Canned food is a store cupboard staple in most households but do you know which is the most used? The US-based Canned Food Alliance has released data on the best-selling canned foods in America so we've compiled 30 genius recipes to use your favourites in new ways. Working our way down to the most popular canned food, some of our ideas may surprise you but they all taste great and are pretty quick and easy to make.

Tomato sauce from a can is more like passata (puréed and sieved tomatoes) rather than like ketchup. We love using it in this oven-baked risotto. It takes just 10 minutes to prepare and the rest of the time it's in the oven, requiring just one stir. The dish is simple to make and the finishing touch is a homemade pesto, but just use pesto from a jar if you're pushed for time.

Get the recipe for tomato risotto here

Any savoury recipe with Florentine in the name means that spinach is involved somewhere. Here, pancakes are stuffed with a mix of ricotta cheese, spinach and Parmesan, then packed into a dish, covered with passata and béchamel sauce, and baked in the oven. Our recipe uses buckwheat flour but they taste just as good made with plain flour.

Get the recipe for Florentine pancakes here

This recipe is a store cupboard special, making use of tomato sauce and canned beans. The only extra ingredients you'll need are carrots, garlic, a jalapeño pepper and chilli flakes. It's great served with rice and it's vegan. The icing on the cake is that it's on the table in 15 minutes.

Get the recipe for black and kidney bean chilli here

Slow-cooked red cabbage is a great winter side for roasted meat. It also freezes brilliantly so you can make a big batch. Swap the cherry jam in the recipe below for jellied cranberry sauce but make sure you don't skip the warming cloves, cinnamon and mixed spice. Along with the oranges and apples, they take the dish to the next level.

Get the recipe for mulled red cabbage here

Always a crowd-pleaser, slow-cooked pork in spices, garlic and soy sauce can be used in so many ways – in a bun, wrap, added to a stir-fry or as the main event. In our recipe, replace the tomato ketchup with jellied cranberry sauce – just gently heat to melt it before adding to the cooking sauce.

Get the recipe for pulled pork here

Baked eggs is usually considered a breakfast or brunch dish, but there's no reason you can't rustle it up for supper. Fry a chopped onion, add garlic and paprika, then tip in a can of chopped tomatoes and a can of baked beans. Protein-packed beans will make this a much more filling dish. Once it's thick, crack in the eggs and leave until cooked. For the final flourish, scatter over crumbled feta and chopped parsley or coriander.

Get the recipe for basic shakshuka (just add in the beans) here

Now here's a great comfort food dish. Canned baked beans and butter beans are mixed with chopped tomatoes, stock and herbs. The hearty stew is topped with sweet potato mash and grated cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted and the whole dish is bubbling hot.

Get the recipe for bean and sweet potato pie here

Pasta and chickpeas is an Italian favourite. In this clever and quick recipe, the sauce is rinsed off the spaghetti hoops so you have instantly cooked pasta to add to your garlicky chickpea stew. The prep time is all of five minutes then you can just let it simmer away.

Get the recipe for pasta and chickpea stew here

A chunky chowder makes a great lunch or light supper dish. This recipe is full of Caribbean flavours, with a good kick of chilli to go with the butternut squash, lentils and corn, all simmered in coconut milk. The warming spices pair well with the sweetness of the corn and squash. 

Get the recipe for spiced corn chowder here

Corn fritters couldn't be easier to make and using canned sweetcorn is much less effort than having to cut fresh kernels off the cob. They're great for breakfast with smoked salmon and poached eggs, or try them as a dinnertime side with chicken or grilled chops.

Get the recipe for corn fritters here

You might not normally think of putting sweetcorn in a curry but it adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the spices. Try adding it to a smoky rogan josh or try our northern Indian dish, fragrant with cardamom, coriander, cumin, ginger, cloves and chilli.

Get the recipe for lamb and sweetcorn curry here

This is a real blast from the past. This is essentially just a pasta bake with the soup making the sauce. Mix the soup with the same quantity of water and a few tablespoons of double cream. Cook the pasta, drain and transfer to a baking dish. You could also fry mushrooms, bacon or minced beef to add to the sauce. The choice is up to you. Pour the saucy soup over the pasta and mix well. Add lots of grated cheese and bake at 180°C (350°F) until browned and bubbling, around 30 minutes. 

Here are more retro dishes that we think deserve a comeback

Spaghetti with tomato sauce is a classic we never tire of. It's the combination of fresh tomatoes, tomato passata and canned chopped tomatoes, all cooked down in olive oil and garlic, which makes it a winner. Just add buffalo mozzarella before serving. Pair the sauce with any long pasta, such as pappardelle or linguine.

Get the recipe for spaghetti al pomodoro here

You'll never look back once you've made your own butter chicken. Fry off onion, ginger and garlic before adding spices, canned tomatoes and thick Greek-style yogurt. The sauce, combined with tandoori masala chicken and that all-important butter stirred through at the end, is irresistibly rich and tasty.

Get the recipe for butter chicken here

Homemade potato gnocchi are incredibly light and deceptively simple to make. Plus the sauce is easy too – make it with olive oil, onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes and basil. Pop everything under a hot grill with sliced mozzarella and you've got yourself a speedy, made-from-scratch supper.

Get the recipe for basil and tomato gnocchi here

A warming lentil hot pot is perked up with the addition of sliced, canned sausages. Follow our recipe for lentil and pasta soup and instead of using bacon lardons, substitute with the sausages, to give an equally light, smoky flavour.

Get the recipe for lentil and pasta soup here

Who can resist a great tuna melt? Make up a classic tuna mayonnaise mixture and add a pinch of chilli powder or paprika. Toast thickly cut bread – sourdough works well – and spread the tuna mayo over one piece then top with sliced cheese. Pop under a hot grill until the cheese is bubbling and fully melted, then pop the second slice on top to make a sandwich.

Now read delicious dinners that are on the table in under 15 minutes

This has all the elements of a Niçoise salad – canned tuna, olives, green beans, potatoes, anchovies and egg – but is topped with Parmesan and baked. It's a great one-pot dish which feeds four, so a perfect midweek winner.

Get the recipe for Niçoise bake here

A classic Anglo-Indian dish, kedgeree is traditionally made with smoked haddock but it works brilliantly with canned tuna too. Add a little turmeric when cooking the rice to add colour. You'll usually find it on breakfast menus but it makes an excellent and filling midweek dinner too.

Get the recipe for tuna kedgeree here