[charito]

Unless you're planning to donate all your stockpile to the Food bank, we have to use them before they expire (and replenish the ones we use), so as to always maintain a fresh inventory. It's also good to know creative ways to use them up (relying only on what we have on hand), like as if we're living the dreaded SHTF scenario.
I know that there's a thread somewhere here that has tons of recipes that use up your stockpile, but I can't find it.

I want to use up some of my Busch's beans which are going to expire on 2018, so I'll be sharing some of the recipes I find online.

Bush's Savoury Sausage and Beans Supper

1 can (28 oz) BUSH'S® Original Baked Beans
1 package (1 lb, 3 oz) Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage Links
½ cup water
1 cup onions, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) tomatoes, diced, peeled and drained
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
Optional:
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Spray medium skillet with cooking spray. Add sausage. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes, turning links often.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Carefully add water to skillet. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Remove sausages and slice into coins.
Add onions to skillet and cook until translucent for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, thyme, BUSH'S® Original Baked Beans and sausage.
Bring mixture to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Serve warm.

Savory Sausage and Bean Supper Recipe | BUSH?S® Beans

Variations: saute with garlic, adding diced potatoes, green peppers, or mushrooms; Serve with bread, or over steamed rice.

Depending how thick it is, it can also be good with tortilla wrap (ala-burito), spiced with Mexican spices like burito, tacos or chili.

Using tomato salsa in lieu, or as an addition to diced tomatoes. Can use hot dogs, Viena sausages, or spam (preferably diced and browned before being added to the soup).

To turn into soup, add broth and/or tomato juice (and other canned vegetables you want to use up).

Please share your recipes. It doesn't have to be beans.

 

[sideKahr]

Thanks for the recipe; I'll give it a try, I love beans.

Just because canned food has an expiration date does not mean it's dangerous or unhealthy to eat it past that magic time. Especially with vegetable based products, which can last a lot longer than meat-containing items.

Acidic foods, such as tomato based sauces, can last for years beyond their recommended shelf life. I stored a lot of spaghetti and sauce in glass jars for the Y2K event. I ate the last of it in 2006. It was fine.

 

[charito]

Thanks for the recipe; I'll give it a try, I love beans.

Just because canned food has an expiration date does not mean it's dangerous or unhealthy to eat it past that magic time. Especially with vegetable based products, which can last a lot longer than meat-containing items.

Acidic foods, such as tomato based sauces, can last for years beyond their recommended shelf life. I stored a lot of spaghetti and sauce in glass jars for the Y2K event. I ate the last of it in 2006. It was fine.

Yes, I agree with you. But it's nice to rotate them so you'll always have most, if not all, "fresh" inventory on hand.

Mind you, I opened a perfect can of red kidney beans (no dent and no rust) two days ago that was dated April 2016......it looked fine except that it had bubbles coming up. I opened another can that's not expired (it had no bubbles at all).....so I didn't take the chance on the old one and chucked it. I don't know if that's normal for older canned beans?

 

[charito]

Spicy Mandarin Chicken and Beans

1 can (28 oz) BUSH'S® Bold & Spicy Baked Beans
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

Directions

Sprinkle Chinese 5-spice evenly over both sides of chicken breasts. In skillet, brown chicken on both sides in hot oil; drain.
Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Spicy Mandarin Chicken and Beans Recipe | BUSH?S® Beans

 

[sideKahr]

I use the look and smell test. If the can is not bulging and the lining is in good shape, especially if the lid has no rust, and the food is not oxidized or browning, and it smells okay, it's good to go. Of course I've thrown away questionable items, too. It's just common sense.

Yeah, baby, Chinese food is one of my favorites. I make a mean Gen Tso's. I don't have the recipe stored on this device. Sorry.

 

[charito]

This forum has several nice recipes for canned pork n beans.

2 or 3 lb. hamburger
3 c. finely chopped onions, less if desired
1 c. chopped celery
2 beef bouillon cubes
2/3 c. boiling water
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. catsup or chili sauce
3 tbsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt, if necessary
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 (29 oz.) cans pork and beans or 2 qt. canned navy beans

Fry hamburger, onion, and celery until meat is brown and onions
and celery are tender. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water.
Combine all ingredients. Put in a casserole. Cover. Bake 1
hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or less if done. May be
uncovered the last 1/2 hour. If it gets too dry, add more water.

RIVERBANK BARBECUE BAKED BEANS

~ 2 cans (16 ounces each) pork and beans
1 can (16 ounces) Boston baked beans
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 large onion, diced
1/4 pound brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
4 shakes of salt
2 shakes of hot sauce
_
Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and cook
over low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally,
until all of the seasonings are well blended._ (The mixture
gains flavor as it cooks.)

Any ideas for canned pork n beans other than the obvious? - FamilyCorner.com Forums

 

[sideKahr]

Stuff peppers with beans?

 

[Chipper]

One should be stocking that they normally eat and use. Rotating stock there should be no old food.

 

[charito]

One should be stocking that they normally eat and use. Rotating stock there should be no old food.

We really don't use a lot of canned foods on a regular basis except for tomatoes and Garden Select pasta sauce, cream of corn, or soup (every now and then)......but I don't want us to be limited to only a few types of food. Also, having ready-to-eat food is a must for prepping. I'm now trying to remedy that by using some of the stockpile. Maybe having a "stockpile day" once a week. A lot of them eventually go to the food bank.

 

[charito]

Quick sausage casserole with tomato and chickpeas

Quick sausage casserole with tomato and chickpeas - delicious. magazine

 

[charito]

I found that thread:

http://www.prepperforums.net/forum/general-prepper-survival-talk/33273-fast-easy-dinner-preps.html

 

[charito]

Mung Beans is popular in the Asian community. I'm cooking some right now, to use up what I found sitting at the back of the pantry (old, half a bag with no due date). I know I hadn't had mung beans in at least 2 years, so this opened bag must really be old. I followed a soup recipe way back, and it was really good.

The cooking instructions in some of those packages are exaggerated. This one (from Australia) says to soak them overnight, and cook for 2-3 hours. I didn't soak mine, and I bet they'll be done in 30 minutes, or even less.
Just checked them out, they're already soft to be edible and they've been simmering only for 15 minutes or less! Imagine how much less time it would've been had I soaked them overnight!

It can be eaten as soup, or poured on steamed jasmine rice (that's how I was introduced to it, and that was a heavy stick-to-your-ribs meal).

MUNG BEAN SOUP

1. Boil 1 cup mung beans (I'm using the green kind) in 3 cups water, using a larger pot. Add a little salt and simmer until soft (it will take about 20-30 minutes). Set aside.

2. In another sauce pan, saute' lots of garlic and onions with oil. Add any meat you want (I'm using chicken thigh boneless meat, cut into pieces). I would've used shrimps, but I'm out of it. Add one can of diced tomatoes, and salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until bubbling. Remove from heat.

3. Now we go back to the mung beans. Pulse the beans in a food processor, or process it with a stick wand (like the one used by cooks) to puree the beans. If you don't puree the beans, the skin of the beans will affect the texture of the soup. You can still eat it, but I find it really good without that skin. Try it and see how you like it with the skin.

4. When the beans is pureed enough to your liking, add the sauteed tomatoes into it. Stir. If it's too thick, add broth, or tomato juice, or water. Adjust the consistency to your liking.
Heat it again on low, and let it simmer for a few minutes, adjust the seasonings to your liking.

I'm adding chopped fresh spinach, and was going to add parsley (which I just found out I don't have!). Anyway, it's done, and ready to serve.

 

[charito]

Since mung beans is the beans I'm going to stock a lot of (need less time cooking and the protein content isn't that different from the other kinds of beans), I'll find various ways to use them. Years ago, a co-worker brought this dish and it was sooooo good.
I tried cooking this before, but it was an epic fail!
Now when I saw this video, I knew where I'd gone wrong. I'll do this again one of these days.

Toasted Mung Beans in Coconut Milk (with sticky rice)

It can be eaten without the coconut milk (can substitute powdered milk). It's that toasty taste to it that makes it good.

I wonder if it will be good with oats instead of sticky rice? Just boil the cracked toasted beans until they're soft before adding the oats? I'll have to try that one out.

 

[sideKahr]

Mung beans, huh? That's a new one on me. I'll look it up.

 

[Annie]

I've found that getting the rice cooked well is key to a lot of great prepper meals. I learned rice turns out really well if you saute it first in a little oil, then add spices (some I like are chili pwdr, onion pwdr, garlic pwdr, and salt but you can mix it up with others for the sake of variety). Then add the water. Cover, bring to a boil, keep the pot covered and turn the heat down as low as you can get it while it finishes cooking. Comes out really well this way. Thanks katzcradul!

 

[paraquack]

My wife is pretty touchy about eating "expired" foods. No amount of explaining seems to work. So, all our canned foods are rotated thru our regular pantry to use them before they "expire". I remember in service around 1968 eating my first C-ration. It was dated 1954. I guess it doesn't bother me because my mother canned everything we grew on the farm and later in her huge garden in town. My dry foods are all put in aluminized Mylar bags. I consider myself lucky in that I have the equipment to do a Nitrogen purge (like commercial food processors) on the bags before putting the Oxygen absorbers in the bags. One thing I found was Mylar bags with ziplock seals. Helps to keep the Nitrogen in the bag, and keeps the Oxygen out until I heat seal the bag. And of course, once I open the bag, it keeps critters and dirt out of the bag.

 

[charito]

My wife is pretty touchy about eating "expired" foods. No amount of explaining seems to work. So, all our canned foods are rotated thru our regular pantry to use them before they "expire". I remember in service around 1968 eating my first C-ration. It was dated 1954. I guess it doesn't bother me because my mother canned everything we grew on the farm and later in her huge garden in town. My dry foods are all put in aluminized Mylar bags. I consider myself lucky in that I have the equipment to do a Nitrogen purge (like commercial food processors) on the bags before putting the Oxygen absorbers in the bags. One thing I found was Mylar bags with ziplock seals. Helps to keep the Nitrogen in the bag, and keeps the Oxygen out until I heat seal the bag. And of course, once I open the bag, it keeps critters and dirt out of the bag.

I hear your wife loud and clear.
I opened a can of expired red kidney beans to use for chili (not long-expired either) - it's full of bubbles. Bubbles are a red flag - but mind you, beans are full of gas! So I opened a new one to compare - no bubbles at all.
Food poisoning would be one of the killlers in SHTF.

Anyway, rotating the canned stuff will ensure the quality of your food.

 

[charito]

SKILLET RICE #1

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice (this is like converted rice, but a whole lot cheaper than buying Uncle Ben's)
Spam - cut into cubes (browned, and set aside)
Cream of chicken (or soup powder or bouillion)
Water (depends on how much rice you're using)
Carrots
Corn
Garlic powder, black pepper, salt to taste
a little bit of sugar (substitute for msg)
A little bit of cooking oil (use the oil that you used for browning the Spam)

1. Lightly toast the rice on the oil. Add the water, scraping off bits from skillet. Bring to boil.
2. Add the cream of chicken (or your powder), and the garlic powder, black pepper, and sugar. Bring to simmer. Cover.
3. When rice is half-done, add the spam and the vegetables. Bring to simmer, and cover until rice is done.

If you want your dish with some sauce in it, add more liquid like milk (powdered milk). If you want it dry, remove the cover in the last few minutes of cooking, stirring every now and then.

You can substitute Tomato-based ingredients like pasta sauce with the cream of chicken, and use stock or water, as added liquid.

 

[charito]

SKILLET RICE #2

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice
Corned beef (broken apart in chunks)
green beans (drained. save the juice)
Chick peas, or any cooked beans (optional)
Soup powder, or bouillion
tomatoes or tomato-based items like tomato juice (optional)
Water
Garlic powder, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and a little bit of sugar

1. Lightly toast rice in a little oil. Add the chickpeas, and a little salt. Stir around.
2. Add water, green bean juice, tomatoes and soup powder. Bring to boil, then lower to simmer for about 10 minutes, covered.
3. Add the corned beef, stirring. Cover again and let simmer till rice is done.
4. Add the green beans, stir and cook until heated through.

 

[charito]

Use Kraft Dinner to make copycat Hamburger Helper. Save those cheese packets (write expiration date), if you're not going to use them.

CHEESE-BURGER "Hamburger Helper"

Brown, and drain excess fat off medium ground beef. Saute chopped onions, garlic and any color peppers into it.
Add some diced tomatoes (including some of its juice), and some stock or soup powder and water. Season with Italian seasoning, or any spice you want. Add salt. Bring to boil. Simmer long enough to get the flavor of the beef to come out.

Add the Kraft Dinner macaroni. Add some milk (optional). Adjust seasonings to your liking.
Bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover. Kraft Dinner macaroni doesn't take too long to get cooked - check for doneness.
When it's done, remove from heat. Add the cheese powder.

I tend to add either Chiz Whiz or some Kraft cheese slices to it, to give it an extra cheese flavor.

This dish is versatile, depending on the ingredients and spices you use. You can make it saucy by adding more
liquid (and thickening it with corn starch). You can even turn it into a comfort-food soup dish.