Ready Meals - Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated

When I think about the simplest meal to prepare in the thermal cooker, it has to be Ready Meals, or freeze-dried and dehydrated meals. The process entails simply boiling water, adding the meal packet, bringing it back to a boil, and placing it into the thermal unit until it is time to eat. The meal will be hot, and ready to eat, whether eaten in an hour or in eight.

Let's Make Sense of Thermal Cooking Cookbook contains 12 recipes which have been converted to freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients. Not only will you find a recipe for the dry version, but I have included the recipe using fresh ingredients. Both recipes teach how to prepare them in the thermal cooker. One of my favorite Ready Meal recipes in the book is Italian Wedding Soup or Zuppa Toscana. I thought I would share the recipe with you.

On the chart below you will noticed that you are given the quantity of ingredients to make one, three, twelve jars and how much to buy if making in bulk. For me the 'one meal' and 'bulk' collumns are the most important. Always try the recipe before purchasing the ingredients to make in bulk, make sure you like the recipe.

Italian Wedding Soup

Instructions for preparing dry ingredients:

In a quart jar layer the ingredients in the order given to fill one jar. Jiggle side to side slightly after adding powdered ingredients so that the ingredients settle down into the dry potatoes and sausage, leaving room for the kale and bacon bits on top. Seal jar with vacuum sealer to remove air. Label with instructions and expiration date.

When ready to use, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in the inner 7 L pot of the thermal cooker. Carefully stir while adding 1 jar of dry Italian Wedding Soup mix. Stir until it comes back to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Place upper 2.5 L inner pot (containing another hot dish or boiling water) onto the 7 L pot, cover with lid. Place both pots into the thermal unit, close lid. Leave in cooker at least 1/2 hour, maximum 8 hours.

One jar will make enough soup for the bottom pot of both the 5.5 L and 7 L pots. To fill the 7 L pot use two quart jars of dried soup base and 16 cups of water.

Have a Super day! Cindy