Stuck inside during lockdown or self-isolation? You’re not alone. This week, millions of Americans were ordered to “shelter in place,” meaning that they’re not allowed to leave their homes for any activities other than essential travel, which includes going to work, going to the store and purchasing medicine.
So, what are families to do at home when it comes time to make dinner? It’s a good idea to only visit the grocery store once a week while sheltering in place or self-isolating, if at all possible. And, that means relying a lot on pantry food and recipes that suit the ingredients you’ve got at home.
Hungry during self-isolation? Lucky for you, we’ve got a few tasty canned food recipes to deliver. Here are three easy and cheap recipes made with canned food that’ll satiate even the hungriest of eaters.
Vegetable or Chicken Pot Pie
Pot pie is one of those quick dinner dishes you can whip up and change to suit the tastes of any member of your family. And, seeing as most families have lots of canned potatoes and other veggies at home, it’s the perfect way to use up your pantry food. It’s one of the best chicken recipes, too, if you’re interested in adding a little meat into the dish.
Simply gather up all of your veggies, some chicken broth, butter, flour, and a pie crust. If you don’t have the pie crust at home, you can make it on your own using a simple recipe. Preheat your oven to 375° and melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
While it’s heating, cook the chicken until it’s nearly done and add the veggies when it’s ready. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and a cup of chicken broth. Bring to a boil before spooning into the pie crust. Brush it with oil, sprinkle some cheese on top and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Spanish Rice
Travel to Spain even while on lockdown by making one of the tastiest recipes with canned food...Spanish rice! If you need to cook something fast, this is the best bet for you while still yielding a tasty end result that’ll have you craving more. All you need is some instant riced, tomatoes, onions, garlic and some seasoning.
Really, you can add any kind of veggies you want to the mix and make the amount you need to feed your whole family. But, the key to making it taste like actual Spanish rice lies in browning the rice in butter and adding some chili powder and a dash of cumin to the entire mix after you’ve stirred in the veggies and meat.
If you have some canned pork or canned chicken laying around, this is a great recipe to add them to. Spanish rice tastes best with chicken and for the veggies out there, you can add canned jackfruit to mimic meat if you’re interested in adding extra protein to the recipe.
Green Bean Casserole
Who doesn’t love a good quarantine casserole? They’re so easy to make and cooking them always ensures you’ll have leftovers to feed your family for the next meal. So, break out the canned green beans and let’s get started.
Cut the canned green beans up into smaller strips and take out one can of cream of mushroom soup, ½ cup of milk, and (if you have them lying around) fried onions. Heat your oven to 350 degrees as you mix the canned green beans and mushroom soup together. Stir in the milk and mix evenly. Place it into a large casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the fried onions are browned.
Need to make it just a tad bit more filling? Serve it with canned salmon on the side. The salmon flavor mixes well with the veggies and the mushroom soup. It’s a light complement to a creamy dish. And, salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12.
Saving Cash on Groceries
Aside from getting groceries delivered to your front door during a lockdown, you’re likely trying to find ways to stretch your cash during this crisis. There’s a lot of economic uncertainty surrounding coronavirus and the what the pandemic will do to local economies.
So, it’s wise to work towards saving cash on groceries as you continue to navigate these uncertain waters. How? Save cash for cheese and other groceries by using, well, Cheese! Our 100% free debit card offers users lots of great opportunities for more savings by saving bonus and cashback.
Interested in learning more? Sign up today to get started unlocking savings that’ll help you get through this pandemic.
