• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Add Salt & Serve
  • Our
    Recipes
  • Meal
    Plans
  • Busy Cook's
    Secrets
  • Your Recipe
    Collections

  • About
  • Member
    Login
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Your Collections
  • Secrets of a Busy Cook
  • Subscribe
  • Bulk Cooking
  • About
  • Contact
  • Your Purchases
  • Facebook Group
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home / Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack Ideas

    Quick Pantry Lunch Ideas

    Quick Pantry Lunch Ideas

    Have you ever taken a look in your pantry for quick and filling lunch ideas? It's surprising how many last minute meal ideas you can come up with using pantry staples either alone or with quick ingredients from the refrigerator or freezer.

    Quick Pantry Lunch Ideas

    Macaroni and Cheese Plus...

    Grab a box of Mac & Cheese and mix and prepare it according to the package directions. To turn it into a full lunch meal, add some vegetables and/or meat. Here are some ideas…

    • steamed broccoli
    • green beans and cubed cooked chicken
    • peas and canned tuna
    • browned hamburger meat or ground turkey
    • chopped hot dogs

    Baked Stuffing

    Mix a box of your favorite stovetop stuffing mix and a can of soup and add whatever leftover chopped meat you have available (leftover chicken or sandwich meat is good for this). Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish and bake at 350°F until brown.

    Soup and a Sandwich

    Just about any combination of soup and sandwiches go well together, and lunch is ready in minutes. Some ideas:

    • tomato soup and grilled cheese
    • chicken noodle and tomato and lettuce sandwiches
    • turkey sandwiches and creamy mushroom soup

    Nachos

    Tortilla or corn chips like Fritos make a great base for all kinds of toppings, and a little goes a long way because they are so filling. Pour some of the chips into a microwavable or baking dish and top them with leftover chicken, taco meat, veggies, or anything else you can find that might go well with chips.

    Top everything with shredded cheese and heat until melted. After heating, add olives, cilantro, salsa, and sour cream for a filling lunch.

    Sandwich Melts

    Make plain old sandwiches more appealing by leaving them open face and toasting them with cheese on top. Some yummy combinations:

    • turkey and swiss cheese
    • tuna salad with cheddar cheese
    • apple slices with cheddar cheese

    Take a look in your pantry and see what lunch ideas you can come up with, and let me know what you discover in the comments.

    Quick Pantry Lunch Ideas
    Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Email

    Posted by Mary Ann on May 22, 2012; Updated on January 25, 2020Filed Under: Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack Ideas, Cooking for Kids

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Add Salt & Serve!

    Mary Ann Kelley

    Hi there! I'm Mary Ann Kelley, and I'm the food blogger/meal planner here at Add Salt & Serve. Read more

    • Recipes
    • Meal Plans

    Member area →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As featured on

    As seen on PBSParents, SFGate, NYT Diner's Journal, How Stuff Works, BankRate, TheSpruceEats, The Wine Coach As seen on PBSParents, SFGate, NYT Diner's Journal, How Stuff Works, BankRate, TheSpruceEats, The Wine Coach Add Salt & Serve (formerly Menus4Moms) © 2000–2023 Kelley Media, Ltd. All rights reserved.
    Contact | About | Member Login | For the Media | Terms / Disclaimers | Privacy | Refund Policy | Sitemap | DMCA | Accessibility | Do Not Sell My Information
    As an Amazon Associate Add Salt & Serve earns from qualifying purchases.