Surviving COVID-19: Simple Recipes to Get You Through Stay at Home Orders

Don’t worry...we didn’t jump ship to the culinary industry. But since we're all stuck at home more because of the pandemic-induced physical distancing, that means three meals a day 7 days a week are more than likely coming out of your kitchen. 

While curbside pick-up or delivery on Takeout Tuesdays and Take out Thursdays are highly coveted these days, to reduce your risk of exposure to Covid-19 and keep your budget in check we're all definitely in the kitchen more right now. So to help you enjoy your newfound time in the kitchen we've compiled a list of our favorite simple recipes. 

The recipes that we've compiled are more simple in nature and based on more of the ingredients that you're going to find in your pantry due to it being harder to get to the grocery store and find ingredients when you’re there.

Simple breakfast recipes 

With breakfast being a meal that typically gets looked over or eaten on the run, we decided to include a few recipes to help you get past the rut of a breakfast bar or cereal. 

Fluffy pancakes

First up, Justin’s staple Saturday breakfast, Fluffy Pancakes, from All Recipes. These pancakes are sure to play nice with your strong cup of coffee and it’s super yummy topped with real maple syrup, fresh fruit, and whipped cream. If you are feeling “fancy,” why not top it with homemade whipped cream instead!!??

Muffin-Tin Spinach & Mushroom Mini Quiches

I’ve got a great-tasting, make-ahead recipe to add a mix up for your mornings. These Mini Quiches, from EatingWell, are protein-packed too, so you and the fam won’t be heading for the snacks too early in the morning. Make a big batch and throw them in the fridge and reheat throughout the week. You can serve them with some fruit, and EatingWell recommends topping them with Gruyère cheese, which I haven’t tried, but sounds amazing!!

Coffee Banana Smoothie

Jasmine’s got a filling and caffeinating start for your morning with Mommy Cooking’s Coffee Banana Smoothie. Drink this alone or serve with some toast and eggs or Krispy Kreme donuts delivered to your door.

Think beyond a plain sandwich for lunch

I don't know about you, but lunch tends to be the hardest meal to get on the table and the hardest to get creative with. Thinking beyond the sandwich can sometimes be so daunting. So, here's a couple of ideas to help break the cycle.

Chicken Caesar Salad Lunch Wraps

My recommendation is a super simple Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap. The way to keep this recipe quick and simple is to keep cooked chicken in the fridge, which is a great meal prep tip to save time when preparing lunches and even dinners.

Turkey, Apple, and Brie Panini

Even though it's not autumn quite yet, Jasmine’s lunch pick sounds amazing!! The Turkey, Apple, and Brie Panini recipe from Pumpkin n’ Spice is quick and easy to make, coming in at a whopping 10 minutes! And don’t worry if you don’t have a panini press. You can simply cook in a skillet instead.

Dinner ideas with pantry staples 

Since grocery stores are having supply and demand issues, you may not be able to easily get as many ingredients as you would normally. So, we’ve got some of our favorite pantry staple recipes to serve up for you.

Fried Rice

Who doesn't love some yummy fried rice?  Jacob's pick is a Chinese restaurant inspired Fried Rice recipe from Gimme Some Oven. Added bonus, if you pre-cook the rice this meal can be ready in as little as 15 minutes!

One-Pan Orzotto Italiano

Sign me up for this Italian-inspired meal next week! The recipe Jasmine selected is simple AND one-pan which means easy cleanup! 💃💃💃 Simply the picture on this One-Pan Orzotto Italiano from HelloFresh has my mouth watering!

Easy Crockpot Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas 

I don’t know about you, but I always get the midweek itch for something that requires little effort in the kitchen for dinner time. That is why I came up with my own super simple recipe, Easy Crockpot Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas. It takes minimal ingredients and is super easy to prep and get on the table, yet is still delicious.

Dessert anyone?

No meal would be complete without dessert, would it? In all seriousness, baking has become a hobby of interest right now due to the extra time we have at home right now. Here are a couple of cookie recipes that we just had to include!

Chocolate chip cookies

You just can’t go wrong with a warm fresh-baked cookie. Justin’s up again with some homemade, soft-baked chocolate chip cookies. Why not get your kids in the kitchen too? This recipe is definitely simple and sweet enough to include your little ones and even keep their interest.

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

So, obviously, we’ve got some cookie lovers over here at Image in a Box! My pick is EatingWell’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is one that is sure to curb your sweet tooth but with less of the sugar rush! So if you are still holding solid on your new year’s resolutions, or not, definitely try these out!

So there you have it, a good bit of recipes to get you out of that rut in the kitchen you may be up against at this point during the stay at home orders that most states have in place. I hope these recipes inspire you outside of your normal routine.