15 Healthy Pantry Dinners for Hectic Weeknights

No time for grocery shopping? No problem! These 15 dietitian-approved dinners use ingredients you likely have stocked in your pantry, fridge or freezer like canned beans, pasta, eggs and leftover chicken. Now you can throw together a nutritious meal in no time that will please the family and make you look like a gourmet cook.

By: Holley Grainger, MS, RD

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Oven-Baked Chicken Taquitos

Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this! These oven-baked chicken taquitos are made with just five ingredients and are ready in 20 minutes. This healthy spin on the traditional fried taquitos is sure to be a new family favorite. Make a double batch and freeze the extras to use for future suppers or school lunches. Get the recipe >>

Pizza Quiche

It’s quiche...it’s pizza...it’s quichzza! All the foods you enjoy like pizza, quiche and pie rolled into one skillet. Start with whole-wheat pizza dough (you can pick this up in the bakery section of your supermarket), add eggs, whatever veggies you have on hand, your favorite cheese and bake. Is this breakfast or dinner? You decide! We vote both! Get the recipe >>

Turkey Taco Soup

Super satisfying and ready in just 15 minutes, this taco soup uses many canned ingredients like diced tomatoes, black beans, corn and green chilies. Keep a packet of taco seasoning in your pantry and ground meat (like the ground turkey used in this recipe) in your fridge and you’ll have a healthy meal the whole family will enjoy in less time than it takes to pick up takeout. Get the recipe >>

Lightened-Up Mongolian Chicken

Add whatever veggies you have on hand and swap chicken for tofu or cauliflower, if desired, to create this delicious Asian-inspired dish in just 30 minutes. This lightened-up recipe is simple and easy and features a savory sauce that can’t be beat! Get the recipe >>

Slow-Cooker Jamaican Jerk Pork

Simple ingredients: check! Large quantity: check! Tasty, healthy and freezable: check, check, check! This recipe has it all. Jamaican jerk pork made in the slow cooker is perfect in a sandwich, on top of a bed of lettuce or used as a pizza topping. Best of all, it uses ingredients you likely already have in the pantry and fridge. Get the recipe >>

King Ranch Casserole

Get a gluten-free taste of Texas with this easy King Ranch Casserole. This lightened-up version of the classic dish provides all of the flavor of the original recipe, but with less calories. Get the recipe >>

One-Pan Roasted Whole Chicken With Gravy

Tired of spending hours cleaning the kitchen? Not anymore! This one-pan chicken recipe is super easy with minimal cleanup. It’s a cook-once-eat-twice-meal thanks to the leftovers you get from it. Your family can enjoy it for dinner or lunch throughout the week. Get the recipe >>

Weeknight Chicken Tostadas

Prep the components of this recipe ahead so it can be ready to assemble and serve in less than 10 minutes on a busy weeknight. Use leftover grilled chicken, canned black beans, frozen corn kernels and other grocery staples to customize a family-friendly tostada with all of your favorite toppings. Get the recipe >>

End-of-the-Week Frittata

Is your fridge looking a little sparse by the end of the week? Make this frittata with leftover veggies and other ingredients in your fridge that may be on their last leg. Using up ingredients that are about to go bad in a dish like a frittata is a great way to save money and make sure nothing goes to waste. Plus, leftovers can be enjoyed for breakfast or lunch. Get the recipe >>

Veggie Nuggets

Need help getting your kids to eat vegetables? Try making these easy veggie nuggets that highlight things that kids love: nuggets, dipping and finger food. They can be served as a snack, as a meal or even tucked into lunch boxes. Get the recipe >>

Oven-Baked Fish Sticks

Love fish sticks but hate their high fat and sodium content? Ditch the frozen fish sticks for this healthier version that uses less breading, more nutritious ingredients and baked instead of fried fish. Feel free to use whatever frozen fish you have on hand. Get the recipe >>

Vegan Burrito Bowl

This better-for-you burrito bowl is bursting with spices and flavor. It’s made with brown rice, satiating protein from the tofu and black beans, and healthy fat from the avocado. This is a bowl that’s sure to fill you up, not fill you out! Get the recipe >>

Weeknight Chicken Curry

Warm, comforting and delicious for a busy weeknight, this chicken curry recipe uses minimal ingredients (many of which you already have in the pantry) and requires less than an hour to cook. Plus, it can be made ahead time and reheated for future meals. Get the recipe >>

One-Pot-Wonder Southwest Pasta

Dig into your pantry and freezer to find many of the ingredients needed to make this 25-minute weeknight pasta dish. Follow the one-pot method by cooking pasta, veggies, seasoning and broth simultaneously to make mealtime prep a breeze. Get the recipe >>

5-Ingredient Orange Maple Salmon

Give salmon a sweet and tangy twist with a simple maple syrup-orange juice glaze your children are sure to enjoy. Using only five ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, this recipe will add fish into your family-favorite weeknight dinner rotation. Get the recipe >>