Struggling to make meals with what you have on hand? Do you want to make a favorite recipe, but are missing some of the ingredients? Are you tired of buying ingredients that you only use once? Here are some ideas from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to spark your imagination.
Want to make sandwiches, but you’ve just eaten your last slice of bread? Use tortillas, bagels, pita bread, French bread, English muffin, rolls, focaccia, biscuits, or lettuce wrap instead.
Feel like pasta, but you’re missing the pasta sauce? Try these tasty alternatives:
Olive or vegetable oil with garlic.
Pesto or fresh tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Top your pasta with chili or soup. For some soups, you may wish to add less liquid, so they make a thicker sauce.
Craving tacos or burritos, but you are short on ingredients?
No tortillas, use rice instead to make rice bowls.
No ground beef or chicken, use a can of black beans in place of the meat. Drain and rinse the black beans. Sauté with 1 teaspoon olive or vegetable oil and ½ of a taco-seasoning packet for a plant-based meal.
Want to make a smoothie, but you are out of yogurt? No problem, swap the yogurt out for applesauce, fruit juice, milk or frozen bananas. Then, add fruits (fresh, frozen, or canned) that you have on hand and blend it up.
Hungry for pizza, but missing some ingredients?
Warm a tortilla shell in a skillet and top with your favorite pizza toppings.
Use another type of crust such as canned or homemade biscuits, English muffins, or French bread.
Make your own homemade pizza sauce by combining 15 ounce canned diced tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add to a blender and pulse 2-3 times until tomatoes are finely diced.
Use black or white beans to make a bean pizza sauce. The smoother you want the sauce the more you need to smash the beans with a fork or food processor prior to adding your desired flavoring.
Out of dressing for your salad? Homemade salad dressing is a breeze with this simple salad equation. Simply add 1 cup oil with ½ cup lemon juice or vinegar in a sealable container. Add 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons dried herbs of your choice. Shake until combined.
Your favorite meat marinade ran out? Use an oil and vinegar salad dressing, also known as a vinaigrette. It makes a great marinade.
Out of pasta for casseroles? Substitute another starchy food such as cooked rice; cooked or canned potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes; cooked or canned beans or lentils for pasta.
Out of fresh fruit? Add dried, canned, or frozen fruit to your recipe. Dried fruits are very dense, so if you substitute them into a recipe, keep in mind the ratio of one cup of fresh fruit is equal to about ¼ cup of dried.
Article released November 9, 2020
