By Sam Vangsness
I am all about spending less time in the grocery store, which means shopping in fewer aisles. I hardly find myself in the canned, packaged, or boxed aisles because I have most of those items at home prepped and ready to go. Items like dry gravy mix, onion soup mix, ranch seasoning, and even brownies are a few of the dry mixes I keep on hand.
Having premade dry mixes helps me save time and stress when cooking and grocery shopping. With dry mixes, I know what’s on my shelf, who made it, and know that it can be used in so many ways. I find myself reaching for my cream of anything mix multiple times a week when making supper. It makes an easy hot dish. Premade dry mixes are a great addition to anyone's pantry and are easy to make and use! Most ingredients in dry mixes are probably things you already have.
Dry mixes are also easy to keep; simply store them in an air-tight container like a mason jar and put a label on it. I usually have the label of what it is, how to refill and how to use taped right on the jar for easy reference each time.
Creating your own dry mixes doesn’t just save you time in the grocery store but also helps create a more tailored pantry for you and your family. Below are some of my favorite go-to dry mixes. Enjoy!
Ranch seasoning
Dry mix ingredients:
- ½ cup dry buttermilk powder
- 3 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
How to make ranch:
Mix 2 tbsp dry mix with 16 oz blended cottage cheese, whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream to make ranch dip.
Cream of anything soup
Dry mixes ingredients:
- 2 cup dry milk powder
- 1 ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup chicken bouillon powder
- 4 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
How to make:
Mix 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water, milk or broth until it thickens. Add salt to taste. Use as you would canned soup.
Sam lives in rural Morton County with her husband. She enjoys being outside working alongside her husband, but equally enjoys being in the kitchen cooking nutritious, delicious, simple meals, and sharing tips, tricks, and recipes along the way.