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When disaster strikes, the last thing you want to worry about is what’s for dinner or how you’re going to cook it. While sharing severe weather preparedness information throughout the Southeastern United States, we noticed a significant gap between the disaster preparation and culinary worlds. There are plenty of resources available that teach the importance of collecting a stockpile of non-perishable foods, like canned goods, but few discuss how to turn those shelf-stable ingredients into comforting and nourishing meals. 

People stand at long tables cooking sandwiches on camp stoves as an instructor looks on.
Tracie Sempier leads an in-person Disaster Meal Prep workshop at the Knight Nonprofit Center in Gulfport, Mississippi. (Photo courtesy of Kristiana Allen)

With our Weather Wise Disaster Meal Preparation Recipes, VORTEX-SE Outreach and Engagement aims to help reduce the stress of emergency meal planning by sharing yummy, practical and nutrient-dense dishes made from pantry staples that can keep families fueled during power outages, supply chain disruptions or natural disasters.

Emergency meals don't have to be bland or difficult to make. Check out VORTEX-SE Outreach and Engagement’s latest YouTube video, a recorded webinar featuring our Resilience Engagement Lead Tracie Sempier as she demonstrates the preparation of a simple but satisfying orzo pasta salad and pizza sandwich on a single-burner camp stove. Feel free to share your thoughts or your go-to emergency recipes in the video’s comment section. Please visit our team’s Events webpage for updates on future in-person Disaster Meal Prep workshops and more.

Recipe card titled “Grilled Pizza Sandwiches” with Sea Grant, NOAA, VORTEX-SE and COAST logos at the top. The left side shows ingredient photos including English muffins, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and cooking spray. The center contains step-by-step cooking instructions and timing information. Prep time is 8 minutes, cook time is 7 minutes, and total time is 15 minutes. Ingredients listed are 6 English muffins, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, sliced pepperoni, and cooking spray. Additional supplies include paper bowls, plastic spoon, knife, hot pad, spatula, lighter, and a camp stove or single burner, with a note that a pie iron may also be used over a campfire. Instructions explain spraying and splitting English muffins, adding pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni, closing the sandwich, and grilling it on a camp stove for about 1 minute and 30 seconds per side until the cheese melts. The recipe makes 6 pizza sandwiches. The bottom photo shows open-faced English muffin pizzas topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and pepperoni on a blue tray.
Recipe for grilled pizza sandwiches

 

Recipe card titled “Orzo Pasta Salad” with Sea Grant, NOAA, VORTEX-SE and COAST logos across the top. The layout includes a photo of ingredients on the left, detailed cooking instructions in the center, and a photo of the finished pasta salad at the bottom right. Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 25 minutes, and total time is 35 minutes. Ingredients listed are 1 cup bell pepper, 1 11-ounce can corn, 1 15-ounce can black beans, 8-ounce box orzo pasta, ¼ cup chopped parsley, kosher salt to taste, freshly ground pepper to taste, and 6-8 cups water. The balsamic vinaigrette recipe includes 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and optional Italian dressing. Additional supplies include paper bowls, plastic spoons, a can opener, colander, knife, pot for boiling water, wooden spoon for stirring pasta, and a camp stove or single burner. Instructions describe boiling salted water, cooking orzo pasta, chopping peppers, rinsing beans, whisking dressing ingredients together, combining vegetables and pasta, and seasoning to taste. An alternative no-cook version suggests combining canned corn, black beans, diced tomatoes with green chilies, chopped red pepper, onion, Italian dressing, and parsley, then serving with tortilla chips. The finished dish photo shows a colorful bowl of orzo mixed with corn, black beans, red pepper, and herbs.
Recipe for orzo pasta salad

 

Meet the author

Kristiana Allen

Risk Communication and Learning Specialist

Kristiana Allen is a risk communication and learning specialist with the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium’s Education and Engagement Team. She also is a member of the NOAA National Severe... Read more

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