Store cupboard cooking isn’t just a practical way to eat well, save money, and waste less – it’s also an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen. You might find yourself improvising here and there, experimenting with ingredients, or making subsititutions you wouldn't normally make, all of which is likely to result in some tasty new dishes to add to your repertoire. Read on for some of our favourite store cupboard recipes (including 3-ingredient cookies and some truly lip-smacking noodles) as well as tips on how certain recipes can be adapted to suit your needs.
Peanut Butter Noodles from The Cornershop Cookbook by Caroline Craig & Sophie Missing
The Cornershop Cookbook is full of quick and tasty recipes which use mostly store cupboard ingredients. This noodle dish has it all – it's spicy and salty, with an addictively nutty texture and a tangy hint of lime. No limes? No problem! Just use a spalsh of red wine vinegar instead.
From the book
The Cornershop Cookbook: Delicious Recipes from your Local Shop
Tasty recipes to cook using store cupboard staples and cornershop bits.
With quick midweek meals, effortless dishes for entertaining friends, and inventive desserts.
The perfect book for time-pressed cooks and thrifty food lovers.
Baked Bean Falafel from Time To Eat by Nadiya Hussain
“I don’t know about you, but we always have baked beans in the cupboard so this is a great recipe for if you want to try something different with them”, says Nadiya. These moreish spiced falafel bites are delicious served in buns, flatbreads, or pittas, along with Nadiya's special spicy twist on store-cupboard mayo.
Order a copy of Time To Eat here.
Veggie Chilli from Five Ingredients, Ten Minutes by Jules Clancy
This 5-ingredient vegetarian chilli is a great standby dinner. It's packed with protein in the form of tinned lentils and kidney beans, and delivers a satisfying chilli kick. Any tinned pulse would work wonderfully here, and you could also add extra spices, like ground cumin or smoked paprika. Serve this chilli with rice, or spoon over a crispy baked potato.
Order a copy of Five Ingredients, Ten Minutes here.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca from Cooking with Coco: Family Recipes to Cook Together by Anna del Conte
An Italian store cupboard classic, this pasta dish can be whipped up with just a few tins and jars, and makes for a super quick and mouthwatering meal. You can use any spaghetti shape you like, of course, and leave out the fresh parsley if you don't have any to hand. For an extra protein hit, try stirring through some flakes of tinned tuna.
Order a copy of Cooking with Coco here.
Cornershop Koshari from The Cornershop Cookbook by Caroline Craig & Sophie Missing
Traditionally, koshari is an Egyptian dish made from rice, lentils and pasta, topped with a spiced tomato sauce. In this recipe, lentils are swapped for chickpeas for speed and ease, a tin of lentils would work just as well. Top with garlicky yoghurt and parsley if you have it!
Order a copy of The Cornershop Cookbook here.
Egg and Mango Chutney Flatbreads from 5 Ingredients Quick & Easy Food by Jamie Oliver
Making your own flatbreads is surprisingly easy with this straightforward recipe from Jamie Oliver – this entire dish, flatbreads included, can be on the table in under 15 minutes! If you're not a fan of chilli and mango, top the egg instead with crispy bacon, avocado, fried tomato, or just a pinch of flaked sea salt.
Order a copy of Jamie's 5 Ingredients here.
Potato and Kidney Bean Daube from Sunshine on a Plate by Shelina Permalloo
A quick, easy, and fresh-tasting stew of potatoes, tomatoes, kidney beans, chilli, and herbs, this traditional Mauritian 'daube' makes for a warming and nourishing meal. Swap the kidney beans for another kind of pulse, if you need to, and serve with rice, or just as it is.
Order a copy of Sunhine on a Plate here.
Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies from Three Ingredient Baking by Sarah Rainey
Peanut butter, caster sugar, and an egg – that's all you need to whip up these crisp, buttery little cookies, which are delicious with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. If you're not a fan of peanut butter, try substituting almond butter, cashew butter, or mixed nut butter.
Order a copy of Three Ingredient Baking here.
Three-Ingredient Honey Cake from Three Ingredient Baking by Sarah Rainey
Another three-ingredient bake from Sarah Rainey, this honey cake, made with ground almonds rather than flour, is moist and syrupy. It's particularly good served with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For more of Sarah Rainey's three-ingredient bakes, click here.
