Flexibility. That’s a quality that I’ve found pretty essential in the past week as plans and circumstances have changed daily, if not hourly. I’m sure many of you have been in the same boat. Being flexible in the kitchen is proving pretty handy these days, too, since it’s not so easy to pop out to pick up whatever ingredient suits the moment. It’s with that in mind that I curated 12 endlessly flexible recipes from the Mom’s Kitchen Handbook archives. Each one can be adjusted based on the ingredients you have on hand. I’d love to hear about your flexible recipes as well, so feel free to share in the comments section below.
DIY Grilled Cheese Night
All you need to make this simple, crowd-pleasing dinner is a loaf of bread and pretty much any kind of melting cheese … Cheddar, Jack, Swiss, Havarti, Gruyere, and so on. Fill in your grilled cheese bar with whatever you have on hand — leafy greens, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, leftover vegetables, sliced ham. They sky is the limit. Pair it with a side of any vegetable or salad.
Roasted Vegetables with Lemon Tahini Dressing
This tahini dressing goes with pretty much any vegetables you have on hand. The recipe is intended for roasted vegetables, but steamed or even raw will be tasty, too. It’s great for lunch or supper. Add chickpeas or any beans for a kick of protein and fiber.
Asian-Style Noodles with Peanut Sauce
The peanut sauce on these noodles is a snap to whisk together and can be tossed with virtually any type of noodle. Spaghetti, soba, or udon are my favorites. Pull out whatever veggies you have in the fridge that are tasty raw…or add steamed fresh or frozen broccoli.
A Simple Omelet
Eggs are one of the best things to keep stocked in the fridge for quick meals, since they last for several weeks beyond the purchase date. Transform them into delicate lunch or dinner omelets that you can enjoy deliciously plain or filled with cheese, greens, ham, mushrooms, and so on. Add a leafy salad on the side.
Meaty Mushroom Marinara
Lots of folks are stockpiling canned tomatoes and ground beef (or ground “meatless” meat) right now. Make the most of it in this marinara, which you can serve over pasta, cauliflower, brown rice, or baked potatoes. Add in fresh or frozen spinach, collards, kale, or other leafy greens for added nutrition.
Carrot Mac and Cheese
Comfort food feels like just what the doctor ordered right about now. Here’s a nourishing way to go when it comes to Mac and Cheese. Use any short shape pasta you have in the cupboard and feel free mix in other cheeses if you’re short on Cheddar, such as Jack or Gruyère.
Weeknight Fried Rice
Fried rice is the ultimate example of flexible cooking. This one is designed for leftovers or making the most of what’s in your fridge. Any fresh or frozen vegetables will do, as well as pork, chicken, tofu, or beef.
Kitchen Sink Minestrone
This recipe was written for using what you have on hand. It can be made with any vegetables, any type of broth, any pasta, and leftover beans, meat, or poultry, if desired.
A Pot of Beans
A pot of beans will take you far when it comes to feeding a family. You can turn a pot of Instant Pot Black Beans or Slow Cooker Pinto Beans into tacos, to make grain bowls, make nachos, top sweet potatoes, or whirl up this 3-ingredient soup
Easy No-Knead Pizza
Since I’m not out hitting my favorite pizzeria right now, it’s a good time to DIY it. This is SUCH an easy pizza dough to make with great results. The flexibility comes in the toppings. Sauce it with marinara or pesto or ricotta. Top it with feta or Mozzarella, Parmesan or Cheddar. Add any extra fixings you love on your pie.
Umami Chicken
This is such a simple recipe with pantry basics that you can pair with pretty much anything: any grain and any salad or vegetable — fresh, frozen, canned or otherwise. The extra sauce in the bottom of the pan will flavor up whatever you put on your plate.
4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
I can’t remember a better time than now to stress bake or procrastibake or whatever kind of bake you like. You only need four basics for these cookies: peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter), brown sugar, eggs, and chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch chips, cacao nibs, or none at all if you’re out!). Take a pause from homeschooling or home working and treat yourself.
