At the beginning of the pandemic, many people prepared more meals at home, spending more time in the kitchen experimenting with everything from sourdough starters and whipped coffee to the perfect banana bread. As time went on, spending long hours in the kitchen lost its appeal. Simple recipes and cooking solutions became even more essential. As communities reopen, we expect that people will continue to make more meals at home than they did before the pandemic. However, they may face these common challenges:

• Less time
• Tight budgets
• Limited cooking skills
• Need for meal-time inspiration

How can we make it easier to make home-cooked meals?  Simple recipes and quick scratch cooking methods balance convenience, affordability, taste, and well-being.

What is quick scratch cooking?

Cooking everything from scratch isn’t realistic for most people. Packaged foods make cooking meals at home easier.

“The quick scratch cooking approach uses both fresh ingredients and pantry staples to create easy and fast-to-table meals, without compromising taste. This helps people make flavorful meals with fewer ingredients in less time.”

– Campbell Chef Maria Gamble

Customize recipes & get creative

Simple recipes like One-Pot Chicken Curry, let us explore global flavors with familiar ingredients. This recipe uses pantry staples like Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, curry powder, and fresh ingredients to make a fast and flavorful meal.

Quick scratch cooking also makes it easy to meet individual needs. Chef Maria shares, “These recipes allow for customization, like using chickpeas instead of chicken to make a vegetarian curry. It also helps people get creative and reduce food waste by using ingredients they have on hand.”

Promote health and well-being

The quick scratch cooking style can help people meet their health goals, even when they are short on time.

Quick scratch cooking:

• Makes it easy to swap in ingredients like lower-sodium broths to make recipes fit individual needs
• Makes it easy to cook and freeze for later
• Uses a combination of fresh, frozen and canned veggies to help you stay within budget
• Provides an opportunity to add more veggies and whole grains into meals
• Helps you explore global flavors

Quick scratch cooking solutions can help people continue cooking at home and meet their health goals. For many, less time in the kitchen means more time at the table with loved ones.