Insta' Food

Tia left a comment yesterday about how she cuts down on her grocery budget and it got me thinking about a lot of things I bet we all do or could do that would make a big difference. So I gathered some recipes for ‘make your own’ instant foods.

One simple ones are frozen pizza’s. We make little English muffin pizzas and freeze them, uncooked. Then you can pop them in the oven when ever you want. Instant pizza!

Homemade instant oatmeal
Ingredientsquick-cooking oatsnonfat dry milk powder (vegans and the lactose-intolerant can skip this)

salt

one Splenda packet (or 2-3 teaspoons of sugar)
Optional- cinnamon, dried apple bits, Dried fruit, brown Sugar

Measure, mix, and store
Into a container or bag, put:

1/2 cup oats1 tablespoon milk powder

1 splenda packet

1/8 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

Extras.

Seal the container and shake it up. You now have one serving of instant oatmeal to take to work, school, etc.!

To use your instant oatmeal: put it in a bowl, add about a cup of hot water (give or take), stir, and let it sit for a minute to cook. Enjoy!

Instant Rice mix

Ingredients:

4 cups long cooking rice,

uncooked1 package (1/2 oz. size)

onion soup mix

1/4 cup dried minced onion

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon saltDirections:

Combine ingredients; store in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Attach instructions.

Instructions: Mix one cup mix with 2 cups beef broth in a 2 quart pan; add one tablespoon butter. Bring to a rolling boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.

All Purpose cake mix

Ingredients:

10 cups all-purpose flour

6 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup cornstarch

5 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

2 1/2 cups vegetable shortening

Directions:
In a large sifter, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Sift, in batches, into a large bowl. Use a pastry blender or a heavy-duty mixer to blend in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal in texture. Spoon into a 20-cup container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 10 to 12 weeks. Use this mix as you would a packaged cake mix. ALL-PURPOSE CAKE MIX makes: Lemon Pound Cake, Yellow Cake, White Cake.

Almost Hamburger helper

Ingredients:

2 cups nonfat dry milk

1 cup corn starch

1/4 cup beef bouillon powder

2 tablespoons onion flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon garlic powder

***Chili Mac:***

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1 cup water1/2 cup macaroni noodles (uncooked)

2 cans chopped tomatoes

1 Tb chili powder1/2 cup mix

***Stroganoff:***

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

2 cups water

1/2 cup mix

2 cups uncooked egg noodles

1/2 cup sour cream

***Potato Beef Casserole***

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

3/4 cup water6 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup frozen mixed veggies

1/2 cup mix

***Quick Lasagna: ***

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1/2 cup mix1 onion, chopped2 cups water

16 ounces tomato sauce

3 cups lasagna noodles, uncooked, broken in bits

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Mix the ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Use mix as a base for the following dinners. Chili Mac: Combine all and simmer 20 minutes or until macaroni is cooked Stroganoff: Combine all except sour cream. Simmer 20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in sour cream and serve. Potato Beef Casserole Combine all and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and cook until excess water is evaporated. Quick Lasagna: Combine all except mozzarella in large skillet. Bring to a boil, let simmer for 15 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Top with mozzarella. Turn off heat and let cheese melt.

Let me know if you try any and how they taste for you. We use the Hamburger Helper one a lot.

Bonus hint! I buy the full fat ground beek for a fraction of the price of lean and simply rinse and drain it, nealry all the fat washes off.