These days, rushing home from work every day to get dinner on the table is a feat in and of itself, and if you've ever gotten halfway home and realized you forgot to go to the grocery store, you know how frustrating and stressful it can be to turn around and end up being late. Sometimes you might not even have time to stop at all, and you end up rummaging around in the pantry at the last second for something edible. One resource that can come through in a big way if you're in a pinch is the vending machine, which, believe it or not, can replace the grocery store for several small ingredients and toppings. Here are three examples of great dinners or desserts that can be made with vending machine ingredients. 

Breaded Chicken

If you're scrambling out the door to get home to cook, remembering to buy breadcrumbs for tonight's breaded chicken might get lost in the shuffle. However, if you happen to pass a vending machine on your way home, you can stop there and buy a bag or two of corn chips, which can then be crushed and used as a great breadcrumb substitute. Using a flavored type of chip like ranch or jalapeno can give your chicken a jolt of flavor too. 

Macaroni & Cheese

One thing that many people find missing from their mac & cheese is texture, and a great way to add some texture to this typically mushy dish is with some potato chips. Sprinkling some potato chips on top of a baked mac & cheese a few minutes before it comes out can lend a salty and crunchy quality to your dinner, and one that can make dinner feel less like an afterthought. 

Brownies

People who are allergic to eggs have likely known this trick for years, and it can come in handy when you're on your way home and don't have time to run into the grocery store. Just one can of diet soda can replace all of the wet ingredients required to make brownies from a mix, and can even be a healthy alternative to traditional brownies containing milk and eggs. 

While it might not seem like much, a vending machine (such as those provided by Elliot's Vending Co Inc) carries many ingredients that can be easily substituted into full meals, and many people don't realize this because they view cooking as an exact science. The reality is that recipes can be tweaked, improved, and customized, and sometimes all you need is a bag of chips.