Canned Goods Recipes: 10 Emergency Dishes You Can Cook

Canned goods are life when you’re cooped indoors most of the time. Being stuck at home, anxious about the outside world, keeps our tummies grumbling all the time. As for me, my home office has transferred to the kitchen, just beside the refrigerator, so I can snack every five minutes. My cooking skills have also levelled up, because there’s nothing else to do on Friday nights and Sunday mornings anyway.

At this crazy period in time, there comes a problem with being hungry all day — you can’t just whip out anything, because the pantry lacks most ingredients. Our supply runs have become less frequent; and when we do decide to put on our armours of face masks and gloves to rush to the nearest grocery, there are barely any stocks of food left to buy that aren’t canned goods. 

If you’re reading this from the future and can’t remember how cooking felt like in 2020, let me paint you a picture: Last Sunday, I cooked breakfast for our family of five. When my mother saw that I used two tomatoes for my tomato fried rice, she panicked. We’re literally stuck with canned goods for the time being.

Tl;dr: We have reached the point of craving for everything but barely having anything. We’re also now willing to try out the most random recipes with whatever is left in our kitchen. #Shefs, we’ve done the research (and kitchen experimentations) for you. Here are 10 easy dishes you can cook using those trusty canned goods and some of the most basic ingredients ever.

Also read: 13 Yummy Microwave Recipes That Are Easier Than You Think

Featuring: Century Tuna Flakes in Oil

1. Tuna sisig

While you can’t drink out (or even in, for those who live in cities on quarantine liquor ban), you can still recreate your favourite pulutan with canned tuna! With just one can, this recipe will satisfy three people with its spicy and savoury flavours. Not a fan of chili? You can definitely not add any, and it will taste just as good!

Ingredients

• 1 can of tuna (180 g)
• 1 medium-sized onion, minced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 pcs siling labuyo (add more if you want more spice), chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 calamansi
• Optional: chicharon, mayonnaise, 1 egg

Steps

1. Drain the tuna. If you’re using a can of tuna in oil, set the oil aside.
2. Heat one tablespoon of tuna oil in a pan. Fry the tuna until it turns golden brown.
3. Sauté the onions until soft.
4. Add the siling labuyo.
5. Sauté the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Squeeze calamansi over the mixture. Then, add the soy sauce. 
7. Mix well and serve.

Optional steps:

1. Crack an egg into the mixture.
2. Add mayonnaise into the mixture before removing from the pan.
3. Serve and crush chicharon to top the dish.

2. Lumpiang tuna

Celebrating your birthday in quarantine? What’s a Pinoy birthday without lumpia? Thankfully, you can cook this party staple with trusty canned goods, too! One can of tuna makes 10 pieces of lumpia — but of course, like every quarantine dish, you can always be a little less generous with your ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 can of tuna (180 g)
• 1 small carrot, minced
• 1 medium-sized onion, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ cup of cabbage, sliced

Steps

1. Drain the tuna. If you’re using a can of tuna in oil, set the oil aside.
2. Heat one tablespoon of tuna oil in a pan. 
3. Sauté garlic, onion, carrots, and cabbage. Season with salt. 
4. Once the mixture is lightly cooked, set it aside in a bowl.
5. Place one tablespoon of this mixture in a lumpia wrapper. 
6. Spread the mixture lengthwise, leaving at least an inch and a half of space on each side.
7. Roll up the bottom of the wrapper to tuck in the mixture. 
8. Tuck in the sides of the wrapper.
9. Keep rolling until you reach two inches to the end of the wrapper.
10. Seal the edges with clean water.
11. Repeat until you use up all the mixture.
12. Fry in a heated pan with oil. 
13. Serve.

Note: You may prepare more servings of lumpia and store them in a freezer. When frozen, these can last up to three months!

3. Pancit palabok with tuna and alamang

Another dish we’re absolutely craving for this quarantine is pancit palabok. I never realised how doable this merienda actually is with all the ingredients we have! Iloilo Food Trip shared a pancit palabok recipe that uses our favourite canned goods. Just the thought of eating this dish makes us drool!

Ingredients

• Bihon noodles (200 g)
• 1 pack instant palabok mix, dissolved in water
• 1 can of tuna
• 2 tbsp dried alamang
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• Optional: chicharon, 1 calamansi, 1 hard-boiled egg

Steps

1. Cook bihon according to the directions on the packaging.
2. In a heated pan, toast the dried alamang for about a minute. Set aside.
3. Drain the tuna. If you’re using a can of tuna in oil, set aside the oil.
4. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. You may use the tuna oil for this.
5. Sauté the onions and garlic.
6. Add the drained tuna and toasted alamang. (Leave some tuna and alamang for toppings.)
7. Pour in the palabok mix.
8. Stir until thick.
9. Serve.

Optional steps:

1. Squeeze calamansi onto the mixture.
2. Slice a hard-boiled egg and top the dish.
3. Crush chicharon over the dish.
4. Serve.

Featuring: Purefoods Corned Beef

4. Corned beef potato pancakes

We know you love corned beef; but at a time like this, you need all the ingredient-extending techniques you can get. With this corned beef potato pancakes recipe from allrecipes, you get to feed four people with just half a can of corned beef!

Ingredients

• ½ can of corned beef (150 g)
• 3 medium-sized potatoes, shredded
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper

Steps

1. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, corned beef, and egg.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once the mixture is mushy, create small balls with the palms of your hands.
4. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan.
5. Fry flat until golden brown.
6. Serve.

5. Sinabawang corned beef

We’re looking at another way to extend that can of corned beef for a hearty breakfast. This quick and easy sinabawang corned beef recipe from Panlasang Pinoy can actually gratify three people. Make sure to serve this over steaming hot rice! Yum!

Ingredients

• 1 can of corned beef (150 g)
• 1 medium-sized onion, minced
• 1 large potato, chopped into small pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: ½ cup cabbage

Steps

1. Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan. 
2. Sauté onion and garlic until soft and golden brown.
3. Add in the corned beef. Cook for about three minutes.
4. Add the potatoes. Cook for about five more minutes.
5. Pour at least two cups of water. Bring to a boil.
6. Adjust the heat to low. Add the cabbage.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve.

6. Corned beef spaghetti

Yes, we have another birthday staple over here. We’re loving pasta recipes because pasta lasts so long in the pantry, and they’re great for when you’re running out of rice. (Don’t worry: We are, too.) Our fingers are crossed that this corned beef spaghetti recipe by Kawaling Pinoy will distract the kids from running around your house while you’re busy having another video call meeting.

Ingredients

• 1 can of corned beef (150 g)
• 1 pack of uncooked spaghetti (16 oz)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups sweet-style spaghetti sauce
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup cheese, shredded

Steps

1. Cook spaghetti according to the directions on the packaging. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft.
3. Add corned beef and mix.
4. Pour spaghetti sauce and cook for up to five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon spaghetti sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Serve.

Note: You may prepare more servings of spaghetti and store them in a freezer. When stored correctly, frozen cooked spaghetti can last up to a month.

Featuring: Mega Sardines in Tomato Sauce

7. Sinigang na sardinas

Nothing screams “extender” like some tasty sabaw. One can add rice to a sinigang soup, and he or she will instantly be satisfied like no other. And did you know that you can have a nutritious and filling meal using trusty canned goods, too? If you’re out of bangus, shrimp or pork, you can actually opt for sinigang na sardinas — perfect for the rainy days!

Ingredients

• 1 can tomato sardines (155 g)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped roughly
• 2 tomatoes, sliced into four
• 1 pack of sinigang mix
• Dark green leafy vegetables of your choice

Steps

1. In a heated pan, sauté garlic.
2. Add onion and tomatoes. Cook until soft.
3. Pour in the sardines. Let simmer for three minutes.
4. Pour three cups of water and bring to a boil.
5. Add the sinigang mix.
6. Add the vegetables of your choice.
7. Serve hot.

8. Sardines fritters

Among all the canned goods out there, we know canned sardines are a Pinoy favourite. They’re cheap, easy, and super tasty. Jazz things up and use your can of sardines to make crispy fritters (a.k.a. tortang sardinas!). This recipe from Russian Filipino Kitchen makes eight fritters with just one can of sardines! 

Ingredients

• 1 can of tomato sardines, drained (155 g)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper

Steps

1. In a bowl, mash the drained sardines with a fork.
2. Add in the eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Mix until mushy.
3. Heat ¾ cup of oil in a pan. With a spoon, drop the mixture then flatten.
4. Fry until golden brown.
5. Serve with ketchup or vinegar with onions.

9. Laing na sardinas

You have probably never heard of laing na sardinas. We’re here to attest that the dish is truly one of the best you can whip up this quarantine period. We found this recipe from none other than the Facebook page of Master Sardines, one of the most beloved Filipino canned goods. If you have any cans of Spanish sardines lying around your pantry, this is the perfect dish to make.

Ingredients

• 2 cans of Spanish sardines
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small ginger, sliced
• Gabi leaves
• 2 cups of coconut milk or gata
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: 3 pcs siling labuyo

Steps

1. Drain the sardines. Set aside the oil.
2. Heat one tablespoon of Spanish sardine oil in a pan. Sauté ginger, onions, and garlic.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour in the coconut milk. Let boil.
5. Once the coconut milk boils, add the gabi leaves then the sardines.
6. Cover the pan. Turn the heat to low to simmer.
7. Optional: Add the siling labuyo after 10 minutes simmering.
8. Boil until the coconut milk is gone. This normally takes up to an hour.
9. Serve.

10. Pancit canton with sardines

Yes, we have another birthday staple over here. Two years ago, Nanay Paz Recipes posted a unique pancit canton recipe on Facebook. She uses — you guessed it — a can of tomato sardines! Finally, you can stir away from those instant noodles. They’re not very good for you, anyway. 

Ingredients

• 1 can of tomato sardines (155 g), drained
• 1 pack of pancit canton noodles (250 g)
• Ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 ½ cups of chicken broth
• 1 small cabbage, cut into strips
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Steps

1. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a pan. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft.
2. Add in the carrots. Cook until soft.
3. Pour the chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the oyster sauce and soy sauce.
5. Place the cabbage, then the sardines. Stir and cook until cabbage is soft but not soggy.
6. Add the canton noodles. Stir to make sure the noodles are soaked in sauce.
7. Season with pepper.
8. Serve.

Also read: 10 Coffee Recipes You Can Easily Master at Home

There you have it! Ten emergency dishes you can easily cook with canned goods and the most basic ingredients ever. At this rate, we might be able to try out every recipe here, and more. Happy cooking!