Recipe of the Week: Retreat Beef Stew

The following recipe for Retreat Beef Stew is from SurvivalBlog reader John M.  He says: ‘The best stew I have ever tasted or made in over 50 years of cooking.” Ingredients 3 lbs lean hamburger 4 cups of beef broth 3 cans of diced tomatoes 8 med yellow potatoes 1 diced med onion 4 med carrots 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon A1 steak sauce 6 tablespoons salt (or less, to taste) 4 tablespoons pepper 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning 3 tablespoons of yellow mustard Directions In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown …




Recipe of the Week: Improved Canned Soup

The following recipe is from reader S.A..  The intent of this flexible recipe is to improve the taste of a store-bought canned soup. S.A. Asks: Are you practicing cooing with storage foods from your survival pantry? Are you serving and teaching your children and grandchildren to eat foods that may become very familiar and repetitive yet vital with essential minerals and vitamins in the coming months —  such as green salads, or rice and beans, or hot soup?Because I store cases of Campbell’s Chunky Chicken and Vegetable soup, I’ve been on a quest to improve the flavor. To me, the …




Recipe of the Week: JWR’s Cran-Bran Cold Cereal

The following super-simple dry recipe is for my current favorite home-mixed breakfast cereal. Yes, I know that Cranberry Bran cereal is also commercially made. But since I have some Scottish blood, I tend toward frugality. Hence, I buy the inexpensive generic store brand bran flakes from the “nearby” supermarket. That is a little over 50 miles away. We buy our cranberries and almonds in bulk from Azure Standard. Thus, they cost us only half as much as buying name-brand froed cranberries — such as Ocean Spray. I make this “Cran-Bran” cereal up in quantity, and keep it in our pantry …




Recipe of the Week: Venison Backstrap With Berry Sauce

The following recipe for Venison Backstrap With Berry Sauce is from SurvivalBlog reader Dave W. The berry sauce is made separately and poured on only at serving time. Ingredients 3 lb. venison (one whole backstrap from a large deer, or two from a smalle deer) 3 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground pepper 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 6 oz. berries (blackberries are best) 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 lemon 4 cloves 2 star anise (optional) thyme sprigs (for garnish, optional) Directions – For Meat Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine salt, pepper, …




Recipe of the Week: John’s Perfect Pizza Burgers

The following simple recipe for Perfect Pizza Burgers comes to us from SurvivalBlog reader John M.. John says:  “This is a chef’s surprise dinner that most folks have never tried. Be advised that you should make a bunch of these burgers, because they will not stop at eating just one. Seriously, people become piranhas eating these and will beg you for the recipe.” This is a hamburger recipe that sandwiches pizza ingredients between two thin beef patties. Directions Start with 85 to 90% hamburger mix in the usual spices and add a 1/8 cup of Worcestershire to each pound of …




Recipe of the Week: Pat’s New England Dutch Oven Pot Roast

The following recipe for New England Dutch Oven Pot Roastis from SurvivalBlog reader “Pat Pending.” In this recipe, beef is browned in bacon fat! and then baked for several hours at low heat. Typically, chuck roast is used, but any beef roast will suffice. Other vegetable can be substituted for the listed vegetables, depending on what you have available. Ingredients 1/2 pound of thick-sliced bacon, chopped into coarse chunks 1 4-to-5 pound beef chuck roast Salt, to taste Ground pepper, to taste 1 minced yellow onion 3 sprigs of rosemary or thyme 1/2 cup dry red wine 2 cups of …




Recipe of the Week: Killer Keeper Meatloaf

The following meatloaf recipe is from reader John M. John says: “Most everybody loves meatloaf. This recipe gets even better the next few days. Ingredients and Directions Use a 9 x 12 Pyrex dish or two bread loaf pans. I layer them with aluminum foil, which makes it easy to remove and makes transfer to the fridge a breeze. Use 2 to 2-1/2 pounds lean burger (you can also  use a combo of ground pork if you want) 6 oz of Mrs Cubbison’s stuffing mix (1/2 box) instead of stove top either will work. In a large mixing bowl mix …




Recipe of the Week: Yummy Tummy Pork Roast

The following “Yummy Tummy Pork Roast” recipe is from blog reader John M.  He says:  “This is by far one of my ‘keeper’ recipes.”  The directions are simple: Prepare a “slab” of pork usually 2 to 3 pounds by rinsing the meat, placing on a work surface and rubbing it with maple syrup then salt and pepper, and finally coat it with a generous layer of flour. Transfer this to a hot pot (cast iron my choice) on your stovetop and sear all sides till browned. To this pot add a whole diced white onion, 32 oz of chicken broth, …




Recipe of the Week: Food Storage Potato Flake Dinner Rolls

The following recipe for Food Storage Potato Flake Rolls is from reader K.M.W..  She says: “These are a great use for the canned potato flakes and the powdered milk that you probably already have in your long-term storage food supply closet.” Ingredients 1/4 cup warm water 1 cup milk (warm) — fresh milk is best, but powdered milk works 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast 2 tsp. granulated sugar 3 Tbsp. butter (softened) 3 Tbsp. shortening (Okay to use butter-flavored shortening) 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. table salt 1 large egg 3/4 cup instant potato flakes 1/2 cup (or more) …




Recipe of the Week: Butternut Squash and Beef Stew

The following recipe Butternut Squash and Beef Stew is from reader K.D.. Ingredients 3 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup cooking wine (Marsala is preferred, but you may substitute Madeira, Port, or Pinot Noir wine.) 1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 3 to 4 cups beef broth 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste 1/2 teaspoon …




Recipe of the Week: Simple Tomato Gazpacho

The following Simple Tomato Gazpacho recipe is from SurvivalBlog reader. A.G.. It is best made with an electric blender. What to do with all those tomatoes from your garden?  Make Gazpacho! A.G. says: “This is a recipe that I modified from one that I found online. The secret of great gazpacho is letting it sit in the refrigerator long enough for the flavors to meld and mellow. This is definitely one of those ‘better the second day’-type recipes.” Ingredients 2 ½ pounds of tomatoes (equates to 4-5 large tomatoes), cored and then cut into pieces 1 English cucumber, cut into chunks …




Recipe of the Week: Mrs. Alaska’s Puddings

The following recipes for puddings are from Mrs. Alaska.  Her long-running blog is: Alaska Bush Life, Off-Road, Off-Grid. Why buy boxed pudding mix with fake flavors when you can make this comfort food from scratch in just three minutes (really!) from common pantry ingredients that are superior. Enjoy it warm or cold, alone or with fresh fruit. Once you make these simple puddings, I imagine that one can figure out how to make savory puddings, too, for example, with chicken broth, for people who are sick, or have toothaches, or have swallowing issues. Chocolate pudding Ingredients for one serving. Multiply, …




Recipe of the Week: Arden’s Dutch Oven Spaghetti With Beef 

The following recipe for Dutch oven spaghetti with beef is from reader Arden K. It uses dried spaghetti, and there is no need to boil it, in advance. Ingredients 1 pound of lean or extra-lean ground beef 1 small onion, chopped 1 medium green pepper, chopped 2 cloves of garlic (or less, to taste), minced 1-1/2 cups water 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 tablespoon chili powder (or less, to taste) 1 tablespoon grape jelly (optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less, to taste, and to suit your diet) 6 ounces uncooked thin …




Recipe of the Week: Stir-Fried Radish Pods

The following recipe for Stir-Fried Radish Pods is from Mrs. Alaska.  She lives at a remote homestead in Alaska. Since 2011, she has been blogging at: Alaska Bush Life, Off-Road, Off-Grid. Radishes are among the easiest and fastest vegetables to grow and harvest. The aptly named dix-huit jours varietal can be harvested a mere 18 days after germination! However, if you are willing to wait longer – 6 – 8 weeks – you are rewarded with so much more to eat than one small root. The young leaves are edible raw, in salads, the older leaves (which get leathery) are …




Recipe of the Week: Rick’s Peanut Brittle

The following Peanut Brittle recipe is from SurvivalBlog reader Rick in Germany. Rick says: “I’ve made this twice and I will never buy this in the store ever again.” Ingredients 2 cups of sugar 1 cup of corn syrup (I use rice syrup to avoid GMOs). 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 1 cup of water. 1 teaspoon of baking soda. 1 teaspoon of salt. 1 tablespoon of butter. 2 cups of roasted peanuts.  I use salted roasted peanuts Required Gear A large sauce pan. Cookie sheet measuring at least 9”x13”, with a lip on all four sides.  You’ll want one …