12 easy recipes to make using tinned food

1. Beef and bean burritos

Tins required: Red kidney beans

If you thought tinned beans couldn’t be made into a tasty dish, then think again. This simple, Mexican-style dish with beef, beans and fried peppers creates an ideal supper for sharing.

Get the recipe for beef and bean burritos (pictured above)

2. Roast vegetable and chickpea tagine

Tins required: Chickpeas and chopped tomatoes

Perfect with pitta bread, pasta or baked potatoes, this colourful plate is bursting with flavour and is great for your heart health.

Get the recipe for roast vegetable and chickpea tagine

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3. Chowder

Tins required: Sweetcorn, plus optional tuna, salmon or crabmeat

Warming and nourishing, a bowl of chowder can be a great way to use tinned sweetcorn. It’s flexible too – you can use tinned tuna, salmon or crabmeat instead of cooked chicken, or frozen peas instead of the sweetcorn.

Get the recipe for chowder

4. Tuna and cherry tomato pasta salad

Tins required: Tuna

This simple pasta salad has ‘summer’ written all over it, combining tinned tuna steak (or chunks) and a variety of colourful fresh vegetables. Choose tuna canned in spring water to avoid adding extra salt or fat.

Get the recipe for tuna and cherry tomato pasta salad

5. Tuscan bean and vegetable stew

Bean and vegetable stew with mash on the side

Tins required: Tomatoes, butter beans

Chopped tomatoes and butter beans form the basis of this hearty stew, which is easy to prepare and can be just left to bake in the oven.

Get the recipe for Tuscan bean and vegetable stew

6. Spaghetti with sardines and cherry tomatoes

Tins required: Sardines in tomato sauce

Tinned sardines are the star of the show in this thrifty main course, which is also low in salt and sugar. Pair with a dark green leaf salad and you’ve got a real crowd-pleaser.

Get the recipe for spaghetti with sardines and cherry tomatoes

7. Tagliatelle with salmon and courgettes

Tagliatelle with salmon and courgettes

Tins required: Salmon

This pasta dish is perfect for summer days. Tinned salmon is the key ingredient, but courgettes and leeks add flavour and contribute to your 5-a-day – and there’s an optional dash of hot pepper sauce for extra flavour!

Get the recipe for tagliatelle with salmon and courgettes

8. Special vegetarian stir-fried rice

Tins required: Sweetcorn

This rice is the perfect accompaniment to stir-fried chicken or tofu – it can also be served on its own if you’d prefer. With just a handful of ingredients, but tons of flavour, there really is something special about this vegetarian rice dish.

Get the recipe for special vegetarian stir-fried rice

9. Mixed vegetable and bean soup

Tins required: Kidney beans (or chick peas)

A hearty but low-effort dish that’s also a great way to help you get your five-a-day. It will work just as well with other tinned pulses such as chickpeas, cannellini beans, butter beans or borlotti beans.

Get the recipe for mixed vegetable and bean soup

10. Vegetable and bean goulash

Tins required: Tomatoes, butter beans, cannellini beans

This meat-free recipe is packed with vegetables, including chopped tomatoes and two tins of beans. Enjoy it on its own, or with brown rice or couscous. To make it even more heart-healthy, swap the cider for extra vegetable stock.

Get the recipe for vegetable and bean goulash

11. Biryani chicken and rice

Tins required: Green lentils

This baked biryani chicken recipe is a healthy way to bring the flavours of India into your kitchen. It’s a flexible recipe that works around the vegetables you already have at home – peas, green beans and sweetcorn are just some of the vegetables that work well.