Linking up over at Call Her Happy again today!
Sneaking in at the last minute because I'm cool like that. And because I just spent waaaayyyy too long converting our "one-room-schoolhouse-lots-of-verbal-lessons" homeschooling lesson plan for tomorrow into worksheets and activities so we can take it on the road (Mr. Theo has a bunch of therapy sessions tomorrow).
Today was also grocery shopping day, and I'm trying to clean out what we have in the pantry and restock in time for the projected snowstorms (yes, more snow) this week. So, I thought, why not do a "What Heidi Always Has On Hand" .... also known as pantry-menu-planning......for this week's five faves?
One little catch, though, not everything in these recipes is a pantry-stable item - some of these recipes include fresh foods or perishables. But, for me, these are "pantry" recipes. The things that are produce-based or perishables are things that I consider our staples, and that i always have on hand. If I don't have one of these things......it is way past getting to the grocery store!
Here we go!
1.
I always have everything for this recipe on hand, and it's my go-to "I don't want to grocery shop" meal. Usually what happens is that any veggie that i have on hand that needs to be used up gets tossed into the recipe as well - the other night, I included extra onions, some tomatoes, and some kale. It was still delicious! Definitely a great "base" recipe to add into the rotation.
2.
A meal that can be made quickly (in less than 30 minutes), and tastes great as it is, or wrapped up in tortillas. Definitely a win-win in this house. At any point in time, I will have 2-3 bags of corn in the freezer, and since the fridge/freezer are hooked up to what the generator would run if we were to lose power...I don't stress about losing it (too much). That makes this go-to meal a very easy one to have on hand!
3.
Sweet Potato/black bean burritos.
This isn't an "official" recipe that I can link you to, but it's always something I have on hand. It's super scientific, are you ready?
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed) + one peeled and diced sweet potato + 1 jar pineapple salsa (we like Newman's Own)
That's it. Dump it all into a pan, and cook on medium heat until the potato is soft. Wrap it in tortillas. If you have it, add sour cream. If I want to bulk it up some, I'll add some cooked brown rice into the filling for the burritos. If I have kale or spinach that I want to use up, I'll tear it into tiny pieces and add it in the last few minutes of cooking. Once it wilts, it's an easy way to sneak greens into a reluctant kiddo - you can't taste it at all!
4.
"Southwest" salads.
It's probably not correct to call this those, but, well.....it happened one day and it stuck. Again, no recipe to link you to, but it's a stand-by for me. It's pretty simple: take your basic green salad (the boys like romaine lettuce for this one). Top it with a black beans (I used drained, rinsed canned beans), cooked corn, and tortilla chips/strips (crumble them up). If I have any veggies that need to be used up (bell peppers taste especially yummy with this!), I'll add those in. Toss it with ranch dressing (again, we like Newman's Own for this), and voila! Dinner is served.
5.
I have played with this recipe so many times, just trying to use up what I had on hand, and it has never let me down. Peppers get replaced with extra onions, bread crumbs are replaced with cornmeal or ground oatmeal, and it still always turns out wonderfully. Make your own hamburger buns, and keep a bag of sweet potato fries in the freezer, and it's a super quick and easy meal! Even my carnivore extended family loves these burgers!
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In case you were curious, my "must have" items in the pantry and fridge/freezer are:
quinoa
black beans
frozen corn
kale/spinach/chard
lettuce (I usually keep salad made/prepped in one of these containers)
lentils
onion
sweet potatoes
salsa
tortillas (I buy in bulk and freeze them, OR plan on making them myself)
ranch dressing
brown rice
If I start running low on these items, I definitely hit the grocery store before a snow storm hits!
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Enjoy the snow if you're getting some tonight, like we are!
Mmm #3 - this is a staple in our house, and I am thankful it is!
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