13 Foods That Can Be Upgraded With A Can Of Soup

Condensed soup holds plenty of promise for the harried cook. Sure, it can offer a fast and easy dinner, but that's only half of the potential of that little can. Many casserole, dip, and pot pie recipes call for some soup to get a jump start on creamy texture and rich flavor. But what about other dishes that could benefit from that tasty magic?

Spoiler alert: Almost every savory dish could use a bit of soup to kickstart its umami richness. You could for use canned soup in the batter for some juicy fried chicken. In fact, even some dessert dishes could use a dash of concentrated soup to impart unexpected sweetness to the mix. Here, we're looking past the usual suspects to give you unique ideas for using your favorite soups — from tomato to cream of mushroom — in different recipes. With these cans on hand, you can enrich rice, add depth to pasta sauce, smother your pork chops, and even incorporate some veggie sweetness into cake.

As far as potato casseroles go, none offer the elegance or refinement like the delicately arranged and thinly sliced scalloped potato dish. But potatoes need plenty of salt and seasoning to avoid an overall bland flavor. Luckily, a 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup adds plenty of savoriness and creamy richness to the scalloped potato formula. Often, cream of mushroom soup is used, but cream of celery, cream of chicken, or even cream of broccoli would be a nice addition here.

For some additional aromatic oomph, mix in a dash of garlic powder, paprika, or freshly cracked pepper, and maybe a tablespoon or two of freshly chopped herbs (parsley would be particularly nice). You'll also want to include some dairy to thin out the thick condensed soup, so consider pouring in your choice of either whole milk, half and half, or cream. Potato selection should be fairly straightforward; pick a rich, starchy one like russet or Yukon Gold, as they add their own starch to the sauce, thickening it up and cooking evenly. Otherwise, very little else is needed to pull this starchy casserole together.

Meatloaf is already a fabulously fast and comforting dinner dish, but there are still many secret ways that the traditional meatloaf formula can be upgraded. For instance, why not trade tomato soup for the classic ketchup add-in? Tomatoes bring plenty of umami richness to the meat mix, and the soup can even double as a tomato gravy for the meatloaf. Plus, chances are you probably already have a can sitting in your pantry, making it an easy swap. On the creamier side, concentrated mushroom soup would also be a tasty choice.

To incorporate some soup into your meatloaf mix, consider adding half a cup to the breadcrumbs to create a panade, a moist bread paste that helps bind the meatloaf together. Next, think of turning the rest of that can of soup into a gravy base. Mixed with a bit of flour, pan drippings, and stock or water, a few tablespoons of tomato soup can easily be simmered into a rich sauce worth covering your meatloaf with. The same process would work with the mushroom soup as well — just think about adding a few fresh mushrooms to the mix, too.

Hot take: A pot roast is only as tasty as the sauce you cook it in. Sure, the liquid you simmer it in is primarily there to help cook the meat gently, keeping it moist and tender, but that braising juice is also the best way to impart flavor to your roast. With that in mind, the next time you pop your pot roast into the slow cooker or pressure cooker, consider adding in a can of cream of mushroom soup, French onion soup, or cream of bacon soup to create the most flavorful braising liquid. And, yes, you read that right: Campbell's makes a cream of bacon soup, so consider yourself warned.

No matter what type of soup you choose to braise your beef neck in (the most underrated cut of beef for pot roast, in our humble opinion), you'll still want to add in some other aromatics, like sliced onion, garlic powder, dried herbs, or salt and pepper to the mix. Remember that the beef will release a lot of its own liquid while cooking, which will dilute and thin out the thick condensed soup. If you want to make the final braising liquid more like a gravy, consider simmering it on the stovetop to thicken it back up.

We often use stock and broth to add good flavor to our grains, so why not try to add some other cans of soup to pump up the volume? Tomato soup, mushroom soup, and many other varieties would bring a unique flavor to the dish, plus give it a rich, creamy texture akin to risotto.

There are two main methods to do this. First is the baked rice route, where raw white rice, stock, and a can of condensed soup get baked in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for roughly 30 to 40 minutes. You can add fresh mushrooms, herbs, and other seasoning to this mix — just make sure there's enough stock and condensed soup present to keep the rice from being underdone. Your second option is to do the cooking on the stove top, with condensed soup and stock pairing up again to help cook the rice. Finish this off with a fresh grating of parmesan to give it maximum risotto razzle-dazzle.

When you really look at it, a can of condensed soup is really just a thick braising sauce waiting for some heat and extra seasoning to get it going. Case in point? Treat your cream of mushroom soup like a sauce and simmer your chicken breasts in it. Not only does this create wonderful flavor, but it also keeps your finicky white meat chicken nice and moist.

Of course, if you're not a huge fan of mushrooms, you can also reach for the equally delicious cream of celery, cream of bacon, or cream of broccoli soup cans. The neutral, juicy nature of chicken breasts makes them perfect for plenty of different cans of soup. Before simmering the chicken in the soup sauce, be sure to sear off your chicken breasts, as this helps lock in moisture. As a good rule of thumb is to use one 10.5-ounce can of soup per every two large chicken breasts. From there, you can thin out the sauce a bit with some stock, toss in some fresh veggies, and season it however you like.

Mac and cheese is a comfort food classic with a dead simple recipe, but that doesn't mean it can't take on some new and exciting flavors. Indeed, tomato soup is a surprisingly satisfying addition to everyone's favorite cheesy dinner. After all, a tomato soup-infused mac and cheese is essentially the casserole version of the beloved creamy roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich combo. Alternatively, you can also use something like cream of broccoli or cream of asparagus soup to give your mac and cheese a greener veggie twist. Or, you can go extreme and add a canned cream soup, like cheddar, to your mac and cheese. Because why not?

To try this in your own kitchen, try adding a 10.5-ounce can of soup to your cheese sauce (usually a blend of grated cheese and milk) before mixing it in with your cooked pasta. To double down on the tomato essence, consider adding in a can of crushed tomatoes, or even tossing in a few julienned sun-dried tomatoes as well. If you took it in the broccoli or asparagus direction, some fresh broccoli florets, green peas, or asparagus spears would be a nice touch.

One of the best qualities that cream of chicken soup offers is its infinite flexibility. Any dish that uses chicken could use it for a rich creamy boost without over-saturating its flavor with strong seasoning. For instance, if you want curry in a hurry, cream of chicken soup can make it an even faster and easier process without stealing any attention away from that spicy curry taste. Alternatively, cream of mushroom or cream of onion soup would work wonders as well.

Basically, a 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup will replace the yogurt or other thick dairy product you would use to thicken and enrich the curry. Full-fat coconut milk would still make a lovely addition, as that imparts both creaminess and a perfumed, coconut flavor. To incorporate more veggies, add a handful of spinach or a cup of fresh green peas to the mix. For starch, mix in some chickpeas, diced sweet potato, or make a generous batch of jasmine rice to soak up all of that saucy curry.

Condensed soup has already worked wonders as a sauce for other dishes on this list, but what can it bring to an actual pasta sauce? If we're talking about a red sauce, tomato soup works wonders for both thickening and adding flavor to the base. Then, with white sauces like Alfredo or béchamel, cream of chicken or condensed cheddar soup could add a new level of savoriness. In extreme cases, you can even use something like cream of mushroom condensed soup as a sauce for plain pasta.

Depending on what sauce you're trying to tackle, start with mixing a 10.5-ounce can of soup with other sauce ingredients, like crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning if a marinara, or milk and parmesan cheese if an Alfredo. Alternatively, you can use your canned soup to help fix problems you may be having with your sauces, like adding a bit to thicken up your watery sauce, or for adding some much-needed sodium to a sauce that's lacking flavor.

Whether you've had the pleasure of trying Ikea's Swedish meatballs or have had the opportunity to make your own batch, traditional Swedish meatballs make for a supremely satisfying meal. Usually, the dish comes equipped with a rich mushroom sauce, which you can easily duplicate with a can of cream of mushroom soup. As an added bonus, you can add some of the same soup to the meatball mix to make it extra tender and flavorful.

To make your sauce, combine a 10.5-ounce can of condensed mushroom soup with a bit of broth on the stove top. Once heated through, you can add a dash of seasoning, like freshly chopped parsley or soy sauce. Next, remove the sauce from heat and stir in some sour cream to bring in a bit of tang and richness. From there, you can ladle this sauce onto your waiting meatballs. Bonus points if you have a giant batch of mashed potatoes waiting for a bit of that sauce as well.

A southern classic, smothered pork chops show how wonderful that humble cut of pork can be when it's been simmered, low and slow, in a rich creamy sauce. The sauce itself is usually made from a mix of flour, drippings, and stock, but a can of condensed mushroom soup can help you cut corners without sacrificing any flavor. Alternatively, cream of bacon soup could help you double down on that savory pork flavor.

To bring this hack to your kitchen, start by searing off your pork chops to seal in the juices. Once that's complete, you'll build your simmering sauce by combining a 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup with sauteed onions and mushrooms, and a cup of whole milk or a can of evaporated milk for maximum creaminess. The milk helps thin out the soup without depriving any richness, while the onions and mushrooms add a boost of umami. From there, you can simmer your pork chops on the stove or gently bake them in the oven. As a note for the amount of soup needed, use one can of soup per every four pork chops.

Bringing an element of moisture to your enchilada casserole is essential to help make layers of tortilla, chicken, and cheese blend together for one tender forkful of food. Often, lots of salsa gets ladled on, but why not think outside the box and try a touch of cream of chicken soup instead? The rich mix will complement the shredded chicken in the casserole and impart an extra bit of creaminess to the recipe.

To start, mix a 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup with a bit of sour cream and salsa. From there, you'll add in all the other aromatic ingredients, like sauteed chilies, sliced onions, shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and salsa to create the moist filling for your layers of tortillas. Afterward, it's just a matter of layering saucy chicken filling, tortillas, and shredded cheese to perfection. If you're working with a beef enchilada casserole recipe rather than a chicken one, you can substitute in cream of mushroom soup as a nice neutral twist.

Straddling the line between crispy cornbread and custardy pudding, cornbread dressing is a delight that deserves to be freed from its eternal rotation on the Thanksgiving spread. And while we're bringing it to the everyday dining table, why not up the ante and make it even creamier? The only thing separating you from this silky, decadent cornbread dish? A can of condensed soup. Whether you use cream of celery, cream of chicken, or cream of bacon soup, the results will all be unbelievably tender.

Some cornbread dressing recipes will call for chicken broth, but when you add condensed soup on top of that, the game changes completely. Take your favorite cornbread recipe and add in one or two 10.5-ounce cans of condensed soup for richness. For an elevated flavor, use a blend of both cream of chicken and cream of celery soup in the mix. You can also take a page from Chowhound's boxed cornbread hacks and add a can of creamed corn to help incorporate a boost of creaminess and sweet corny flavor as well.

The most unusual use for a can of soup? Adding some delicious nuance to spice cake. Back in the early 1940s, Campbell's first imagined the ingenious Tomato Soup Cake as a steamed fruit and nut pudding recipe that relied on cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a can of tomato soup. Though it could have gone the way of retro jello salads, the recipe proved so delicious that it's had continuous iterations in every decade since. Why does it work? The natural sweetness of tomato soup enhances any cake with sweet warm spices in it, and the tomato flavor will be hidden by the cinnamon, allspice, or ginger present.

In the cake batter formula, a 10.75-ounce can of condensed tomato soup works as the main liquid in the cake, replacing milk or water. Butter and eggs are usually present as well, which will also bring a touch of moisture and richness. Often, a tangy cream cheese frosting is paired with the spicy tomato cake. You can work tomato soup into any rich spice cake, like carrot cake or gingerbread cake, and expect it to give it a lovely orange hue in addition to a tender texture and slight kick of sweetness.