We've all got cans of food stashed away in our cupboards for days when the fridge is bare – but why wait, when you can use them to create dishes with real wow factor? From spaghetti hoop stew to tuna kedgeree, we've compiled dozens of genius recipes that use those reliable store cupboard favourites in delicious new ways.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the incredible meals you can make with canned foods, listed A-Z by ingredient.
This classic Neapolitan pasta dish couldn’t be easier to make. Simply sauté a finely chopped onion in 3 tbsp olive oil, along with a pinch of salt, until soft. Add two crushed cloves of garlic and a pinch of chilli flakes, then cook for another minute. Tip in a can of chopped tomatoes, 4oz (120g) pitted black olives, five finely chopped anchovy fillets and 2 tbsp capers, then bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, seasoning to taste. Meanwhile, cook some spaghetti, drain it, then toss it with the sauce and some finely chopped parsley.
A tin of grilled artichoke hearts is ideal for whipping up a quick dip. Pulse 1oz (30g) Parmesan and a large, roughly chopped garlic clove in a food processor until the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add 6oz (175g) drained, roughly chopped artichoke hearts, a small preserved lemon (chopped, with pulp and pits removed) and a small handful of roughly chopped parsley, then blitz again. Gradually add olive oil until you get the consistency you want, then add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Shakshuka is usually considered a breakfast or brunch dish, but there's no reason why you can't rustle it up for dinner, adding a tin of protein-packed baked beans to make it more filling. In a large pan, gently fry a chopped onion, add garlic and paprika, then tip in a can each of chopped tomatoes and baked beans. Turn up the heat to reduce. Once thickened, reduce the heat to medium-low, crack in the eggs and cook to your liking – typically, it takes around five minutes for the whites to set. Scatter over some crumbled feta and a handful of chopped parsley or coriander to serve.
If you're in the mood for comfort food, this warming dish is for you. Here, baked beans and butter beans are mixed with chopped tomatoes, stock and herbs – and the whole lot is then topped with sweet potato mash and grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake for around half an hour, then uncover and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the whole dish is bubbling hot.
This quick recipe would make a delicious light lunch or snack. First, preheat your grill to a medium heat. In a bowl, mix 14oz (400g) finely chopped baby plum tomatoes, a drained tin of butter beans, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp lemon juice, some lemon zest, 1 tbsp olive oil, and six pitted and chopped black olives. Season to taste. Lightly brush both sides of eight slices of rustic wholemeal bread with oil, then toast each side under the grill. Cool slightly before rubbing a garlic glove over the surface and topping the bread with the tomato and bean mixture.
A can of condensed soup makes a deliciously creamy sauce for a crowd-pleasing pie. Fry chopped chicken and onions until lightly browned, then pile them into a pie dish along with the cooked root vegetables of your choice. Add the can of chicken soup, along with the same quantity of chicken stock. Cover with ready-made shortcrust or puff pastry, then bake at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Cooking pasta in chicken soup makes for a rich and creamy carbonara-style dish. For 8oz (225g) spaghetti or other type of long pasta, you'll need one can of condensed chicken soup and 30fl oz (850ml) chicken stock. Cook the spaghetti in the soup and stock mixture, but don't drain it. When the pasta is done, add some crispy bacon and plenty of grated cheese. You could also stir in blanched peas or chopped spinach at the end.
Here’s a vegetable curry that’s great for clearing out your fridge. Heat a tablespoon of oil, then add a tablespoon of curry paste and fry until fragrant. Sauté a chopped onion until soft, then add halved new potatoes, chopped carrots, and butternut squash or sweet potato, cooking for a few minutes more. Tip in a can of coconut milk and a can of tomatoes (chopped or whole plum), bringing to a simmer. Cover and cook for around 30 minutes. As everything starts to soften, you can add broccoli florets, if you like; alternatively, toss in some halved mushrooms a few minutes before the end.
This tasty Thai red pepper soup is warming but still light, and it's topped with spicy sunflower seeds for a little bit of texture. Not only that, but it also makes great use of other store cupboard ingredients, including dried spices, a jar of roasted red peppers and some Thai red curry paste. The soup freezes well – so if you want to get ahead, you can make a large batch and save it for later.
Ice cream is one of the easiest things you can make with a tin of condensed milk, with no churning required. Just whisk a can of evaporated milk and 21fl oz (600ml) double cream until thick, then whisk in two cans of condensed milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste. Once it’s all combined together, put the mixture in a lidded freezer-proof box and freeze for about six hours. Take it out around 15-20 minutes before you want to serve it; this will allow it to soften a little.
When you want a cheap, quick and nostalgic meal, nothing hits the spot like corned beef hash. Peel and chop 17oz (500g) potatoes, then boil them for six to seven minutes. Fry a roughly chopped onion for four minutes, add your drained potatoes and a can of corned beef (cut into cubes), then push it down into the pan to cook until it starts to get nice and crispy. Turn it over, trying not to break it up too much. Add 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, cook for another five minutes, season and serve.
Canned cranberry jelly makes a great marinade for sticky chicken wings. Take a 14oz (400g) can of jellied sauce, chop it into cubes, then mix it with 2 tbsp each of Dijon mustard, hot chilli sauce, soy sauce, and the zest and juice of a lemon. Add plenty of black pepper, then use it to coat 3lb (1.3kg) chicken wings. Bake your wings in a hot oven on a tray lined with oiled foil, turning occasionally, until cooked through and well browned.
Slow-cooked red cabbage makes a great side for roasted meat – and it also freezes brilliantly, so it's worth making a big batch. You can swap the cherry jam in the recipe below for jellied cranberry sauce, but make sure you don't skip the warming cloves, cinnamon and mixed spices. Along with the oranges and apples, they take this dish to the next level.
Always a crowd-pleaser, pork simmered slowly in spices, garlic and soy sauce can be used in so many ways, from tasty burger bun and wrap fillings to stir-fries and pies. It can also be made extra tasty with the addition of jellied cranberry sauce; simply substitute it for the tomato ketchup in this recipe (gently heat to melt it before adding to the cooking sauce).
Green bean casserole is a classic Thanksgiving dish in the US, but we think this staple should be in everyone's cupboards, all year round. The sauce is made from another canned favourite: condensed mushroom soup. Heat the soup with a little milk, some grated cheese and shards of crispy bacon. Pour over drained green beans, add more cheese and breadcrumbs, then bake at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 until browned and bubbling.
Next time you've got a can of green beans hanging around, try a quick Sichuan-style stir-fry. Add chopped chilli, garlic and ginger to a hot wok, then tip in drained and rinsed beans, a splash of soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. As the beans are already cooked, you'll only need to stir-fry them long enough to coat them in the sauce. Scatter with sesame seeds to serve.
You're probably more familiar with potato gratins made with cream, but they're great made with condensed mushroom soup, too. Thinly slice 2lb (900g) potatoes and a large onion. Mix the soup with 5fl oz (150ml) milk and a good pinch of paprika. Layer the potatoes and onion into a baking dish, adding some of the soup mixture to each layer, then pour the rest over the top. Scatter with grated cheese, cover with foil and bake at 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5 for an hour, then remove the foil and bake for a further 30 minutes.
Here's a one-pot dish that's certain to become a firm favourite. Mix a can of mushroom soup with 10fl oz (300ml) water, 13oz (375g) long grain rice and 1 tsp dried oregano. Cut four chicken breasts into chunks and brown them in a little oil. Arrange the chicken over the base of an ovenproof dish along with a sliced onion, pour over the rice mixture and cover with foil. Bake in an oven preheated to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5 for 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken cooked through. Leave the dish to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
For a quick peach crumble, heat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6, then drain three cans of peaches in juice. Mix the peaches with 2oz (65g) soft light brown sugar, 1 3/4oz (50g) plain flour, the zest and juice of a lemon, and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Spread evenly across a baking dish. Combine 7oz (200g) plain flour and 3 1/2oz (100g) caster sugar in a bowl, then rub in 3 1/2oz (100g) cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Scatter the crumble mixture over the base and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden.
Make use of both canned pineapple chunks and a can of coconut milk with this curry – which will also give you a good reason to raid your spice rack. The preparation only takes a few minutes, and it cooks quickly, giving you a flavourful meal that would be perfect served with fluffy rice or some soft flatbreads.
Get the recipe for chicken, coconut and pineapple curry here
Sardines on toast is the ultimate speedy lunch. You could use any sliced bread, but we think this dish is best made with slices of fresh sourdough. Fish canned in sauce gives you more flavour without any effort – but if you buy your sardines in oil or brine, you can drain them and add your own seasoning. Canned fish is pre-cooked, so it's suitable to eat straight from the can; however, warming it through makes for a tastier experience.
Looking for an easy way to level up tinned sausages? Add them to a Thai-style stir-fry! Fry chilli and garlic in a little oil, then add shredded carrots, sliced spring onions and chopped sausage. Be sure to throw in a good handful of basil towards the end of cooking; use Thai basil if you can find it, but if you can't, regular basil will work perfectly well. Serve your spicy sausages on a bed of noodles or rice.
If you've never considered perking up a soup with a few canned sausages, this is your cue to do so. Follow the recipe below, swapping the bacon lardons for cooked canned sausages. The result? An even heartier soup – and a deliciously smoky flavour.
The combination of pasta and chickpeas is an Italian favourite. In this clever recipe, the sauce is rinsed off the spaghetti hoops, so you have cooked pasta ready to add to your stew. Gently simmer tinned chickpeas with garlic and stock for 40 minutes before adding canned chopped tomatoes, vinegar and dried herbs. Cook for another 10 minutes, then add in the drained spaghetti. It's the perfect dish to rustle up when you're craving something easy yet substantial.
Why not add an extra dose of carbs to a baked vegetable pie by stirring in some spaghetti hoops? Mix your hoops with canned lentils and tomatoes, add some cooked, diced vegetables of your choice (carrots, celery and onion, for example), then top the whole lot with mashed potato and grated cheese. Bake in a hot oven until fully heated through and golden on top.
Spicy kimchi and salty Spam mingle together with crispy fried rice to create this hearty dish (which, incidentally, is a great use-up for leftover rice). Our recipe lists bacon among the ingredients, but you can easily swap it for diced Spam, frying it until it’s browned and starting to crisp up. Remove it from the pan, then add it back in with the rice after sautéing the vegetables. Top it all off with a fried egg for a satisfying supper.
A chunky chowder makes a great lunch or light supper dish. This recipe is full of Caribbean flavours, with a good kick of chilli to go with the butternut squash, lentils and corn, which are all simmered in coconut milk. The warming spices pair well with the sweetness of the corn and squash to make a thrifty yet delicious meal.
Using canned sweetcorn instead of cutting fresh kernels off the cob makes corn fritters even easier to rustle up. To serve two people, whisk an egg with 4fl oz (120ml) milk, then slowly add 3oz (85g) self-raising flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Tip in 5oz (145g) tinned corn, then season. Set a frying pan with a little oil over a high heat and, working in batches, add spoonfuls of the mixture (around 2fl oz/60ml per fritter) to the pan. Cook the fritters for a few minutes on each side and serve with poached eggs. You can also add smoked salmon, if you like.
You might not usually think of putting sweetcorn in a curry, but you should give it a go – it adds a touch of sweetness that balances out the spices beautifully. Try adding canned corn to a smoky rogan josh, or whip up our North Indian lamb and sweetcorn curry, fragrant with coriander, cumin, ginger, cloves and chilli.
Spaghetti with tomato sauce is a classic dish for a reason: the combination of fresh tomatoes, passata and canned chopped tomatoes, all cooked down in olive oil with garlic, makes it a winner every time. You can pair the sauce with any long pasta, such as pappardelle or linguine. Top with pieces of torn buffalo mozzarella to serve.
You'll never look back once you've made your own butter chicken. Fry off onion, ginger and garlic, then add spices, canned tomatoes and thick Greek yogurt. The sauce, a combination of tandoori masala spices and that all-important butter, is irresistibly rich and tasty.
Homemade potato gnocchi are incredibly light, wonderfully tasty and deceptively simple to make. The sauce in this recipe is easy, too. Add sliced mozzarella, pop everything under a hot grill and you've got yourself a speedy, made-from-scratch supper.
Tomato sauce from a can is more like passata (puréed and sieved tomatoes) than ketchup. We love using it in this baked risotto, which takes 10 minutes to prepare – then you can just leave it to cook in the oven, stirring once halfway through. It's simple to make and can be elevated with homemade pesto, but jarred will work just fine if you're pushed for time.
Any savoury recipe with Florentine in its name means that spinach is involved somewhere. Here, pancakes are stuffed with a mix of spinach, ricotta and Parmesan. The pancakes are then packed into a dish, covered with both passata and béchamel sauce, topped with more Parmesan and baked in the oven. Our recipe uses buckwheat flour for the pancake batter, but it's just as good made with plain.
This recipe is a real store cupboard feast, making use of both tomato sauce and canned beans (in this case, black beans and kidney beans). The only extra ingredients you'll need are carrots, garlic, a jalapeño pepper and some chilli flakes. It's really quick and simple – everything goes into a saucepan together and cooks up for 10 minutes. This chilli is great served with rice, and it's vegan, too.
Here's an easy way to upgrade classic tomato soup. Sauté chopped onions, carrots and celery until softened, then add to a saucepan of tomato soup along with some small, cooked pasta shapes and a drained can of kidney beans, butter beans or chickpeas. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, then add a glug of olive oil, a little basil and some grated Parmesan to serve.
This blast from the past is essentially a pasta bake, with soup used to make the sauce. Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the pack, then drain it and transfer it to a baking dish. Mix a can of soup with the same quantity of water and a generous glug of double cream. (At this stage, you could also fry some mushrooms or minced beef to add to the sauce.) Pour the saucy soup over the pasta and mix well. Add lots of grated cheese, then bake at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 for around 30 minutes, until browned and bubbling.
A can of tomato soup makes a great sauce for baked meatballs. First, fry off your meatballs until browned. Then, to make the sauce, mix the soup with a can of chopped tomatoes and 1 tsp mixed Italian herbs. Transfer the meatballs to a baking dish and pour over the tomato sauce. Bake until piping hot all the way through, then cover the dish with grated cheese and return it to the oven until melted and golden.
This dish has all the elements of a Niçoise salad – canned tuna, olives, green beans, potatoes, anchovies and egg – but instead of being served cold, it's scattered with Parmesan and baked for 15 minutes, resulting in a bake with a deliciously crispy, cheesy topping. It's substantial enough to feed four, making it the perfect midweek dinner.
A classic Anglo-Indian dish, kedgeree is traditionally made with smoked haddock, but it works brilliantly with canned tuna, too. Sprinkle in a little turmeric when cooking the rice to add extra colour. You'll usually find this dish on breakfast menus, but it also makes an excellent (and filling) midweek dinner.
Who can resist a great tuna melt? Make a classic tuna mayonnaise mixture, adding a pinch of chilli powder or paprika for extra interest. Toast two slices of thickly cut bread (sourdough works well), then spread the tuna mayo over one piece and top with cheese. Grill until the cheese is bubbling and fully melted, then pop the second slice on top to make a sandwich.
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Last updated by Laura Ellis.