Chicken Salad for a Crowd

I am finding myself feeding a crowd more and more frequently as my family grows. I am the second of nine children so I'm sure my parents felt like they were feeding a crowd everyday! Now that most of my siblings are married and have kids of their own our numbers have grown exponentially. We are blessed to have 6 of the 9 siblings living in this area

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

We've had a couple of chilly days even though the daffodils are blooming and the calendar tells us its Spring. This creamy chicken noodle soup is one of our family's

Simple, Delicious Tortellini Soup

On a cold winter day a hot, brothy soup hits the spot for me. We have differing opinions at our house. Most of my family prefers the thick, hearty, creamy chowder type soups. Don't get me wrong I like those too, but some days I want a bowl full of broth with just a little other goodness in there. This is a very simple soup to make and passes as fancy enough for company when paired with some warm homemade bread. I have been known to make a small batch just for me.

Since the groundhog saw his shadow, I'm thinking there will be plenty more soup nights around here. We woke up to snow at our house so winter is still in full force. We are not even supposed to hit 30 for a high this week!

Freezer to Crockpot Mexican Sweet Pork with Beans

It is difficult to photograph the filling in a tortilla - that said, this is so tasty! I cooked up a large pork roast and shredded it as the recipe below describes. I wanted to stretch it and use it for a few meals so I decided to throw some beans in the mix. I am so glad I did. The beans added a nice texture and everyone loved it. 

To prepare this for the freezer, place the pulled pork in a ziplock freezer bag. You need about 4 cups of pork. Add the salsa and brown sugar. Throw in 2 cans of kidney, pinto, or white beans, drained. (You could also cook dry beans and use them. You need about 3 cups.) Label and freeze. To eat, thaw and heat through in the crockpot or microwave. Wrap in a tortilla and add cheese and lettuce. (You can see some purple cabbage and a carrot in the photo because we just used a lettuce salad mix to make it easy.) This recipe was enough for two meals. You can choose to divide it into additional freezer bags before freezing or just know you'll have leftovers or enough to share with company.

Mexican Sweet Pork
This becomes a speedy dinner if you already have pulled pork cooked and frozen in the freezer.
1 pork picnic roast	1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup medium salsa	½ cup chicken broth, optional
Place pork roast in a crockpot and cook on low for 12–15 hours. I usually put the roast in just before going to bed. Test the pork by stabbing it with a fork and twisting. If the meat shreds easily, it is ready. Remove from the crockpot and place on a baking sheet. Using two forks, pull the pork apart and separate out all the visible fat and bone pieces. It pulls apart more easily when it is still warm. Combine 4 cups of the shredded pork with the salsa, and brown sugar. Add a small amount of pork juices or chicken broth if the mixture seems too dry. Return this all to the crockpot. Heat through and serve wrapped in tortillas or top a taco salad with it.

Meat Pasties

Meat pasties are basically single serving size meat pies. History tells us that miners used to take them in their lunches in place of a sandwich. It is one way to trade up the way you serve beef or chicken stew. I've done them with canned meats and dehydrated vegetables and they turn out deliciously! I also use items from my freezer sometimes. This time, I mixed frozen peas and carrots with hashbrown potatoes. I stirred in some precooked hamburger and then made a thick gravy using reconstituted powdered milk, flour, beef bouillon, onion, and garlic. I mixed all of this together for the filling.

Roll out pie crust (I always keep some in my freezer ready to go.) and place filling on top.

Fold over and crimp the edges well. Cut a few slits for ventilation. (These pasties can be frozen at this point for up to 3 months.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.

Enjoy with your favorite side dish - we opened some bottled fruit to make it an easy night.

Hamburger Buns

Making Hamburger Buns is quick and easy once you have figured out making bread dough. You'll find one of our favorite recipes here. Really, any basic bread dough will work, you can even use frozen dough if that is how you do things in your kitchen.

When I make bread, I always fill my big mixer so it gives me enough for 3 loaves. This picture shows me dividing the dough into 3 equal portions.

Flatten one portion out to be the height of a wide mouth canning ring.

Use the canning ring as a cookie cutter to cut out the hamburger buns.

Place buns on a greased baking sheet. I always shape the remaining dough into a bun the best I can. You'll notice the "odd" looking one squished in the middle there. Allow enough room between buns for them to rise without touching.

Spray the tops of the buns with Pam and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you want to. I don't usually bother with this step, but I wanted you to see the true result. Let the buns rise until about double in size.

Bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. You can see the "odd" bun quite well here. Oh well, my husband isn't picky. He'll love the little bit bigger bun. Cool on a wire rack. Slice and use for hamburgers, sloppy joes, pulled pork, chicken salad, etc. These freeze very well so don't hesitate to make a large batch one day and be set for quite a few meals. If you  freeze sloppy joe filling or pulled pork, you'll have an entire meal ready to go in 10 minutes or less for a busy night.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

You won't think making tortillas is worth the work until you've tasted a homemade tortilla. If you are one of the lucky ones who has tasted a tortilla hot off the griddle, you will be more than just a little excited about trying your hand at this recipe.

Make your dough.

Divide it into balls.

Cover the dough balls with a moist paper towel for 1-8 hours. You read that right - it takes at least one hour for the gluten in the wheat flour to relax so the tortillas are easier to roll out. You can leave it longer though depending on the demands of your day.

Cut the edges off of a gallon size ziplock bag to create two heavy-duty pieces of plastic. Roll out each dough ball until very thin between the layers of plastic. This is where the kids have fun helping you. We've even had taco parties and our guests have fun taking turns rolling these out. You can place a bowl upside down over the top and cut around it to create perfect circle tortillas if you want to. We don't mind the homemade appearance. Cook on a hot griddle as you would a pancake. Fill with your favorite taco filling or turn them into delicious sandwich wraps. They also taste great in Mexican Lasagna.

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
4 cups whole wheat flour	½ – ¾ cup shortening
1 cup all-purpose flour	1 ½ cups boiling water
2 tsp salt
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Rub the shortening in by hand until the dough is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until the water is all mixed in. Sprinkle with a little additional flour and knead with your hands until the dough does not stick to your fingers. Divide into balls about the size of golf balls and place on a tray. Cover with a moist paper towel and allow to sit for at least one hour or up to 8 hours. This makes them much easier to roll out. Cut the seams off a gallon-size ziplock bag creating two pieces of heavier plastic. Roll each ball out between the two pieces of plastic as thin as possible. Place a tortilla on a hot griddle. As soon as you see a bubble on top (in about 10 seconds) flip the tortilla over. Cook for about 30 seconds. Flip and cook the other side for an additional 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for one to cook. Continue until all the balls are done. Store your cooked tortillas between two kitchen towels to keep them warm and soft before serving. These freeze well.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Easter time gets us all thinking a little about eggs. Egg salad sandwiches are a high-protein, inexpensive meal. According to the latest studies by the FDA eggs stay fresh in the fridge for 10 weeks. This means that you can change your buying habits and keep more eggs on hand as part of your 3-month supply.

To make egg salad, peel and wash hard boiled eggs. I've learned that using a pie cutter chops them so fast.

Add a little mayo or salad dressing (I realize there are divided opinions on which one tastes best. Some families may even need to make two bowls with one of each to keep the peace.) I also add a little onion and garlic powder and then salt and pepper to taste. This time of year my chives are up again so I'll snip a few and add them in place of the onion powder. It's all good.

Spread the egg salad mixture on homemade wheat bread for a hearty quick and easy lunch. You can use store bought bread if that's what you have. I've even made these for brunch before and cut them in cute little triangles before arranging them on a fancy platter. Fancy doesn't have to be expensive.

Nachos

This is by far my family's favorite "fast food" food storage meal. It is so quick and easy, uses powdered milk, and is much more healthy than any canned cheese version you can buy.

It all begins with my famous white sauce mix.

Whisk together white sauce mix and hot tap water.

Stir constantly while cooking until it begins to boil and thicken.

Add remaining ingredients. To rehydrate the onion, put it in a small bowl with a little water and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Do this before you begin cooking the meal since you have to be stirring the white sauce mix and you won't have a free hand.

This is a motion shot when I am stirring in the cheese. You really can play with the flavors of cheese that you add. If you like a spicy cheese, use pepper jack or stir in a little hot sauce. We go for the mild version most often at our house since that is what the kids prefer.

Continue to stir over the heat until it is the thickness you desire. It usually takes 1-2 minutes of boiling time to thicken up.

This is still a little too thin.

Serve over chips and top with your favorite nacho toppings. It is also delicious over broccoli or as a dip for bread. The leftovers will thicken quite a bit in the fridge. Just add a bit of milk, heat up, and mix for another round another day.

Nachos
5 Tbsp white sauce mix	1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup hot water	1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
⅛ tsp pepper	½ cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tsp dried, minced onion reconstituted
In a saucepan, whisk white sauce mix and water together and cook until smooth. As sauce begins to thicken, add remaining ingredients. Serve over tortilla chips. Top with chili, spiced hamburger, sliced black olives, salsa, etc. You can use pepper jack cheese for a more spicy sauce.

Seafood Pasta Salad

Spring is coming - hooray!! We are all feeling a little bit of Spring Fever around here these days. With the warmer days, I began craving a more summertime meal. Many of us don't stop to realize that there are quite a few salads that can be food storage meals. I made this one a few nights ago for dinner and served it with pulled pork sandwiches. I came up with this salad recipe after having a similar one at a local restaurant. I have had many requests for the recipe. The secret is to use a lot of dill. Celery stores quite a while in the fridge so I had some on hand this time, but I have also made this salad with dehydrated celery that I had rehydrated to give it the similar flavor. By using plain yogurt in the dressing, you significantly drop the fat content in this salad and it also has a lighter flavor in my opinion. Enjoy!

Seafood Pasta Salad
8 oz rotini pasta	Mayonnaise
Canned tuna, salmon, or shrimp	Plain yogurt
Black olives, sliced	Dill, onion powder, garlic powder,
Cucumbers, diced, if available	salt, and pepper to taste
Celery, chopped, if available
Cook pasta until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water. Mix vegetables with pasta. To make dressing, stir equal amounts of mayonnaise and plain yogurt with the seasonings. Stir dressing into salad and serve. I often use imitation crab meat in this salad also since it freezes so well and I can have it on hand. There are no amounts for this recipe because I never measure. I just mix it until it looks and tastes good.

As Easy As Chicken Nuggets

As you begin to think about your food storage in actual meals, some are quite simple.  For example, today for lunch I made my three preschoolers chicken nuggets, green peas, and mashed potatoes.
The chicken nuggets and peas came from the freezer and the mashed potatoes were made using the potato pearls available from the LDS cannery.  I just added hot water.  The kids were elated - it is one of their favorite lunches.  I was happy because it was simple and I can easily store the ingredients to make it again and again.

One of my kids' very favorite lunches.

Many other options are open to you when you allow yourself to store items in the freezer.  Remember that the counsel is to store items that you eat on a normal basis.  These are part of the normal lunch rotation so I just make sure I store enough to make it once a week for 12 weeks.

Taco Filling

Taco filling is a very easy meal to make with items that store.  For dinner tonight, I mixed cooked rice, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and leftover pot roast together in the crockpot.  I had the pot roast, cooked rice and black beans in the freezer just waiting to be used.  I then added a can of corn (drained) and a can of diced tomatoes.  To spice it up, I added a packet of fajita seasoning mix and some dehydrated peppers and onions.  I then added about 1/2 cup of water and mixed it all together.  I warmed it through which took about 2 hours on high and then dinner was ready.  We will serve it with tortillas and corn chips so my kids have a choice.  Add lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream for a delicious and easy storable meal.

Dehydrated onions and peppers with a little water

Rehydrated peppers and onions - just microwave for 30 seconds to one minute to rehydrate

Seasoning packets are a good way to store quite a few flavoring options.

Here is the completed taco filling.

Store bought tortillas and corn chips have quite a long shelf-life so I always try to keep some on hand.  If we are out though, we love to make homemade tortillas.  I keep shredded cheese in the freezer and you can use homemade yogurt in place of the sour cream.  These are the changes I take into account as I plan the ingredients to store so I could serve tacos any day of the year!