Many of us are homebound these days with all of the quarantines and restrictions for going out taking place across the world. The good news is that you can throw together some quick and easy meals with things you probably already have in your pantry. If you don’t have some of these things in the pantry, there is a list at the end to stock your pantry and fridge. This list includes everything you’ll need to make all of these simple meals. Each recipe is made to serve 4 with some leftovers to have for lunch.
Day 1: Chicken Tetrazzini
1 lb. Box of Spaghetti
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
½ box of Velveeta
Additional Shredded cheddar cheese for topping
Roughly 2 cups shredded chicken or drained canned chicken
Serve with: Green Beans
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse. Add cream of chicken soup and diced Velveeta cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add shredded chicken and put in 9×13 pan. Cover with shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 350ºF for 30-45 minutes until bubbly.
Day 2: Crockpot Roast
3 lb Beef Roast (Chuck or Rump)
Cut Up Vegetables (Carrots, Potatoes, Onions)
Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Place roast in crockpot. Add cut up carrots, potatoes, and onions, then Lipton onion soup mix. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours until meat is cooked and potatoes are tender.
Day 3: Shrimp Fried Rice
Frozen Shrimp
4 cups Cooked White or Brown Rice
1 cup Chopped Onion
Olive Oil
Bagged Frozen Mixed Vegetables
Soy Sauce
Egg
Saute onion in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add frozen mixed vegetables and shrimp and saute until cooked through. Add cooked rice and soy sauce to taste and mix well.
Day 4: Veggie Quesadillas
Chopped frozen vegetables (spinach, peppers, onions, mushrooms)
Shredded Cheese
Flour or Corn Tortillas
Butter
Salsa and Sour Cream for Serving
Saute frozen vegetables in a skillet in butter until cooked through. Remove from the skillet and wipe clean. Add more butter to the skillet then place a tortilla over melted butter. Top with shredded cheese and veggies, then place another tortilla on top (or if using large tortillas, fold in half). Cook over medium heat until browned (check it regularly) and then flip over with a spatula to brown the other side. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
Day 5: Baked Pizza Ziti
1 lb. Ziti (or any small pasta)
1 bag of Sliced Pepperoni
Jarred Marinara Sauce
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Serve with: Green Salad
Reserved Pasta Water
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and mix with pepperoni and marinara sauce. If too thick, pour in reserved pasta water. Place in 9×13 pan and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until cheese is melty and bubbly.
Day 6: Baked Potato Bar
Baking Potatoes
Sour Cream or Ranch
Green Onions
Bacon Bits
Shredded Cheddar
Scrub potatoes, cover with olive oil and kosher salt. Bake at 400 on a baking sheet until potatoes are fork tender (60-90 minutes depending on size). Serve with toppings
Day 7: Monica’s Easy Paella
One Bag Yellow Rice Mix
Sausage Links or Chorizo Links
Bag of Frozen Mixed Vegetables (or veg all would work)
Prepare yellow rice mix according to directions. Cut sausage into chunks and saute in skillet over medium high heat until done. Remove from the skillet. Remove all but a tablespoon of the meat grease. Add frozen veggies or Veg All and and saute until cooked through. Add cooked rice and sausage links back to the pan and mix to combine.
Day 8: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
2 quarts Chicken Broth
3-4 large carrots, chopped (can use frozen)
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 16 oz package of Egg Noodles (preferably Reames Frozen Egg Noodles but dried work fine too)
Bring chicken broth to a boil and add carrots and celery. Once tender, add chicken and egg noodles and cook until noodles are to desired doneness. Salt and pepper to taste.
Day 9: Crockpot Italian Beef
3 lb Beef Roast (Chuck or Rump)
1 packet au jus seasoning
1 jar of pepperoncini with juice
Serve on buns or over cooked rice.
Serve with: Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower (place fresh or frozen on baking sheet, toss with olive oil and kosher salt and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until lightly roasted. Toss several times during cooking to ensure even cooking.
Add roast, seasoning and pepperonini with juice into crock pot. Cook on high for 6-8 hours until roast is cooked through and falling apart. Shred with forks and serve on hoagie rolls or over cooked rice.
Day 10: Shrimp Scampi
1 lb box of pasta (pref. Linguine but spaghetti or fettuccine works)
Minced garlic or garlic powder
2 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tbsp. Butter and/or Olive Oil
Frozen Shrimp
Parmesan Cheese
Reserved Pasta Water
Serve With: Sauteed Garlic Spinach (saute frozen spinach with olive oil, garlic and salt)
Cook pasta according to package directions, but about 2 minutes less than al dente. Drain noodles reserving roughly 1 cup of the water the pasta was cooked in. Rinse noodles in cold water to keep them from overcooking. Saute minced garlic and shrimp in butter over medium high heat. Add cooked noodles and a little bit of the reserved pasta liquid to the pan. Add about 2 tbsp lemon juice and saute until noodles are al dente. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.
Day 11: Beef Chimichangas
Flour Tortillas
1 can Refried Beans
1 lb Ground Beef or Sausage
Shredded Cheese
Butter
Serve with: Guacamole Salad (Pre-made guacamole, shredded lettuce, salsa and sour cream)
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain excess grease. Add can of refried beans and mix well with ground beef. Place large spoon full of meat/bean mixture onto tortilla and top with shredded cheese. Roll up like a burrito and secure ends with a toothpick if needed. Place on baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you run out of tortillas or filling and then bake at 350ºF until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Serve on top of guacamole salad. Note – these freeze well if you have leftovers.
Day 12: Tuna Melts
3 cans tuna fish, drained
3 tbsp mayonnaise (or more if desired)
2 tbsp Pickle Relish or cut up dill pickles
1 tbsp Mustard
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Cheese
Sliced Bread
Serve with: Tater Tots and Cole Slaw
Mix together tuna, mayo, pickle relish, mustard, sugar and salt and pepper. Place a large scoop on a piece of toast and then top with shredded cheese. Bake in an oven at 350ºF until cheese in melted.
Day 13: Chicken Ramen Bowls
4 Packages of Ramen Noodles
4 Eggs
Shredded Chicken
Leftover Roasted Veggies
Prepare ramen according to package directions. Prepare soft boiled eggs by placing eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes. Then cool in ice water to stop cooking. Peel and slice in half and put in bowl with Ramen. Add leftover shredded chicken and roasted veggies to bowl.
Day 14: Crockpot Spicy Soup
Ground Beef
Jar of Marinara Sauce
1 Qt. of Beef Broth
Can of Rotel
2 cans of Veg All or bag of frozen mixed vegetables
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain excess grease. Add to crockpot along with marinara sauce, beef broth, Rotel (undrained) and 2 cans of Veg All (drained) or small bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Cook in crockpot on low heat 6-8 hours.
And just like that your quarantine is over! Everyone stay safe and wash your hands. I really hope this helped you through this crazy time we’re having!
A few of these recipes I already do but a few of these look fantastic and easy! Gonna try them. Awesome blog sweetie!