Need More Mistletoe Time? Try These Food Storage Holiday Recipes

Hurrah, the holidays are here! Apart from decorating the house, shopping, wrapping, school concerts, cards to send off and caroling to do, dinner still needs to be made. Whether it is just a busy night in the middle of the week or for a holiday meal, food storage can make life a bit easier. Besides, who wouldn’t like a little more time hanging out under the mistletoe?

Most families have traditional dishes unique to their family culture. Look for ways to incorporate your food storage into the recipe. Many of these meals can be time consuming and food storage items can cut down on preperation time. This particular Christmas, I’ve got a lot going on and so I am extra-motivated to find ways to cut down on holiday stress.

Why not try out this recipe for twice-baked mashed potatoes made from shelf-stable food storage ingredients? The taste is more or less the same and can be accomplished in less than half the time. It can take the better part of an hour to bake potatoes, scoop out the insides, and do everything else to them. Instant mashed potatoes, on the other hand, can be all done in minutes.

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

8 servings of mashed potatoes*

Small container of sour cream

1 bunch green onion, chopped

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Granulated Garlic to taste

Bacon bits

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 c cheese and place in 9×9 in. casserole dish. Top with additional bacon bits and extra cheese.
Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.

TIP: Don’t forget sweet potatoes! They can often be substituted in recipes for regular potatoes and Thrive Life has freeze dried sweet potatoes as a seasonal-only product! If this sounds interesting to you, better get them while you can!

Crispy Potato Cakes

Dehydrated Dutch Apple Pie

And now it’s time for dessert. A proper holiday feast must include at least three different kinds of pie; apple pie is always a safe bet. If you happen to be scrambling at the last minute and have no time to peel and core apples or run to the grocery store, I have another alternative for you.

Have you ever had those dehydrated apple chips? My kids like to eat them plain for a snack, but did you know they are excellent for baking, as well? The Little House books make several references to “dried apple pies.”

Fun Fact: Dehydrating apples is one of the best ways to store them; this was true even back in the day before modern technology gave us oxygen absorbers and #10 cans. Here’s a recipe you can try:

Ingredients

Pie crust – either from the recipe of your choice, or pre-made.This is a one-crust pie recipe, so plan accordingly

Filling:

2 cups dried apples, firmly packed. These freeze-dried Granny Smith apple slices would work well.

2 cups boiling water -or- 2 c apple juice/ cider

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. Flour

½ tsp. Cinnamon

Pour water over the apples and let stand until reconstituted, 5-15 minutes. Transfer apples and liquid to a saucepan and cook over medium heat; add remaining ingredients and continue cooking until thick. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Pour mixture into pie shell and dot with 1 tbsp. butter

TIP: If you don’t have dried apples, try the only apple pie filling you will ever need!

Topping (this is in lieu of a second pie crust on top):

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup butter

Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the apple mixture and place in 350ºF oven for 55 minutes. The filling should be bubbly.

Of course, this is assuming you have the time and energy necessary to make a whole pie. If you don’t, you can easily show up to your family party with a tray of brownies, because all good things come in super-easy mixes, these days. Even light and fluffy rolls.

TIP: If you really love apples, you would love the Survival Mom’s yummy recommendations of 27 things you can do with apples.

Even more food-storage-friendly recipes in these 2 articles: Looking For Some GREAT Leftover Ham Recipes? and Leftover Turkey Recipes That Don’t Suck.

What traditional foods do you eat with your family during the holidays?

*If you’re really short on time and homemade mashed potatoes just aren’t going to happen, Thrive Life mashed potatoes are excellent and are a huge bargain.

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