Quick-Fix Suppers from the Pantry

By Madoline Markham
April 05, 2010
Learn how to stock convenience staples to jump-start homemade suppers in no time.
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Baked Chicken and Rice With Black Beans

Recipe: Baked Chicken and Rice With Black Beans

Save time by opening a can of fiber-rich black beans and stir them straight into this cheesy rice bake. The recipe combines beans with convenience yellow rice mix, cooked chicken, canned tomatoes, canned chiles (to add a kick), and shredded cheese. Sautéed veggies add a fresh taste to the mixture.

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Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Van Chaplin

Recipe: Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna

This top-rated spinach-ravioli lasagna uses convenience items, like store-bought pesto sauce, jarred Alfredo sauce, and frozen cheese-filled ravioli, to deliver a delicious main dish with little time and effort on your part.

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Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

Precooked chicken and bottled green taco sauce make homemade enchiladas simple to prepare. All the ingredients in the dish are easy to stock in the fridge and pantry. Top with fresh ingredients such as tomato and avocado.

Watch: How To Make Chicken Enchiladas

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Chiles Rellenos Quiche

Recipe: Chiles Rellenos Quiche

Baking mix forms a bread-like crust in this quiche with a kick. Shredded cheese and canned green chiles make preparation less time-consuming without sacrificing any flavor.

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Noodle Bowl

Recipe: Noodle Bowl

You already know that ramen noodles are easy to cook, but you might be surprised to see how this recipe transforms them into a sophisticated Asian dish. This noodle recipe uses a simple base of ramen, onions, snow peas, and shrimp and is ready in just 25 minutes!

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Sausage Skillet ‘n’ Rice

Recipe: Sausage Skillet ‘n’ Rice

Brown rice can take close to an hour to cook, so try its quick-cooking, nutrient-packed counterpart to be ready to eat in 5 minutes. This leaves you plenty of time to sauté sausage, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to add savory flavor to the dish.

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Meatball Stew

Credit: Photo: Tina Cornett

Recipe: Meatball Stew

Frozen foods can make stews a snap to prepare. Keep frozen mixed vegetables and meatballs in your freezer to pull out for this stew at any time. Pantry staples beef broth, canned tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning help keep the prep time of this dish down to 5 minutes.

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Quick 'n' Easy Chicken Barbecue Pizza

Recipe: Quick 'n' Easy Chicken Barbecue Pizza

Quick 'n' Easy Chicken Barbecue Pizza comes together quickly by using frozen grilled chicken breast strips and a refrigerated crust. Hickory smoke barbecue sauce completes this crowd-pleasing supper.

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Cornflake-Coated Pork Chops

Recipe: Cornflake-Coated Pork Chops

Cornflake-Coated Pork Chops bake up so nice and crisp that you’ll swear they’re fried. Store the bits of cereal from the bottom of the box in a zip-top plastic bag to ensure you always have this quick-and-easy topping on hand.

Supper Ideas from the Pros
Test Kitchen Professional Rebecca Gordon shows you how to cook Cornflake-Coated Pork Chops for supper tonight. Watch here.

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Beef Fajitas With Pico de Gallo

Recipe: Beef Fajitas With Pico de Gallo

Italian dressing and fajita seasoning (yes, just two ingredients!) make a zesty marinade for flank steaks. Once the flavors have steeped overnight, simply grill the meat and serve it with tortillas, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream—all available ready-to-serve from your grocery store.

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Speedy Lasagna

Recipe: Speedy Lasagna

Jarred spaghetti sauce and no-cook noodles take the labor out of this hearty traditional lasagna. The microwave speeds up the whole process and gets the dish on the table in an hour.

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Chicken-and-Bean Slaw Wraps

Recipe: Chicken-and-Bean Slaw Wraps

These simple yet filling wraps come together quickly with a few our favorite convenience products: coleslaw mix, pre-seasoned beans, Ranch dressing, and shredded cheese. Toasting cheese on tortillas before stuffing makes for a crispy, cheesy meal.

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Three-Cheese Baked Pasta

Recipe: Three-Cheese Baked Pasta

Prepared Alfredo provides a simple base for the creamy white sauce in this pasta bake. Add cooked chicken to turn this pasta into a hearty main dish. Make this recipe ahead for an even quicker weeknight meal.

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Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Recipe: Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Canned biscuits turn into delicious dumplings in this quick-and-easy version of the traditional recipe. Use deli-roasted chicken to save time; one roasted chicken yields about 3 cups, the amount needed for this recipe.

Step-by-Step Video: Our Easiest Chicken and Dumplings

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Smothered Enchiladas

Recipe: Smothered Enchiladas

Canned cream of chicken soup, canned green chiles, and a container of sour cream form a super-quick, creamy sauce to coat these beef-stuffed enchiladas. Top with salsa, sour cream, green onions, and fresh cilantro.

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Supper Ideas from the Pros

Jump start supper in no time with more pantry staple tips from Test Kitchen Professional Rebecca Gordon. Watch here.

Send Us Your Recipe!
Do you have a great time-saving supper recipe? If so, we'd love to try it. E-mail Us.

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By Madoline Markham