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I’ve been trying to cut out canned cream soups this past year. Why? Well, first, because there are a whole lot of ingredients in that can…
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN STOCK, WATER, VEGETABLE OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHEAT FLOUR, CREAM (MILK), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, DEHYDRATED MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CHICKEN FAT, YEAST EXTRACT, FLAVORING, BETA CAROTENE FOR COLOR, CHICKEN FLAVOR, BUTTER (CREAM [MILK]). Info can be found HERE.
Secondly, because as gas prices have risen, so unfortunately, has the cost of food. Feeding a family of 6 {including a 6’7” man with a bottomless pit or a stomach} gets more and more expensive every year. I’m finding that ditching the convenience foods and making meals from scratch really is a great way to extend your budget, not to mention eat a little healthier. Yes, cream soups aren’t that healthy even made from scratch, but at least the homemade versions doesn’t have MSG, man-made flavorings, and excess salt. So, in regards to health, I feel a little better about it.
The problem with cooking from scratch is it takes a little bit more time to pull out and measure the ingredients. As you already know, I am a horrible planner. I avoid planning like the plague. We just don’t mesh, way too much energy involved! So, needless to say, a lot of times I’m trying to put together a yummy meal in a pinch. Enter the make ahead mix!
I started out trying a mix called MAGIC MIX. I liked the flavor, but I didn’t love that a giant container was taking up valuable real-estate in my fridge. If you don’t mind a big thing in your fridge for months, then try it out. It tastes good and works great. But, because I was running out of space, I decided to go back and try a shelf stable recipe my grandma had given me years ago called SOS Mix.
All you do is mix 5 ingredients together in a bowl and then store in an labeled airtight container in your pantry. So easy.
SOS Mix
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk3/4 cup cornstarch1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon (regular or low sodium)2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (optional…but yummy)Directions:
Mix ingredients together in large bowl. Store in an airtight container. Makes equivalent of 9 cans of cream soup.To make cream soup:Combine 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water.Cook and stir over the stove or in microwave until thickened.Add thickened mixture to recipe as you would a regular can of soup.
