Blog, Recipes, Uncategorized
By: Julia Mertes, Communications Intern, The Lion’s Pantry
If you need a quick and easy meal to whip up after a long day at work, then look no further. You can’t go wrong with pasta, so we’ve found you 11 top-notch meals to make this season.
1. Cacio e Pepe
Add some Italian cuisine to your meal plan by whipping up cacio e pepe for dinner.
Cacio e Pepe translates to “cheese and pepper,” which are the main ingredients needed to make this meal. You can use this recipe from Bon Appétit that uses only 5 ingredients including, your choice in pasta, unsalted butter, black pepper, grated Parmesan cheese and Pecorino.
2. Spinach Parmesan Pasta
When cooking your pasta, sprinkle in some spinach and cheese to soften with the noodles as they cook. Stir in some Alfredo sauce if you want to increase the creaminess of the dish, and top it with Parmesan cheese.
3. Pasta al Limone
To “zest” up your next meal, add some lemon juice, butter, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to your pasta.
Since lemons contain “vitamin C, soluble fiber, and plant compounds” that are beneficial to one’s health according to healthline, this meal may become your next go-to healthy dinner. Plus, it would be a simple — yet delicious — dish to whip up when you’re expecting company.
4. Spaghetti Taco Pasta
If you grew up as an iCarly lover, then this recommendation may sound familiar to you! Grab some hard-shell tacos on your next trip to the store and fill them with cooked pasta in marinara sauce.
5. Pizza Pasta
Besides topping your spaghetti with red sauce, add some traditional pizza ingredients like pepperoni, garlic, onion, mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasonings. If you would like to follow a recipe to make this scrumptious dinner, The Country Cook shared a tasty pasta bake with few ingredients. This meal would be perfect if you’re a leftovers lover.
Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels
6. Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara is a classic Italian dish that includes eggs, cheese, bacon and black pepper. You can’t go wrong with bacon, as many breakfast lovers proclaim! Find a quick and easy recipe for this meal on The New York Times Cooking.
7. Southwestern Rotisserie Chicken Pasta
Add some spice to your penne pasta by including peppers, black beans, and taco seasoning to the mixture. Chop up your rotisserie chicken for additional protein, and sprinkle in some corn and jarred Alfredo. The final creation will create an explosion of flavor.
8. Cajun Sausage Alfredo
Pick up some smoked sausage that can be cooked on the stove and add it to your pasta mixture filled with Cajun seasoning, heavy cream and cheese. You can find a recipe for this creation by Plain Chicken.
9. Canned Tuna Pasta
If you would like to follow a recipe, then make sure to check out this recipe from Salt and Lavender that requires few ingredients and a reasonable cooking time. You’ll only need canned tuna, garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice to incorporate with your pasta.
10. Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
Elevate your pasta with some softened broccoli, garlic and Alfredo sauce. This pasta creation lacks complexity but is loaded with flavor.
Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels
11. Pantry Pasta
You may be wondering what pantry pasta is and what the dish includes. Wonder no longer!
Pantry pasta includes any ingredients lying around in your kitchen pantry that can be added to your pasta. Do you have some foods that are about to expire, add it to the dish. Did you recently pick up something from The Lion’s Pantry that you do not know how to include in a meal? Sprinkle it in. This dish is simply a mishmash of flavors.
What is your favorite pasta recipe? Be sure to share your recommendations with us!
Blog, Recipes, Uncategorized
By: Julia Mertes, Communications Intern, The Lion’s Pantry
As the summer months proceed, the weather becomes warmer and more sustainable for outdoor dining experiences at campgrounds and outdoor bonfires. While you could whip up traditional hot dogs and hamburgers, there are other delectable dishes you should try as well, including these mountain pie recipes.
Mountain pies are made by filling two pieces of bread with an assortment of fillings and toppings. Think of grilled cheese sandwiches — but more deluxe and flavorful. We have the perfect array of sweet and savory meals for you to whip up this summer.
Check out our recommendations below, and be sure to share your own tips and tricks with us.
Savory Mountain Pie Meals
Photo by Pixzolo Photography on Unsplash
If you enjoy savory meals, then we have 13 Mountain Pie suggestions for you that will be perfect for any occasion.
1. Pizza Mountain Pie
If you’re a pizza lover, you’ll love this mountain pie filled with pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni and other favorite pizza toppings. Simply fill your traditional white bread with these items and watch the ingredients melt together into a variation of many Americans’ favorite foods.
2. Grilled Cheese Mountain Pie
One of the most basic mountain pies is the grilled cheese mountain pie variation. Simply incorporate your favorite cheese — or cheeses — into the mix and enjoy the gooey treat.
3. Buffalo Chicken Mountain Pie
You can’t go wrong with buffalo chicken flavored dinners, so why not try out some Buffalo Chicken Mountain Pies? All you would need is some shredded chicken, cheese and sriracha sauce to fill the inside of the bread. These ingredients will give you an explosion of flavor that is great for anyone who likes hot and spicy dishes.
4. Spinach Feta Mountain Pies
If you want to put a healthy spin on mountain pies, add some greens like spinach into the dish along with the fan-favorite feta cheese.
5. Breakfast Mountain Pie
Who wouldn’t want to start their day off with a Breakfast Mountain Pie filled with scrambled eggs, cheese and a protein of one’s choice — like juicy bacon and sausage?
If you are on a camping trip, this may be the perfect breakfast to add to your meal plan.
6. English Muffin Mountain Pie
If you’re tired of using traditional bread for your mountain pies, switch out your grain by utilizing an English muffin. An English muffin may even be the best type of bread to use in a Breakfast Mountain Pie, as previously noted above.
7. Garlic Cheesy Bread Mountain Pie
Comparable to the Grilled Cheese Mountain Pies, the Garlic Cheesy Bread Mountain Pie will speak to any Italian food lover. Simply enhance the cheesy flavor by incorporating garlic and/or garlic spread to your pie.
8. Taco Mountain Pies
If you’re planning a cookout on a Tuesday evening, then you should combine your desire for mountain pies with the Tuesday tradition of having scrumptious tacos.
Sprinkle in some taco seasoning, beans, greens, and beef. You’ll be left with a yummy treat to eat and share.
Photo by David Disponett on Pexels
9. Turkey/Ham and Cheese Mountain Pie
Many kids grew up with lunch meat-filled sandwiches being packed in their lunches or available in their school cafeterias. You can take this opportunity to reminisce on childhood memories while making new ones with friends and family.
Add your favorite lunch meats to your pack for a cosmo sandwich.
10. Meatball Sub Mountain Pie
If you’re a fan of Pizza Mountain Pie, then you should add meatballs to your sandwich to increase the extra flavor and texture.
11. Po’Boy Mountain Pie
Now, this is a meal for our seafood lovers. If you’re craving some seafood, a Po’boy sandwich may be the dinner option for you to experiment with for a tasty dinner treat. Simply add your favorite seafood into the sandwich.
12. California Avocado Toast
Avocado toast became a widespread craze over the last few years as people began looking for the best recipes and restaurants to get the dish.
Look no farther. All you will need is your favorite avocado toast toppings, including avocado, eggs and sriracha.
13. Bruschetta Mountain Pie
Incorporate some tomatoes, mozzarella and spinach into your mountain pie sandwich to be reminded of the classic Italian dish — bruschetta.
Combine the sophistication of bruschetta with the fun-atmosphere entailed with mountain pie making.
Sweet Mountain Pies
Photo by Freddy G on Unsplash.
If you have a sweet tooth, there are an assortment of mountain pie recipes that will satisfy your craving for sugar and chocolate.
1. Fruit-flavored Mountain Pie
You can never go wrong when adding canned fruit into your mountain pie sandwich. Add some corresponding spices to the dish, and you will have a pie-flavored creation.
2. Cookies and Cream Mountain Pie
Crumble your favorite cookies into the pack and get ready for a melted, delicious dish.
3. German Chocolate Mountain Pie
If you’re a German Chocolate Cake lover, then this mountain pie will be right up your alley.
Combining chocolate, caramel syrup and coconut inside the pack will create an explosions of flavor.
4. S’mores Mountain Pie
At a cookout, why not make a delicious spin on the delicious s’mores desert? Add chocolate, marshmallows, and crumbled graham crackers into your sandwich for this treat.
5. Peanut Butter and Fluff Mountain Pie
This mountain pie will transport you back to your school-day memories when peanut butter and fluff sandwiches were a must-have commodity in the school cafeteria.
Simply add a hopping of peanut butter and fluffernutter onto your sandwich and let is warm. You could also utilize Nutella to add new and unique flavors to the dish.
Photo by Asnim Ansari on Unsplash
What’s your favorite mountain pie recipe? Be sure to share your recommendations with us!
Blog, Recipes, Uncategorized
By: Julia Mertes, Communications Intern, The Lion’s Pantry
Some of the best and most delicious meals are classified as breakfast foods. From french toast and omelets to breakfast sandwiches and crepes, there’s a breakfast food for everyone to enjoy, but why constrain breakfast foods to the morning hours? Why not take your favorite breakfast foods and elevate them to the title of “dinner classics?” Try starting with these eight suggestions!
1. Breakfast Grilled Cheese
When there’s gray-colored skies and storms sweep into town, who doesn’t enjoy savory comfort food — like grilled cheese sandwiches — as a tasty treat? Pennsylvania gets hit with its fair share of storms, which leaves many opportunities to eat our favorite melted-cheese meal.
However, the next time we’re expecting summer thunderstorms and rain showers, consider whipping up some breakfast grilled cheese sandwiches. Beyond cheese, butter and bread, make a breakfast grilled cheese variation by adding scrambled eggs, a breakfast protein of your choice, tater tots and kale to the cheesy dish.
You can add breakfast elements to almost any dish, so why not start with the beloved grilled cheese sandwich?
2. Bacon Fried Rice
If you like regular fried rice, why not try the breakfast version that includes a breakfast fan-favorite food — bacon? Besides the traditional rice, eggs, peas, carrots, onions, oil, and soy sauce that goes into fried rice, add some crispy bacon.
If you live in household filled with breakfast lovers, then you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Everything is better with bacon.” So, why not try adding it into your next fried rice dinner?
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
3. Pancakes & Waffles
If I asked you to think of your favorite breakfast foods, pancakes and waffles ought to make the list, but if you’re tired of eating normal pastries, we have the tricks for you. Rather than eating traditional pancakes or waffles, spice up the traditional breakfast treat with these suggestions.
Foremost, you can incorporate almost any fresh or dried fruit into your next pancake or waffle mix. If you’d prefer making regular pancakes and waffles — rather than altering the traditional recipe — consider topping your dish with fruit like bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, blackberries, apples, cherries, pineapple, kiwi, coconuts and cranberries. Fruit toppled over whipped cream will certainly take your breakfast-for-dinner dish up a notch.
If you aren’t a fan of sweet breakfast foods, then you should make a savory variation. Consider creating your savory pancakes by topping the pastry with sliced avocado, which is a heart-healthy fruit. You can also place a fried egg and chopped cheese onto the top of your dish to make it more filling. Plus, if you desiring a meal with southern flare, top the dish with protein like fried chicken.
To make a healthier treat, incorporate finely chopped spinach, crushed bananas, a helping of applesauce, or shredded carrots into your pancake mixture for added freshness and color.
You can never have too many add-ins when making waffles or pancakes. To customize your breakfast, you could consider adding the following items to the batter:
- Peanut Butter Chips
- Chocolate Chips
- Sprinkles
- Mini Marshmallows
- Crushed Candy Bar
- Orange Juice or Lemon Zest
- Protein Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Spices like Nutmeg and Cinnamon
- Nuts
- Honey
- Pumpkin Puree
You could also top your pancakes or waffles with these flavorful additions:
- Nut Butters and Jams
- Granola
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Salsa
- Whipped Cream
- Canned Fruit
- Chocolate, Caramel, and Peanut Butter Syrup
You’ll never run out of ideas to try when making pancakes and waffles for breakfast…or dinner! There’s always something new to test out and experiment with.
4. Corned Beef Hash
Whip up some quick and easy corned beef hash for a filling dinner. Including onions, potatoes, butter, corned beef as well as optional scrambled eggs. This nutritious dish will be perfect when meal planning and portioning for the week.
If you’d like a more complex dinner, you could also turn traditional corned beef hash into a casserole filled with flavor and complexity.
5. Breakfast Pizza
When planning your next movie night with friends or family, add breakfast pizza to your meal plan for the evening. Who needs pepperoni and cheese pizza when you can make your own breakfast pizza with bacon, eggs, mozzarella cheese and more?
Be creative and put your favorite early morning treats onto the dish.
If you’re a fan of tater tots, add them. Do you enjoy some good old-fashioned hash browns or breakfast potatoes? Then consider sprinkling them on your pizza for added flavor and enjoyment. The options are endless when making pizza, and you can have too many goodies on top.
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels
6. Homemade Bagels
Depending on your skill level in the kitchen and availability to cook, there are a variety of bagel recipes that you could make — some that take only a few ingredients and others that are more complex.
If you decide to make homemade bagels for dinner, you could easily transform them into scrumptious sandwiches filled with eggs, bacon and cheese. Even if baking isn’t your specialty, you could always make a delicious breakfast sandwich with prepackaged products.
7. Oatmeal
Similar to fan-favorite pancakes and waffles, you can always have fun with a traditional oatmeal recipe and customize the dish to your liking with new add-ins.
For instance, you could enhance your traditional oatmeal by adding your favorite fresh fruits like bananas, strawberries, apples, blackberries and blueberries. If you have dry fruits at your convenience, you could also utilize raisins or cranberries, which add flavor, color and texture.
Spices and seasonings are another way to change the typical flavors associated with oatmeal and take the dish to the next level. Regardless of whether you have a sweet tooth or a desire for savory goodies, you will find something perfect to sprinkle in like brown sugar, nutmeg, turmeric or cinnamon and sugar.
Add a healthy source of protein and fibers to your oatmeal by incorporating nuts like walnuts, pecans, and almonds as well as nut butters like peanut butter, Nutella and almond butter.
8. Omelet
As a light and healthy dinner option, you could eat an omelet after spending the day in the sun, lounging around relaxing, or working hard on an assortment of projects. If you have any fresh vegetables lying around your kitchen — whether it be mushrooms and peppers or broccoli and avocado — prepare them to be placed inside an omelet. The same could be said about any cheeses and meat items that could be chopped and spread within the egg-dish.
What are your favorite breakfast for dinner meals to whip up in a flash? Share your recommendations with us.
Blog, Recipes, Uncategorized
By: Julia Mertes, Communications Intern, The Lion’s Pantry
Foil packs are a traditional summer meal at campgrounds and backyard bonfires. Filled with an assortment of meats, veggies and seasonings and cooked in tightly wrapped aluminum foil, this meal can be fun to make, customize and eat. The great thing about foil packs is that you can include as many — or as few — items as you’d like in the mix and personalize the dinner to your liking.
Even if you don’t have access to a grill or bonfire, you could also make this meal in a traditional oven or toaster oven. Foil packs are a versatile meal option for people of all age groups and backgrounds.
Making and Customizing Your Own Foil Pack Dinner
When constructing your foil pack, include as many proteins as you’d like! If you are not a meat lover, there are many alternate foods to add to a foil pack that are equally filling and nutritious. If fresh protein or seafood is in your budget, consider adding the following items into your dinner:
- Chicken, Beef, Sausage, Steak
- Seafood like fish or shrimp
- Meat Alternatives like Tofu
Beyond your typical proteins, you could also use the following items as the main feature within your foiling pack: beans, noodles, rice and quinoa.
Fruits and vegetables act as another prominent feature within foil pack dinners. Consider adding the following ingredients into your next foil pack meal:
- Artichoke
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Canned Green Beans
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Corn
- Lemon or Lime
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Peas
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
When making a foil pack, it’s important to remember to use a substantial amount of butter to ensure adequate flavor when cooking and to incorporate your favorite seasonings. You can use whatever you have in your cupboard to add flavor to your pack.
Some other items to consider incorporating into your foil pack include cheese, salsa, and tortilla chips depending on one’s preferences and flavor pallet.
Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Pexels
If you don’t feel like customizing your meal, try these 11 recipe ideas!
1. Grilled Green Beans
This is a great way to put your green beans to good use. Try adding some lemon juice, seasonings and breadcrumbs. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, you could also make a garlic-flavored variation!
2. Fire Roasted Corn on the Cob
All you really need is some corn, seasonings and some butter, and you will be able to enjoy some roasted corn with your dinner.
When making foil packs, be sure to use a generous helping of butter and oil to allow proper cooking and flavor distribution.
3. Campfire Filled Ice Cream Cones
Rather than making a savory meal, you could also make a foil pack dessert. There are many treats that you could whip up over a fire, but this one may be great to hanker your sweet tooth. Fill an ice cream cone with an assortment of candies, nuts, syrups, sauces and marshmallows. Then, wrap the cone in aluminum foil, and cook to your liking. When you take it off the heat, your meal will be gooey and delicious.
4. Breakfast Pack
Who doesn’t like breakfast? Try adding eggs, ham, potatoes and peppers into your foil pack for a yummy breakfast-style meal. It doesn’t matter what time it is when it comes to eating an egg-filled dish!
It’s important to note that cutting vegetables, like potatoes, thinly will allow them to cook and soften quicker, which allows for a shorter cooking time.
5. Veggie Pack
Even if you don’t like meat, foil packs provide meal options. Add broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots to your pack along with butter and your favorite seasonings. You’ll get many of your daily nutrients through this dinner plan.
6. Philly Cheesesteak Foil Pack
A Philly cheesesteak is a classic dinner beloved by many Pennsylvanians. We suggest using ground beef, finely chopped potatoes, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic, seasonings and provolone cheese.
7. Taco Chicken Foil Pack
What would you include in a taco chicken foil pack? Everything you love in your traditional tacos! For instance, you could add in drained black beans and tomatoes, frozen or fresh corn, rice, mixed cheese, and chicken. For added flavor, sprinkle some taco seasoning mix on your ingredients.
Once your taco chicken comes off the fire, you could also incorporate your desired toppings, like avocado, guacamole, hot sauce, and tortilla chips.
8. Seafood and Veggie Pack
If you are a seafood lover, pick your favorite item to include in the pack — whether it be fish, shrimp or some other option. Then, use some zucchini and squash to keep your meal light and to add extra flavor.
9. Baked Potato Foil Pack
The number one ingredient for this meal is potato. Once you cut it open, pour in your favorite baked potato toppings — cheese, garlic butter, bacon, and seasonings. Add your sour cream on top at the end!
10. Barbecue Chicken Foil Pack
All you’ll need is 5 ingredients for this meal, and they are chicken, barbecue sauce, drained pineapple, red onions and red peppers. It’s quick, easy and full of flavor.
11. Pasta Foil Pack
Pour in your favorite type of pasta, whether it be gnocchi or the traditional spaghetti noodles. Top the pack with your favorite sauces and melted cheese.
What’s your favorite foil pack recipe? Be sure to share your tips and tricks with us.
