Preparing to Stay Home

There are multiple reasons why you may find yourself needing to stay home for some time (more than a couple of days). New baby, recovering from surgery, taking care of someone who is ill, you may be ill; no matter the reason here are some tips and resources that will help you keep your sanity through the coming weeks or months ahead.

Stocking the Pantry

Did you know that cans provide year-round access to seasonal fruits and vegetables and keep food fresh and flavorful without the need for preservatives or additives? (Read more here from Cans Get You Cooking). Some canned vegetables such as canned tomatoes are actually the better choice nutritionally. You can read more about this on the Tomato Wellness page here. When it comes to stocking up, choose things like canned fruits and vegetables, canned tomatoes, dried rice and beans, dry pasta, frozen vegetables and fruits, meat that you can freeze, this article from the Food Network is a great resource for what to choose when stocking the pantry. Why canned food? They are safe, nutritious, environmentally friendly and affordable. The food you eat is just as fresh as the day in went in the can. Here at Tuttorosso we use a Non-BPA lined can to protect the fresh tomato flavor that comes from our tomatoes that are picked ripe from the vine. Did you know that the high heat canning process is one of the safest when it comes to preserving food because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause foodborne illnesses. For even more can facts and more, visit this site.

If you are unable to get out or need to stay home, you can use online resources like Instacart to order groceries for delivery, or check to see if your local retailer offers online ordering for curbside pickup and search for Tuttorosso products to get the best quality canned tomatoes.

Cooking with Pantry Staples

You stocked up on canned tomatoes and other pantry staples, what can you make with them? Some of our favorite recipes use pantry items like canned beans, canned vegetables, rice or canned meat. Find them on our Pinterest page here. You can make things like soup, pasta dishes, chili and side dishes using canned items.

Ingredient Substitutions

Even though many of our recipes call for fresh herbs, you can easily substitute and use dried instead. A quick Google search will help you with conversions from fresh to dried. And speaking of substitutes, here you can find all types of ingredient substitutions when you don't have a basic ingredient needed for a recipe. Speaking of your pantry, when was the last time you threw away out-of-date items? Visit our blog for tips for Decluttering Your Pantry.

Be flexible with your cooking. If you have a recipe that includes items you have on hand, but you don't have shrimp or ground beef in the freezer, feel free to leave it out. It will still be a delicious dish of pasta or bowl of soup without it.

Meal Prep and Cooking for Leftovers

Try doing a little meal prep one day a week to have easy-to-grab breakfast like making our Greek Frittata with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Feta into muffins. Instead of a frittata where the vegetables are sauteed, we chop them up and mix them with the eggs and whatever cheese we have; (e.g. cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan or Reta) and pour the mixture into the cups of a muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until the center comes out clean when checked with a toothpick. They can be easily reheated in the microwave during the week. We are loving our Tuscan Herb Petite Diced Tomatoes for maximum flavor but feel free to use regular Diced or Diced with Basil, Garlic & Oregano - whatever flavor you have on hand. A little additional cooking on one day can save you from cooking every day.

Make recipes for leftovers or to freeze for later such as Lasagna or Baked Ziti. You can make a whole pan so you have leftovers or make half for dinner and put the other half in an aluminum pan to freeze so you have meals ready to go in the freezer. Find more recipes that provide plenty of leftovers here.

Check out this Ultimate Guide for freezing food from TasteofHome.com. When we make big pots of soups and chili or our Italian Beef Sandwiches, we freeze leftovers that can easily be warmed up at a later time. It's like a surprise dinner when you don't want to cook! Pro tip - be sure to label everything; what is in the container, the date it was made and the date to eat it by. No mystery meat or meals in the freezer!

Scroll down to see recipes that can be made from pantry staples, meals with minimal cooking, multi-use recipes, restaurant favorites and more!

 

Cooking from the Pantry

Below are a few recipes utilizing pantry ingredients like pasta, canned tomatoes and spices you likely have on hand. Again, some may call for ground beef which can be left out. Swap dried herbs in place of fresh and it will still be delicious! You can even use frozen vegetables in place of fresh - be flexible and get creative! Think of these as inspiration to your creations using Tuttorosso Tomatoes! Find more recipes on our Pinterest board here.

 

Minimal Cooking

If you are working from home, the additional home cooked meals are cutting into your productivity. These recipes require minimal cooking, or use your slow cooker or pressure cooker for mostly hands-off cooking. Great for anyone who doesn't love to cook, or wants a break from the stove top. We have even more recipes on our Meals with minimal cooking Pinterest board.

 

Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Linguine
feel free to leave out the shrimp
Bruschetta Grilled Chicken
grill or bake, delish either way
Chicken Cacciatore Soup
slow cooker magic

Recipes with Multiple Uses

We love recipes that are versatile and can be used for multiple dishes! Like enchilada sauce that makes enchiladas one day and stuffed spaghetti squash boats another. No-cook pizza sauce is great for pizza night; it can also be poured over chicken for pizza chicken: lay chicken breasts in a baking dish, top with your favorite pizza toppings and the pizza sauce and bake until cooked through. Artichoke and Tomato Crostini can be a delicious topper for fish or chicken and skip the crostini, or how about tossing with pasta? Our multi use recipes are multi-duty recipes that you can make once and use two or three times!  Think of all the ways to use a jar of Tuttorosso Marinara beyond pasta!

 

Easy No Cook Pizza Sauce
not just for pizza
Artichoke and Tomato Crostini
appetizer and much more

Restaurant Favorites

Don't worry about missing your favorite restaurant dishes! We have several restaurant favorites that you can easily make at home! You can stay in your sweatpants, open a bottle of wine, maybe light a candle; but you won't need a reservation!

 

Mussels with Tomatoes and Browned Garlic
have mussels in the freezer?
Tomato Basil Ravioli
classic menu option