12 Easy Dinners That Turn Pantry Staples and Winter Vegetables Into Quick Meals

These easy winter dinners make smart use of pantry staples and long-lasting vegetables for simple, comforting meals.

By
Emily Johnson
Emily Johnson
Emily Johnson
Emily has worked as a food writer and editor for ten years, across publications such as Lucky Peach, Epicurious, Bon Appétit, and The New York Times Cooking.
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Published January 20, 2026
Overhead of shakshuka in a pan and bowl
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Cold weather can be a great excuse to hole up inside and take on an intensive cooking project. But it can also completely drain your energy, leaving you with no desire to pull dinner together after a long day of work and a bundled-up commute. And no one wants to make an extra trip to the grocery store in that kind of cold. When you’re feeling the latter, turn to these recipes below. They use ingredients you likely already have on hand—pasta, tinned fish, and long-lasting winter root vegetables—and they’re naturally nutritious and fiber-rich. Save these ideas and stay well-fed all winter, no last-minute store runs required.

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  • Creamy Vegetable Soup

    20140125-smooth-vegetable-puree-soup-food-lab-1.jpg
    J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

    Follow this method from Kenji and turn whatever winter root vegetables you have on hand into a creamy, warming puréed soup. Choose a vegetable base, a set of aromatics, a seasoning combo, and whatever broth you’ve got, then follow the step-by-step guide linked below to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. As a bonus, the soup tastes even better the next day after the flavors have melded.

  • Easy Vegetable Pancakes Recipe

    vegetable pancakes on plate with dipping sauce

    Liz Voltz

    Turning any sturdy winter veg in your pantry into pancakes is a great way to use up anything that’s on its way out—the battering and pan-frying give tired vegetables new life and crispiness. It’s also a reliable way to get picky eaters to actually enjoy their vegetables. Use a low-gluten flour such as whole wheat, rice, or chickpea, and keep the batter ice-cold for the most tender pancakes. For extra oomph, mix in any umami-packed pantry condiment you have on hand—miso paste, gochujang, and similar favorites all work beautifully.

  • Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

    Side view of loaded backed sweet potato topped with cheese and beans

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    It’s always a good idea to keep a few sweet potatoes in your pantry, since they last a long time and make a tremendous base for a weeknight meal. Learn this method for superior roasted sweet potatoes, then top them with whatever you have on hand—lightly wilted greens, crumbled sausage and cheese, or a fried egg with chile crisp.

  • Shakshuka (North African–Style Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

    Overhead of shakshuka in a pan and bowl
    J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

    This versatile dish of eggs and vegetables simmered in a creamy tomato base originated in North Africa and is popular throughout the Middle East. You’ll sauté onions and peppers over high heat, letting them take on more color than you might normally allow—this adds complexity and just a touch of bitterness to balance the onions’ sweetness. Blooming paprika and cumin in oil spreads their flavor throughout the sauce. Eggs and canned tomatoes are the core ingredients here, and you likely have both on hand. The recipe calls for the traditional peppers, but feel free to toss in any quick-cooking vegetables you have lying around.

    Continue to 5 of 12 below

  • Spinach, Black Bean, and Chipotle Quesadillas Recipe

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    J. Kenji López-Alt

    You can follow Kenji’s comprehensive guide to quesadillas and make them—with excellent results—using whatever ingredients you have on hand. But I’m partial to this combination of spinach, black beans, and chipotle. Mixing the cheese directly into the filling gives you evenly distributed pockets of creamy richness and helps hold everything together—the cheese acts like a glue. And don’t be afraid to fry your quesadillas in a generous amount of oil. The tortillas will puff and crisp, making the whole thing feel restaurant-worthy rather than a weeknight or late-night emergency meal.

  • Crispy Kimchi Cheese Rice

    Spoon holding a portion of the final dish aloft
    Vicky Wasik

    When you’re trying to use up leftover rice and are tired of fried rice, turn to this clever skillet dish. Dried-out rice gets mixed with gochujang, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, which rehydrates it and gives it plenty of brightness and umami oomph. Press the mixture into a buttered oven-safe pan and layer it with cheese, baking until the bottom turns crispy and the cheese melts into rich layers. Finish with chopped kimchi—it preserves its funky, fermented punch and adds a burst of brightness that cuts through the starch and creamy cheese.

  • Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Charred Cabbage, Shiitake, and Chives Recipe

    2021-02-12-Lo-Mein-MHOM-11
    Melissa Hom

    This dish flips the usual lo mein ratio on its head, leaning heavily toward vegetables. As with many recipes in this roundup, you can use the vegetables called for or toss in whatever you have on hand that needs using up. Cook the vegetables in batches so each one hits its ideal texture, and blanch the noodles before stir-frying to keep them from clumping. If you don’t have fresh lo mein noodles, instant noodles or even pasta work just fine.

  • Crispy Kale, Brussels Sprouts, and Potato Hash Recipe

    Crispy kale, brussels sprouts, and potato hash

    Serious Eats / Mateja Zvirotic Andrijanic

    When in doubt, make a hash. This easy, vegetable-forward dinner can be made with whatever you have hanging around in the pantry. Kale and Brussels sprouts are great winter options because they keep well in the fridge and cook quickly when shredded or chopped. To help the potatoes cook as fast as the other vegetables—and to give them creamy centers—parboil them before frying everything together.

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  • Pasta With Beans and Greens Recipe

    A bowl of paccheri pasta with flavorful sauce of beans and greens.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Creamy beans and hearty greens are the perfect pairing for this quick weeknight pasta.

  • Brussels Sprout Fried Rice With Crispy Cauliflower Recipe

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    This flavorful, veggie-packed dish is a great use for leftover rice. Note: For best results, use day-old cooked rice. Alternatively, cook rice in the morning, spread in a thin layer on a couple large plates, and place in the refrigerator...

  • Spanish Tortilla with Broccoli, Chorizo, and Onion

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    J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

    Spanish-style tortillas do not have to be made with potatoes. This broccoli version has all the creaminess of the original, plus a spicy lift from the chorizo.

  • Sheet-Pan Gnocchi With Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

    A plate of gnocchi with roasted vegetables and cheese, next to a sheet pan with more of the dish

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

    This simple dinner of gnocchi, Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, and cherry tomatoes cooks on one sheet pan, so prep and cleanup are easy.

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