Happy Friday Reader!

Dinner doesn’t need to mean another trip to the grocery store.

Many of the boldest, most delicious recipes can be made with the basics already hiding in your pantry.

These quick-fix favorites show you how to transform everyday ingredients into unforgettable meals, sides, and sauces, creating dishes you'll look forward to eating.

​Spinach Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette​

This gorgeous salad is a perfect example of simple, everyday ingredients using the pantry to punch up flavor. Spinach Salad is a quick, easy and nutritious side with only 5 main ingredients, but the star is its 4-ingredient sweet-tart Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Vinegar, oil, honey, and a little mustard from your pantry make a bold and fruity statement in this deliciously easy salad recipe that even the kids will love!

Get the Easy Recipe: Spinach Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette​

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​Jezebel Sauce​

We've hit the time of year when we're always on the lookout for a new appetizer to share at a football party or holiday gathering. Nothing exotic is required — a block of cream cheese, some crackers and this knock-your-socks-off Jezebel Sauce. No one will be able to stop eating it! And they won't believe that four everyday ingredients could create such bold and delicious flavor. It's an unexpected pantry combo that is always a hit!

Get the Easy Recipe: Jezebel Sauce​

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​Easy Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce​

My easy homemade whole berry cranberry sauce plops fresh or frozen cranberries into a pot with two everyday pantry ingredients for an explosion of holiday flavor in a favorite side dish. But, it's so much more. Add it to sauces for meatballs or use it to glaze chicken, pork loin or ham to create a taste sensation that inspires second helpings like this scrumptious Baked Ham with Cranberry Glaze. Now that's a show-stopping holiday main dish!

Get the Easy Recipe: Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce​

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​Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Pork Chops​

What a meal! And perfect for Fall. It's hearty, sheet pan simple and LOADED with flavor and texture. Everyday pantry ingredients season pork chops, sweet potatoes, apples and broccoli to create a mouthwatering meal that is special enough to serve to company.

Get the Easy Recipe: Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Pork Chops​

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​Chicken Pastina Soup (Chicken and Stars)​

Combine a rotisserie chicken, lemon juice, and some grated carrot with everyday pantry ingredients to create a luscious, grown-up version of a childhood favorite. This stunning Chicken Pastina Soup delivers extraordinary flavor with a handful of ingredients you probably already have on the shelf.

Get the Easy Recipe: Chicken Pastina Soup​

Pantry Staples I Keep Stocked at All Times

• Stretch with Staples: Dried beans, pasta, lentils, split peas, quinoa and rice make meals go further. Keeping a few of these options on hand regularly makes meal prep fast and easy.
• Condiments Are Flavor Boosters: Mustard, vinegars, horseradish, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lime juice and preserves, jams and jellies can create luscious sauces in minutes.
• Canned Goods Count: Tomatoes and all varieties of beans can be the base of entire dinners. They're healthy and hearty and usually cheap.
• Spice Cabinet Power: Taco seasoning, chili powder, southwest seasoning, ginger, cumin, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaves, onion powder and garlic powder make quick flavor fixes.
• Dry Goods for Baking: Less about flavor than other staples, but still critical to a well-stocked pantry — sugar, flour, salt and pepper, baking soda, baking powder. For everything from Biscuits to the best chocolate chip cookies these dry goods are everyday ingredients that create many easy dishes for your meal plans.

More Easy Flavor with Everyday Pantry Ingredients

• ​Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe​
• ​Mexican Shredded Beef, Slow Cooker Simple​
• ​Homemade Taco Chips​
• ​Homemade Beef Summer Sausage​
• ​Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe in 30 Minutes​

• ​Southwest Seasoning (Easy Southwest Spice Blend)
• ​Easy Southwest Chicken Recipe, Juicy and Tender​
• ​Creamy Southwest Salad Dressing, Sauce & Dip​
• ​Sweet Potato Casserole​
• ​Best Easy Chickpea Salad​

• ​Easy Taco Soup Recipe: Quick and Delicious Supper on a Budget​
• ​Best Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe | Quick, Easy and Delicious​
• ​Lipton Onion Soup Meatloaf Recipe, 5-Ingredient Weeknight Dinner​
• ​Thanksgiving Casserole, a Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate​
• ​Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe, 5-Ingredient Simple​

I hope some of these recipes inspire you to do a little pantry inventory this weekend.

You may be surprised by what you can make when you start combining everyday ingredients that you already have tucked away in the cupboards.

And add a few of these easy recipes to a flavor-popping menu for next week. There are some great ones to choose from.

I hope your weekend is full of opportunities to share delicious food with the people you love most. And friend, I hope someone else does your dishes! Hugs!

What's For Dinner?

This is the part of the newsletter where I share recipe ideas from some of my best blogging friends and myself to inspire you with what's for dinner at our houses this week. That gives you seven days worth of new recipes to inspire you for your own delicious meal plan. Enjoy!

• ​Slow Cooker Beef Bourginon from Laura at Little House Big Alaska
• ​Blackened Steak from Gen at Two Cloves Kitchen
• ​Best Easy Chili Recipe from Glenda​
• ​Air Fryer Spiced Fish from Rupali at Caramel and Spice
• ​Zucchini and Beef Meatballs from Sue at Sula and Spice
• ​Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches from Lori at A Reinvented Mom
• ​Air Fryer Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls from Kristin at Dizzy Busy and Hungry

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Tools to Make Everday Meals from the Pantry

These are Amazon and Walmart affiliate links to some of my favorite kitchen tools and ingredients for making flavorful everyday meals with ingredients already in the pantry. I may earn commissions on qualifying purchases. You can read my affiliate disclosure here.

• This Cheese and Vegetable Grater/Slicer - I am not easily influenced by Internet trends, but this grater/slicer is the newest tool I've added to my kitchen. I use it multiple times per week, if not every day. It comes with so many blade options, attaches tightly to the counter so I don't have to hold it in place, and it's easy to clean. I've used it to grate cheese, carrots, onions and apples and to slice potatoes. It's hard to imagine working without it now. Love this one lots!
• ​My First Crock Pot - 7 qts, so it can hold enough for a crowd. It features a removable crock, making it easy to clean. Simple controls, easy to use and affordable. Still my favorite even though I own fancier ones. This gets used every week!
• ​My 2nd Crock Pot - You laugh, but I've pared back a lot! I used to own nine! My second is a big 8-qt work horse with a digital display that is OLD and isn't even made any more. If I had to replace it, I would be getting this 8-qt manual that's just like my first crock pot, only bigger! P.S. You will be living your best life over the holidays if you have two slow cookers. Just saying'! They free up so much oven and stovetop space.
• ​My 3rd Crock Pot - It's official. I've added a new member to the collection. I've apparently given away too many of my original crock pots, and lately I have found myself yearning for just one more to keep multiple recipes going at once. I mean what does a girl do when she is making refried beans, delectable southwest chicken and creamed corn all at the same time? lol This beauty is an 8-qt giant that can handle anything I throw at her. And she was cheap, as crock pots go.
• My Deep Dish 9x13 Ceramic Baking Pan is perfect for casseroles, Magic Cookie Bars, cakes and more.​
• ​Pyrex ​Mixing Bowls I use daily. Of course, they're great for stirring together the ingredients for a recipe. But, they're also perfect for storing leftovers and even for serving things like this scrumptious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad. Another great feature is that they come with lids, so leftovers can easily go straight to the fridge.
• ​Sheet Pans - My favorite sheet pans are commercial grade and 13x18. This particular one comes with a bonus silicone baking mat.

Visit my Amazon Storefront to explore more of the tools and ingredients I love cooking with at home.