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1 lb chorizo1 lb ground beef3 cups canned drained pinto beans4 cups corn2 cups tomatoes and green chili1 teaspoon cumin4 teaspoons chili powder2 cups cooked rice2 cups of cheese
Start by browning one pound of chorizo and one pound of ground beef over medium to high heat. Mix the two together as they cook. Spoon off fat if desired.
To your mixture add 4 cups of corn. Then add 2 cups of canned organic tomatoes and chiles. Stir to combine. Stir in 1 teaspoon cumin and 4 teaspoons of chili powder. Add 3 cups of drained pinto beans.
Add in one cup of cheese. Then sprinkle one cup of cheese on top of the mixture. Cover and turn down to low. Serve when the cheese is melted on top. If you’d like to melt the cheese faster you can place cast iron skillet in the oven at 350 degrees fahr-enheit for 10 minutes.
Scoop meat mixture into tortillas and serve.
Skillet MealsIf you are new to skillet meals start with the recipe above, or a favorite recipe. The trick here is to get used to the different parts that make up a skillet meal without get-ting overwhelmed.
The best thing about this type of meal is that things can be easily added or subtract-ed. For example, the Tex-Mex Buritto Skillet that I made above tastes great even if you don’t add the corn, rice or beans. At that point, it becomes a spicy (don’t worry, not too spicy) chili skillet meal, and would be great with a salad if you’re watching your carbs.
You can make the recipe above and grab a little out of the skillet for those that need a low carb version, then add in the corn, rice, and beans and serve in a tortilla for those that are not cutting back on carbs. You can also just leave out the tortillas if you are gluten-free, or use a low carb tortilla recipe. We talk more about these variations inside of Self Reliant School.
The point is that skillet meals are very versatile and will help you cook from scratch because you’re only making one meal for your entire family even when you have members of your family with dietary restrictions, which is a HUGE time saver. Not to mention you’ll have fewer dishes to wash which is another HUGE time saver.
You don’t have to make everything in a cast iron skillet. You could use something like a slower cooker or an Instant Pot, but cast iron is one of my favorite things to cook with and they are reasonably priced.
Once you get the hang of skillet meals you might not even need a recipe. Two things are key: first, don’t be afraid to experiment but, second, always ease into new ingredi-ents slowly, so you can pinpoint the foods you really like.
A word about pre-cooked foods. As you learn to prep ahead you’ll find there are a few things like tortillas that are easy to make ahead. A few other things that are great for making ahead are grains and starches like rice and potatoes. It’s also helpful to have vegetables prepped and chopped. Having a “meal prep” day (or half a day) is really helpful. We usually have a meal prep day on Sunday afternoon. Find about a 4-hour time block in your week that you can plan and prep for the upcoming week. This will keep you on track and cooking from scratch.
Here is a list of the different components that make up skillet meals; the formula is to pick one thing from each category. However, now that I’ve given you the rule, just know that’s it’s ok to break it here and there. If you’re following a low carb diet or trying to get your kids to eat more vegetables you might add more than one vegeta-ble and that’s fine. Did you notice in the Tex-Mex Buritto Skillet I broke the rule and added two starches–beans and rice? So this is more of suggestion, but if you feel at all overwhelmed then follow the the formula and add one from each of the categories below.
Cook your protein first so you’ll have some fat and flavor in the pan. You’ll see why below.
Aromatics (optional)
If you would like to add garlic, onions, ginger, shallots or any fresh herbs you would do it right after you’ve cooked the meat. You can remove the cooked meat and cook the aromatics in the fat left by the meat, or you can mix them in right before the meat is done (in the case of, for example, ground beef).
Liquids
Deglaze (optional)
Adding some wine, cider, beer, broth or juice and then scraping the bottom of the pan will create some liquid in your skillet meal. This is a completely optional way to create liquid in your skillet meal but it adds a ton of flavor.
Added Liquids
Tomato sauceDiced tomatoesBroth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)Homemade teriyaki Homemade barbeque sauceKetchup (I prefer homemade)Liquid Aminos (like Bragg’s)Worcestershire sauce
Simply open a can, jar or bottle and add this to your skillet meal. You may need to add something to thicken the sauce just a bit. You can use, arrowroot powder, organ-ic cornstarch or flour, or reduce the liquid over medium heat for several minutes.
Vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned - home canned is my favorite)
Grow Your Pantry GuideThere are things you have to consider when you set out to grow, cook and preserve your own food.
Like, what are you going to grow and how are you going to grow it? Or, what things do you want to start making at home? And how are you going to preserve the things you grow?
Within each of these questions are other considerations and processes that you need to consider. This blueprint give you a bird eye view of the entire process. It’s not a complete list and outline but it is exhaustive, and contains everything you need to move you forward.
My mission, and the mission of Self Reliant School, is to double the home production and storage of food in 50,000 homes by 2025.
Why?
Because we believe that it can improve the health of our food system, we believe it WILL improve your health, but most of all we believe it will teach our children how to nourish their bodies so TOGETHER we can make the world a better place!
But if you’re not clear on how to begin this process or what the process involves then chances are you’ll never move forward.
My goal with The Grow Your Pantry Guide is to filter down years of experience and hard lessons learned to give you the knowledge and the focus you need to grow, cook and preserve your own food.
So let’s get going!
-Jennifer Osuch
P.S. If you have any questions about this guide please ask. We go much deeper inside Self Reliant School into all of these facets of being Self Reliant; I hope you’ll join us inside.
Hi, I’m Jennifer from Self Reliant School. I’ve been scratch cooking for over 30 years, and my husband and I teach growing your own food, cooking from scratch and preserving online.
This information will help you cook from scratch on a consistent basis and help you put food that is not filled with preservatives and chemicals on your table.
Want More?
Are you hooked on cooking from scratch and being a from scratch cook? If you’ve read this far chances are you’ve fallen in love with cooking with whole foods to keep you and your family healthy.
You can find these things and more inside the Self Reliant School membership. I’ll see you inside!