So, You Panic-Bought a Ton of Food Before the Snow Storm—These Recipes Will Help Use Them Up

People Staff
Updated

Thanks to a snow storm preparedness freakout, your kitchen probably looks the canned foods aisle of a supermarket—and you don’t even like chili!

Instead of hoarding packets of tuna salad and lukewarm cans of beans for the next three days (or three years), put those impulse buys to delicious use. From cheesy nachos to a five-ingredient carbonara pasta, you can turn every day staples into fast gourmet meals.

BLACK BEANS
Recipe: Spicy Black Bean Nachos

That can of beans that you haphazardly picked up in case of a five-day power outage is actually ingredient gold. Chef Aarón Sánchez’s recipe for the perfect plate of nachos combines those black beans with onion, garlic, chipotle in adobo and oregano for an ultra-flavorful topping. Get the recipe here.

Other options include quesadillas, vegetarian chili, and enchiladas.

CANNED TUNA
Recipe: Tuna Melt

Upgrade that sad, stuck-at-home tuna sandwich with melted cheese and lots of flavor. Mix a can of drained solid white tuna with dijon mustard, olive oil, green onions, salt, pepper and lemon juice, spread onto a scooped out piece of French bread and top with a few slices of tomato, a lot of Swiss cheese and a few sprinkles of green onions. Broil for two minutes or until cheese melts andviola! Lunch time. Get the recipe here.

Other options include tuna-and-mushroom linguine and tuna pasta salad.

CAN OF CHILI
Recipe: Chili Cheese Dip

Lucky you! It’s actually hard to imagine just how easy this warm dip is to make: Top a layer of cream cheese with chili, followed by shredded cheese. Microwave until melty. The end. Hopefully you’ve got an eager-for-the-Super-Bowl bag of tortilla chips on hand for dunking. Get the recipe here.

Other options include cheesy chili hash brown bake, chili cheese dogs and frito pie.

PEANUT BUTTER
Recipe: Mini Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

It may not come in a can, but it’s definitely a bomb-shelter staple and, chances are, everyone in your house is already a little sick of PB&Js. To make, mix 1 ripe banana, 1 tbsp. peanut butter and 1 large egg until fully combined. Pour 2-3 tbsp. batter onto a hot griddle or non-stick pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side. Top mini pancakes with fresh banana slices and serve as a snack or as a healthy option for breakfast. Get the recipe here.

Other options include peanut butter chocolate chip blondies, peanut utter yogurt dip and even a PB&J cocktail.

LOAF OF BREAD
Recipe: Panzanella

Yes, you may have a foot of snow lining your driveway but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat like it’s the middle of summer. If you impulse bought a few too many loafs of crusty bread, turn it into a quick dinner bread salad—and throw in whatever fruits and vegetables you bought in a panic. This version includes tomatoes, zucchini and peaches, but you’re free to improvise.

Other options include avocado toast, french toast souffle and breadcrumbs.

EGGS, EGGS, EGGS
Recipe: Deviled Eggs, Pasta Carbonara, Frittatas and Oh-So-Much-More

We don’t blame you for grabbing several cartons of eggs while you could. They’re probably one of the most versatile things in your fridge, and can be used for sweet or savory dishes—or a quick dinner when the last thing you want to do is cook. But if you have more eggs than you know what to do with, we have some egg-celent ideas (20 actually!) to get your through the week. Get the recipes here.

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