17 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness

These 17 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness are going to be your new go to list in the event of a natural disaster, emergency or if you have no idea of what you are going to make for dinner. Let’s stay in and make the best of what we’ve got using staples from the pantry, fridge, and freezer!

Whether you are snowed in, recovering from a natural disaster or need to stay indoors because you are sick or quarantined, we have some simple recipes that you can make with whatever you have at home.

Basic pantry staples to make ordinary items into delicious meals

Beans and lentils – Whether you have them dried or canned you can make a meal that can power your day. If you can find them in a can, this will save you time cooking and use of water.

Rice – long grained, short grained, jasmine, brown rice, wild rice, etc. are all good for giving you energy. When paired with beans or lentils, can be a complete meal.

Ancient Grains, quinoa, barley, etc. – All great carbohydrates that have extra fiber and some extra protein to keep you feeling full longer.

Pasta and noodles – whatever you can get your hands on in different shapes and sizes are an easy way to fill you up.

Canned tomatoes and other veggies – whole tomatoes are best as you can crush these later if you wish. These can be added to soups, stews and pasta to make a delightful tasty meal.

Spices – Your spice drawer is your new friend as they can impart a unique flavor and make any boring staple tasty. Think turmeric, garlic, red chili flakes, salt, pepper, curry powder, cinnamon, basil, dried citrus etc. to give your recipes a lift. Your options are endless.

Bouillon and Broths– Canned and boxed broths like chicken, vegetable and beef bone broth take up so much room. Instead, maybe try a bouillon powder or cubes. Bouillon can be a savior for soups and stews if you do not have any meat or fish to add to the mix. Loads of flavor and pretty cheap too. However, if you have the room, liquid broths are great if you are rationing water. Delicious to cook grains and noodles in without using water.

Canned Tuna, Chicken and Meats – If you run out of proteins in your freezer, you may want to have a few cans on hand to get you through. You can make sandwiches, throw in a little in your stir-fried rice or make a casserole to feed the whole family.

Freezer Staples – frozen vegetables, fruits, shrimp, seafood, meats and poultry are a great way to boost your recipes with extra vitamins, protein and minerals. However, you will be limited by the capacity of your freezer. Frozen veggies, depending on how much room you have in your freezer are a great way to add a little pop of freshness to your meals.

Condiments – soy sauce, oils, vinegars, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, etc. are great ways to add extra flavor to boring staples.

Oats, flour, dried fruits, yeast – you can make delicious breakfasts with just a few of these items in your pantry.

Fresh Lemons- You can freeze lemons whole and place in a baggie and squeeze all the air out. Frozen lemons last for 3-4 months. In addition, you can preserve lemons in salt and they can last up to a year.

Olive oil, butter and oils of choice - These are needed to help prevent foods from sticking to the pan and also to flavor foods. Use whatever you have on hand and enjoy.

Water – for both cooking and drinking.

Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness

Recipes, in these kinds of situations, are meant to be adjusted. If you asked us to make a specific recipe right now, we might not even be able to get all the supplies to make it. We know you can't either. As a matter of fact we just went grocery shopping and the isles are quite bare.

Don't panic buy, buy smart. Be prudent! Assess what you have in your house first. You will be surprised the items you will find in the corners of your kitchen. Sort everything out. Get organized. Determine how much space you have in your home and apartment and in your refrigerator and freezer before you grab groceries.

Substitute any proteins, vegetables and spices you have on hand. If you only have part of the ingredients that is okay. Don't put any added stress on yourself.

"If you managed to put any food on the table at all for your family, You are a rock star!" Things are not going to be perfect. Do the best you can and stay positive as this soon will all pass. We are in this all together.

Be creative with your ingredients

Did you know that you can use tea and/ or beer as a starter base for soups and stews? You sure can! They give a little additional depth of flavor to basic staples.
Cinnamon is a great spice that helps sweeten items without sugar. Try it in your coffee, if you run out of sugar.
Olive oil can easily be swapped for butter and vice versa.
Using coconut milk to cook your rice is delicious and makes your rice taste tropical. Add a little dash of ginger too for a delicious side.
A great little substitute for eggs in baking is 1 ground flax seeds or 1 ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Stir and leave set for 5 minutes.