February is National Canned Food month and canned foods are a great way to stay prepared for any disaster or SHTF event. So, for all of February, Chowmageddon is all about eating out of cans--not all three meals, every day, but one meal per day. Soups alone could meet this requirement, but who wants to eat soup every day?
Canned foods aren't sold to sit in a bunker for years and years without refrigeration. They exist so that foods can be stored in a pantry. Those foods can be full meals (like chili) or they can be ingredients for a more traditional meal. There was a time, not so very long ago, that all meals were made from ingredients that came from a can or a box, or both. To that end, for our Day 2 and 3 challenge, we set out to make a meal for a family of four, with enough for leftovers when we were done. Our meal of choice? Porcupine Meat Balls.
Our ingredients for this meal are simple and inexpensive:
Hamburger
Rice
Tomato Sauce
Green Beans
Corn
Mashed Potatos
Now, it's true that hamburger typically comes from the freezer or fridge--most ground meat requiring refrigeration. Notice that I said most. As it turns out, if you want to have this meal in the darkest of apocalyptic times, all you'll need is the ability to stock up in advance from etailers.
That's right, you can buy hamburger in a can:
A fourteen-ounce can of ground beef runs $4.99 on Amazon. Compare that to a pound (16 ounces) of ground beef at my local grocer as I write this, for $3.99. Yes, the canned beef is more expensive, but it doesn't require refrigeration.
Now, when it comes to the rice that goes into these meat balls, we like Minute Rice--it stores handily in the house in an airtight food storage jar like this:
But, if you want to go hardcore bunker-prepper, and avoid bottling up your own rice, Amazon again comes to the rescue with canned rice:
Now that you have your rice (1/2 cup) and your hamburger, combine them with 1/2 cup of water (for minute rice, 1 cup for plain long grain), 1 tsp of salt, 1/8 tsp of garlic powder, 1/8 tsp of pepper.
Once you've got all your ingredients mixed together, you need to scoop out the mixture and form meatballs. Now, since this is the apocalypse, and the power's out, you can't load this into an ungreased baking dish and put it in the oven at 400-degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. What you can do, though, is turn back the clock to how things were baked long before ovens were invented: the Dutch Oven (also conveniently available on Amazon:
Cooked over an open flame or a butane cooker, this handy pot with a lid will act like a full sized oven and (hopefully) turn out a the main course of a delicious meal for you and your Nuclear family. Before you do though, you need to pour on a can of Tomato Sauce:
Our sauce runs $1.29 at the local grocer and is useful not just for this recipe but for a variety of others. We keep plenty on hand in our pantry.
While your concoction is cooking, break out another emergency cooking device and a pot or two and whip up some easy sides, like canned corn or canned green beans ($1.25 each):
When it's all done, you've got enough food for 2-4 people, complete with sides--and it all came from a can. If you want leftovers (assuming it's winter and your leftovers can be safely stored in a container outside, utilizing nature's freezer), double all your portions above.
PRICE:
The only real drawback, price-wise, to this meal, is the expensive canned ground beef. Minute Rice is significantly cheaper than canned rice, and is a wise addition to any bunker pantry. That canned beef however, is a bit pricey and more than likely isn't available at your local grocer. Still, it's worth the cost for some comfort food--this is a favorite in our family, and would go a long way to making us all feel better during a difficult time.
SHELF LIFE
Canned foods are awesome when it comes to shelf life--unless they're like that icky corn above with it's pop-top. Those kinds of cans don't last anywhere as long as a traditional can. If you're looking to pack this away for years, without occasional rotation, choose your brand and can type carefully.
EASE OF PREPARATION
Going to have to deduct major points for this one. It's a complicated meal that will require 2-3 cooking surfaces/heat sources and dirty up a lot of dishes. A can containing one entire meal would be a much simpler thing to prepare, but not be nearly as delicious. It's a tradeoff that might be worth it every once in an Apocalyptic while.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
If you eat your green beans and corn (I stick to just the meatballs with maybe a side of instant potatoes) this should be a fairly nutritious and filling meal.
VERSATILITY
Unlike a can of chili, a prepared meal can't be combined with anything other than different side dishes.
TASTE
This is what it all comes down to: is this any good, or is it going to depress me more than I already am when I'm hunkered down in the bunker, waiting for a crisis to pass?
The answer is YES. I look forward to this meal whenever my wife decides to cook it (minus the yucky vegetables--those are for the kids). I may like it better than spaghetti or even my beloved canned chili. It's quite delicious. And, if you cook enough of it, and can restrain yourself, the meatballs are even better after a night in the fridge/cooler. Highly recommended for both pre- and post-Apocalypse.
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