The Best Giada De Laurentiis Recipes For Using Up Those Pantry Staples You Just Bought (2024)

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October 6, 2022 at 1:20pm EDT

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Food prices are going up and up thanks to inflation, which means trips to the grocery store are becoming more stressful. Sometimes we just want to eat a delicious, affordable meal, without having to make yet another expensive trip to the grocery store. That’s when we start pawing through the cupboards to see what cheap pantry staples we have on hand. And lest you think that cooking with affordable pantry staples is boring, just take a look at what Giada De Laurentiis manages to wrangle out of shelf-stable goods.

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De Laurentiis even has a Pantry Recipe Central to her blog Giadzy. She’s sharing some of her favorite recipes that use affordable pantry staples like dried pasta, rice, and beans, and there’s a lot of recipes here we never would have thought of! Best of all, she also recommends substitutions and replacements for some of the ingredients, so you can truly make these meals with what you have on hand instead of having to shell out even more money on food this week.

Intrigued? These are some of our favorite affordable pantry recipes from Giada de Laurentiis.

Dijon Maple Brown Rice Salad
Pairing an affordable pantry staple, like brown rice, with cost-effective root veggies and some baby mixed greens is a great way to make a tasty and nutritious meal that won’t break the bank.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Jade’s Home Fries
If you find yourself craving fast food, but are trying to save money, try making your own fries at home. This recipe was inspired by De Laurentiis’ daughter Jade, who mixes white and sweet potatoes, both very affordable, to boost the flavor and nutrition.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Canned beans and store-bought chicken broth are the backbone of this creamy Tuscan soup. Serve it with some toast for dunking, and you’ve got a hearty, easy weeknight meal.
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Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Sweet Potato Hummus
Do you ever realize that your monthly food budget is made up of, like, 75% snack purchases? If that sounds like you, try cutting costs by making the dip for your chips and dip at home. You could save money, and add some extra nutrients to snack time in the process.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
The Easiest Fried Rice
Giada says that this fried rice recipe is kind of a blank slate — you can add veggies, meat, tofu, or greens to it depending on what you have on hand.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Savory Brown Rice Breakfast Bowls
Breakfast couldn’t be simpler than this nourishing, savory bowl of brown rice. If you have eggs, try adding a runny egg on top for extra flavor and protein.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Frozen Oatmeal Cups
This recipe calls for two kinds of oats, but if you only have one, you can just use that. Freezing your oatmeal in muffin tins means you can prep a bunch, so when you need breakfast you can just pop some out and microwave it until warm.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Aglio e Olio With Crispy Prosciutto
Crispy prosciutto adds a savory, salty, meaty flavor to this dish, but you could also use bacon, pancetta, salami, deli ham, or even (we won’t tell) hot dogs. Garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and some grated cheese round out the dish.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Giada’s Lemon Spaghetti
When life gives you lemons, make lemon spaghetti! Leave out the basil if you don’t have any on hand, or use another fresh herb.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Calabrian Chili Pasta
If you have all of these ingredients in your pantry, great! If not, Giada says you can replace Calabrian chili paste with red pepper flakes, piquillo peppers with roasted red peppers (or even pimientos), and cherry tomatoes with canned tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes. You won’t need to make an extra, expensive trip to the store.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Wagon Wheel Pasta With Pancetta and Peas
You can use any shape of pasta to make this dish, which is a great way to use up your frozen peas and edamame. No chicken broth? Use water! No pancetta? Use bacon! The key is creative thinking.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Pasta With Creamy White Beans
Canned white beans meld with shredded cheese to make a super-creamy sauce for this pasta dish.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
Lemony White Bean Salad
Use up the last of your greens by turning them into a bright, fresh salad topped with lemony white beans. Use capers if you have them, or substitute them with chopped green olives, or leave them out if you need to and add a touch more salt.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
White Bean Dip
Need a satisfying snack? You can whip up this creamy white bean dip using pantry ingredients. You can make your own pita chips if you have stale pita bread on hand, or toast up some bread, or just use crackers or chips if you’ve got them.
Get the recipe from Giadzy.
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