I would like to say that this has helped me a lot with all of my extra salmon laying around, but I am a vegetarian.
Cool Ideas for Canned Salmon
Photo: Alaskan Dude
While it’s costing a tad more than it used to, it’s still trumping tuna for price where I shop. I’m talking about canned salmon. It’s still within the realm of affordable, can be stocked up on and stored without a freezer, and believe it or not, is remarkably versatile. Here’s a list of twenty-five menu ideas you can create with these little tins of thrift.
Slammin’ Salmon Party Spread.
I used to make this on platters to take to parties quite a bit when I lived on Guam and other places overseas. Once you get it topped with chopped parsley and toasted chopped nuts (pecans, almonds or walnuts), it looks rather elegant, if I do say so myself.
Potato Salmon Scallop.
Dirt cheap to make, and a great casserole to serve with a side veggie or a salad. Home spun and “gets it done”. Of course, being a Mainer, I’m quite partial to potato scallop.
Sandwich Filling.
I'm always on the lookout for creative sandwich ideas, and like to add a little chopped celery and horseradish for zip. Pop the sandwich open faced into the oven and top with Swiss cheese for an extra fun hot lunch melt.
Casserole.
Many options are out there for a quick casserole on the fly. Mix and match with various veggies, binders and starch options. Personally, I’m a rice cheese sauce and broccoli fan when it comes to left over meats. But that’s just me.
Salmon patties or loaf.
I admit to always falling back to the recipe on the can. Although I do substitute various items for the bread crumbs. Someone who was doing a carb-conscious diet once let me in on a tip her doctor had given her. Using ground almonds instead of breadcrumbs in the recipe. They provide the same service the bread crumbs do, but are carb-free. Also, if you caught Linsey’s previous post on uses for instant potatoes, you’ll know they make an excellent addition to any type of meatloaf as well. I used them in a salmon loaf after reading her post, and the result was a much smoother slicing end result.
Go nuts.
Here’s a link with loads of different recipes for canned salmon.
Salmon soufflé.
Pretty fancy schmancy, wouldn’t you say? Here’s a link to a recipe.
Salmon mousse.
An elegant, no-cook option for a summer luncheon or tea. Here are one and two different links for making salmon mouse.
Asian inspired wrap sandwich.
They had me at the wasabi and sesame seeds. Here’s a link to the recipe.
Pasta and salmon salad.
I’m a huge lover of pasta salads for summer meals. Here’s a recipe using this affordable canned ingredient.
Salmon and dill croissants.
Looking to jazz up your bread items? Here’s a cool recipe link.
Salmon frittata.
Gotta love frittata. We got into it in Italy as something you could serve at basically any temperature. Always helpful when you have guests arriving at unpredictable times. Here’s how you make it.
Croquettes.
Another great fast food option for dinner.
Make a dinner pie.
When we are pinching pennies, the various options out there using homemade baking mix really save our grocery budget butts. Here’s a link to canned salmon variety.
Chilled salmon and potato salad.
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It’s always nice when potato salad can be taken to the next level, don’t you think?
Asparagus and red salmon triangles.
OK, this one requires the slightly more expensive red variety. Still affordable when compared with eating out or buying it fresh, though. Your call.
Salmon dip.
The avid dunker in me couldn’t resist including a dip recipe. Here’s the link.
Fritters.
Would never have thought of this myself. Super glad somebody else did.
Flan.
Salmon in a flan? That’s what I said. Apparently, it works. Here’s a link if you want to try it out yourself.
Chowder and soups.
Personally, I think soup is highly underutilized as an affordable but tasty menu staple. Chowders are some of my favorite dinners. Here’s a link.
Stuffed potato jackets.
Potatoes! Another super cheap dinner idea. This stuffed spud jackets idea is another one of those slap my forehead ones. I can’t believe I never thought of it. Again though, I’m just thrilled that someone else did, and was generous enough to post about it.
Omelet or crepe.
Depending on your side dish selections, I think you could pull this off for breakfast or dinner. Definitely some options here for elegance.
Creamed salmon.
Mix in some simple frozen vegetables with a white sauce and serve over a biscuit or English muffin. Not the fanciest, but gets the job done.
Salmon roll ups.
Another homemade baking mix recipe using canned salmon, relish and other affordable ingredients. Here’s the recipe.
Salmon stuffed peppers.
Who knew? I’ve only ever done stuffed peppers with ground lamb, hamburger or sausage. Shows what I know. This way sounds fun, lighter and affordable.
That’s all folks! There were more ideas out there to tell you the truth, but many of them were so similar I didn’t want a list of repeats. Any of these ideas has the capacity for modifying to suit your tastes or available ingredients. Do you have another canned salmon recipe you think is to absolutely to die for? I’d love it if you’d sound off below. Times are tight for everyone financially, and the grocery budget is one of the most flexible areas to pinch a family penny. Finding ways to do it that the whole family can enjoy is a constant challenge.
Best of Wise Bread
Very helpful roundup with solid ideas for a non-budget-busting staple that it's hard to find recipes for.
Many thanks.
But then I feel guilty about them in the wild having environment problems and numbers getting depleted. The canned ones are farmed aren't they?
I'm pretty sure most canned salmon is wild caught pink salmon. Although it's population is critical in Washington and Oregon, in Alaska, where the lion share is caught, it is abundant.
My co-worker gave me a pesto-type sauce that he and his wife use - its made with pesto, mint, parsley, capers, anchovies, and olive oil. I spooned some of that onto my canned salmon salad sandwich yesterday, and what a treat that was!
That spoon on sauce sounds intriguing. I'll have to see if I can whip up a knock off version here at home.
@K.P. Why read an article with salmon in the title then?
Great recipe ideas Myscha! I plan on trying a few of them :)
Glad they were of help. I love it when I have an entire repertoire of ideas for something dirt cheap like block cheese, canned salmon, frozen spinach, etc. It really helps me feel like I have some stylish options for meals and entertaining even when money might be tight.
Great post, Myscha. Salmon is a great alternative to tuna, though when you mix a little mayo into it, it's hard to tell the two apart. We don't buy tuna and our kids loved it, so we go with salmon salad, instead. That way you get the taste and benefit of fish, as well as the pretentious gourmet impression of eating salmon.
As for the farming issue, most "better" canned salmon will indicate on the label whether or not it's wild or farmed, so one can be an informed shopper.
Thanks for the great ideas, you did an awesome job.
Thanks, Fred.
We like having this stuff around, and it's fun to know there are a few fancier things you can do with it. And what a bonus that it's so affordable!
There was a salmon segment on a tv show that said all canned salmon is wild. I like to make salmon muffins eaten with brown rice and green steamed veggies. Yum!
I didn't have potatoes when attempting my first salmon patties, so I substituted a mixture of hummus and pureed garbanzo/chickpeas instead, just in case the tahini in the hummus had too strong a flavor. It turned out great ... although I may have needed more bread crumbs to hold it together.
The last time (coincidentally, also the first) I opened a can of salmon, there was most of the spine and quite a few ribs in with the meat. I picked them all out last time, but is that necessary? Is it common to find bones? Are they edible?
I hope you can answer my questions - I really liked the salmon patties I made sans bones, but it was really time consuming.
Thanks!
Karen, I think there are some kinds you can pay more for that have the skins and bones removed, but for the general affordable canned pink salmon the answer is yes. They do tend to have the bones in them. I've gotten used to it over the years, but it is an extra step. I usually drain the can and dump the fish into a mixing container. From there it's easier to scrape off the skin with a fork and pull away the bones, since they are usually on an outside edge and can be pulled out all at once. They also won't really hurt you if you miss a couple. They blend in pretty easily with the fish.
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