This is the second post in our two-part Cheap Eats and Thrifty Crafts 2015 series on spring cleaning. Check out the first part, Spring Cleaning Tips: Recycled Crafts for Unwanted Clothes + More!
I don’t have to tell you that spring cleaning is important. It’s a way to clear out all of the stuff we’ve hoarded over the winter to make room for new things. And, well, just to make room in general. While a lot of spring cleaning tips focus on clothes and material things, I think it’s also important to realize that kitchens need a bit of TLC too.
Now, I’m in no way a spring cleaning expert. Every March, I try my best to part with things that I don’t need but my discard pile always seems to be a little smaller than I had hoped. I just can’t help but to hold on to things for too long and come up with a ton of excuses for why I can’t get rid of individual items. It’s pretty sad, to be honest.
But when it comes to the kitchen, I’m actually pretty good at cleaning things out, organizing my space, and using up food. In fact, I think I’m actually pretty qualified to give a few kitchen spring cleaning tips. Here are the ones that I swear by:
- Even though you’re cleaning out your pantry and your fridge, that’s no excuse to let good food go to waste.
- Just because something has an expiration date that’s far in the future doesn’t mean you should wait that long to eat it.
- You can make anything into a casserole, especially pantry food.
- Play with your food. It’s been sitting in your kitchen for a while anyway, so use spring cleaning as an excuse to get creative.
Okay, so maybe those aren’t tried and true spring cleaning tips per say, but they’re really great guiding notions when it comes to seeing what I have stocked up in my pantry. The last one in that list is especially helpful because there are so many interesting pantry recipes that you never would have known about if you weren’t trying to use up your food.
For instance, when I look at a can of pie filling, the first use that comes to mind is pie. That’s pretty normal. But when I’m trying to think of other ways to use up pie filling, I see visions of dessert lasagnas, dump cake recipes, pie bars, and so much more.
If you decide to follow any of my spring cleaning “tips,” make it the last one. Below are a few pantry recipes to use up all of your extra food. Who knows, maybe you’ll have enough food to fuel a week’s worth of pantry recipes!
“Clean Out the Pantry” Slow Cooker Chili
Mama’s Pizza Casserole
Ramen Vegetable Soup
Easy Pasta Primavera from Spoon University
Peach Baked French Toast Casserole
Pantry Apple Crumble Cake
Easy Egg Fried Rice
Easy Chicken Pot Pie from Yummy Healthy Easy
Best Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
Easy Watergate Salad
Crazy Easy Ritz Casserole
White Chocolate Chip Cereal Cookies from A Zesty Bite
Grandma’s Country Chicken
2 Ingredient Apple Angel Food Cake
Chicken and Frozen Veggie Casserole
Bread Salad with Basil Vinaigrette from Food for Freude
Easiest Ever Banana Bread
Baked Pierogi Casserole
3 Ingredient French Vanilla Peach Cobbler
Easy Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Stir Fry from American Heritage Cooking
Slow Cooker Turkey Rice Casserole
Crispy Pantry Peach Cobbler
Tuna Pea Macaroni Salad
Use-It-Up Brunch Bake
Tater Tot Latkes from Kitchen Tested
Just-Like-Mom’s Apple Dump Cake
14 Incredible Leftover Ham Recipes
Got extra Oreos laying around? (Hey, it could happen!) Make some of these recipes with Oreos!
What spring cleaning tips do you have for cleaning out the food in your kitchen?
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Such great tips! I should definitely follow your advice, but Spring Cleaning for me always turns into “How did I miss Spring now it’s Fall Cleaning!” Thanks for including my stir fry!