Pantry-Friendly Snacks to Have on Hand

Most snacks are pantry-friendly anyway, it's true, but as I created my 21-Day Pantry Friendly Meal Plan, I allowed for 3 meals a day plus dessert every 3 days.  This is great for me, but as I made the plan I quickly recognized that it doesn't account for all the snacking my sons do, not unlike many teenagers and growing kiddos.

Because the 21-Day Pantry-Friendly Meal Plan is designed to be used either in case of emergency or as easy, last-minute meals, I wanted it to be a healthier version of a freezer full of pizza or a pantry full of mac-n-cheese.  Now that I'm thinking about snacks I'd also like to have on hand, I'd like them to be a healthier step up from Cheez-its.  They are still things my family will eat of course (no dried kale chips or anything), but they have more nutritional value than your average bag of chips.

It's wise to have a 72-hour kit in case of emergency as well, and I keep many of these snacks in my 72-hour kit.  They can serve as small meals if you're desperate (such as if the power goes out for an extended period and you can't cook).  We actually rotate ours every year to keep them fresh.

Here are some ideas for pantry-friendly snacks that have some nutritional value that are great to have on hand in case of emergency.

• granola bars or protein bars
• dried apple slices or pear slices or strawberry slices  (You can get individual packs at Target or Walmart, but if you want apple slices in bulk, you can get them here [my favorite] or here.  I get my apple slices here because the price is good, though they're not as crunchy as the freeze-dried varieties.  They're perfect for my Pantry-Cooked Apple Crisp, though!)
• jerky
• instant nutritional drinks (such as Ensure or Carnation; I also like Ruvi which is just fruits and vegetables; so is V-8)
• trail mix
• freeze-dried cheese (I've seen this as Moon Cheese at Target, but you can also get them as Snackies; Snackies also come in other combinations of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables and nuts and yogurt bites--it may seem funny to see freeze-dried corn as a snack, but it's SO good!)
• fruit leather (Joray have always been my favorite.)
• individual drinkable soups (Campbell's makes easy-to-eat ones.)
• nuts
• tuna salad or chicken salad with crackers (from Bumble Bee)
• individual milk boxes or bottles (From my grocery store I usually just get Nestle chocolate milk bottles or Lala white milk [in the Mexican food section], but the shelf-stable milk from Gossner Foods comes in quite a few flavors, all of which I've tried, so I order those a couple of times a year.  Fair warning:  shipping isn't cheap, but it's good, shelf-stable milk.  You can sometimes find Gossner milk at Dollar Tree, which is awesome.)
• peanut butter and crackers
• popcorn (high in fiber)
• applesauce pouches
• specialty olives and tapas spreads with crackers
• crunchy wheat snacks
• tuna salad and chicken salad (Bumble Bee makes them in snack sizes, pre-made)
• MREs (Meal Ready to Eat--just Google to find availability at food storage companies or even on Amazon)

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What nutritional pantry-friendly snacks do you like to have on hand?  Or do you have great ideas for a 72-hour kit?  Comment below and let me know!  I'll add them to this list.  

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Crunchy Wheat Snacks

My kids like these crunchy wheat snacks.  They assumed they wouldn't because this snack is basically just wheat, but they came back for more.  And more.  And said things to me like, "I can't believe it's just wheat, but it's really good."  And "I can't stop eating this."

Whole wheat berries are a great thing to store (because they can store about 30 years!) and because they're packed with nutrition in their whole-grain state.  (I wrote about that here.)

These simple snacks can be made savory or sweet, and to me the savory ones resemble tiny corn nuts.  Give this a try with different seasonings and see what's your favorite.  My sons like the version with salt and ranch dressing mix, and my daughter and my husband like the plain salt ones.  I'm partial to the cinnamon-sugar ones.

The savory flavors would also make great a salad topping.  Like "think outside the box" croutons.

CRUNCHY WHEAT SNACKS

pictured here:  salt and ranch dressing mix
pictured below:  cinnamon-sugar

PREP TIME:  about 1 hour
COOK TIME:  4-5 minutes (repeated 3 times)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. wheat berries (Wheat berries are just wheat in whole grain form.  Find them in the bulk foods section of a health food store, or order online here or here or here.)
• 3 c. water
• 6 Tbsp. oil
• seasonings of your choice, such as salt, dry ranch dressing mix, garlic salt, seasoned salt, or cinnamon-sugar

DIRECTIONS
Place wheat berries and water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 45-50 minutes.  Drain off excess water.  In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add 1 c. cooked wheat berries to the hot oil.  Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the covered skillet every 30 seconds so the wheat will fry evenly.  Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil.  Sprinkle with your choice of seasonings.  Repeat twice more (using the remaining 2 cups of cooked wheat berries).  Store in an airtight container.

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Cherry Cordial Cookies

These cookies!  Ah!  I'm in love with this combination of chocolate and cherries.  I also love how simple they are to make while still being elegant enough to give away at Christmastime. 

Add in some pantry-friendly twists and you've got the perfect recipe.

When I think of cherry cordials, I think of a maraschino flavor.  This cherry flavor is different--the cherry here comes from cherry preserves and dried cherries.  So delicious!

See the dried cherries in the cookie itself?  That decadence in the middle is cherry preserves mixed with melted chocolate chips.   By the way, you'll have a little bit of it left over.  I suggest putting it over ice cream, but I'm not saying you can't just eat it with a spoon.

CHERRY CORDIAL COOKIES

PREP TIME:  15-20 minutes
COOK TIME:  10-12 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package (17.5 oz.) sugar cookie mix
• 3/4 c. chopped dried cherries (about 4 oz.)
• 1/2 c. butter flavor shortening (original recipe:  1/2 c. softened butter)
• equivalent of 1 powdered or freeze-dried egg, rehydrated (original recipe:  1 egg)
• 3/4 c. cherry preserves (about 8-9 oz.)
• 1  1/2 c. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Combine in a large mixer bowl the cookie mix, cherries, butter flavor shortening, and egg.  Beat until well-mixed.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  While baking, make the cherry chocolate centers by microwaving the preserves in a medium bowl for 1 minute, then stirring the chocolate chips in until melted.  Remove the cookies from the oven when ready, then make an indentation in the center of each warm cookie using the back of a tablespoon.  Fill the indentations with the chocolate-cherry mixture.  Cool completely.  Makes about 2 dozen.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Italian Quinoa

This Italian Quinoa is a great dish because it can be served hot or cold, vegetarian or with meat.  Best of all, it's pantry-friendly (shelf-stable), meaning the ingredients can be kept for months in your pantry, just waiting to be used.  I love pantry-friendly recipes like this because they are a great last-minute dish and they can be made even during an emergency.  The flavors in this one are fabulous.

ITALIAN QUINOA

PREP AND COOK TIME:  about 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. quinoa
• 1  3/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 Tbsp. parsley
• 1/2 c. freeze-dried spinach (available here and here)
• 1/2 c. freeze-dried sausage (optional; available here -- I use this all the time!  I love not having to cook sausage!)
• 1/4 c. dried onion (I prefer red onion by Litehouse, but regular dried minced onion is fine, too.)
• 1 can petite diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
• 3/4 c. black olives, quartered
• a little Italian salad dressing to drizzle, optional

DIRECTIONS

Place quinoa, water, and lemon juice in a medium pan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove briefly from heat to stir in   garlic salt, oregano, parsley, spinach, sausage (optional), and onion.  Place back on the heat, lower heat to low, and cover the pan with a lid.  Cook 15 minutes on low.  Remove from heat and place in a serving bowl.  Stir in tomatoes and olives.  Drizzle with Italian dressing, if desired.  Serve hot or cold.  

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Potato Parmesan Soup

I could eat potato soup about twelve different ways.  Actually, I think I do!   This recipe and the Pantry-Friendly Baked Potato Soup are only two of the many potato soups I love.

This potato soup has a great flavor, and I love what the parmesan brings to it.  With only 6 simple ingredients, it's really quick to put together, too.  You'll never guess where the main seasoning comes from in this soup.  You might even call it Potatoes & Gravy Soup!

POTATO PARMESAN SOUP

PREP AND COOK TIME:  about 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 c. instant potato flakes
• 1 c. powdered creamer
• 1 1-oz. package chicken gravy mix
• 2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. dried minced onion
• 8 cups boiling water

DIRECTIONS

Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large soup pot.  As the water comes to a boil, whisk in the gravy mix and the creamer.  Whisk in potato flakes, parsley, onion, and parmesan cheese.  Bring to a boil, then let sit 5 minutes to thicken.  Serve hot.   

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Cracked Wheat Bread (breadmaker or oven)

Most bread recipes are pretty close to pantry-friendly already, and this one was no different.  (Yay!) This recipe uses cracked wheat (remember the health benefits of wheat?), and I really love the convenience of using a breadmaker!  (If you don't have a breadmaker, I'll include directions for oven-baking, too.) 

If you've cracked your own wheat for the "cracked wheat" part of this recipe, you may have a handful of uncracked wheat berries scattered throughout.  If you like breads with seeds and nuts, you'll like the crunchy bits of large, partially-cracked wheat berries in your bread.  If you don't, I suggest making sure you take out any uncracked or large pieces of wheat berries from the 1/2 c. cracked wheat this recipe calls for. 

This is a yummy bread, and I found I liked the texture with the few partially-cracked wheat berries!

CRACKED WHEAT BREAD (BREADMAKER)

PREP TIME:  5-10 minutes
COOK TIME:  about 3 hours, or whatever time is listed for your particular breadmaker for a 1-lb loaf (Note: My breadmaker only has 1.5-lb. and 2-lb. settings, so I used the 1.5-lb. one and it was just fine.)

INGREDIENTS

• 11 oz. water
• 1  1/2 tsp. salt
• 1  1/2 Tbsp. butter flavor Crisco (original recipe:  1  1/2 Tbsp. butter)
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2  1/4 c. white flour or bread flour
• 1  1/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. cracked wheat
• 2  1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

DIRECTIONS

Place ingredients in a bread machine and use the 1-lb. loaf setting (or 1.5-lb. if needed).  Alternatively:  mix ingredients well, knead for 2 minutes, and place dough in a greased loaf pan.  Let rise 1 hour, then bake at 400* for 35 minutes.  

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Easy Chicken and Rice Bake

I love the simplicity of this recipe!  You mix everything together in an 8x8 pan and put it in the oven.  There's no cooking or chopping since all the ingredients are pantry-friendly so they're all ready to go.  I feel like it's the crock pot version (dump, dump, dump, cook) of pantry-friendly recipes!  

The flavor is subtle but delicious.  My kids are big kids now, but I think this would make an easy little-kid-friendly dish.  Give it a try and see what you think!

EASY CHICKEN AND RICE BAKE

PREP TIME:  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1  1/4 c. water
• 3/4 c. uncooked regular long-grain rice
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 Tbsp. freeze-dried green onions (I *love* these things!  I never buy fresh green onions any more.)
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1  1/2 c. freeze-dried chopped chicken (I love this stuff, too!  It's pantry-friendly, yes, but I *love* not having to cook and chop chicken for recipes!  It tastes just like fresh, cooked chicken, too.  If needed, you can substitute this for a 12.5-oz. can of chicken breast chunks, but the flavor isn't the same.)

DIRECTIONS

In an 8x8 baking dish, stir together the soup and water until well-combined.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Stir before serving.

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Quick Herbed Corn

I think canned corn is an easy pantry staple to have on hand any time, but I wanted to dress it up a bit so that it's more than, you know, just a can of corn.  I love how this turned out.  I combined a couple of recipes and made a couple of pantry-friendly changes to create:

QUICK HERBED CORN

PREP TIME:  5 minutes
COOK TIME:  3 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 Tbsp. butter powder (I like this brand; also available here and here.  If you prefer using butter flavor Crisco as your pantry-friendly butter substitute, omit the water and oil from this recipe.)
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. dill
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together the butter powder, water, oil, parsley, and dill.  When well-combined, stir in the drained corn.  Microwave 3 minutes or until hot.  Stir in parmesan and serve.

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