Biscuits and Gravy from the Pantry

I thought everyone had heard of biscuits and gravy until I lived in upstate New York.  Based on my experience there, I would say it's a Southern thing, but I've seen them at hotel breakfasts all across the country.  If you've never tried biscuits and gravy, now's the time!  

This is a simple version of biscuits and gravy, with homemade biscuits and packaged (real!) sausage country gravy--all of which are stored right in your pantry.  As I always say, that's great in a pinch and great in an emergency, too.

If you prefer the simplicity of biscuits made from Bisquick mix, by all means, do that.  I think the taste of the from-scratch version here is superior, and just about as quick and simple.

BISCUITS AND GRAVY FROM THE PANTRY

PREP TIME (including COOK TIME):  about 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c. freeze-dried sausage (I really love this stuff.  SO much easier and more convenient than cooking up sausage!)
• 2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. milk (either shelf-stable milk or reconstituted from powdered; see pantry-friendly substitutions and my favorites listed here)
• 1/4 c. mayo
• 2 packages of country gravy mix (1.32 oz. each)
• water 
• 2 Tbsp. powdered creamer, optional

DIRECTIONS
Rehydrate sausage according to package directions.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, milk (reconstituted if needed), and mayo until dough forms.  Spray a 12-cavity muffin tin with cooking spray.  Divide the dough equally among the 12 cavities.  Bake about 15 minutes or until golden.  In a medium saucepan, mix gravy according to package directions, adding powdered creamer if desired.  When gravy is done, stir in rehydrated sausage.  Serve gravy over halved biscuits.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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French Bean Ranch Salad

This cold salad is a great twist on plain old green beans.  The original recipe calls for frozen French-cut green beans, thawed, but swapping out the frozen for canned makes this a pantry-friendly recipe--great in a pinch or an emergency.  Plus, it comes together in about 15 minutes, so it's ridiculously easy and convenient, too.  

FRENCH BEAN RANCH SALAD

PREP TIME:  10-15 minutes

COOK TIME: 0

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cans French-cut green beans
• 1-2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• 1/4 c. real bacon bits
• 1/4 c. prepared ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS
Drain the beans well.  Stir together with the remaining ingredients.  Chill before serving, if desired.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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Creamy Zucchini Soup

This is a pantry-friendly take on an absolutely delicious soup recipe I got from a fellow blogger a few years ago.  "Creamy" is right--the broth of this soup is divine, using just 1% milk and chicken bouillon.

It's a simple recipe, too.  I had to make quite a few substitutions to make this using pantry-friendly ingredients, but the flavor is incredibly close to the original recipe.  Unfortunately, my picture doesn't do it justice, but you definitely need to try this easy, yummy soup.  

It's also low-calorie, at about 68 calories per cup!

CREAMY ZUCCHINI SOUP

PREP TIME:  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  about 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp. oil (I like avocado oil, but any kind will do)
• 6 Tbsp. dry butter powder (I like this kind; also available here and here.  If using butter flavor shortening as a butter substitute, eliminate the 2 Tbsp. water and the oil.)
• 2 Tbsp. water + 4 c. water
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 4 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 4 c. (1 quart) shelf-stable milk (I used Gossner milk for this recipe and liked it a lot.  Alternatively, use any of these substitutes listed here.)
• 2  1/2 c. freeze-dried zucchini (I like this kind; also available here and here.)

DIRECTIONS

In a large soup pot, over medium heat, whisk together oil, butter powder, and 2 Tbsp. water.  Whisk in flour.  Pour in a little of the 4 c. water and whisk until smooth, stirring over the heat until the mixture thickens.  Whisk in the bouillon, then slowly whisk in the remainder of the water.  Stir in the milk and the dried zucchini.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  As soon as the soup boils, lower the heat to low and stir well.  Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer about 15 minutes.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

To print this recipe, hit the "print" button below.  If you don't see the print button, scroll back up and click on the title of this blog post, then scroll back down and you'll find the button below.

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My 21-Day Pantry Meal Plan

It's a great idea to have some meals on-hand that you can make in case of emergency or just in a last-minute hurry, and that's what this blog is dedicated to.  

I'm so excited to share something fantastic with you today!  

This blog began in March as a quest to find great recipes for meals that didn't require shopping trips for fresh ingredients--because in March (hello, COVID-19) it was pretty hard to get much of anything for a while.  (Remember the creepy feeling of the empty shelves in the grocery stores?  It took me 10 weeks to find yeast and another 8 to find it again!)  

Shortly after starting this blog sharing easy pantry-friendly (shelf-stable) recipes, I decided that my own pantry-friendly meal ideas could use an upgrade.  They could use a plan.  So I decided to put together a 21-Day Pantry Meal Plan based on these pantry-friendly recipes my family likes.  I'm really happy to have put it together this way because now I can store exactly what I'll need.  :)  

The meal plan includes recipes I've posted here at this blog plus a few non-recipe meals (like oatmeal for breakfast), and it's enough for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus dessert every 3 days, and will feed 4-6 people for 21 days.  Without any trips to the store!

And I'm going to share my 21-Day Pantry Meal Plan with you!  There's a printable document here with the meal plan which you can use along with all the recipes published here at the blog so far (with a few more coming in upcoming weeks).  Just click here and print.  

Feel free to make notes and adjust this meal plan to your own preferences, too.

I can't tell you how excited I am to have this cookbook--all the recipes from this blog in one place.  These can be go-to recipes in a pinch or in a big emergency.  My next step is to make a big shopping list, then make sure I have all the ingredients on hand.  I'll be set for a whole 21 days!

And stay tuned at the blog, too, for some good snack ideas coming up that can be added to your pantry-friendly meal plan.  These are foods that don't need to be cooked or even heated, so they are certainly good for snacks, but they're also great for a 72-hour emergency kit in case of power outages and such.

I'd love to know what recipes you've tried from the blog so far!  Comment below and tell me what you like.  

Then keep visiting!  I've got 5 more recipes to share in 2020 (wait until you see the elegant cookies coming in December), then in 2021, the recipes will be posted on the first Friday of each month, and will include more recipes, canned food rotation tips, and 8 recipes in a jar!  I love those!  They're SO handy (and they make great gifts, too!)  So keep on visiting Easy Pantry Recipes and find out why.  :)

See you next week!

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