, blogger, vegetable gardener, and whole-food enthusiast with a special fondness for potatoes. She has a master’s degree in human nutrition and is passionate about showing people how to live happier, healthier lives. She is the author of Reach Your Big Calm and the co-author of Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Find her on Facebook.
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