Imagine a universe without Taco Tuesdays. A world with no food delivery. Or a time when you can’t even go to the grocery store.
Sounds like a living hell? It doesn’t have to be.
That’s what your survival pantry is for. There are all sorts of stuff you can whip up from your food rations that won’t taste like a pile of dirt. Masterchef-level skills not needed.
If you’re looking for prepper food tips and recipes, here’s what you should know:
What Are the Best Kinds of Prepper Food?
Before we get started on those recipes, it wouldn’t be right to leave this out of the discussion. When it comes to stockpiling food for your prepper pantry, you need to think non-perishable and shelf-stable.
Here are some examples:
- Nuts
- Crackers
- Canned fruits, meats, vegetables, and soups
- Peanut butter
- Instant potato flakes
- Bouillon cubes or granules
- Flour (white or whole wheat)
- Nonfat dried milk
- Herbs and spices
- Kitchen essentials like baking soda, yeast, baking powder, vinegar
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Honey
- Whole grains like oats, quinoa, wheat, and rice
- Packaged meals like mac and cheese, ramen noodles, etc.
These are just our suggestions. Ultimately, it comes down to what you and your family actually like to eat. So if you can’t live without Cheetos or Cheez-Its, then no one’s stopping you from including them. Except for your doctor, maybe.
In case you need to know more, we discuss this topic further here.
Now, how do you cook these items when SHTF? Get yourself comfy and read on:
What Are Your Cooking Options Post-SHTF?
What good is there in stocking food if you don’t know how to cook them when SHTF? It’s just like buying microwave popcorn when you don’t own a microwave. That’s why you need to know the methods to cook your food in survival situations.
Here are some options:
Outdoor Grill
This is a pretty obvious choice. And if you’ve got a newer grill, it would likely have features that make cooking easy-peasy. You could depend on it until you run out of charcoal or propane.
Swedish Fire Log Candle
This is a large upright log that has four or more downward cuts running nearly throughout its entire length. You cook your food on top of the log.
Rocket Stove
As you can tell from the video above, a rocket stove isn’t just easy to make; it’s also effective. If you’re not too keen about building your own rocket stove, you can always stash a portable wood-burning stove like one of these. Lightweight and efficient, these bad boys are insanely useful when bugging out or even when you’re just out camping.
Hobo Stove
This is the rocket stove’s younger cousin. A hobo stove is typically made from a paint or coffee can.
Dutch Oven
A dutch oven is simple yet classic. It’s truly a must-have for any prepper. Since they’re built like tanks and are designed to keep heat well, you can use a dutch oven for basically anything: soups, stews, fried chicken, and yes, even your mom’s favorite peach cobbler.To use it, just make a fire and use either rocks or a stick to hold the oven.
Wood Burning Stove
This stove makes a great heat source. An added bonus? You don’t have to cook outside in colder weather when you have one in your home.
You’ve stocked your pantry with emergency essentials and know what methods of cooking to use. Now, what can you do with all that? Keep reading for recipe ideas:
Prepper Recipes to Try at Home
Fresh is always best, but you gotta make do with what’s in your survival pantry when SHTF. While it will take time to get used to cooking with canned ingredients, a little practice, creativity, and experimentation can go a long way.
We’ve scoured the internet to find prepper recipes and more recipes you can make with your food rations. You can follow these ideas or make adjustments as you see fit.
Take a look at the following SHTF food suggestions:
Basic Beef Stew
Nothing beats a classic beef stew. You just need to open a can, heat it, and you’re good to go. To elevate the quality of the dish, some tomatoes and herbs from your supply or survival garden will do quite the trick.
Try this recipe for size if you want your belly feeling full and warm.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 can of beef stew
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (or fresh ones from your garden!)
Directions:
Empty both cans into a pan. Heat it for around 5 minutes or until it boils.
Cornmeal Mush
Has your stomach been growling so loud that it may just wake your neighbors up? Make cornmeal mush to shush it. This is a great breakfast meal that can keep you and your family full until lunch.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 quart of water
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp cornmeal
Directions:
Boil water until it is hot. Add in the salt then pour the cornmeal slowly. Keep stirring until there aren’t any lumps visible. It should be boiled for about 30 minutes.
Pizza
Just because SHTF doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good slice of pizza…or five, we won’t judge. There’s no need to settle for yet another plate of beans and rice when you can make this with ingredients found right in your survival pantry.
Here’s a prepper food recipe that’s easy as (pizza) pie:
For the Crust
What You’ll Need:
- 2 cups of flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup of water
- Olive oil
Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients with a fork and put a “well” in the middle. Once that’s done, add some olive oil (just eyeball it). Then, add half a cup of water. Now, mix.
Knead the dough into a ball. After that, let it rest for around 20 minutes. Then, cut the dough you’ll work with.
For the Sauce
What You’ll Need:
- Your favorite pizza sauce
Just add your favorite pizza sauce to the dough. If you don’t have pizza sauce, then don’t worry. That’s what the canned tomatoes in your pantry are for.
For the Toppings
What You’ll Need:
- Canned mushrooms
- Canned meat
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Anything you have on hand
Directions:
Don’t have all the toppings listed above? Not a problem. It’s your pizza, your rules.
You can add any toppings you want—whether these include canned tuna, pineapples, or anything else you can dig out from your pantry. Creativity is the name of the game here.
After you’re done, you can now start cooking your pizza. Just put it in an oven, wood-burning stove, or whatever you’ve got to help you cook. The cooking time will depend on what cooking method you used.
Tortillas
Hankering for Mexican food? Tortillas are a staple in lots of these dishes, and they’re so easy to make that you could probably do it with your eyes closed (but don’t).
Plus, they go well with all kinds of canned proteins in your pantry. You definitely won’t get bored experimenting with possible combinations.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup of instant corn masa flour
- 1 cup of water
Directions:
Add the flour to a bowl, then create a “well” in the center. Then, add the water gradually. Keep mixing the dough and adding water until it gets soft.
Divide the dough into four equal parts and roll them out one by one. Once you’re done, start frying them individually.
Chicken and Dumplings
Making dumplings isn’t rocket science. You don’t have to let them rise. Plus, you can make this particular prepper food recipe in just one pot.
For the Chicken Broth
What You’ll Need:
- Canned or dried chicken
- Canned or dried veggies
- Spices
- Thickener like cornstarch
Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a pot and wait until everything is tender.
For the Dumplings
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup of flour
- 2 tbsp fat (or butter, if available)
- A pinch of salt
- Water, broth, or a recombined milk product
Directions:
Mix the ingredients together to create a soft dough. Add the dumplings to the chicken broth and let them simmer until they’re cooked. And—boom, you’ve got a whole festival of awesome flavors.
Cream of “Anything You Have” Soup
You don’t need to have a culinary school background to know how to make creamed soups. In fact, they’re quite simple to make with dried and canned food. So simple that your grandma can do it—maybe even better than this recipe.
What You’ll Need:
- 4 cups of nonfat instant milk
- 4 tbsp dry onion
- 8 tbsp cornstarch
- 8 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 3 tsp dried basil
- 3 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups of water
Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients together. After it’s mixed, add water. Cook in medium heat until it thickens. Then, add whatever vegetables you want.
Spaghetti
You’ll never go wrong with a plate of spaghetti! It’s cheap, easy to prep, and filling. What’s not to love?
What You’ll Need:
- 4 cups of water
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 1 pint bottled ground beef or sausage (drained)
- 1 tsp salt
- Pasta sauce
Directions:
Add the drained meat to the pasta sauce. Heat spaghetti and salted water in different covered pots. Then, add the spaghetti to the hot water and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
Mix the noodles and the sauce, and you’re good to go!
Mac and Cheese
Whoever said mac and cheese was just for kids was lying. It’s not just for college kids on a budget, either. This comfort food also works great for SHTF situations, especially if you need to beef up with some carbs. It might be a little basic, but it’s bomb-dot-com tasty, buddy.
What You’ll Need:
- Macaroni pasta
- Mac and cheese sauce
- Water
Directions:
Boil some water and add the pasta. Let it cook for around 5 minutes. After that, drain the water and add the sauce to the pasta. Mix it, and voila, you’re done.
Spam
What’s an SHTF food that’s versatile, delicious, and easily available? Spam.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make 5 different dishes with just 1 can of spam and other ingredients you can find around the house. It features the following recipes:
- Spam and egg sandwich
- Spam musubi
- Spam fried rice
- Spam and egg instant noodles
- Budae jjigae
Tuna
Tired of bland, I-can’t-believe-I’m-actually-going-to-eat-this-again SHTF food? We’ve been there. That’s why we suggest making canned tuna a staple in your prepper pantry. As you can gather from the video, you can use it to make quick and (mostly) healthy snacks like tuna oatmeal patties, tuna sandwiches, and more.
Baked Rice and Beans
Baked rice and beans are definitely filling and budget-friendly. Plus, its protein content gives you the strength you need to fight off zombies and other bad guys. But if you’re getting a little sick of the usual rice and beans variation, you’d want to give the recipe in this video a try. It’s simple, comforting, and delicious.
Bonus: Quarantine Munchies
It’s a strange world right now. Thanks to Rona, a lot of people are sheltering in place. You’re probably one of them. If you’re running out of meal ideas while on lockdown, this video offers different recipes you can follow, like:
- Chicken noodle wonton soup
- Teriyaki chicken ramen
- Chicken tacos
Sound fancy? Not really. You can just use the things in your pantry. And you don’t have to be a Michelin star chef to pull them off, either.
We hope you enjoy the prepper recipes we’ve listed down. But if you need further tips and recipes, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in:
What if You’re on a Budget?
Think stocking a prepper pantry will set you back a fortune? Not necessarily. If you watched the video we shared above, you’d know that it’s possible to create a whole week’s worth of meals for a family for just $30.
All it takes is discipline, creativity, some inspiration, and the right attitude.
Want More Prepper Recipes?
If you want to know even more prepper recipes, check out The Prepper’s Cookbook by Tess Pennington. It comes with 300 recipes and cooking tips that can help you make the most out of your prepper food rations.
With that many recipes, you’ll surely find something that can take your whole family to Flavortown.
Final Thoughts
The heart wants what the heart wants. And the heart wants comforting and filling food. So, don’t let natural disasters, pandemics, alien invasions, or the zombie apocalypse get in the way between you and your heart’s desire.
When you’ve got a well-stocked prepper pantry and some creativity up your sleeves, you don’t have to live on hardtack and emergency bars alone. That’s why you must be prepared and gradually build your stash of prepper food.
Have any prepper recipes you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments!
