10 Shelf Stable, Easy & Cheap Meals You Can Make Almost Entirely from Cans

Look, we’ve all had those weeks — the ones where grocery shopping feels impossible and your fridge looks like a desert. But you still want to eat something hot, hearty and cheap. That’s where your pantry comes to the rescue.

These recipes are my go-tos when money (or time, or energy) is tight. Every single one can be made mostly from cans and pantry staples — no fancy ingredients, no complicated steps and no judgment. Just good, filling food that comes together in under 30 minutes. These meals can be made and bagged for emergency meals in your pantry, or for gifting or donations to local food shelves or free pantries.

You can download the recipes and printable recipe cards here or at the bottom of the page.

🥫 5-Can Taco Soup

Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

This one’s a dump-and-stir classic. It’s hearty, flavorful, and ridiculously flexible.

Ingredients:

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can other beans (kidney, great northern, chili, etc.)
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can corn (optional)
• 1 packet taco seasoning

Directions:

1. Combine all canned ingredients (drain if you want a thicker soup) and taco seasoning in a large pot.
2. Add 3–4 cups water and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Top with corn chips, cheese, sour cream, or hot sauce.

Budget Tip: Add a pound of cooked ground beef or chicken if you want it meatier.

I’ve been making this meal for almost a decade and it was a staple in my debt payoff days. Watch the video here.

🍲 Easy Dump Chili

Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

Basically chili’s lazy cousin — and that’s not an insult.

Ingredients:

• 1 can each of kidney, black, and pinto beans
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 packet chili seasoning

Directions:

1. Dump everything in a large pot (don’t drain the cans).
2. Bring to a boil, simmer 20 minutes, done.

Optional: Add meat or veggies, and serve with cornbread or crackers.

Also available in a low calorie chicken version. Watch here.

🍗 Chicken & Dumplings

Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium

Comfort food from cans? Believe it.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet biscuit mix
• 2 cans chicken
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can mixed vegetables (drained)
• 1 can diced potatoes (drained)
• 1–2 bouillon cubes

Directions:

1. Drain and shred chicken, saving the broth.
2. Combine everything except the biscuit mix in a large pot with 2 cups water.
3. Bring to a boil, season to taste.
4. Mix biscuit dough per package and drop spoonfuls into soup.
5. Cover and simmer 12 minutes, then gently stir and serve.

Pro Tip: Add herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage to make it taste homemade.

🌽 Creamy Corn Chowder

Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6 | Difficulty: Easy

Creamy, cozy, and made from literal pantry scraps.

Ingredients:

• 1 can whole kernel corn (partially drained)
• 1 can cream-style corn
• 1 can diced potatoes (drained)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1–2 bouillon cubes

Directions:

1. Combine everything in a large pot and simmer.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve with biscuits (store-bought or baked from mix).

Add-ons: Toss in canned chicken or ham for extra protein.

🍅 Minestrone Soup

Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 2–4 | Difficulty: Easy

All the veggie goodness of Olive Garden, no salad dressing required.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups pasta
• 24 oz. pasta sauce
• 1 can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can carrots (drained)
• 1 can green beans (drained)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1–2 bouillon cubes

Directions:

1. Combine sauce, veggies, and bouillon with 3–4 cups water.
2. Bring to a boil, then add pasta.
3. Simmer 12–15 minutes until pasta’s tender.

Serve with: Garlic bread or toast.

🧄 Chicken Alfredo

Time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

A white-sauce win with minimal effort.

Ingredients:

• 1 can chicken
• 1 jar alfredo sauce
• Pasta
• Italian seasoning
• 1 can veggies for the side

Directions:

1. Boil pasta 8–12 minutes, drain.
2. Brown chicken in pot, then add alfredo and seasoning.
3. Stir in pasta and heat through.

Optional: Add peas to make it a one-pot meal.

🥧 Shepherd’s Pie

Time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium

All the comfort of grandma’s recipe — minus the 2-hour bake time.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet instant mashed potatoes
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• 1 can meat (beef or chicken)
• 1 can sliced carrots
• 1 can peas

Directions:

1. Make mashed potatoes and gravy per package directions.
2. Mix meat, veggies and gravy.
3. Spread into baking dish and top with potatoes.
4. Bake at 450°F for 12–20 minutes until golden.

🍚 Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

Fast, filling and way cheaper than takeout.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice
• 1 can chicken
• 1 bottle teriyaki sauce
• Optional: 1 can peas and carrots or stir-fry veggies

Directions:

1. Cook rice.
2. Heat chicken with teriyaki sauce (and veggies, if using).
3. Pour over rice and serve.

🍝 Pasta with Meatballs

Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4–6 | Difficulty: Easy

Because sometimes you just want carbs and sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 box pasta
• 1 can or jar pasta sauce
• 1 pack precooked meatballs
• 1 can veggies for the side

Directions:

1. Boil pasta, drain.
2. Brown meatballs in pot, then add sauce.
3. Stir in pasta and heat through.

Serve with: Garlic bread.

🐟 Tuna Casserole

Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

The ultimate cheap comfort meal — creamy, cheesy and nostalgic.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes mac and cheese
• 1–2 cans tuna
• 1 can cream soup (mushroom, celery, or chicken)
• Breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Boil noodles, drain.
2. Mix noodles, cheese packets, tuna and cream soup.
3. Transfer to baking dish, top with breadcrumbs.
4. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes.

Budget Bonus: Skip baking and eat it right out of the pot. No one will judge.

Final Thoughts

These recipes are proof that eating cheap doesn’t have to mean eating sad. Keep a few of these ingredients on hand and you’ll never have to panic about dinner again. Plus, most of them come in under $2 per serving — which is less than a drive-thru order and way more satisfying.

Download all the recipes and printable recipe cards here. Free of course!

Plus 10 MORE Easy Shelf Stable Meal in a bag Recipes. Grab em here.

See more frugal meal plan and cooking videos here (there are 96 videos in this playlist!):