Homemade pancake mix recipe (Bulk OAMC)

2009, breakfast, oamc, recipes, tips | August 2, 2012 | By

Large fruit punch jug reused to hold pantry goods like homemade pancake mix

I don’t buy fruit punch in the first place, but somehow we ended up with these huge jugs (from a party?) that were too good to throw out. One of them was converted into a jug of homemade pancake mix.

I’m not a fan of spending the money on the mixes in the first place, but I can’t argue with the convenience of having a box already premixed and just needing an egg or some water. We could spend the same money on all the ingredients for several boxes worth instead, though, so why not?

Homemade pancake mix stored in large jug with instructions recipe
(The sister’s handwriting circa 2009)

The mix:

    • 8 C. flour
    • 6 T. + 2 t. baking powder
    • 4 t. salt
    • 2/3 C. sugar
    • 1 1/3 C. dry non-instant milk powder or 2 2/3 C. instant milk powder
    • (If you have powdered eggs, you can add 1/2 of the dry product here and you won’t have to add an egg later)

How to use:

    • 1 1/2 cup mix
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 egg
    • 2 T oil

Cook your pancakes as you normally would. :) Add a bit more water or a bit more powder if it’s too thick or thin, respectively.

Tip: Make sure you write the recipe for use on the back so you don’t have to look up how much to use every time.

Tip: Add this to your “once a month cooking” list and you’ll always have a steady supply of the mix, too.

3 cheese stuffed shells – Do you really want to cook 7 nights a week?

2009, oamc, pasta, recipes | May 22, 2012 | By

Photobucket

 
This is another guess-y recipe, but another one that I used to make a lot circa 2009. It was sooo easy to just put all the cheeses together, pipe it into dozens of partially cooked jumbo shells.
 
(Side note – When I was looking to see if I had posted about these yet, I realized I have more posts marked as “jumbo” than I would’ve expected. Aiming for “larger than life” much?)
 
I looked up a recipe for you so I’d have the right proportions listed, but really, I just used whatever I had. No mozzarella? Let’s go with cheddar. No cottage cheese? Cream cheese it is then… At one point, I kept catching plain yogurt on sale and even that would get added for the creaminess. It’s a catch-all recipe that works with whatever you have.
 Photobucket 
You can use the pre-grated parmesan shaker cheese if you want, but we prefer buying the block. If you’re going to use a shredder like this instead of a microplane, though, then watch out for shredding your palm, too. Not that I’d ever do anything like that… 

Photobucket

Photobucket

 
Am I the only one that finds these pictures appetizing? More than likely….but I also know what it tastes like in this form and it is delicious. Cheese, cheese, and more cheese, mmm. 
Photobucket
 

Photobucket
 
Do not skip the step of writing the instructions on the bag. Sure, you probably assume you’ll remember the temperature when you’re ready, but chances are, you won’t. But hey, if you do, this is pretty forgiving considering the shells are already partially cooked and the filling only needs to be cooked enough to heat the egg and melt the cheese.
 
3 cheese stuffed jumbo shells
  • 1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
  • 4 cups large curd cottage cheese
  • 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 pinch garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Cook shells according to package MINUS about 2 minutes cooking time. Toss in cold water to stop the cooking.

Mix filling and put into a gallon sized ziploc bag. Cut the tip and pipe filling into shells. I tend to double the filling recipe and then split it between 3 boxes instead of just two. Perfect for once-a-month-cooking plans again.

Place on a pan or two and then place in the freezer for an hour…or until you remember to pull them out.

When shells are a little more solid, place them all into a ziploc bag and freeze until you need them. When you’re ready to reheat, place in a casserole pan, cover with your favorite pasta sauce, and cook for roughly 30 minutes.

Or…. toss them in the microwave for a couple minutes, pour some sauce on, and call it a day. Either way works. :P

Chili for a crowd – 21 quarts for under 10 bucks

21 quarts of chili for huge party
 
2 bags (32 oz. each) pinto beans -                                                         $3.50 (Aldi)
3 pounds ground meat (beef, pork, turkey…whatever you feel like) -    $3-6 (Catch it on sale)
Several cans tomato products (sauce, paste, diced, stewed, fresh) -    $3?
Spices, weee! – Do you really need a price check on this?
Total — $10-$15
 
This is another reason I don’t do these sorts of posts. I have no idea what was put in that particular pot of chili. Those were complete guesses and vary a lot based on how it’s made each time.
 
What I do know, though, is that whether you prefer mostly meat and no beans….soupy or thick….tomatoes or no tomatoes…chunked meat instead of ground…. spicy or mild…
 
No matter what, 21 quarts of chili is a lot of chili. O.o
 
Based on a cup serving, that’s 84 servings…
 
Which means a large roaster pan of chili like this (or soup, meal, whatever) will not only feed you tonight and tomorrow….but once frozen, you’ll have meals for months for those lazy nights where you don’t feel like cooking. Add it into your OAMC rotation and you’ll be set for a while.
 
And for potlucks, fundraisers, etc, it’s a great way to push out a lot of food for a small amount of money. Turn it into chili dogs for something more substantial or serve with corn chips, crackers, or bread. It can easily be turned into a chili casserole, too, to stretch it even farther and get more bang for your buck.
4 gallons of pinto beans cooked in a crockpot roasterAdding meat to huge slow cooker of tomatoes and beans 

How to cook chili con carne recipe for mass partyChili with cheese for chili dogs at barbecue party