• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Good Cheap Eats
  • About
    • Welcome to the Good Cheap Eats Kitchen
    • Media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Me
  • Members Only
    • Login
    • Club Homepage
    • Club Resource Library
    • Downloads
    • Live Club Events
  • Recipe Index
  • Recent Posts
  • SHOP
    • Purchases
    • Cookbooks
    • Planner
    • The Good Cheap Eats Club
    • Meal Plans
    • Holiday Helps
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Easter Recipes
  • Start Here
  • Members
  • All Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Easter Recipes
    • Start Here
    • Members
    • All Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
      • Cookbooks
    • About
      • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Pantry Challenge

    Pantry Challenge – Day 4

    Published: Jan 4, 2026 by Jessica Fisher

    FacebookTweetPinPrint
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.

    This month, we’re shopping our kitchen in order to use up what we have so we can save money and clear kitchen clutter.

    Here we go with Day 4 of the Pantry Challenge.

    dinner plate from sunday dinner. this …

    Want to save this post?

    Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!

    Save Recipe

    I love Sundays and I particularly love Sundays when meals are prepped and ready to go. While I didn’t get my regular Sabbath prep done, I did have a few things prepped that made our meals super easy.

    As a result I was able to really relax today which was an added bonus.

    What We Ate

    Breakfast – There were leftover caramelized onions from pizza night and a packet of clearance pancetta that needed using, so I made a version of Egg Hash Brown Casserole with those items.

    Lunch – We had leftover steak from last night so I chopped it fine and set up a quesadilla bar for everyone.

    Dinner – I had a quart of Easy Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup for Cooking and chicken in the fridge left from Friday so last night I made two pans of Chicken Divan with Curry to bake tonight. No bread crumbs so I crushed up crackers. I served that with Instant Pot Rice and a big salad. I thawed a clearance cheesecake I had in the freezer and some leftover berry pie filling.

    It was all really delicious!

    How did Day 4 go for you?

    « Pantry Challenge – Day 3
    Pantry Challenge – Day 5 »
    FacebookTweetPinPrint

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      January 09, 2026 at 4:41 pm

      B- breakfast biscuit with sausage, cheese & veggies baked in; hot tea with honey & lemon
      L – Hubs grilled a huge batch of proteins for lunch. I made baked beans to go with. There will be plenty of leftovers for meals this week!
      D – no one was hungry for dinner after our lunch feast!

      Reply
    2. Kathy in Denmark

      January 06, 2026 at 1:19 am

      Day 4:
      Brunch: Softboiled eggs, bread, jam and cheese. Coffee and orange juice.
      L: Skipped
      S: Crisps and/or cookies
      D: Burgers with HM pulled pork for DD1 and myself. Burgers with HM bean burgers for DD2 and DH. Oven chips (fries).
      I had both bean burgers and pulled pork in the freezer. I froze the pulled pork flat, so I could just break off the amount I needed. There are also still some bean burgers left. The oven chips were made with some baking potatoes. I parboiled them and finished them off in the oven.

      After dinner I cut up a honeydew melon and made the chia pudding. I also made lunches for the kids, as it’s back to school for them monday.

      Reply
    3. Roberta in So Cal

      January 05, 2026 at 2:05 pm

      Sunday 1/4/26

      B: For 3. Hubs had his usual cereal (w/ strawberries), toast, coffee, and OJ. I had coffee. Don’t know what son had or didn’t have as he was still asleep when Hubs and I headed off to church.

      L: For 4. Hubs and I had ham & cheese sandwiches (LO Christmas ham I’d taken from the freezer), veg sticks, and apples & oranges. When the kids got home from church they fixed their own lunch and had turkey & cheese sandwiches and maybe veg sticks and fruit. I didn’t pay close attention.

      D: For 4. Orange chicken (used another one of our oranges), rice, green salad, apple and orange slices. Sees candy (another Christmas gift for Hubs) for dessert.

      Hubs and I did run to Sam’s to pick up fresh produce, some dairy, sandwich fixings (sliced turkey, sliced cheese, and two loaves of sourdough bread), ranch dressing, and yeast. Hubs heads back to work on Monday, and the college kids are home for another week. Having easy lunch stuff on hand will make my life easier. 😉

      Reply
      • Kathy in Denmark

        January 06, 2026 at 1:13 am

        It’s always a trade off, isn’t it?
        I enjoy baking bread, but if I don’t have time to get it done, I still need to have bread in the house, so I buy some.
        Having something kids can make themselves is definitely worth it to me!

        Reply
        • Roberta in So Cal

          January 06, 2026 at 11:51 am

          Yes, it is a trade-off. I still try to make the majority of our bread, but sometimes I just can’t keep up. The sourdough is soy-free, so I’m glad that’s an option. And cold cuts and sliced cheese are less expensive than eating out, so sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. ;}

    4. Kathryn M

      January 05, 2026 at 12:57 pm

      B- more whole wheat crackers
      Lunch leftovers – one bbq pork rib, garlicy buttered egg noodles, green beans for me. I don’t know what the spouse scrounged out of the fridge..
      Dinner – leftover spaghetti with a fenerous amount of parmesan stirred in to make it different.

      Reply
      • Kathryn M

        January 05, 2026 at 1:02 pm

        *generous amount of parmesean.* I can’t type apperantly….

        Reply
        • Kathy in Denmark

          January 06, 2026 at 1:08 am

          A generous amount of parmesan makes everything better 🙂

    5. Heather from Sacramento

      January 05, 2026 at 12:40 pm

      I am almost embarrassed to write what I ate yesterday. Unfortunately I procrastinated a little too much and never made my soups.

      B- coffee and oatmeal with slivered almonds and cranberries. I ate the last of the red grapes.
      L- my Dad came over to pick up the cooked tri tip and he dumped the last of his apple pie on me even though I told him I didn’t want any. I had apple pie for lunch.
      D- too late to cook so I had crackers and Brie cheese. I had to eat it up any way.
      Snacks- I finished up the container of honey roasted almonds that has been sitting in my pantry forever!

      Reply
      • Kathryn M

        January 05, 2026 at 1:05 pm

        I have had a lot of those days where I snacked all day long. Get to bedtime and realized that I had no real meals…

        Reply
      • Lynn from NC Outer Banks

        January 05, 2026 at 5:08 pm

        Heather, no judgment here. The last of a panettone cake kept calling my name. It was a pretty big “snack” and lots of calories, but now it’s gone! 🙂

        Reply
      • Kathy in Denmark

        January 06, 2026 at 1:10 am

        Look at it this way: You are finishing up food that needs to be eaten. That’s a win in my book! The soup can wait 😉

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

    More about me

    collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.
    teal graphic with the words, do you know what's for dinner tonight.

    What's New

    • chocolate pistachio loaf sliced on a board with nuts nearby.
      Chocolate Pistachio Loaf Cake
    • array of hot cross buns in basket.
      Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns
    • pair of cornbread waffles topped with blueberries and whipped cream on a white plate near a stack of waffles.
      50+ Easy Brunch Ideas & Recipes
    • cheese plate with a variety of cheese on wooden board and cheese knife.
      Serve a French Cheese Course to Elevate Your Meals
    • square crop of tuna on pasta salad.
      What to Make with Canned Tuna
    • vanilla almond granola atop a yogurt and blueberry bowl.
      Vanilla Almond Granola

    Reader Favorites

    • asian marinated chicken breast sliced on a plate with rice and veg.
      5-Minute Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • close-up of cream of celery soup in a jar with celery leaves behind.
      Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
    • small glass pitcher of milk on black background.
      20+ Easy Milk Recipes to Use Up the Leftover Gallon
    • with a fork fluffing the baked rice in the pan with steam rising.
      Baked Rice: How to Cook Rice in the Oven
    • green onions added to meal prep salads.
      Meal Prep Salads for Easy Lunches You’ll Want to Eat
    • best pulled pork in a freezer container to freeze.
      Best Pulled Pork Recipe
    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

    More about me

    collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.
    teal graphic with the words, do you know what's for dinner tonight.

    What's New

    • Plastic sandwich bag made into instant oatmeal packet on white counter.
      How to Make Your Own Instant Oatmeal Packets & Bowls
    • close crop of cauliflower stir fry on plate with noodles on side.
      Quick & Easy Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry
    • array of pancakes on platter with sausage and fruit as well as orange juice.
      Pancakes for Dinner – Recipes & Tips
    • square crop of red pickled onions in glass dish with tongs.
      Quick Pickled Onions
    • instant pot mac and cheese on a spoon over the pot.
      Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
    • collage of thanksgiving breads in baskets and on baking sheets.
      20+ Thanksgiving Bread Basket Ideas

    Reader Favorites

    • asian marinated chicken breast sliced on a plate with rice and veg.
      5-Minute Asian Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • close-up of cream of celery soup in a jar with celery leaves behind.
      Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
    • small glass pitcher of milk on black background.
      20+ Easy Milk Recipes to Use Up the Leftover Gallon
    • with a fork fluffing the baked rice in the pan with steam rising.
      Baked Rice: How to Cook Rice in the Oven
    • green onions added to meal prep salads.
      Meal Prep Salads for Easy Lunches You’ll Want to Eat
    • best pulled pork in a freezer container to freeze.
      Best Pulled Pork Recipe

    Footer

    back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Shipping Policy
    • Return Policy
    • Digital Shop

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2026 Good Cheap Eats