Our Off the Shelf - 10x10

Food Storage System
Lois McAllister
Morton Ward – Peoria Stake

So you have a good start on the basics. Obediently you’ve been building up a year’s supply of wheat, beans, honey, water, milk, case lots of vegetables, fruit and soup etc. etc. Your updated 72 hour kits are at the ready. Then the unexpected happens!! Maybe warnings are heard… maybe you must leave your home….or maybe you can’t leave your home. Perhaps your crisis is a pandemic, job loss, truck strike, earth quake or
tornado. Possibly power is out… and your phones aren’t working. You’re tired and scared… as are your children. Even with cans of beans and wheat stored for emergency’s as this …the question weighing you down is, “What’s for dinner”?

Planning “Off the Shelf Meals”

Playing out those types of scenarios in my mind and concerned about our children living across the land. I was determined to up grade and make more sense of our food storage plan. In doing so I knew that I wanted to have part of our food storage include desirable, simple meals that could be made from ingredients purchased at a “normal” grocery store. So, I gathered numerous main dish recipes with ingredients that would not require refrigeration. I wanted my off the shelf recipes to be meals that would comfort as well as nourish my family.

The 10 x 10 Formula

About that time our daughter, Jenna, shared with us her neighbor’s 10x10 formula for storing food: 10 times the ingredients for 10 main meals equals 100 main meals… more than a three month supply of meals made with “normal” food. 10 meals, 10 times, I could do that!! I would combine the Off the Shelf idea with the 10x10 formula. So we selected ten recipes our family liked (well enough :) ), made a shopping list, and started gathering in. Thus evolved our families Off the Shelf 10x10 Food Storage System.

Storing 10 x 10 … On the Shelf

For our family it has worked to purchase “Gorilla” metal storage shelves, as found at SAMS. I attached labels to the shelves. (Taco Soup, White Chile, Mary’s Ham in a Can etc.) We dated and placed the ingredients for these meals above the appropriate shelf labels. Surprisingly, all 10 meals fit on one Gorilla shelf!

Replacing and Rotating Food Items

I purchased 10 plastic shoe boxes at the Dollar Tree. With a recipe taped inside each box lid we placed one meals worth of the ingredients, including spices, in each and placed the labeled box directly on top of the ingredients for each meal. At our home Thursday is “10x10 Night”. Once a week we eat one of our “10x10” meals. Then, before returning the box to the shelf we purchase and date the same ingredients… placing the
new ingredients on the shelf behind the older ones. An older set goes into the box. On a calendar beside the 10x10 shelves we write which meals we have eaten and when.
Your Off the Shelf 10x10 Meals

The following recipes are ones our family selected for our Off the Shelf “10x10” meals.  You are welcome to try these but your family will surely have their own preferences for your “10x10” . Remember to buy what you eat and to eat what you buy!!

If ye are prepared ye shall not fear… (D&C 38:30)

10x10 Recipes.doc
May 9, 2009 

OFF THE SHELF

“10 x 10”

Recipe Ideas

Chicken Recipes

Chicken Tacos
Chop Stick Chicken Casserole
Black Bean Soup
Five Can Tortilla Soup
White Chile

Ham Recipes
Ham and Potatoes
Mary’s Ham (not) in the Can

Sea Food Recipes
Crab Bisque
Tuna and (Pearl) Potato Casserole
Tuna Pasta
Pasta with Clam Sauce

Meatless Recipes
Taco Soup
Tomato Basil Pasta
Tortellini with Rosemary-Tomato Sauce
Jolene’s Old Fashioned Chili

P.S. Yes, there are 15 recipes. That is because we actually like some recipes more than others so have evolved to storing a 5x10 and a 10x5. The LeFevres store a 5x20… but we still refer to our storage system as our “10x10” ! Hope they help!

Chicken Recipes

Chicken Tacos
From Rachel M. (Geoff’s wife)

1 1/2 cans chicken (We use the 12.5 oz cans from Costco)
1 can corn with liquid
1 large can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning

Shred the chicken using a fork. Dump everything in a crock-pot or pot and cook on low for several hours. Serve over chips or in tortillas.

(For Cool Recipe add lettuce, sour cream and cheese)

Chop Stick Chicken Casserole
From Lois’ Off-the-Shelf-Cookbook
Serves: 4

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C water
2 8-oz cans chow mien noodles
1 can water chestnuts
cashews, chopped
2 pkgs chicken breasts
1/4 C onions, chopped
1 can mandarin orange segments

Combine soup and water. Add 1 C noodles, chicken, chestnuts, cashews and onion. Toss lightly. Place in greased 7x11" casserole. Sprinkle remaining noodles on top.  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes .

Five Can Tortilla Soup
From Mary W.
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 – 12.5 oz. canned chicken breast
1 can chicken broth (I have used bullion type cubes)

Put all ingredients into a pan and heat for about 15 minutes.  (Great with tortillas and sour cream and cheese… but fine w/out)

White Chili
From Julia A.  (our daughter)
Serves 6

4 chicken breasts cut into pieces (use 2 cans of chicken)
1 teaspoons oil
1 tsp. cumin
(4 stalks of celery)
1 onion chopped (one onion = _ cup dehydrated)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans green chilies (small cans)
2 cans Northern white beans
3 1/4 cups water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 bags tortilla chips
(10 2/3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese grated & 10 2/3 ounces sour cream)

In a large stew pot combine cumin, oil and celery. Add chicken soup, chilies, white beans, onion, water & bouillon cubes. Heat through. Serve in soup bowls, topping with tortilla chips (sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese).

Black Bean Soup
From Mary W.

3/4 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves minced garlic (or garlic powder)
1 tablespoon vegetable oils
3 cans 14 1/2 oz chicken broth
2 cans 15 oz black beans
1 16-ounce jar salsa
1 cup cooked chicken breasts pieces (12.5 oz can)
1 cup cooked long grain rice (or _ cup not cooked)
1 + tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin

In a large saucepan sauté (celery,) onion and garlic in oil until tender.   Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat through.  (Mary cooks this in a crock pot.)

Ham Recipes

Fried Ham and Potatoes
From Leah G.

1/2 pound (DAK) fully cooked ham (comes in 1 lb. cans at Wal-Mart)
2 15-ounce cans Diced Potatoes (drain)
Dice 1/2 lb. of ham in about _” in pieces, fry until golden brown.
Sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder.

Remove when comes to desired doneness.  Add about 3 TBS of vegetable oil to skillet, add drained potatoes. Let cook for about 10 minutes without stirring… then turn. Continue cooking until golden and
crisp. When almost done sprinkle with dehydrated minced onion, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Add friend ham back to pan and cook until ham is warmed and potatoes are done.

Serve with ketchup to dip in, green beans, rolls/biscuits and warm cinnamon applesauce.

Mary’s Ham (not) in the Can
From Kay and Harold L.

1 lb. canned ham
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
2 Tbsp. maple syrup

Puncture hole in the top of the can. Bake in can at 350o or on coals in fire pit.  Remove ham from heat source and carefully pour off juices. Leave ham in can. Mix together the barbecue sauce and syrup. Pour on top of can so liquid runs into the holes. Bake at 30 minutes per pound of ham. Good warm or cold .

(Sharrid preferred to remove the ham from the can & wrap in foil. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Open foil and pour sauce over. Semi close foil and bake an additional 30minutes.)

Sea Food Recipes

Crab Bisque
From Joan Pearson P.
Serves: 5

1 6-ounce can crab meat
1 10 3/4-ounce can tomato soup
1 10 3/4-ounce can green pea soup
1 10 3/4-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 can evaporated milk

Mix together. Add no water. Stir continually while warm over medium heat... stir while warming. 

Pasta with White Clam Sauce
Adapted by Sharrid L., from Betty Crocker Cookbook

10 oz spaghetti
2 (6 oz) cans minced clams
1-3/4 C milk
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 C flour
1+ Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1+ tsp dried)
1+ Tbsp fresh basil (or 1+ tsp dried)
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 C apple juice
1/4 C Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.  Drain canned clams, reserving the juice from one of the cans. Add enough of the milk to the reserved clam juice to equal 2 cups liquid. Set clams and clam juice mixture aside.

Saute onion and garlic in the hot butter until tender but not brown. Stir in flour, spices (if using dried), salt and pepper. Add clam juice mixture all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Stir in clams, fresh spices (if you’re using fresh spices) and apple juice.  Heat through. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.


Tuna and Pearl Potato Casserole
From Julia A. (our daughter)
(Adapted for OTS)

Quick and easy
Serves: 5

1 1/2 cups instant potato flakes or potato pearls
12 ounces of cans tuna
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 oz slices of cup Kraft block cheese

Mix together tuna and soup in 2 qt. casserole dish.   Make mashed potatoes. Use ice cream scoop to put balls of potatoes on top of tuna.  Put cheese slices on top. Bake to heat casserole and to melt cheese.

Tuna Pasta
From Jenna P. ( our daughter)

spaghetti noodles
tuna
onion (Jenna adds _ C. dehydrated with about 1 C. water first)
olive oil

Prepare noodles. Sauté onions in olive oil. Mix together tuna, onions and olive oil.  Combine noodles with tuna mixture. (May want to add a little garlic or garlic powder.)

Meatless Recipes

Jolene’s Old Fashioned Chili
Adapted by Sharrid L.
Serves 5

aboutt 2 Tbsp dried (or 1 large onion, chopped)
1 can tomato soup (or 2 cans if not using RoTel)
1 can RoTel (Jim prefers "mild")
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp oregano
garlic, salt and pepper, to taste

Taco Soup
From JoAnna M.
Serves: 5

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can white beans
1 can hominy
1 small can green chilies, chopped
1/4 cup dehydrated onion
1 packet of dry Ranch dressing mix
1/3 packet of dry taco seasoning
(Canned hamburger optional)
Any other of your favorite Mexican seasonings.
Tortilla chips and cheese if possible

Dump all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until ready to serve. Can be put in a crock pot all day as well. The longer it simmers, the more blended the flavors are!

The KEY: Put a handful of tortilla chips in a bowl; pour a generous serving of soup.   Top with cheese.

Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce
From Lois M.

1 10 3/4 – ounce can condensed broccoli cheese soup
1/4 cup dry milk powder (to make _ cup milk)
1 10 ounce can chopped tomatoes drained
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried basil crushed (or 1 Tb. fresh snipped)
6 ounces dry fettuccini pasta (3 cups hot)
pine nuts for garnish

In 2 quart saucepan, combine soup, milk, tomatoes, cheese and basil.  Over medium heat, heat to boiling point.  Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes stirring often.  Pour over cooked and drained fettuccine, spaghetti or fusilli; toss gently to coat.  Sprinkle with pine nuts. Garnish with more basil if desired.

Tortellini with Rosemary – Tomato Sauce
Sharrid L. adjusted from Betty Crocker Cookbook
Serves 6

2 9-oz pkgs refrigerated tortellini (10x10: pkg dried tortellini)
1 Tbsp oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato paste
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, snipped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 can mushrooms

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.   Heat oil in saucepan; saute onion and garlic. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, rosemary, oregano and mushrooms.

You may want to print recipe titles (like the ones below) on card stock to use as shelf labels on your food storage shelves and as labels for the plastic food boxes. We placed our Off the Shelf ingredients above each title, the plastic food box (with recipe and ingredients for one of each of the 10 meals) on top of the food.

White Chile Tacos
Ham and Potatoes Crab Bisque
Tuna and Pearl Potatoes Tuna Pasta
Tomato Basil Pasta Black Bean Soup
Mary’s Ham in a Can Jolene’s Chile
Five Can Tortilla Soup Taco Soup
Tortellini with Rosemary
Chopstick Chicken Casserole
Pasta with Clam Sauce