These recipes feature shelf-stable or mostly shelf-stable ingredients, making them perfect for stocking up, saving money, and staying prepared for anything life may throw your way.
They're also ideal for camping adventures, thoughtful gifts for friends and family, or wonderful contributions to a food pantry.
(While some of these might not be considered the healthiest choices, they offer a timesaving, budget-friendly alternative to fast food that often surpasses in nutritional value.)
A little prep today could save you a lot tomorrow.
See below for information and tips on creating pantry meal kits.
Poultry Recipes
Pork Recipes
I’m always looking to improve our collection, so please let me know if you find errors, have questions or suggestions, or would like to share your own ideas on any recipes.
Directions:
Create Pantry Meal Kits by gathering all shelf-stable ingredients (unopened) and placing them into a large ziplock bag or any preferred container.
(Depending on the meal and group size, a 1-gallon bag may suffice, but larger 2- or 2.5-gallon bags might be needed for bigger portions.)
Include a small recipe card—either handwritten or printed—in the bag to ensure quick access to the cooking instructions whenever needed.
Be sure to highlight or note (on the recipe card or the bag/container) the perishable ingredients needed for preparing the meal.
Label the container with the expiration date (usually with the item with the earliest best buy or expiration date), indicating when the meal should be consumed. This helps ensure meals don't expire unexpectedly.
Check out this video by She’s In Her Apron for more pantry meal kit ideas and how-to’s.
Why Choose Pantry Meal Kits/Shelf-Stable Meals
Have you ever…
Ran low on time to get dinner on the table?
Been too busy to meal plan or get to the grocery store?
Forgot to take something out of the freezer to thaw?
Been totally exhausted and the last thing you want to do is cook?
Pantry Meal Kits are shelf-stable meals with most or all of the ingredients needed to prepare each meal stored together making them easier to grab and cook when needed. The ingredients for these meals can be stored together in a container, box, or bag making them even more convenient.
Having Pantry Meal Kits or Shelf-Stable Recipes with the ingredients on hand can help give you peace of mind knowing that if unforeseen circumstances arise, you can still get dinner on the table. They are also a great way to save money as they can keep you from paying the higher prices of eating out if you ever experience any of the scenarios above, and they can help ensure you are only stocking up on ingredients you are using, and you can use sales when stocking up on some of these ingredients.
Tip: Look at your favorite recipes to see if any can be made using shelf-stable ingredients. Think outside the box. If it calls for cheese, can you use a can or jar of cheese, or even use a cheese packet from macaroni and cheese? Using your favorite recipes will help ensure success when you need to make one of these meals.
*Pantry meal kits are also great for camping trips (don’t forget the can opener), and they can make great gifts or be wonderful for donating to a food pantry.*
For more information on stocking up and preparing, check out Lessons of 2020.