Looking for Dry Mix books that aren't just AI slop

I was poking around Amazon for resources on canning when I found a book on dry mixes. It had things like biscuit mix and dehydrated soup mixes. I previewed it, and I was about to buy it when I noticed another book on the suggestions list with the same name and a different cover. A search for dry mix cookbooks revealed dozens of books about dry mixes with slightly different covers. My AI siren went off.

Do any of you have suggestions for a good, tried-and-true dry mix cookbook? I like the idea of having some jars of dehydrated meals on the shelf where I just have to add water for busy days.

Here is the original book that I found: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Easy-Pantry-Cookbook-Budget-Friendly/dp/B0GTHL6JXM/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.heTOafJpc03UnXQx09cc1WvGSIf1o_PaAIb95TkRNCJaqOTLE_WTpYF2rXdd2NAah0o9mgRCnQLx7XfxoHxaRle1zUGmJO2s5OiE1RR3R2rjQAmuoxw7lciEFSJwxKWQmsMOBMCT06enku5xFuONIYdM_HlsnWhK0h0Gd6Bgd_7uCLCYf0meMql5XHHOIPWDdzODr53x6oGqTRgNsAh6GyP2tX-oAtgcQmpdpEB6GLg.3y7eRJvwoQiZN3pJKLXB--JE2Vpq-si8754Aot_hsPI&qid=1781112427&sr=8-6-spons

I find the publishing date is helpful when sorting through amazon.  Anything published before 2022 usually has human authorship.

The library is also a good way to check books are good before buying.

Most of my ideas are about getting recipes free individually as that's how I've usually seen them.

You might also try:

checking places that sell dehydrated powders to see if they have recipes online

the Internet Archive's <a href="https://openlibrary.org/">Open Library</a>

prepper websites for online recipes

book publishers (like Random House, etc.) who would have vetted the content

The first and third suggestions might include some AI generated stuff, but at least you'd be able to see it and not have bought it. The second and fourth are more likely to not have AI generated stuff.

I’m sorry you are having that issue. It is getting so much harder to avoid.

What about making a thread here?

The gal over at Homemade Mess has a great dry mixes book: https://thehomemademess.myflodesk.com/homemade-pantry-guide/checkout

Are you looking for "meal in 1 jar" things, or a combo of "most of the ingredients in a jar" and some fresh?

When we used to travel with kids in a motor home, I would pre-mix all the dry ingredients for muffin recipes they liked. I'd tape to the lid, what extra ingredients needed to be added. It made it quick to do, and meant I didn't have to carry things like baking power with me.

I have tried some of the dry soup mixes, both commercial and "build it yourself". I find that the commercial ones too often mixed up ingredients that took vastly different times to cook. Again, I would look at recipes I know my family likes, and figure out how to combine ingredients such that I can add things in stages, but have those stages grouped together, pre-measured, and as efficient as possible.

I admit that the one book I looked at years ago, I decided that my family wouldn't want to eat most of the recipes, so there was no point.

As R Ranson says, I'd try your public library first. You may want to choose only a few recipes from each of the books on the topic, and it may be worth writing or typing them out.

This is one of my favourites for baking: Simple Mixes to Save the Day

The Australian website Simple Savings used to have a great recipe collection, including soup mixes Simple Savings which included the "Starving Woolworths" threads about making stuff from scratch to put the supermarkets out of business! It is a paid membership though.

As mJay suggested, I use my regular recipes leaving out wet ingredients or ingredients that need refrigeration.

Include the recipes with the dry mix.

One year I made dry soup mixes for Christmas gifts.

My in laws said they were really helpful on camping trips.

Elizabeth, I don't know at this point if I'd trust any book off Amazon anymore, considering how they seem to be getting 'pirated'.

As another poster mentioned, I usually look for mixes on a one-off basis-- I often find them at Spend with Pennies (bisquick mix, for example https://www.spendwithpennies.com/homemade-biscuit-mix/

Linda Zimnick wrote:The gal over at Homemade Mess has a great dry mixes book: https://thehomemademess.myflodesk.com/homemade-pantry-guide/checkout

The site is a bit unwieldy but you can check out some of the individual recipes-- like taco seasoning https://thehomemademess.com/taco-seasoning-recipe/ and baking mixes https://thehomemademess.com/category/baking-mixes/

There is an old series of books called Make-a-Mix, with loads of big batch recipes for pancake mix, cake mixes, seasoning mixes, etc. I believe they're all out of print now, but you might find them in resale shops, used book stores, on ebay, etsy, yard/ garage/tag sales, or even craigs list. I've found the seasonings flavors to be pretty mild, so I typically tweak them to our tastes, but they're pretty good, basic recipes.

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Mix-Cookery-Make-Mixes/dp/0895860074/ref=mp_s_a_1_2

https://www.amazon.com/More-Make-Cookery-Karine-Eliason/dp/0895860554/ref=mp_s_a_1_1

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Mix-Karine-Eliason-ebook/dp/B004ZY14HU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3

I have a book called Make Your Own Groceries that I used to use all of the time.  I just typed in that title and Thrift Books had it and numerouse ones along that line.

I have to agree with Make a Mix Cookery.  It has everything I ever needed to make a mix for.
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Mix-Cookery-Make-Mixes/dp/0895860074

The Thrifty Cook is from 1974 Edited by Nell B. Nichols.  It's at used book outlets and is from recipes from the Farm Journal.  Good section of basic mixes and recipes to use them.  Very old fashion and has budget friendly dishes my family would never eat, but I bought it for the mixes section.  Mom had one and we couldn't all inherit it.
More tasty modern recipes are in the Dehydrator Bible by Jennifer McKenzie, Jay Nutt, and Don Mercer.

When I first read this, it came to mind that this might be a subject common among preppers rather than permies.  When I did a quick search, bingo, there were a ton of potential recipies.  Here is a list from one site.
1. Chai Tea
2. Fruit & Spice Tea
3. Mulling Spices Mix
4. Russian Tea
5. Tropical Tea
6. Beef Vegetable Barley Soup Mix
7. Confetti Bean Soup
8. Hearty Bean Soup
9. Meat & Potatoes Casserole in a Jar
10. Onion Soup Mix
11. Palouse Soup Mix
12. Pasta Shell Soup
13. Scalloped Potatoes in a Jar
14. Split Pea Soup Mix
15. Beef Gravy Mix
16. Curried Rice Mix
17. Homemade Chicken Gravy
18. Sloppy Joe Mix
19. Taco Seasoning
20. Enchilada Sauce Mix
21. French Dressing
22. Italian Dressing
23. Buttermilk Pancake Mix
24. Carrot Raisin Bread in a Jar
25. Cinnamon Pancake Mix
26. Flaky Pie Crust Mix
27. Granola Mix
28. Instant Oatmeal (3 Kinds!)
29. Moist Pie Crust Mix
30. Pizza Crust Mix
31. Applesauce Cookie Mix
32. Candy Cookies in a jar
33. Caramel Nut Cake in a Jar
34. Carrot Cake Mix
35. Chocolate Cake in a Jar
36. Chocolate Covered Raisin Cookie Mix
37. Cocoa Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
38. Coconut Cream Pudding Mix
39. Coffee Mug Cakes (5 Kinds!)
40. Cornflake Cookie Mix
41. Cowboy Cookies
42. Cranberry HootyCreeks
43. Crazy Cake in a Jar
44. Dreamsicle Cookie Mix
45. Hawaiian Cookie Mix
46. M&M Oatmeal Bar Mix
47. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix
48. Oatmeal Scotchies
49. Orange Slice Cookie Mix
50. Pina Colada Cake in a Jar
51. Pumpkin Cake in a Jar
52. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Mix
53. Sandart Brownies
54. Sugar Cookies in a jar
55. Trail Mix Cookie Mix
56. Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
57. Vanilla Pudding Mix
58. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Mix
59. White Fruit Cake in a Jar
60. Zucchini Bread in a Jar

The URL to download a PDF of all 60 recipies is:https://seasonedcitizenprepper.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/60giftmixesjarrecipes.pdf

If other recipies are wanted, happy hunting in the prepper aisle.

Trail hiking and backpacking is another place to look for this sort of thing. I found this website quite interesting and worth checking out.

https://www.backpackingchef.com/backpacking-recipes.html

I have had the make a mix cookbook for so long the pages are falling out. My grand daughter can't believe people dressed like that!

I have adapted several of the recipes to use my freeze dried eggs. It's basicly a one to one ratio of water to egg.

I adjusted the cornbread and quick bread recipes to add dried milk and my freeze dried eggs

Some of the recipes have too much salt for me and some use cream of... Soup which I don't use. But the idea of batch cooked meat looks handy.

I have meals in a jar... Somewhere. I liked using it with my dehydrated foods.