Best Kid-Friendly Pantry Recipes

I’m a big fan of easy meals and being able to throw a meal together from pantry staples is such a huge help on busy days…or on days at the end of the week when we’re running low on groceries. These are my go-to pantry recipes that both kids and adults at the table can enjoy!

Pantry Recipes

When using the term “pantry” here, I’m assuming you have both some form of a pantry and also a fridge and freezer. The main ingredients of these recipes can be in either of those places for a longer amount of time than other fresh perishable foods.

Adjust these ideas as needed for your own reality and what you happen to have on hand.

Check out my family-friendly grocery list for a place to start with stocking your pantry and easy ways to save on groceries too!

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

These are great made with canned beans. You can even freeze extra tortillas to use in future weeks.

Vegetarian Quesadillas with Beans and Cheese

You can make as few or as many of these easy quesadillas as you like.

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5-Ingredient Vegetarian Burritos

Rice, beans, and cheese make up the filling of these easy burritos. Serve the filling and tortilla separate for younger eaters if needed.

Vegetarian Rice and Beans Burritos

You can make and serve these at the same time, or prep them ahead of time and warm up quickly for an easy meal. You can vary the beans in these simple burritos. Serve them with salsa and/or sour cream.

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Refried Bean Taco Roll Ups

Canned refried beans and tortillas are all you need for this simple meal.

Refried Bean Taco Roll Ups

This makes 6 rolled up tacos, so you can adjust this as needed for your family.  Taste the refried beans before you make the roll ups and adjust the salt and/or cumin if needed. You can also serve the ingredients in separate bowls and let your family serve themselves.

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30-Minute Black Bean Soup

With pantry staples and lots of kid-friendly, flavor, this recipe is even ready in 30 minutes! I love the hit of citrus in this recipe and this is one of the few soups that my kids enjoy.

30-Minute Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

You can serve this soup chunky or pureed smooth, according to what your family might prefer. There's also a slow cooker option if that's more your speed! Try it as a dip for little kids if they're not into a full bowl.

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Burrito Bowls with Rice Pinto Beans

Make a pot of rice and serve it topped with beans and favorite burrito fillings like cheese and salsa. I make a big batch of these once a month and have beans ready in the freezer for multiple meals!

Perfect Pinto Beans Recipe

You can double this recipe to cook 2 pounds of dried beans at once. Just increase the water to 12 cups.

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4-Ingredient Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

Try this with frozen broccoli or fresh broccoli, whatever you can more easily find. This is super simple and has nice flavor from the sausage (though you can sub in a can of white beans if you prefer!).

4-Ingredient Sausage Pasta (with Broccoli)

This pasta recipe is quick and delicious and the flavor from the sausage is really key. (Just a heads up that you'll need to reserve a little of the pasta cooking water, so keep that in mind BEFORE you drain the pasta.) Chicken sausage is usually leaner than pork, so when making this with chicken sausage, I like to add butter or olive oil before serving.

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Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

This works with frozen cauliflower just as well as fresh and is an easy recipe to make for the whole family. It’s cheesy and has a veggie right in the mix.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (5-Ingredient)

With a simple cheese sauce—no standing and stirring over the stove here!—a solid dose of veggies, and a super creamy final result, this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a fast lunch or dinner option for toddlers. (And the rest of the family, too!)

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Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Keep an extra package or two of chicken in the freezer to make easy meals like this one easy. The shredded chicken is super moist so it’s easy for older babies and younger toddlers to eat. And the flavor is so good!

Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Forget takeout—deliver this popular Indian dish to your table instead. Shredded chicken thighs are coated in a rich, buttery sauce with hints of tomatoes, ginger, and garam masala—a messy but very flavorful finger food. Adapted from The Multi-Cooker Baby Food Cookbook.

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Pizza Rolls with Spinach

With dough, pizza sauce, and cheese, these pizza rolls are fun to make with basic ingredients. They store well in the fridge for easy lunches all week and you can stash them into the freezer too.

Favorite Pizza Rolls (with Spinach and Cheese)

Be sure to grease your pan well and roll the dough up fairly tightly around the fillings for best results. (But it's okay if they don't look perfect when they go into the pan!) 

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Italian Lentils and Rice

Dried lentils and canned tomatoes make this recipe one of my go-to pantry recipes. It’s a hearty vegetarian recipe that pairs nicely with rice or pasta and a simple veggie side.

Italian Lentils with Rice

We like this with rice, but you can also serve this with pasta if you prefer.

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Coconut Rice

Serve as a simple side or a vegetarian main paired with warmed frozen peas or black beans. The rice sticks together nicely too, which makes it a little easier for toddlers to eat.

How to Make Coconut Rice

Make this without the optional flavors for a simple, yet yummy side dish that’s easy for your little ones to eat since the grains hold together well. Add just ginger, or add ginger and the optional spices at the end for more flavor. We like adding raisins to the mix when we add the extra spices!

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Cheesy Meat Buns

With a simple dough, ground beef (a great freezer staple) and cheese, these are a fun pantry recipe to make and eat together.

Cheesy Stuffed Meat Buns

These meat buns have all of the components of a cheeseburger, but are much easier for little kids to eat! Plus: They store well in the fridge and freezer so can be made ahead of time.

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Salmon (or Tuna) Salad Sandwiches

I like to keep canned salmon and tuna in the pantry for backup protein options and this salad is a nice topping for bread or a dip for crackers.

Favorite Salmon Salad Sandwich

This salmon salad is packed with protein, healthy fats, and calcium and can be used as a dip or a spread for sandwiches. We use homemade relish in this recipe, but you can use any that you like the flavor of.

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Salmon Cakes

Learning how to make Salmon Cakes is easy—and it’s a convenient and affordable way to serve healthy fish to a family. They can be made with pantry ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. Serve over a salad for you and with simple sides for the kids. And don’t forget the dip!

Easy Baked Salmon Cakes (Salmon Patties)

These tender fish cakes make a quick and easy pantry meal when you haven’t planned ahead for dinner. Recipe updated slightly to ensure moistness in June 2021.

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Alphabet Soup

Cook up this cozy Alphabet Soup recipe the next time you want an easy meal that’s also fun! ABC pasta is a perfect addition to this kid-friendly soup—and you can tailor the veggies to the likes (or dislikes!) of your own kiddos. It’s so versatile!

Favorite Alphabet Soup

You can use ABC pasta, orzo, pastina, or ditalini—or any other very small pasta shape in this Alphabet Soup recipe. And you can start with fresh or frozen veggies. See below for options.

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Quick Pantry Meals (without Recipes!)

Use these ideas when you don’t want an actual recipe, but still need some inspiration to get a meal onto the table.

• Scrambled eggs and toast
• Scrambled egg tacos
• Snack dinner
• Noodles with jarred peanut sauce
• Hummus and pita bread
• Hummus and crackers
• Freezer waffles and nut or seed butter
• Store-bought mac and cheese
• Tortilla roll up with nut or seed butter and a banana
• Cheese quesadillas
• Pasta with butter, thawed frozen peas, and Parmesan
• Pasta with jarred tomato sauce
• Store-bought gnocchi or tortellini with butter or tomato sauce
• Favorite store-bought freezer meals
• Pancakes
• Grilled cheese

You May Also Like

• 50 Easy Toddler Meals with Hardly Any Cooking
• 15 Shortcut Toddler Meals
• Favorite Instant Pot Meals
• Favorite Slow Cooker Dinners

I’d love to know your favorite pantry recipes, so please comment below to share!

This post was first published March 2020.