{"id":54284,"date":"2020-02-20T09:00:08","date_gmt":"2020-02-20T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/?p=54284"},"modified":"2026-04-15T12:44:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T16:44:32","slug":"easy-pantry-dinners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/easy-pantry-dinners\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Easy Pantry Dinners for Busy Weeknights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/easy-dinners-pantry-hacks.jpg\" alt=\"Easy Pantry Dinners\" width=\"680\" height=\"680\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-54288\" \/><br \/>\nHave you ever set out to create a fancy dinner, only to end up staying late at work and caught in traffic on your way home? Or made restaurant plans, then had your pal cancel at the last minute, leaving you hungry and wondering what to do instead? We\u2019ve all been in these sorts of situations, where you feel caught between wanting to make a nutritious, home-cooked meal and the desire to throw in the towel and reach for the takeout menu. <\/p>\n<p>So how does one still get dinner done when time and energy are in short supply? Look to your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&#038;id=pan&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=false&#038;activePage=1&#038;sortBy=null&#038;orderAsc=false&#038;activeTab=product\">pantry<\/a>: by adding on a few shelf-stable items to your FreshDirect order, you\u2019ll always have a quick, convenient, and tasty meal at the ready. It\u2019s truly amazing what you can accomplish with an all-purpose sauce, some grains or pasta, and a few simple veggies or proteins. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"nounderline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&#038;id=picks_dinner&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=true&#038;activePage=0&#038;sortBy=null&#038;orderAsc=false&#038;activeTab=product&#038;brandFilterGroup=clearall\">There are a lot of great pantry dinner solutions to discover on FreshDirect.<\/a> <\/strong>Get started on your weeknight meal quest by trying one of these dishes with our favorite items from the cupboard. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-53460\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/easy-dinners-pantry-spaghetti-sauce.jpg\" alt=\"Easy Pantry Dinners Spaghetti Tomato Sauce\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" \/><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>Just FreshDirect Pasta Sauce with Spaghetti<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nWhen you use a sauce made with flavorful, high-quality ingredients, the classic dish of tomato-smothered pasta will never get old. We work with a small artisan producer in Italy to source <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&#038;id=gro_pasta_sauce&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=false&#038;activePage=1&#038;sortBy=Sort_CustomerFavoritesFirst&#038;orderAsc=true&#038;activeTab=product&#038;brandFilterGroup=bd_just_fd\">our pasta sauces<\/a>, which are made with 100% whole-peeled Italian tomatoes, pure olive oil, fresh basil, and aromatic seasonings. Simply heat them up and toss with your favorite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&#038;id=gro_pasta_pasta&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=false&#038;activePage=1&#038;sortBy=Sort_CustomerFavoritesFirst&#038;orderAsc=true&#038;activeTab=product\">pasta<\/a>\u2014you can even use our own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=hmr_dsside_spght&#038;catId=meals_sides_pasta\">pre-cooked spaghetti<\/a> to make things super simple. And for some extra protein, add our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=hmr_mtbll_prkbeef&#038;catId=meals_entrees_two_plus_meat\">house-made meatballs<\/a>, which are great to keep on hand in the freezer. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-53460\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/easy-dinners-shakshuka-sauce-eggs.jpg\" alt=\"Easy Pantry Dinners Shakshuka Sauce\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" \/><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>Shakshuka With Mina Simmer Sauce<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/shakshuka-eggs-recipe\/\">Shakshuka<\/a> is a Mediterranean recipe with poached eggs in a spiced, tomato-based sauce. Making it from scratch is a nice Sunday brunch project, but it\u2019s way more practical to grab some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=gro_pid_4010455&#038;catId=gro_condi_chili\">Mina shakshuka sauce<\/a> on a busy weeknight.  This jarred version is ready to use and has just the right balance of hearty flavor and gentle aromatics. Just simmer it in a pan, crack in some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&#038;id=dai_eggs&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=true&#038;activePage=1&#038;sortBy=Sort_CustomerFavoritesFirst&#038;orderAsc=true&#038;activeTab=product\">eggs<\/a> and grab a hunk of bread for sopping all that goodness up.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-53460\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/easy-dinners-nutty-zoodles.jpg\" alt=\"Easy Pantry Dinners Zoodles Lemongrass\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" \/><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>Zoodles With Haven\u2019s Kitchen Nutty Lemongrass Sauce<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nThe beauty of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/srch.jsp?pageType=search&#038;searchParams=zoodles&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=false&#038;activePage=1&#038;sortBy=Sort_Relevancy&#038;orderAsc=true&#038;activeTab=product\">zoodles<\/a> is that they work equally as well in Asian-inspired noodle dishes as they do in Italian-style ones. All it takes to cook them is a quick saut\u00e9 in a pan, then a toss in something like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=dai_pid_2004516&#038;catId=dai_condi_chtny\">Nutty Lemongrass Sauce<\/a> from our friends at <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/about-havens-kitchen-sauces\/\">Haven\u2019s Kitchen<\/a>. Add on some chopped cilantro and maybe a few cucumbers and peanuts and you\u2019ve got a bowlful of deliciousness that one ups your average sesame noodles. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-53460\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/easy-dinners-curry.jpg\" alt=\"Easy Pantry Dinners Curry\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" \/><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>Maya Kaimal Curry Over RightRice<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nSimmer sauces from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/srch.jsp?pageType=search&#038;searchParams=maya+kaimal&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=false&#038;activePage=1&#038;sortBy=Sort_Relevancy&#038;orderAsc=true&#038;activeTab=product\">Maya Kaimal<\/a> make it easy to enjoy Indian flavors anytime\u2014all you have to do is add in some cut meat and\/or vegetables and cook everything through in a pan. We especially love <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=mea_pid_3330184&#038;catId=lkbs\">pasture-raised local lamb leg cubes<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=hmr_veg_cutcrrts&#038;catId=veg_cut_micro\">carrots<\/a> in their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=gro_pid_4013628&#038;catId=gro_condi_chili\">Madras curry sauce<\/a>. Serve it all over the grains of your choice\u2014our pick is quick-cooking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=gro_pid_4015643&#038;catId=gro_rice_ricep\">RightRice<\/a> made from protein-rich ingredients.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-53460\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.freshdirect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/easy-dinners-banza-cacio-pepe.jpg\" alt=\"Easy Pantry Dinners Banza Gluten Free Pasta\" width=\"210\" height=\"210\" \/><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>Cacio e Pepe Mac \u2018n\u2019 Cheese<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nWhat is cacio e pepe, you ask? In Italian, that\u2019s cheese and black pepper pasta\u2014in other words, a fancy mac \u2018n\u2019 cheese. We love taking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=gro_pid_4014255&#038;catId=gro_pasta_macar\">Banza\u2019s white cheddar mac <\/a>(which is truly a step up from your average boxed pasta since it has gluten-free elbows and a sauce made with real cheddar), then adding a few generous shakes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=gro_pid_4009314&#038;catId=gro_spices_sltpep\">freshly-ground black pepper<\/a>, resulting in a sophisticated version that\u2019s definitely not just for kids.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><a class=\"nounderline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&#038;id=picks_dinner&#038;pageSize=30&#038;all=true&#038;activePage=0&#038;sortBy=null&#038;orderAsc=false&#038;activeTab=product&#038;brandFilterGroup=clearall\">Shop pantry dinners on FreshDirect.<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever set out to create a fancy dinner, only to end up staying late at work and caught in traffic on your way home? Or made restaurant plans, then had your pal cancel at the last minute, leaving you hungry and wondering what to do instead? We\u2019ve all been in these sorts of situations, where you feel caught between wanting to make a nutritious, home-cooked meal and the desire to throw in the towel and reach for the takeout menu. So how does one still get dinner done when time and energy are in short supply? Look to your pantry: by adding on a few shelf-stable items to your FreshDirect order, you\u2019ll always have a quick, convenient, and tasty meal at the ready. It\u2019s truly amazing what you can accomplish with an all-purpose sauce, some grains or pasta, and a few simple veggies or proteins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69275,"featured_media":54288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2736,2732],"tags":[2968,3075,2849],"class_list":["post-54284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dinner-recipes-2","category-recipes","tag-easy-meals","tag-pantry","tag-recipe"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69275"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54284"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54329,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54284\/revisions\/54329"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}