5 Easy Dinners Using Store Cupboard Ingredients
Running low on fresh food but not quite ready for the weekly shop? No problem. Your kitchen probably holds all the store cupboard ingredients you need for a satisfying meal.
Store cupboard cooking isn’t about making do with second-best ingredients. It’s about being clever with tins, jars, dried pasta, rice, and pulses that sit quietly on your shelves until you need them. These store cupboard ingredients last for months (sometimes years), cost less than fresh alternatives, and can make delicious meals that fill you up and taste great.
According to the NHS Eatwell Guide, starchy foods like pasta, rice, and potatoes should make up just over a third of what you eat. Combine them with tinned tomatoes, beans, pulses, and a few spices, and you’ve got the basis for so many meals.
Here are five tasty meals you can make entirely from store cupboard staples. Each one takes less than 30 minutes and uses ingredients most of us already have.
What Counts as Store Cupboard Ingredients?
Before I get to the recipes, let’s quickly cover what we mean by store cupboard essentials.
Tins and jars: Chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, butter beans, sweetcorn, tuna, coconut milk, and pasta sauce all have long shelf lives and work in a huge variety of dishes.
Dried foods: Pasta, rice (white, brown, or basmati), couscous, lentils, and stock cubes are brilliant value and keep for ages.
Oils and condiments: Olive oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and tomato purée add flavour to basic ingredients.
Herbs and spices: Dried mixed herbs, curry powder, chilli flakes, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika transform bland food into something flavoured.
Extras: Flour, sugar, honey, and long-life milk come in handy for quick sauces and additions.
The Food Standards Agency explains the difference between use-by and best-before dates. Most tinned and dried foods have best-before dates, which relate to quality rather than safety. This means they’re usually fine to eat well after the date shown, as long as they’ve been stored properly and the tins aren’t damaged or bulging.
1. Chickpea and Tomato Pasta
This simple pasta dish with store cupboard ingredients comes together in about 15 minutes and is substantial. The chickpeas add protein and texture, while the tomatoes create a rich sauce.
What you need:
- 300g pasta (any shape works)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs or oregano
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How to make it:
Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions. While it’s bubbling away, heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic (or garlic powder) and fry for about 30 seconds until it smells lovely.
Tip in the tomatoes, chickpeas, tomato purée, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, then let it simmer for 5-10 minutes while the pasta finishes cooking.
When the pasta is ready, drain it but save a mugful of the cooking water. Add the pasta to your tomato mixture and stir everything together. If it looks too thick, splash in some of that pasta water until you get a nice coating consistency.
This storecupboard pasta with chickpeas from BBC Good Food shows just how versatile this type of meal can be. Add any vegetables you happen to have lurking in the fridge, or keep it simple with just the basics.
Why it works: Pasta and chickpeas together give you carbohydrates and protein, making this a balanced meal. The tomatoes provide vitamins, and the whole thing costs very little to make.
2. Egg Fried Rice with Whatever You’ve Got
Fried rice is brilliant with yesterday’s leftover rice. But if you’re starting from scratch with dried rice, that works too. You can add store cupboard ingredients or bits from the freezer to bulk it out, too.
What you need:
- 200g rice (or about 400g cooked leftover rice)
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Frozen peas or sweetcorn (if you have them)
- Spring onions (optional)
How to make it:
If you’re cooking rice from scratch, do that first and let it cool down a bit. The NHS guidance on rice safety recommends cooling cooked rice within one hour and keeping it in the fridge if you’re not eating it straight away. If you do use leftover rice, make sure it’s been stored properly in the fridge, and you’re eating it within 24 hours.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok until it’s really hot. Crack in the eggs and scramble them quickly, then push them to one side of the pan.
Add your rice to the empty side of the pan, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Stir everything together with the eggs, then pour in the soy sauce. Keep stirring and frying for a few minutes until the rice is heated through and starting to crisp up a bit.
If you have frozen peas or sweetcorn, throw them in for the last couple of minutes. They’ll defrost in the heat of the rice.
Why it works: Rice is incredibly cheap, especially if you buy it in big bags. Eggs add protein and richness. The whole meal comes together in one pan, which means less washing up.
For more ideas on what to do with basic store cupboard ingredients you already have, check out these easy meals that don’t need recipes.
3. Butter Bean and Vegetable Curry
Curries from scratch sound fancy, but they’re actually dead simple if you use curry powder or paste from a jar. This vegetable version uses butter beans for protein and whatever tinned veg you have lurking at the back of your store cupboard ingredients.
What you need:
- 2 tins butter beans, drained
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 2 tbsp curry powder (or a few spoonfuls of curry paste)
- 1 onion, chopped (or 1 tsp onion powder if you haven’t got fresh)
- Frozen or tinned vegetables (spinach, peas, sweetcorn all work)
- Oil for frying
- Rice to serve
How to make it:
Start your rice cooking first, then get on with the curry.
Heat some oil in a large pan and fry the onion until soft (or just skip this step and use onion powder instead). Add your curry powder or paste and stir it around for a minute until it smells amazing.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk, then add the drained butter beans. If you’re using frozen vegetables, chuck them in now. Tinned vegetables can go in later as they just need heating through.
Let everything simmer together for about 10 minutes until it’s thickened up a bit. Taste it and add salt if needed.
Serve over rice with some mango chutney on the side if you have it.
Why it works: Curry powder transforms basic store cupboard ingredients into something that tastes like proper cooking. Coconut milk makes it creamy and filling. Butter beans are packed with fibre and protein, keeping you satisfied for hours.
If you enjoy curry, have a look at these budget meals, which include several curry options using affordable ingredients.
4. Tuna and Sweetcorn Jacket Potato
Sometimes the simplest meals are the best. Jacket potatoes topped with tuna and sweetcorn is filling, nutritious, and super easy. Those cans of tuna at the back of your store cupboard ingredients can be used to make this tasty lunch.
What you need:
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 tin tuna, drained
- Tinned or frozen sweetcorn
- Mayonnaise or salad cream
- Black pepper
How to make it:
Scrub your potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. You can either bake them in the oven at 200°C for about an hour until the skin is crispy, or microwave them for 10-12 minutes if you’re in a rush. Microwaved potatoes won’t have crispy skins, but they’re perfectly fine when you’re hungry and short on time.
While the potatoes cook, mix together the drained tuna, sweetcorn (drained if tinned, or defrosted if frozen), and enough mayonnaise to bind it all together. Add plenty of black pepper.
When the potatoes are cooked through and fluffy inside, split them open and pile the tuna mixture on top.
Why it works: Potatoes are cheap and filling. Tuna provides protein and omega-3. The whole meal probably costs less than £2 per person and keeps you full for ages.
For more topping ideas, see this guide to jacket potato toppings.
5. Tomato and Lentil Soup
Soup might not sound exciting, but this one is thick, warming, and satisfying using just store cupboard ingredients. Red lentils cook down into a creamy texture without needing any cream or milk.
What you need:
- 200g red lentils
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre vegetable stock (made with a stock cube)
- 1 onion, chopped (or onion powder)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed (or garlic powder)
- 1 tsp cumin
- Oil for frying
- Bread to serve
How to make it:
Heat some oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cumin, stirring for another minute.
Tip in the lentils, chopped tomatoes, and stock. Bring everything to the boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. The lentils will break down and thicken the soup.
If you like smooth soup, you can blend it with a stick blender. Otherwise, just leave it chunky.
Serve with bread for dunking.
Why it works: Red lentils are incredibly cheap and cook quickly without any soaking. They’re full of protein and fibre. This soup costs pennies to make and gives you several portions.
More Store Cupboard Ingredients Cooking Tips
Season properly: Tinned and dried store cupboard ingredients can taste a bit flat if you don’t add enough salt, pepper, and spices. Taste as you cook and adjust the seasoning.
Save pasta water: That starchy water helps sauces stick to pasta much better than just draining everything away. Always scoop out a mugful before you drain.
Use what you have: These recipes are guidelines, not strict rules. Swap chickpeas for butter beans, use different vegetables, or change the spices based on what’s in your cupboard.
Check your dates: Most store cupboard ingredients last ages, but it’s worth checking tins aren’t dented or bulging, and that dried goods haven’t got damp or attracted moths.
Stock up on basics: When things are on offer, buy extra tins of tomatoes, beans, and pulses. They’ll keep for years and save you money in the long run.
Making Store Cupboard Meals More Interesting
If you’re worried these meals sound boring, remember that professional chefs build flavour using exactly the same basic store cupboard ingredients. The difference is in how you use them.
Layer flavours: Don’t just dump everything in at once. Fry garlic and spices first to release their flavour. Add tomatoes and let them cook down. Build up the taste gradually.
Add texture: Crispy fried onions, toasted nuts, or even just some black pepper on top makes a big difference to how food feels in your mouth.
Fresh garnishes: If you have any fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, or even just some chopped spring onions, they brighten up store cupboard meals beautifully. But they’re not essential.
Store Cupboard Ingredients – Frequently Asked Questions
How long do tinned foods actually last?
Most tinned store cupboard ingredients remain safe to eat for years after the best-before date, as long as the tin isn’t damaged, rusty, or bulging. The Food Standards Agency explains that best-before dates are about quality, not safety. However, use your judgement. If something smells off when you open it, throw it away.
Can I freeze meals made from store cupboard ingredients?
Yes, most of these meals freeze well. Cool them completely first, then freeze in portions. Pasta dishes, curries, and soups all freeze brilliantly for up to three months. Jacket potatoes don’t freeze as well, but you could freeze the tuna filling separately.
Are store cupboard meals as healthy as fresh food?
Often, yes. Tinned tomatoes actually contain more of certain nutrients than fresh ones because they’re processed at peak ripeness. Tinned and dried pulses have just as much protein and fibre as fresh. The main thing is to watch the salt content in tinned foods and rinse beans and pulses before using them.
What if I don’t have all the ingredients for a recipe?
Swap things around based on what you have. Most beans and pulses are interchangeable. Different types of pasta all work the same way. Don’t have curry powder? Use whatever spices you do have. Cooking from store cupboard ingredients is all about flexibility.
How can I make store cupboard ingredients meals more filling?
Add more carbohydrates like pasta, rice, or potatoes. Include beans, lentils, or tinned fish for protein. A slice of bread on the side also helps. The meals above are already quite filling, but you can easily bulk them up if you’re feeding hungry teenagers or doing physical work.
Getting Started with Store Cupboard Ingredients Cooking
You probably already have most of what you need to make at least one of these meals. Have a proper look through your cupboards and see what’s lurking at the back. That tin of chickpeas you bought six months ago? Still perfectly fine. The pasta that’s been sitting there since last year? Ready to go.
Store cupboard ingredients cooking saves money, reduces food waste, and means you can always rustle up something decent to eat without trudging to the shops. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you ever stressed about running low on fresh food.
Next time you’re doing a shop, pick up an extra tin or two of tomatoes and beans. Build up your collection of basics gradually, and you’ll always have the store cupboard ingredients for a proper meal, even when the fridge looks empty.
For more inspiration on cooking with basic store cupboard ingredients you already own, have a look at these pasta sauce recipes, which use simple store cupboard items to create delicious meals.
Do you have any favourite recipes using store cupboard ingredients? Let me know in the comments below.
