Creating delicious meals with pantry food

   Connie Roller, a former client of Family Sharing of Ozaukee County, came up with a unique way to give back to the agency that helped her in a time of need.

  Roller created “From Pantry to Table,” a cookbook to help clients of Family Sharing’s food pantry in Grafton make the most of the items they receive.

The book, which is given to pantry clients, includes recipes for everything from appetizers and beverages to breads and main dishes.

  “We are so proud to hand it out to our clients and special visitors,” Pantry Director Todd Bugnacki said. “It continues to bring smiles to our clients. The conversations around the cookbook are as rich as the recipes.

“As we work to eliminate the stigma around the pantry, the cookbook allows us to accelerate the conversation as it is a point of pride and a respectable way to demonstrate all the wonderful meals and treats that can  be made with our food.”

Lisa Valdez, Family Sharing’s community outreach manager, said the cookbook shows clients how to combine the foods they receive in ways they may not have considered.

“I think it’s important for our clients because it was created for the items we have here,” she said. “It’s hard sometimes to come up with meals when you look in your pantry. Now they can look at the recipes and say, ‘I have this. I have that. I can make this.’”

Family Sharing was started in 1979 by a Grafton woman who wanted to help neighbors who had fallen on hard times. She held garage sales to finance her operation, and community members who heard of her mission supported it with donations and purchases.

Today, Family Services is the largest and oldest pantry in the county, Valdez said.

It operates three programs in addition to its resale shop and the pantry — a mobile food pantry that delivers food to four location, a senior program that delivers food to the doors of senior complexes and the Bags in Backpacks program.

  It also provides holiday meals, emergency provisions to seniors in winter and provisions to jail inmates when they are released.

In 2023, Family Sharing distributed 736,795 pounds of food to county households, in addition to 34,424 pounds given to county students during the 2022-23 school year through the Bags in Backpacks program.

The pantry also provides school supplies to students twice a year, as well as winter coats, hats and gloves.

The Family Sharing resale shop provided more than $12,000 in merchandise to Family Sharing clients last year, and all proceeds from the shop support the pantry.

Family Sharing is well supported by the community, Valdez said, noting it has a corps of 160 volunteers, half of whom work in the pantry and half in the resale shop.

And, she noted, it has a waiting list of volunteers, a situation most nonprofit agencies would love to have.

Following are a few recipes from the “from Pantry to Table” cookbook.

 

 

 

Sparkling Strawberry Float

2 tablespoons sugar, pink, if you can find it

2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries

6 ounces strawberry, reduced-fat yogurt

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons honey or sugar

2 scoops strawberry sorbet or sherbet

2 fresh strawberries

    Place two tablespoons sugar in a small shallow dish. Wet rim of glass with a damp paper towel, then dip into sugar. Repeat with a second glass. Place glasses upright to dry.

    Place frozen strawberries, yogurt, milk and honey into a blender container and blend until smooth. Divide between prepared glasses. Top each glass with a scoop of sorbet. Cut fresh strawberries from tip almost to the stem end, then place on the rim of the glasses.

    Makes two servings.

 

 

Hash Brown Casserole

32-ounce bag frozen hash browns, thawed

8 tablespoons butter, melted

1 10-1/2-ounce can cream of cheddar or mushroom soup

16 ounces sour cream

1 small to medium onion, diced

2 cups cheese, shredded, any combination of cheddar, cheddar-Jack, Colby, Monterey-Jack or other favorites

1/3 teaspoon pepper

Salt

Optional add ins:

Cubed ham

Crumbled bacon

Crumbled sausage

Chopped scallions

    Pat thawed hash browns with paper towels to remove excess water.

    Combine hash browns, butter, soup, sour cream, onion, 1-1/2 cups cheese, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Place mixture into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes, uncovered.

    Increase temperature to 375 degrees. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes more, until top starts to crisp and brown slightly. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

    Makes six servings.

 

 

Texas Breakfast Casserole

1 can crescent rolls

1 pound ground breakfast sausage, browned and drained

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese

6 large eggs

1 can cream of onion soup

Salt

Pepper

    Line a greased 9-by-13-inch pan with crescent rolls. Cover with sausage, mushrooms and half the cheese.

    Whisk eggs, soup, salt and pepper. Pour over sausage and mushrooms, then top with remaining cheese.

    Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

    Bake in a 350-degree oven for one hour, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

    Makes six servings.

 

 

 

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

2 bunches broccoli, broken into small pieces

1 large head cauliflower, broken into small pieces

1 small red onion, chopped fine

12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sunflower seeds

2 pounds bacon, fried and crumbled

2 cups Hellmann’s mayonnaise

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Garden salad topping, such as Crispin’ Fixin or Salad Sensations

    Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate. Toss just before serving.

    Makes 12 to 16 servings.

 

 

Robyn’s Texas Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can ranch-style beans, drained

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can beef or chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies

1 package taco seasoning

1 package ranch dressing

    Brown ground beef, then drain.

    Stir all ingredients into a crockpot. Heat on high for two to four hours.

    Ladle into bowls. Top with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

    Makes six servings.

 

Hearty Rice Blend

1 cup white, brown or wild rice, raw

2-1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon chicken base

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 peeled and shredded carrot

    Place rice, water, chicken base and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir.

    Reduce heat and cover tightly. Simmer 30 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Add carrots and onion during the last five minutes of cooking.

    Makes six servings.

    If using wild rice, cooking time will be closer to 45 minutes.

 

 

Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

16 ounces Brussels sprouts, halved

6 slices bacon, chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cup heavy cream

Salt

Pepper

    Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. When hot, add chopped bacon and cook through. Remove bacon, then add Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until they start to brown, then add garlic and saute one to two minutes, until fragrant.

    Turn heat to medium-low, add heavy cream and stir. Stir in mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until melted. Add bacon and sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, until cheese browns.

    Makes six to eight servings.

 

Baked Paprika-Parmesan Chicken

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons milk

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup melted butter

    Combine flour, Parmesan cheese, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and milk.

    Dip chicken breasts into the egg mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish that’s coated with nonstick spray.

    Bake in a 350-degree oven for one hour, 15 minutes, until cheese has browned and chicken is cooked.

    Makes four servings.

 

 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

1 pound penne pasta

1 jar alfredo sauce

1/2 pound cooked chicken

1/2 cup ranch dressing

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Salt

Pepper

Parsley

    Cook pasta until al dente following package directions.

    Combine alfredo sauce, ranch dressing, bacon, spices, chicken and half the cheese. Add pasta and place in a greased 9-by-13 or two-quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

    Bake in a 350-degree oven, uncovered, about 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly golden.

    Let sit five minutes before serving.

    Makes six servings.