Wednesday Why: Shelf-Stable Meals/Menu

What are some shelf stable meals?  And what is an example of a 1 month shelf stable meal menu?  When I say shelf stable I mean food items that can remain on a pantry/cupboard shelf until opened.  Also if using dehydrated foods, will need to store more water to rehydrate these items compared to their canned counterparts.

Some great meals that can be made using shelf stable food items are:  Soups, chilis, noodle dishes, rice dishes, baking mix foods, cereals/grains; all with canned/dehydrated fruits and veggies as sides.

Specifically:
Soups/Chilis:  canned soups/chilis or homemade using: broths, canned/dehydrated veggies & meats, canned/dry beans, pasta sauces, salsas, tomato sauces, jarred sauces and rice or noodles.
Noodle dishes:  Make casseroles, soups or pasta/sauce dishes.  Simply add canned/dehydrated meats, veggies, condensed soups, jarred sauces/salsas and seasonings to taste.  Like spaghetti or other noodles with pasta sauce, canned noodle dishes (like ravioli, Spaghetti O's, etc.), boxed or homemade Mac & cheese (using jarred cheese sauce or velveeta since these don't have to be refrigerated until opened), ramen noodles.
Rice dishes:  casseroles or soups using rice.  Simply add canned/dehydrated meats, veggies, condensed soups, jarred sauces/salsas and seasonings to taste, just like with noodles.
Potato dishes (using potato flakes):  Make up flakes to mashed potatoes, add canned/dehyrdrated meats/veggies/condensed soups and seasonings to make casseroles--using mashed potatoes as a crust of sorts
Potato dishes (using dehydrated potato dices, slices, shreds, etc):  make casseroles by adding condensed soups, canned/dehydrated meats or veggies and seasonings.
Baking Mix dishes/foods:  pancakes, biscuits, waffles, pot pie/pie/cobbler crusts/topping, cornbread, breads, some cakes and cookies
Cereals/Grains:  using dry milk for drinking milk and thereby the milk in cereals, oatmeals, grits, cracked wheat cereal.  Make wheat cereal with wheat berries or cracked wheat and sweetener/jam.  Crackers are a great 72 hour kit item, but also great for meals at home--use with tuna/canned chicken, PB&J or cheese.

Sample 1 month menu using shelf stable meals:

You may have other favorites that already use or could use shelf stable items in place of fresh.  When you find a meal that your family likes that uses only shelf stable items, then write it down and add it to your rotation.

When making your own menu, you can choose any number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners, I chose 7 different meals to rotate through, you can do more or less.  Then simply stock up on the items needed to make those meals--even though these items are shelf stable, you will want to use and rotate through them before the expiration date.

Hope this helps in giving ideas on meals that can be made when the fridge/freezer isn't working.  All of these meals can be made using an alternative cooking method if the electricity is out.  I originally put this menu together a few years back in preparation for hurricane season, knowing that if one hit, the electric could be out for anywhere between a day to a couple of weeks days.

Taste Test Tuesday: Potatoes & Sausage

I'll admit I had to come up with amounts for this recipe after the fact, so you may have to adjust to get it to the right taste your family enjoys.  I should have written down what I used at the time I made it rather than trying to remember.  But, I think the above is pretty close to what I used.  I didn't have sour cream on hand, so I used milk instead, it turned out fine.  This recipe would also be good adding some bell peppers (fresh or dehydrated)

When rehydrating veggies, you can use water or stock.  For more flavor, especially when making potato flakes into mashed potatoes, I highly recommend using chicken broth/stock.

Freeze dried or dehydrated fruits and veggies are a great addition to home storage as they take up less space than their canned or even frozen counterparts.  I like to have canned, frozen and dehydrated in my storage, rather than just one or the other, here is why:  I want to have the ability to have canned should there be a lack of water (as dehydrated requires water to rehydrate); I like to have dehydrated also since space to store food isn't always optimal and they are very nice and handy to only have to rehydrate or throw into a soup; and I like frozen for the ease in preparation and taste in everyday cooking.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Chicken Fried Chicken

Want a delicious way to use your potato flakes?  This chicken tastes great alone, in pitas, on salads, with pasta, or dipped in a sauce.  You can change the spices to fit what you like, so it can take on new flavor each time you make it.

I just realized though that I put 6 tenders in the recipe, you will have enough cracker mix to do more than 6, it was supposed to be 6 chicken breasts cut into half or thirds to make tenders.  Or if you are using tenders, to use up the cracker mix, you will be able to use 12-18 tenders.  Sorry about that.

I originally got this recipe from a relief society cookbook that a ward I lived in did.  Isn't Relief Society great!!!!    We can learn or teach to cook, sew, knit, prepare for disaster, and so much more.

I like this quote from the June 2011 visiting teaching message:

"In Relief Society, we are taught self-reliance principles and skills. Sisters can learn about budgeting, debt relief, employment qualifications, the scriptures and the gospel, teaching others to read and learn, technology, physical health, fitness, addiction prevention and recovery, social and emotional health, preventing illness, gardening, food production and storage, emergency preparedness, and many other things that will help us become self-reliant."  (Ensign, June 2011)

We learn and teach, comfort and heal one another in relief society.

Now, back to the recipe:  other notes--make sure after the oil is heated, you reduce the heat a little so the chicken covering doesn't burn before the chicken is done; also, I like to use a paper towel to lay the chicken on when done to absorb some of the excess oil.

I hope you enjoy it!