Running out of cheap dinner ideas for the month? Use up leftovers you already have handy with these pantry clean out meals!
In a Nutshell:
Pantry clean out meals are a great way to save money especially at the end of the month when the budget gets tight! Pancakes, tacos, soups, and loaded baked potatoes are some of my favorite cheap and easy go-to meals but there are so many more options depending on what leftovers you have on hand! Here’s some other meal ideas but don’t be afraid to get creative on your own with what you have!
What is a Pantry Clean Out Meal?
A pantry clean out meal is a meal you create using only what you already have on hand. This saves you money and a trip to the store while reducing food waste. Pantry clean out meals can be a great way to use up leftovers or items that would otherwise just sit in your cupboards until past expiration. Are you ready to get creative?
26 Pantry Clean Out Meals
Each of these meal ideas have easy to alter recipes so you can add or subtract similar items you might have on hand to use up leftovers. Keep in mind that a pantry clean out meal is not intended to be an intricate, or perfect meal. Instead, these meals are intended to prevent waste of what you already have and help you get by until you’re able to go to go to the store again. Don’t worry if you can’t complete the recipe perfectly!
1. Mac and Cheese
Make this one as simple or as fancy as you like! Take a box of mac and cheese or level up and make homemade mac and cheese with any kind of noodles and cheese you have on hand! Add shredded chicken and turn it into a mac and cheese bake if you want to get real creative! Don’t know how to make a cheese sauce? No problem! You can find an easy recipe here!
2. Loaded Baked Potato
Hand’s down this is my favorite pantry clean out meal! Poke some holes into potatoes, wrap them in aluminum foil and throw them in the oven for 45 minutes at 450 degrees. While they’re in the oven pull out all your leftovers or random pantry items and see what goes together best on your potato! My family really likes beans, leftover meats of any kind, sautéed onions, cheese, and salsa but the possibilities are endless! To round out this meal you can throw in some cheap steamable freezer veggies as a side!
3. Pizza
Making your own pizza instead of ordering out can be one of the biggest cost saving dinners. I was intimidated at first but after finding this amazing (and super cheap) crust recipe, I only ever make my own! The great thing about pizza is that you can top it with anything you like. Pepperoni, olives, and cheese are standard but you could use up leftovers with some of these ideas!
- Chicken and alfredo sauce
- Taco leftovers like beans, cheese, and sour cream
- Breakfast leftovers like sausage or bacon with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese
4. Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, or Fajitas
These all basically use the same basic ingredients but are easy to customize to whatever you have in your pantry! I almost always have a can of beans, diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and tortillas hiding in a cupboard. If you have leftover produce that needs to be used up you could easily fry this up or throw it in a crockpot with meat to make a delicious filling!
5. Shepard’s Pie
Okay, this one is a little more involved time wise but uses basic ingredients. Ground beef, potatoes, cheese, butter, frozen veggies, tomato paste, and half and half (although you can use regular milk and still be ok). This shepard’s pie is a family favorite at my house but we switch out the veggies for whatever we have on hand.
6. Potato Soup
Literally the same idea as as a loaded baked potato but turned into a soup! Here’s the base recipe but you could customize it with whatever leftovers you have on hand! Bacon bits and shredded chicken are great additions!
7. Chicken Wild Rice Soup
I’m from the Midwest so you know I’ve always got wild rice on me! If you don’t have wild rice, regular rice can work or you could omit the rice and just have a chicken veggie soup. Here’s a simple recipe I like but I usually use a can of cream of mushroom soup instead of whipping cream. If you have potatoes on hand, they can be a great addition to make it more hearty! This recipe is works well in a crockpot if you wanted to prep your supper early!
8. Chili
Chili is another of my favorite pantry clean out meals because there are so many different ways to make it! Noodles? Sure! White or red? You choose! Chicken, beef, or turkey, anything is fair game! You can even use up leftovers by throwing in last night’s veggies if you’re feeling foxy!
9. Chicken Ala King
Chicken Ala King is surprisingly filling for how few ingredients it uses! The recipe linked here recommends eating it over biscuits but I also enjoy keeping it simple and eating it over rice or just plain bread slices. Even though this dinner idea doesn’t use up many pantry ingredients, it’s still a great cheap option to make that grocery budget stretch!
10. Spaghetti
I’d be negligent if I wrote an article on pantry clean out meals without including the easiest meal of all! Using up that half box of weird shaped leftover noodles by adding a can of spaghetti sauce is as quick as it gets. If you don’t have any spaghetti sauce left, you can cook down and season crushed tomatoes to make your own! Cut up whatever fruit you have laying around or heat up a steamable veggie bag as a side and you’ve got yourself a full meal!
11. Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Similar to spaghetti, you can use alfredo sauce on noodles as a meal itself. One of my favorite quick meals I always have on hand is alfredo sauce with noodles, chicken, and a bag of frozen veggies. Carbs, veggies, and protein all in one fast, super cheap meal!
12. Soup with Grilled Cheese
You’ve almost always got a can of some kind of soup hiding in the corners of your pantry. Canned soup is always good but always just slightly less filling than it seems it should be. Adding a grilled cheese sandwich can round out the meal and can also use up those unwanted “butt” ends of the bread loaf! Sometimes if I’m out of bread or sliced cheese, I’ll make a cheese quesadilla instead to go with my tomato soup for an easy switch!
13. Broccoli Cheddar Rice Bake
Use up leftovers with this easy broccoli cheddar rice bake. It’s as easy as it sounds! I like to use steamed frozen broccoli instead of fresh. Don’t have bread crumbs? You can skip them or make your own from a regular loaf!
14. Pancakes/Waffles/French Toast and Eggs
Breakfast for dinner is the quintessential budget meal. If you don’t have pancake mix lying around you can quickly whip up your own with pantry staples! Top with syrup, peanut butter, butter, or fruits and you’ve got a pretty solid dinner!
15. Beef and Noodles
This recipe is like an elevated midwest goulash without the tomato base. It’s a warm, hearty meal for the whole family to enjoy! I like to add a full bag of frozen mixed veggies to this recipe to stretch it more but you could also have a salad or veggies of other varieties on the side.
16. Burrito Bowls
Burrito Bowls are a terrific way to use up leftovers. Add beans, diced tomatoes, onions, leftover meats, and cheese to rice and top it with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole to get a filling, Chipotle-esque dinner! Would it be better piled high with all kinds of extra ingredients like red onion, fresh cilantro, and avocado slices? Yep, but you’re trying to stretch the budget and clean out the pantry so you’re going to have to be content simplified recipes.
17. Potato Hash
If you’ve got potatoes on hand, you can dice them up and add just about any topping to make a potato hash. Peppers, onions, and eggs are some common mix-ins but a quick search on Pinterest will show you there are a huge variety of potato hash’s out there so don’t be afraid to get creative!
18. Fried Rice
If you’re looking for another quick and easy go-to meal, fried rice is always a win! If you don’t have meat, you can always use scrambled eggs instead for protein. Again, frozen or fresh veggies work equally well so use up leftovers from last nights side veggies!
19. Omelets
Omelets, like loaded baked potatoes are a fantastic pantry clean out meal to use up leftovers. Any meats or veggies you have on hand plus whatever odds and ends like canned olives or mushrooms will mix in nicely. Pair this with that can of fruit you’ve had just sitting in your cupboard and you’ve got a delicious breakfast for dinner!
20. Meatloaf
If you’ve got meat and breadcrumbs or even just bread, you can make a meatloaf! This recipe includes a sauce to put on the meatloaf but if all you have is ketchup that’s ok too.
21. Meatloaf Muffins
I recently decided to try and finally find a use for that box of stuffing I’d had taking up space in my pantry for the last 4 months or so. I came across a recipe that I’ve since tweaked to prevent crumbling and it was a hit at my house! Super easy, fast, and toddler friendly! Recipe makes 12 meatloaf muffins.
- Mix 1 box of stuffing with 1# browned ground beef, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 cup water
- Pour mixture into greased muffin tin and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes
22. Sandwiches
The cheapest and easiest of all meals. Slap whatever leftover meats, sauces, cheeses, and/or veggies between 2 slices of bread and you’re done! These are great for quick travel meals as well. Sometimes I like to plan ahead and pack sandwiches for us if I know we’re going to be out running errands for any length of time to keep us from getting hangry and tempted to buy fast food.
23. Tatter Tot Hotdish
If you’re anything like me, you’ve almost always got a half used bag of hashbrowns, diced potatoes, or tater tots in the back of the freezer. Throw in some cheese, veggies, meat, and cream of mushroom soup and you’ve just whipped up a whole casserole! Tatertot Hotdish is another warm, comfort meal for a cold fall or winter day.
24. Sloppy Joes
There are an almost infinite amount of ways to make sloppy joes. Manwich, seasoning packets mixed with tomato sauce, and diy seasonings with tomato paste. If you have meat and some type of canned tomato, you can find a way to make sloppy joes! If you don’t have buns you can easily use bread, or tortillas.
25. Stir Fry
Stir fry is another great way to use up leftovers. Fry up leftover meats and veggies or use frozen veggies and serve over rice. Here’s a recipe for reference, but this is honestly one of the most customizable recipes you can do. So simple and easy to serve over rice or noodles!
26. BBQ Pulled Chicken or Pork Sandwiches
Pull out some chicken or pork and a bottle of BBQ, it’s as easy as that! Use buns or bread and if you don’t have either of those on hand, you can easily service this over rice as well! Pulled chicken sandwiches are another fantastic crockpot meal to set up in the morning and forget about it until dinner!
Ready to Get Ahead of the Game Next Month?
Are you tired of having too much month at the end of the money? Check out my guide to meal planning and know what you’re going to need to make and buy ahead of time! If you feel like your pantry isn’t working for you or you just don’t know what staples to keep on hand you can see exactly what I keep on hand with my free pantry inventory tracker.