Healthy Pantry and Freezer Meals

These delicious pantry and freezer meals are healthy + easy and can be whipped up in under 30 minutes! Perfect recipes for families staying at home.

We are 40 days into quarantine as a family and I’m tired. Healthy, happy but tired. I did the math and as of today, I have prepared 108 meals. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT. Dishes on repeat. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking for my family, it is quite literally my love language. But I also miss going out to eat with my people. I miss socializing over a meal I didn’t prepare. I am at the same time beyond grateful to be home with my family, safe and well fed. Grateful to those who are working tirelessly to stock the shelves at our local supermarket and those on the front lines keeping us safe.

I’ve heard from so many of you that this new transition at home has been tricky to navigate. Many of you are not used to cooking so often or are now expected to balance careers and the full-time responsibilities of homeschool from a noisy home office. In addition to these changes, you are now responsible for making three meals a day for your family at home and you’re drowning. I see you. I want to help.

I started sharing my simple few ingredient #quarantinecooking meals on Instagram… you all loved them and requested more. I listened. Hopefully this post can alleviate some stress you may be feeling when it comes to meal preparation.

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You don’t need much to make a meal, but there are some staples you’ll want to keep stocked. I have slimmed down our fridge, pantry and freezer staple lists below. Feel free to edit them to fit your needs.

Freezer staples

Stock up on frozen fruits for smoothies, veggies for soups and meats to round out your main dish. You can buy reduced meats to enjoy at a later date to keep it budget friendly.

• Frozen vegetables
• Frozen fruit and berries
• Milk cubes for smoothies
• Chicken breasts and thighs
• Ground beef or turkey
• Breads

Pantry staples:

Shelf stable items are great for making soups, pasta dishes and casseroles. Did you know rice + beans + a complete protein? These items are on weekly rotation at our house. We pull from the front and restock ads needed.

• Beans
• Rice
• Flour or cornstarch
• Coconut and almond milk
• Chicken broth
• Marinara sauce
• Juices
• Pasta
• Tuna
• Oatmeal
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Petite diced tomatoes
• Peanut butter
• Honey
• Spice packets
• Oils, vinegars and sauces

Fridge Staples

Obviously, these ingredients don’t have as long of a shelf life as dry goods, but it’s nice to keep them on hand. Garlic and ginger are a must add to your wellness routine and give awesome flavor to an otherwise boring dish! Dairy is a tasty addition to any meal and adds a kick of protien.

• Milk
• Butter
• Eggs
• Plain yogurt
• Cheese
• Tortillas
• Yogurt
• Condiments
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Bouillon paste

We have relied on our own fridge, pantry and freezer staples for 80% of our meals during quarantine. Wile things have been inconsistent as far as grocery shopping goes, it’s been nice to have the option of click list at our local Smiths. We have had to fall back on the basics, and Smiths has stocked our pantry and freezer weekly. What I’ve learned is you don’t need much to create a delicious meal.

I put together three quick + healthy family friendly meal options below with common ingredients you most likely have on hand. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Sooo let’s Get Cooking

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Grandpas Goulash

Serve 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound Simple Truth ground beef
• 1 cup elbow macaroni (GF if needed, we love Jovial)
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
• 1 32-ounce bottle tomato juice
• 1 green pepper, diced
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp better than bouillon
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large sauté or soup pan.
2. Add ground beef and cook over medium until cooked through, drain fat (reserving 1 tbsp) and rinse beef under warm water. Set aside.
3. Add diced onions, garlic and green pepper to pan with reserved fat and sauté on medium-low until soft tender.
4. Bring a medium sauce pan with water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
5. Add beef back to the pan with onions, garlic and pepper. Add canned tomatoes, bouillon and Italian seasoning.
6. Add pasta to pan with meat and veggies.
7. Pour ½ of the tomato juice over the top, adjust thickness to your liking. We usually use 2/3 the bottle.
8. Taste goulash and salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Why we love it: Goulash reminds me of my childhood, and it is the actual definition of comfort food. I’ve added a few ingredients to amp up the nutritional value of my father-in-law’s basic recipe and its a win!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup (dairy and gluten free)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 24 ounces Simple Truth frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 can Simple Truth coconut milk, cream only
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Roux ingredients (optional):

• 1 tbsp. vegan or regular butter
• 2 tbsp cup 4 cup gluten free flour

Instructions:

1. Add olive oil to the instant pot and set to sauté.
2. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken, potatoes, poultry seasoning, garlic and half the broth.
3. Set instant pot to manual pressure for 15 minutes.
4. Quick release.
5. Remove lid and take out half the potatoes. Mash and add back to instant pot.
6. Add frozen veggies and remaining broth. Set to manual for 1-2 minutes.
7. Quick release.
8. If you feel like you need to thicken the broth at this point you may do so by creating a roux. Add 1 tbsp butter to a saucepan and heat over medium. When hot and bubbly sprinkle two tablespoons flour and whisk well. Add to the instant pot and set to sauté. Heat to a boil, whisking well and then turn off to thicken.
9. Add coconut cream (make sure to only use the solid cream, reserve the clear liquid for smoothies) and stir well.
10. Taste soup and salt and pepper if needed.
11. Serve in individual bowls and top with gluten free crackers. Enjoy!

Why we love it: Who doesn’t love chicken pot pie? This delicious soup is a healthy dairy + gluten free version of the original comfort food. Plus it comes together in under 30 minutes, which makes it perfect on a busy day!

Black Bean Enchiladas (vegetarian)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 6-7 flour tortillas (GF if needed, we love Siete)
• 1 cup red enchilada sauce ( we like frontera)
• 1 can Simple Truth black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can Muir Glen diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 large sweet potato, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar (you could also use vegan cheese)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Toss diced sweet potato in 1 tbsp olive oil and season with a dash of salt and ½ tsp cumin. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until crisp. Set aside.
3. Turn oven down to 400.
4. Drain the black beans and rinse well. Add beans to a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add clove of crushed garlic and 2 tbsp enchilada sauce and mix well. Salt to taste.
5. Drain tomatoes and add to the bean mix.
6. Poor ¼ cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of an 8×11 glass dish.
7. Layer 2 heaping tbsp of the bean mixture and 2 tbsp sweet potatoes onto a tortilla. Roll and place into glass dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
8. Pour enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas and top with cheese.
9. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has completely melted and enchiladas are heated through.
10. Top with sour cream and avocado if you have them on hand and enjoy!

Why we love it: Enchiladas are a family favorite at our house and this meatless version is no exception. I try to incorporate a meatless meal once a week for our health, budget and environment. This dish is at the top of the requests list!

I hope these recipes bring you a sense of peace during this time of overwhelm. Food is comfort. Food is love. Most importantly, food is security. Do you have more than enough? Cans or boxes of food you can spare? Consider reaching out to an elderly neighbor and asking if you can help stock their pantry with the extra items, or offer to grab their groceries when you hit the store. Sadly, school closures are making it hard on the millions of children who are already food insecure. For many school meals were the only meals they got. Contact your local school district and ask about food donation drop off locations or if possible an option to donate monetarily.

Sending you all lots of love and healthy vibes during this time of uncertainty.

Xx

Shannon

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. All opinions expressed are my own.