Pantry Au Gratin Potatoes with Ham Recipe Noreens Kitchen Basics

Greetings! Today I would like to introduce a series that I have been thinking about for a long time. Preppers Pantry pantry meals will help all of us use our food storage to its greatest advantage. To give you some background for about 2 years I have been putting back a supply of food and other items to be used in the event of an emergency whether it be personal natural or economic. With the way the world is today you just never know what could happen tomorrow. Additionally it is a good idea for all of us to prepare in some way should an emergency strike. I started small adding a few extra cans or boxes of shelf stable food to my regular pantry. I always store what my family will eat because if we are thrust into a situation where we have to eat beans and rice and I have never cooked beans and rice no one is going to be happy. When you are placed in a stressful situation it is best to have things to eat that are familiar and comforting. My few cans extra every grocery trip turned into my husband and I converting a coat closet into an additional larder and then blossomed into him creating a can rotator cabinet recently we built a loft system for bucket packed items and are now considering more cabinets in our kitchen to maximize our storage potential. All of these things happened over time and with frugal means of implementation. Dont be overwhelmed and dont be scared. The time to be scared is when you encounter an emergency and realize that you dont have the right supplies it is then that you end up fighting someone in the grocery store for the last case of bottled water. All of that can be avoided with just a little thought and planning. In this series I will share some ideas and thoughts on how even those of us on limited incomes can prepare in some way. So for our first recipe I thought I would do something comforting and yummy! Augratin potatoes with ham. The ingredients all come from the pantry. I consider milk butter water and some other basic items pantry items even if they come from the fridge or freezer. In the event that you would not have access to fresh milk or butter or cheese there are ways you can store freeze dried versions of all those items but for now lets just get busy and cook a quick meal from our pantry here is what you will need to make this recipe: 2 boxes of Au Gratin potato mix or 1 family size twin pack 3 ½ cups hot water 1 cup milk ¼ cup butter cubed 1 pound cubed ham I used a canned ham Shredded cheddar cheese In a casserole place dehydrated potatoes and cheese powder. Add hot water milk and butter. Stir to combine. Add in cubed ham and stir. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with about a ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Allow cheese to melt and serve. This casserole should feed 6 people very heartily or 8 people in a pinch if you stretch this meal with a bread or biscuit. Served with a good portion of vegetable or salad you have a complete meal full of protein and love. I hope you enjoy this and I hope you try this. I also hope that you will consider a food storage for yourself and your loved ones. It is never a bad idea to be prepared. If you never have to use it you can have a party! But always remember: Store what you eat and eat what you store. That 50 pound bag of pinto beans will do you no good if your family hates them!,

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