Easy Cooking Tips For One Pot Meals

What Canned Foods Can Do - Modern Help For One Pot Meals

Since we all grew up with canned food, we have to remind ourselves sometimes that canned food hasn't always been available in every grocery store. Once upon a time, the method of canning food was used primarily at home to preserve a season's harvest. Since refrigeration and freezing were not commonplace, canning was a homemaker's best way to ensure a table filled with nutritious food throughout the year.

Of course, things have changed, and just like other fast moving changes in society, canned food had a few bumps along the road to the grocer's shelves. Some of the earliest mass-produced canned foods weren't exactly what the homemaker expected or wanted. Even though there was no denying that opening a can of kernel corn was faster and easier than cutting kernels off an ear of corn, the results were less than satisfactory.

Now, through years of perfecting the process and understanding the need for better nutritional value, canned food companies have built a reputation for better quality. Most canned food manufacturers now pride themselves in getting their product from the field to the can in the shortest time possible and with the best quality.

When it comes to putting meals on the table fast, today's canned foods are going to be one of your best options. Let's take a look at how this old fashioned convenience food can work for you in the kitchen to save time while producing a filling, nutritious meal for the whole family.

Make it a Canned Bonanza
 

Take a look at the variety of canned soups, stews, meats, fish, and vegetables, you can buy. Combine two, three, or more of these canned goods and you'll come up with a hearty main dish that is filling, nutritious, and delicious. For instance, if you have a can of shrimp or albacore tuna, a can of New England Chowder, and a can of corn, you have a filling seafood corn chowder. Add a can of diced tomatoes if you prefer Manhattan style chowder. A can of chicken broth heated with a can of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green beans, yellow beans, corn, and sliced mushrooms makes a nice thick vegetable stew.

If you have canned black beans, diced tomatoes, whole kernel corn, and green chilies, you have good spicy filling for burritos. If you have cooked rice, you can mix it all together for Spanish rice. Put pineapple chunks, sliced peaches, sliced pears, and a couple cans of mixed fruit in a bowl, drizzle in a little sweetened condensed milk, stir, and chill. When ready to serve, spoon small portions into dessert dishes and sprinkle chopped nuts and shredded coconut on top for a sweet ambrosia salad.

Add Canned for Convenience

When you're cooking a meal, remember to reach for a can when you want to cut out preparation steps but still have a hearty dish. One very simple application is to thicken and flavor homemade gravy or sauce by adding a can of golden cream of mushroom soup to the pot.

You can also use ready-to-serve soup as a starter for your own homemade soup or stew. Start by browning the beef, chicken, or other meat for your soup, add broth or water and any vegetables you want to add, then add the canned soup to flavor the soup without measuring or chopping a lot of seasonings. You can do the same for spaghetti sauce and chili by adding seasoned canned tomatoes. The built in seasoning cuts prep time in the kitchen.

Complete the Meal With Canned

The finishing touch to your chicken tortilla soup or bowl of chili could be a spoonful of canned green chilies. Perhaps you are serving a fresh spinach salad with canned albacore tuna. Add a sprinkling of canned Mandarin oranges on top to complete the dish  in a delicious way.

Crunchy coleslaw will benefit from the added texture, color, and flavor of canned kidney beans. If omelets are on the menu, heat up a can of corned beef hash and spoon it into the center before folding the omelet over. You'll enjoy that salty, creamy texture inside the fluffy eggs. Even sardines can be an added flavor for foods. Smash them up along with mustard and cream cheese and add to your Deviled Egg recipe for a flavor (and protein) boost. A bowl of yogurt may be good for you, but you can improve on it by putting canned fruit in the freezer, then puree the fruit in a blender along with the yogurt for a delicious, and healthy slushie.

These are just a few ideas for using canned goods. If you've never thought of stocking canned vegetables, fruit, meat, and other convenience foods in your pantry, you should consider how much time using canned goods may save in the kitchen. Having a good selection of canned goods at the ready is a great way to make mealtime less chaotic, and a lot more delicious, too!