"What's for dinner?" is even harder when you have to create gluten free meals from pantry staples.
Here are some family-favorite meals that I turn to whenever I don't know what to make for dinner, and I don't have time to run to the store for extra ingredients.
I consider "pantry staples" to be canned food, dry items like pasta and rice, potatoes, onions, carrots, frozen veggies, and frozen chicken or other meat that many people usually have on hand.
I try to note ideas for substitutions, to help you use what you have in your pantry so you don't have to go to the store. While many of these recipes do have meat, they aren't meat-centered recipes like meatball and spaghetti. You can easily omit the meat, or the chicken for ground beef, to use what you have on hand.
Which easy gluten free meals using pantry staples are you going to make first?
Easy Gluten Free Meals using Pantry Staples
Baked Ziti is a great pantry staple meal, and this one is dairy free too! Gluten free pasta, sauce, ground meat, and an easy pantry parmesan-style vegan cream sauce instead of cheese adds the creamy cheesy element even when you don't have cheese.
Skip the ground meat to make it vegan (or if you don't have ground beef or sausage on hand.)
This green chile white bean chicken chili is always a hit! It uses leftover chicken and canned beans. You can omit the chicken, or use canned chicken if that is what you have.
Serve it with some homemade cornbread for a complete meal!
Enchiladas are so versatile! This is my favorite recipe using leftover chicken, but you can use cheese, beans, ground beef, or sauteed veggies to fill your enchiladas instead. This is the perfect recipe to use any canned chicken you have and don't know what to do with.
I also have an easy enchilada sauce recipe included, so you can make enchilada sauce with the spices in your pantry!
Easy gluten free cornbread with honey, baked in a cast-iron skillet or 8x8 pan. Just 1 bowl, and 9 pantry staples and you'll have this sweet gluten free cornbread in your oven in less than 10 minutes!
This gluten free one pot, no drain, mac n cheese is ready, start to finish, in 15 minutes. Easier than the box, and WAY better! Dairy-free option too. This recipe will change your life!
If you have gluten free pasta, cheese (dairy or vegan), milk (dairy or vegan) and water you have everything you need to make this!
Gluten free chicken and dumplings ins the ultimate comfort food! This is a great recipe to use frozen or leftover chicken, and the dumplings are made with just a few ingredients you are sure to have on hand.
Easy gluten free tuna casserole makes a quick gluten free dinner perfect for busy weeknights! With gluten free pasta, gluten free cream of mushroom soup, tuna, peas, and buttered gluten free breadcrumbs on top it is a crowd-pleasing comfort food casserole everyone will love.
Almost everything for this recipe is shelf-stable, with the exception of the peas. If you don't have gluten-free cream of mushroom soup in your pantry, don't worry, I have a homemade cream of mushroom soup that takes just a few minutes to mix up and is made with pantry staples too!
Fried Rice is one of my favorite clean-out-the-pantry-and-fridge meals. You can use whatever leftover veggies or meats you have on hand, or any food that is good today but maybe won't be tomorrow. It is a perfect gluten free pantry staple dinner recipe to keep in your back pocket!
This hearty Tuscan 3 Bean Sausage Soup Recipe comes together in just a few minutes with very little prep time. It makes a perfect dinner for a busy weeknight. Using canned beans and tomatoes, it is an easy meal to pull out of the pantry and put on the stove!
It does use a smoked sausage, which you can omit if you don't have on hand. Add another meat, or omit it altogether.
Whether you have a leftover rotisserie chicken, or some chicken stashed in your freezer, this easy gluten free chicken noodle soup is the perfect easy way to use it up and stretch it into a meal.
Gluten free pasta, Brown sugar, garlic, and gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos make this an easy and flavorful meal! If you are sick and tired of plain pasta, this is the perfect change of pace while still using what you have on hand.
What I love about stir fry is that you can use whatever veggies you have on hand! Add meat, or tofu, or don't! This also works great with frozen or fresh veggies!
Canned clams and potatoes are pantry staples in my book. I almost always have some on hand. Add some bacon and half and half or cream to make a luscious gluten free clam chowder.
You can skip the bacon, or use milk instead of half and half or cream.
My family calls this "dump lasagna" because you just dump everything in the pan. Way easier than a classic layered lasagna, with the same flavors.
You can skip the meat if you don't have any on hand.
With all the flavors of mole, this rich chili is a great way to use the beans from your pantry. You can skip the ground beef if you don't have it on hand, and serve your chili with corn or rice to make a complete protein.
Gluten-free Chicken Taco Pasta is super easy to make, and the whole family will love it. One pot means not many dishes to clean when you are finished, and it is a cinch to throw together.
This is a great recipe to use canned beans, gluten free pasta, and other pantry staples.
Buttery Chile Lime Pasta is may be gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegetarian but you won't feel deprived at all. Buttery, just a little heat from the chile powder, and the bright freshness of lime. With the exception of the avocado and vegan butter,, which you can skip, everything else comes from a can or box in the pantry! Everyone will beg for seconds!
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