Homemade convenience foods? Tuna Helper, Mac & Cheese, etc.

[Bettacreek]

I'm wondering if anyone else has recipes to make DRY convenience meals. I am not huge on "box meals", but if they were homemade, they'd probably be a bigger hit here, plus with how easy it is to just dump a box/bag into a pan and add a few things and be done with it. So, does anyone have a powdered cheese recipe, or recipes for powdered flavoring or whatever for some of the Tuna Helper foods or anything similar? Thanks guys.

 

[Patch of Heaven Farm]

Oh that sounds like a great idea!! I would love some recipes too!!

 

[Bettacreek]

The mac & cheese recipe should be easy, I know I've seen powdered cheese before, but can't seem to find it now (Sam's has disappointed me). The tuna helper recipes, well, I'm going to look for a recipe and see if I can tweak it to use non-dairy creamer. If I find anything, I'll post, but, if anyone else has anything (or even other ideas for "box meals") please share them!

 

[keljonma]

I have never used powdered "cheese". That product, ime, is mostly sodium and articifial ingredients and coloring. So I don't have any recipes for mixes that use it.

I think I would probably make the Almost Hamburger Helper recipe I posted here earlier....Except I would use veggie or fish bouillon powder for tuna and label the mix Almost Tuna Helper.

Then I would add real cheese while cooking/preparing the meal.

 

[keljonma]

The mac & cheese recipe should be easy, I know I've seen powdered cheese before, but can't seem to find it now (Sam's has disappointed me). The tuna helper recipes, well, I'm going to look for a recipe and see if I can tweak it to use non-dairy creamer. If I find anything, I'll post, but, if anyone else has anything (or even other ideas for "box meals") please share them!

Non-dairy creamer may make the meal awfully sweet.

 

[Bettacreek]

You're probably right. I had the non-dairy creamer idea stuck in my head from some suggestions made for non-dairy ideas for the canned chowder. The chowder recipe can probably be tweaked to use non-dairy creamer and soy milk or something similar. But, the "box meals" can actually use powdered milk (I forgot that there's a such thing as powdered milk and buttermilk, lol). It will probably take some experimenting, but hopefully I can get something down that will work and actually taste pretty good.

 

[Patch of Heaven Farm]

The only thing I have found online is for pancake mix. Nothing for a box meal. I think I will freeze left overs and maybe make a pan or two of lassanga (sp) and freeze it for a quick meal or can some soup this summer with some fresh garden veggies! Let me know if you come up with anything....I really do like the idea of dry box meals.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Check this thread out!

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=62&p=2