Saturday, September 26, 2015

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Quick meals from the pantry


Today must be a quick as a bunny pantry post.  Computer time is very limited.  But I did have something come up last week I wanted to chat about.

While the food stuff I stock in the pantry to last two months or more tend to be the bulk makings of a meal, I must have some quick & easy items in the pantry.  Since I knew I would be defrosting the deep freeze, I didn't make any freeze ahead meals these last few months.  I really need to do so soon.  For those days I feel too fatigued to make dinner.

So right now I am depending on the shelf stable making of fast food.

This week I made a favorite "go to" meal that is so quick to put together.  It is almost as good as having something to just pop in the oven.  I keep flour tortillas in the bread box and they have a very long shelf life even after I defrost them.  (When they go on sale, I buy a few packages and freeze them.)

The Chi Chi's salsa shown above is purchased once a month at Sam's Club and lasts me for a few weeks.  It gets added as a flavor base to many foods.  For the pantry, I'd buy individual jars.

This week I simply heated a can of refried beans with about a cup and a half of the salsa and made a burrito with the tortillas, adding chopped onion and some shredded cheese before forming the burrito.

Although I had fresh onions, I thought I'd show you my favorite dried onions (they can be added "as is" to recipes such as meatloaf or reconstituted to use as chopped onion).  I found the very best price... here*  Frontier also has an organic alternative which shows up in the "Customers Also Bought These" on the same page.

These bean burritos are very low carb and nutritious.  I also use the tortillas for making other burritos (including breakfast burritos) and chimichangas... which are basically fried burritos. 



This is another excellent shelf life product.  I know it is easy to make one's own pizza crust but sometimes I just need a last minute "throw together".  A package of these, a can of pizza sauce, some mozzarella cheese in the freezer, and perhaps some toppings (although not exactly necessary)... and dinner is in the oven!

These pizza crusts can be left "as is" on a pantry shelf before they are opened and the "Use By" date on this one was four months out after the date of purchase.  I know because I checked.  But we have also received these types of shelf stable pizza crusts from a food pantry when they were already past their date (which is why the store donated them) and I didn't get around to use them for a month or so.  They were still fine.

Sorry for the quick post!  I hope it is read-able.

LINKS:
20 Items to Start Your Food Storage Plan... here.
The Well Stocked Pantry... here.
How to Freeze Eggs... here.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a change put any canned or cooked meat on one half of the flour tortilla. Fold in half and brown each side a little on the stove in a skillet. On top put sour cream, green or regular chopped onions, avocado slices and salsa and you have Casa DeAlegra. I am probably spelling that wrong! You can put salsa and onions, refried beans or anything you want inside with the meat too. It is very filling.
You are so right. I keep a list of super easy shelf stable ideas on the fridge for times I can't hardly lift the skillet let along Think of what to cook! :-) Sarah

Vee said...

It's readable! I need to have those quick meals at the ready, too. Never know when one will be needed.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Yes, things to have on hand to make quick meals are so important! Sometimes we just need to be able to make something in a hurry!

Fast food at home,but much healthier!

Deanna

Anonymous said...

Fast food at home ... a must! You've got some great ideas here. Thanks for the quick but informative post. Pam (SD)

Amanda said...

I have used the same pizza crusts as well. A great time saver in a pinch!