Pantry Pizza Soup

I started this blog in March 2020.

Yes, THAT March 2020.

The shelves at the store were eerily empty.  Yeast.  Pasta.  Chicken.  Gone.  I had been a fan of freeze-dried food and putting aside a little extra canned goods for a long time.  Just in case.  Because you never know when you'll be snowed in or even just sick for a week and not able to get to the grocery store.   Or, -ahem- when you forgot to get something for the potluck. 

It's been 6 years now (wow, really?!) since I started collecting--and, most of the time, adjusting--recipes that use only ingredients that can be kept in the pantry.  Nothing refrigerated or fresh, or even frozen.  

So I'm excited this month to bring you another pantry-friendly soup recipe.  This time:  Pizza Soup!  We really love this at our house.  (If you want to substitute any of the freeze-dried ingredients for fresh, that's also an option.)  

PANTRY PIZZA SOUP

PREP TIME:  5-10 minutes
COOK TIME:  30-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 5 c. water
• 14 oz. jar pizza sauce
• 1/3 c. dried minced onion
• 4 oz. can mushroom pieces, drained
• 14 oz. can petite diced Italian tomatoes
• 3 c. tomato juice
• 1/2 c. freeze-dried sausage (available here or here, etc.)
• 2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. freeze-dried garlic (I like Litehouse, or substitute 1 tsp. garlic powder)
• 1/2 c. small pasta (I used mini farfalle here, but whatever you have is fine)
• about 1-2 c. freeze-dried shredded mozzarella cheese, rehydrated according to package directions (available here or here, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate cheese according to package directions.  Heat all ingredients except pasta and cheese in a pot over low heat for 15 minutes.  (This allows the flavors to blend and the sausage to re-hydrate.)  Then bring to a boil over high heat.  When the soup boils, add the pasta and cook 8-11 minutes, according to package directions for that type of pasta.  Return to low to simmer a few minutes before serving.  Sprinkle soup in bowls with mozzarella cheese. 

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Freeze-Dried Chicken Vegetable Ramen

Something I really love about the pantry-friendly recipes I share here is that they can be whipped up without a run to the store!  Everything is already on-hand.  And that goes for this Freeze-Dried Chicken Vegetable Ramen recipe, too.

In this recipe, you'll notice some options listed for amounts.  If you like a saucier dish, use the larger amounts. 

The whole thing comes together in 20 minutes, too, so if you want something convenient AND fast, this recipe is for you! 

FREEZE-DRIED CHICKEN VEGETABLE RAMEN

PREP TIME:  20 minutes
COOK TIME:  included

INGREDIENTS

• 4 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. freeze-dried chicken
• 1 c. freeze-dried carrots
• 1/4 c. freeze-dried celery
• 1/2 c. freeze-dried green onion (or dried minced onion)
• 1 1/2 c. freeze-dried broccoli (or zucchini)
• 2-3 tsp. sesame oil
• 3-4 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
• 3-4 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4-1/2 c. orange marmalade
• 3 3-oz. packages ramen noodles

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl with a lid, combine the chicken, carrots, celery, green onion, and broccoli.  Pour 4 c. boiling water over, then stir to ensure each piece is wet.  Cover with a lid and leave for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine the sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, orange marmalade, and the flavor packets from the ramen noodles.

About 8 minutes before the chicken-vegetable bowl is finished re-hydrating, cook the ramen according to package directions.  Drain ramen and add it with the contents of the chicken-vegetable bowl to the serving bowl with the sauce in it.  Stir to combine well and serve hot.

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Sneaky Vegetable Tortellini

If you have littles who don't like vegetables, this Sneaky Vegetable Tortellini is a great way to get a few vegetables in without anyone noticing.    

Better still, this dish is pantry-friendly so all the ingredients can be kept on hand for a convenient last-minute dish or even in case of emergency.  But I do suggest hiding the "sneaky" ingredient in your pantry, out of sight, just in case.  When my kids were little and I made this recipe, one of them discovered the sneaky ingredient and I had to stop.  ha ha

That said, I now have three grown children who like vegetables and whose taste buds are open-minded.

This sneaky ingredient is simply pureed vegetables, but in an unlikely form.

SNEAKY VEGETABLE TORTELLINI

PREP TIME:  3 minutes
COOK TIME:  15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. box dry tortellini (I personally like the cheese and spinach version; if not making this a pantry-friendly meal, you can substitute with refrigerated tortellini or ravioli if you like)
• The Sneaky Ingredient:  a 4-oz. package or jar of vegetable baby food such as carrots or peas, or consider combinations like carrot-sweet potato or pea-carrot-spinach.
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 24-oz. jar of spaghetti or marinara sauce
• parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Drain.  In the same pot, stir the spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, and "pureed vegetables" (baby food) together over medium heat until combined.  Add the cooked, drained tortellini.  Stir until heated through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

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Chicken Noodle Soup in a Jar

If summer doesn't feel like the best time for soup, stick with me!  This soup is something special.  It's pantry-friendly.  That means it's shelf-stable, so you can put together the mix now and eat it come fall!  Or gift it.  

Soups are one of my favorite meals to just pull out of the pantry and make.  And this one is a great one because it's something you can gift to someone else, too!

As I mentioned in May, I'll be sharing jar mixes each month from now (May, really) through December to give you some great ideas for gift-giving to neighbors and friends.  I love the idea of giving a meal in a jar because it's such a time-saver for the recipient during a busy time of year.  I have had more than one friend tell me how perfect the meal in a jar was!

Plus, these are easy to make ahead for yourself, too.  Pull out a jar for a quick meal or a quick treat, or even in an emergency. 

And, hey, this is also a great thing to have on hand to make IN 15 MINUTES! to take to a sick friend, too.  There's something healing about chicken noodle soup.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS JAR MIX:  

• Jar mixes should be used within about a year unless you seal them (like with a FoodSaver and the jar attachment) or use oxygen absorbers.  
• You can purchase many of the ingredients in this Chicken Noodle Soup at your local grocery store.  
• You can purchase the dehydrated (or freeze-dried) ingredients at Thrive Life (where I get a little discount if you do) or at Honeyville or at Augason Farms, OR you can dry some of them yourself using a food dehydrator.  That link is to the dehydrator I use--I love it, but I know there are fancier ones out there, too. I dried my own celery and carrots for this recipe.  (And, to be honest, I can't believe how amazing they turned out!  They rehydrate just like fresh in this recipe.)
• If you decide to gift this the way I have pictured, use a piece of fabric about 6"x6".

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

PREP TIME (making the jar mix):  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  15 minutes

JAR MIX INGREDIENTS

In a wide-mouth quart jar, layer in order, tamping down to help the ingredients settle (as needed):

• 2 Tbsp. dried onion
• 3 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. parsley
• 3 Tbsp. non-dairy creamer (coffee creamer)
• 3 Tbsp. dehydrated celery (See notes above for purchase options for the freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients in this recipe.)
• 1/4 c. dehydrated carrots
• 3/4 c. freeze-dried chicken
• 2  1/2 - 3 c. wide egg noodles

See below for updated directions.

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Attach to the jar using a sticker or tag:

Bring 10 c. water to a boil over high heat.  Add jar mix, then lower heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  

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by Estelle from Homemade on a Weeknight

Pickles-n-Cheese Macaroni Salad

This recipe came about when I was in a pinch.  I planned to make a macaroni salad to take to a potluck, but it seemed too boring, so I added some ingredients and took some out.  The result was this pickles-n-cheese macaroni salad, which I have been making ever since.  I was a little self-conscious about feeding my made-up salad to friends since I had messed with the recipe, so I was both surprised and relieved when a couple of people searched me out ("Who made this one?") to tell me, "It's so good!"

This yummy macaroni salad only needed one switch to make it pantry-friendly.  So it's always available in a pinch!

I really love this simple salad.  It's my summer go-to with anything from the grill.  

PICKLES-N-CHEESE MACARONI SALAD

PREP TIME:  about 30 minutes, not including cheese rehydration time of 2 hours)
COOK TIME:  included

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. freeze dried cheddar cheese, rehydrated according to package directions; allow 2 hours (This is my favorite kind of freeze-dried cheese, hands down.)
• 16 oz. elbow macaroni
• about 25 dill pickle slices
• 1 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate freeze-dried cheese according to package directions, about 2 hours.  In a large pot, cook macaroni in water according to package directions.  Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and salt in a large salad bowl.  Place pickle slices on a paper towel to drain as much as possible, then chop them finely.  Stir the chopped pickles and the rehydrated cheese into the creamy mixture.  When the macaroni is cooked, drain and rinse with cool water to cool it as much as possible.  Once cooled (but not dry), stir it into the creamy mixture.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.  

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Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

I have to say up front that my family LOVED this recipe!  You may not believe this yummy cheesy noodle dish can be made with only ingredients from your pantry, but just watch!

Freeze-dried chicken remains one of my favorite go-tos for any recipe calling for "chopped, cooked chicken) because it's so much less work with the same taste.  So that was an easy pantry-friendly switch from the original recipe, and the rest was just as easy.

EASY CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

PREP TIME:  15-20 minutes (not including rehydrating time for freeze-dried foods)
COOK TIME:  40-45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. linguine
• 2 1/2 c. freeze-dried monterey jack cheese, rehydrated according to package directions (takes about 2 hours)
• 2 c. freeze-dried chicken chunks, rehydrated according to package directions (or 12.5-oz. can chicken breast chunks, drained)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 c. butter powder mixed with 2 Tbsp. oil and 2 Tbsp. water  (I like this kind; also available here and here.  If you prefer to use butter flavor shortening as your butter substitute, omit the 2 Tbsp. oil and 2 Tbsp. water from the recipe)
• 1/2 c. chicken broth (or 1/2 c. water and 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon)
• 2 tsp. parsley
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate freeze-dried cheese (allow 2 hours) and freeze-dried chicken (allow about 15 minutes).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook linguine according to package directions.  Meanwhile, combine butter powder with 2 Tbsp. oil and 2 Tbsp. water in a large bowl.  Stir in soups, chicken broth, parsley, garlic powder, and salt.  Stir in rehydrated chicken.  When linguine is cooked, drain it and stir it into the creamy chicken mixture.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Pour the pasta-chicken mixture into the pan.  Sprinkle with rehydrated monterey jack cheese and parmesan.  Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

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Chicken Broccoli Rotini

This recipe is a winner, if I don't say so myself!  A little parmesan cheese gives it just the right hint of cheese, and the freeze-dried chicken and broccoli are amazing, I think.  It's pretty great that you can have chicken and broccoli that tastes so fresh after coming straight from a can.  I love that.

Plus, this whole dish is ready in less than 30 minutes.  No chopping or dicing or slicing.  Easy peasy!

CHICKEN BROCCOLI ROTINI

PREP TIME:  5-10 minutes
COOK TIME:  17 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. rotini pasta
• 2 c. freeze-dried broccoli (also available here)
• 1 c. freeze-dried chopped chicken (also available here)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 c. water

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to boil, then add the rotini, broccoli, and chicken.  Boil for 12 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Drain the rotini with broccoli and chicken.  Place in a serving bowl.  Stir in the creamy mixture until all the pasta is well-coated.

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Lemon Spinach Pasta

This is one of my very favorite pasta dishes!  It only took a couple of changes to make this a pantry-friendly, shelf-stable recipe, and it was just as delicious as the regular recipe.  So I'm really excited, to be honest with you!  I love that this is a recipe I can make in a pinch or in an emergency without a trip to the store for anything fresh.

Plus, it comes together SO fast.  The angel hair pasta--my favorite--cooks quickly because it's so thin.  And the rest of the ingredients are even faster.  Win-win.

LEMON SPINACH PASTA

PREP TIME:  5-10 minutes
COOK TIME:  5-6 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. angel hair pasta
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 4 Tbsp. butter (find pantry-friendly substitute options here; I prefer the powdered butter reconstituted with water plus a little oil)
• 4 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2  1/2 - 3 c. freeze-dried spinach (available here; or you can dry your own with a food dehydrator)

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate powdered butter (or melt butter-flavor shortening) and stir in lemon juice and garlic salt.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  During the last minute of cooking, add spinach to the boiling pasta.  Drain pasta and spinach.  Place in a serving bowl.  Drizzle with butter-lemon juice mixture and stir until well-combined.

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Macaroni Bean Salad

I love a good cold macaroni salad in the summer, and this one is flavorful with three sources of protein, to boot.  This really just hits the spot.  My family loves this pasta salad.

The only change I made to this salad to make it pantry-friendly was the cheese.  And, as usual, you can't even tell.  I really love that about freeze-dried cheese!  You could also consider the cheese optional, if you prefer.

MACARONI BEAN SALAD

PREP TIME:  20 minutes
CHILL TIME:  about 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
• half of a 6-oz. can olives, sliced in half
• 15-oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c. freeze-dried Monterey Jack cheese, rehydrated (original recipe:  1 c. cubed Monterey Jack cheese)
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. Italian salad dressing 
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. seasoned salt

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate the cheese according to package directions.  (Suggested rehydration time for cheese is 2 hours.)  Drain the macaroni and let it cool enough that it won't melt the cheese.  In a small bowl,  combine the mayonnaise, Italian dressing, white wine vinegar, and seasoned salt.  In a large salad bowl, combine both beans with olives, cheese, and macaroni.  Stir in the dressing mixture.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours before serving.

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Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

This is one of my family's all-time favorite meals.  When my daughter came home for Christmas during her first year of college, she--of course--was only here for a couple of weeks--and Cheesy Baked Spaghetti was on the list of requested dinners while she was here.  We've loved this recipe for years, and it's now kind of the definition of "comfort food" around here.

Most of the time, I prefer using freeze-dried sausage to make this meal anyway because it's so much faster and easier (and less messy) than cooking up a pound of sausage.  So I really only needed one other swap to make this recipe entirely pantry-friendly.  We really couldn't even tell the difference between this swapped-out recipe and the original.  And that's perfect.

I have to say, too, that having a delicious dish like this one just "waiting" in the pantry is pretty awesome.  You're going to love this.

CHEESY BAKED SPAGHETTI 

PREP TIME:  15 minutes
COOK TIME:  30-35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• two 14.5-oz. cans of diced tomatoes, undrained (I prefer petite diced)
• 1/4 c. dried minced onion
• one 2.25-oz. can sliced olives
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 - 1  1/2 c. freeze-dried sausage (or you could use freeze-dried beef instead)
• 12-16 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
• 2 c. freeze-dried shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/4 c. water
• grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate the sausage and cheese according to package directions.  (Suggested rehydration time for cheese is 2 hours.)  In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, olives, and oregano.  Place half the cooked spaghetti in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Spread half the meat-vegetable mixture on top.  Sprinkle half the cheddar cheese on top.  Repeat the layers.  In a bowl, mix the soup and water until smooth.  Spread on top of the last cheese layer, being careful to cover all the spaghetti pieces so they don't dry out in the oven.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

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Mushroom Chicken Noodles

I came across this recipe recently and was pleased to see that it's all pantry-friendly!  I do like the challenge of seeing what types of regular recipes I can adapt to use only ingredients that store easily in the pantry, but yummy recipes that don't require any changes are pretty fantastic, too.  Plus, this one is so fast.

I don't care for mushrooms, but the mushrooms here just come from a cream of mushroom soup, so they're not very strong.  This recipe can be made with any kind of noodles, so use your favorite or go with what you have.

MUSHROOM CHICKEN NOODLES

PREP TIME:  5 minutes
COOK TIME:  15-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. noodles, cooked and drained
• 12-oz. can evaporated milk
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. parsley
• 2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 c. freeze-dried chopped chicken (rehydrated according to package directions) or 12.5-oz. can chunk chicken breast, drained

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, pour in about half the can of evaporated milk and whisk in flour.  When smooth, whisk in the rest of the milk.  Stir in parsley and onion.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often.  When it boils, reduce heat to low.  Whisk in the mushroom soup until smooth.  Drain the can of chicken and stir it into the sauce.  Warm through.  Mix into the cooked noodles and serve hot.

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Super Simple Chicken Cacciatore

This delicious simplified version of chicken cacciatore is made pantry-friendly by using canned chicken breast (or freeze-dried chicken breast, if you prefer)!  It's yummy, but it's also very convenient!

It's so convenient, in fact, that I took this recipe to the beach once when we stayed in a beach house that wasn't near a store.  (Just like a beach house should be, right?)  I packed in a bunch of cans--enough to double this recipe and feed a group--without worrying about refrigeration or expiration dates.  It was perfect.

If you've never had chicken cacciatore, it's a little like alternative spaghetti.  My family loves this recipe!

SUPER SIMPLE CHICKEN CACCIATORE

PREP TIME:  5-10 minutes
COOK TIME:  5-10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 - 1  1/2 c. freeze dried chicken chunks or one 12.5-oz. can chunk chicken breast*
• one 26-oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• one 14.5-oz. can of petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• one 8-oz. can of tomato sauce
• 1-2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/3 - 1/2 c. sliced olives
• pasta or rice (I use rice--I cook about 2 cups of dry rice according to package directions for this recipe)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except pasta/rice in a large pot.  Heat over medium-high heat until heated through.  (Or, microwave in a microwave-safe bowl.)  Serve over prepared pasta or rice.

* If you've never used canned chicken breast before, you can find it near the tuna fish at your local grocery store.  I usually use canned chicken, but I've also used this freeze dried chicken which some of my family members like more.  I think both are good.

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Tomato Bouillon Zucchini Soup

Never heard of tomato bouillon?  I hadn't either, until a friend of mine introduced me to it.  It's similar to chicken, beef, or vegetable bouillon, but it's tomato-based.  Pretty handy to have on hand as a pantry staple, too.

The tomato bouillon I'm familiar with is made by Knorr and found in the Mexican section of my local grocery store.  You can see it at this link just so you know what you're looking for.

Tomato bouillon is the main ingredient in this soup, but the zucchini, pasta shells, and optional sausage come together nicely for an easy, tasty, pantry-friendly soup.

TOMATO BOUILLON ZUCCHINI SOUP

PREP TIME:  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  14 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 10 c. water
• 10 tsp. tomato bouillon
• 1/2 c. small shell pasta
• 1 - 1 1/2 c. freeze dried zucchini (I've gotten mine here but you can also get it here)
• 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 - 1/2 c. freeze dried sausage crumbles, optional (I get mine here)

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot over high heat, bring the water and the tomato bouillon to a boil.  Add the remainder of the ingredients to the boiling broth, then stir to combine.  Bring to a boil again and boil for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low (or medium-low) and cover the pot with a lid.  Simmer for 14 minutes.  Serve hot.

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Jennifer's Spaghetti Sauce

I won't say my husband fell in love with me because of this recipe.  But I won't say he didn't, either.

Actually, we were engaged when I made this for a fancy date we went on, so this recipe has great memories associated with it in addition to being completely delicious.  It's an all-time family favorite, too, now that we've got three kiddos.  It also holds a place in history as the first recipe I ever made up!

With one little change (fresh meat to freeze dried), it can be made entirely from ingredients you can store in your pantry!  I honestly make it with the freeze dried meat quite often because it's so much faster and easier than cooking up a pound of sausage anyway.

JENNIFER'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE

PREP TIME:  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3  15-oz. cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3  8-oz. cans tomato sauce
• 1  6-oz. can tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 c. sliced black olives (more or less, to taste)
• 1/4 c. dried minced onion
• 1 - 1 1/2 c. freeze dried pork sausage* (so easy and just as tasty; I get mine here)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Heat for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to low and cover the pot with a lid, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve with hot, cooked spaghetti.

* Or leave out the sausage for a vegetarian version.

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