If you have a can of tomatoes sitting in your pantry, you’re already well on your way to a great meal. There are countless recipes—from tomato sauce to soup—that lean on this cupboard staple, but here are a few of our favorites that readers keep coming back to.
Note: Not all canned tomatoes are created equal. Tomatoes, even those of the same variety, can vary drastically in sweetness and acidity. When cooking with canned tomatoes, pay close attention to their taste—they might need a pinch of salt or a bit of white sugar to get the flavors in balance.
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Best Marinara Sauce Yet
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
You can’t talk about canned tomatoes without talking about marinara. The sauce is one of the best ways to transform a can of tomatoes into your next meal. No food processor? No problem. A rich, smooth sauce is still achievable without one. Just be sure to crush your tomatoes before cooking them if you are using a can of whole tomatoes.
The Best Vegetarian Chili in the World
Photographer: Stacy Allen / Food Styling: Julian Henserling / Prop Styling: Christina Daley
“I’ve made this at least a dozen times and it’s always a hit with the crowd,” said reviewer veggiedancer. “Even my non vegetarian friends and family love it!” This chili recipe relies on whole peeled tomatoes that tenderize and break into pieces over a low, slow simmer.
Chef John’s Shakshuka
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
With a few eggs, some spices, and canned tomatoes, you can have yourself a hearty meal fit for any time of day. In this dish, eggs are poached in a flavorful, and sometimes spicy, plum tomato base before being topped with feta and fresh herbs. Chef John’s recipe adds vegetables to the tomatoes for a thicker, richer sauce.
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
France C
Chicken Cacciatore, or chicken prepared “hunter-style,” is a southern Italian dish of braised chicken in a tomato sauce often enhanced by wine. This easy-to-follow Instant Pot version of the rustic dish is a reviewer favorite with almost 200 five-start ratings.
D’s Famous Salsa
Rock_lobster
Start with two cans of stewed tomatoes. The rest flows smoothly from there. “The simplicity of this recipe cannot be overstated,” reviewer Mary438 said. “It literally took me less than five minutes. And it’s GOOD!”
Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce
fabeveryday
This five-star vodka sauce recipe can be thrown together in a quick 25 minutes. Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to suit your spice level, but don’t skip the booze. Vodka is just as important as the crushed tomatoes in this recipe. It unlocks flavor from the tomatoes and adds a depth to the sauce.
Vegan Black Bean Soup
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Whip up a batch of this black bean soup the next time you need to have leftovers for a few days. The flavors get better with time, thanks in part to the tang of the crushed tomatoes.
“Really good with a dollop of low-fat plain yogurt, some chopped green onions and cilantro to garnish,” said reviewer N Lincoln.
Charleston Red Rice
Cooking with Shelia
“Very good closest I’ve found to classic Charleston red rice. I added a diced green bell pepper for texture and a bit of mild spice. Cooked the pepper with the onion in the bacon drippings it was perfect.” —Merissa Ellis
Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Simplicity and flavor are the reasons this recipe has nearly five stars from 2,000 reviews.
“A friend gave this recipe to me a few years back, and my family can’t seem to get enough of it. It sounds strange with cream in it, but that just enhances the flavor and texture,” said Linda Caroline, who shared the recipe.
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“One of the best “King Ranch Chicken” recipes I’ve tried. I used a rotisserie chicken and boiled the bones in store bought chicken broth which added flavor… I added the rotel tomatoes then remaining sauce ingredients to my large skillet and simmered for a few minutes before preparing the casserole.” —Philip Russell Wahl
Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Excellent sauce! No cooking was a plus! I didn’t even refrigerate and it was incredible. Most other sauces I’ve tried didn’t come close. Perfect consistency too. I put it on KetoPizza. Wow was it good!” —Debbie
Chicken Sorrentino
Photographer: Grant Webster / Food Styling: Shannon Goforth / Prop Styling: Gabriel Greco
“Made this for lunch today. It takes a bit of time but well worth it. The flavor was great and chock full of good for you ingredients. Ate it as is, will add a salad and/or roasted green beans next time to accompany this lovely dish.” —Bettina
Ultimate Crockpot Cowboy Casserole
Peyton Beckwith
“Super easy to throw together and packed with flavor! Kept jalapeno on the side so there wasn’t too much heat for my littles. I also made corn bread to go with it. I will absolutely make this again!” —Kimberly
Break Up Pasta
Robby Lozano / Food Styling: Julia Levy / Prop Styling: Abby Armstrong
“This is simply delicious. Granted, it is a bit heavy on the fat, but it is excellent. Try balancing out the rest of your meals. Flavor is excellent.” —GoofyScoop1497
Indian Tomato Chicken
Eloisa Andrea G
“Chicken pieces coated with many fragrant spices like turmeric, cardamom and cloves, then simmered in a tomato sauce. This dish is a family favorite. I have also taken it to potlucks and served it to guests in my home. Everyone asks for the recipe,” said SHECOOKS2, who shared this recipe. “It is a great slow cooker meal, too.”
Stuffed Pepper Soup
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“Great flavor and filling dinner. This is a great recipe a quick throw-together dinner. I usually have all the ingredients on hand,” says Jaci Jacob Reese. “I did add one more bell pepper and omitted the sage (just don’t like the taste of it in anything). Also used one can of Rotel and one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes instead of one 28 oz can of tomatoes. It’s even better the next day.”
Puerto Rican Canned Corned Beef Stew
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This is an excellent and very filling dinner. I followed the instructions other than adding more veggies (bigger potato, diced carrots, an onion, and a can of tomatos/corn/okra) and extra sofrito as a taste preference,” says SillyBacon2932. “I don’t care for canned corned beef, but it sort of melts into the sauce….Tonight I’ll add beef and more sauteed veggies yo stretch it into another meal. Thank you for sharing!”
Keto Turkey-Stuffed Peppers
“Put a healthier family classic on the dinner table by substituting ground turkey for ground beef, and using frozen riced cauliflower instead of high-carb white rice,” says lutzflcat.
Chef John’s American Goulash
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This classic is one of those very simple dishes that doesn’t taste simple. It’s perfect for your weeknight dinner rotation. Chef John calls it, “An Americanized version of goulash, like they served in my school cafeteria, invented to stretch a small amount of beef into enough food for a not-so-small family.”
Easy Tomato Spice Cake
Yoly
That’s right—tomato cake! “No changes at all. A wonderful cake that everyone in my family enjoys,” says mimisstuff. “I just tell everyone that it is a spice cake. No details unless they want the recipe. Then the shock sets in. TOMATO SOUP! ! ARE U KIDDING ME!”
