Final Thoughts and Recipes

Final Thoughts and Recipes - All and all I think this was an incredible learning opportunity that turned out excellent. Being that this was my first time making these homemade dried meals I still think it was a resounding success

As much as I would like to think I made this all up myself, I stand on the shoulders of giants.

I found a lot of ideas and inspiration from a number of websites, including The Yummy Life, Wild Backpacker, and Trail Recipes.

Below I’ve listed a few of the recipes I used. Note that these are single serving recipes meant for a hot meal after a long day of hiking. Adjust ingredients as necessary.

Combine all dry ingredients into a ziplock or similar plastic bag. When on the trail simply boil the appropriate amount of water and add to bag. Stir thoroughly and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then enjoy. Alternatively, you can add the contents of the meal to your stove and boiling water if that works better for your setup.

Fiesta Chicken

Fiesta Chicken - Images by Google

• 2/3 cup instant brown rice
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1/3 cup freeze dried chopped chicken
• 1/2 cup freeze dried corn
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried minced jalapeno
• 1 tablespoon freeze dried onions (or 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered chicken flavor base (or boullion granules)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican preferred)
• 1/2 teaspoon freeze dried cilantro (or 1/8 teaspoon dried)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1-1/2 cups water

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Creamy Chicken Alfredo -  Images by Google

• 1 cup pasta broken in 2”pieces (use pasta that normally cooks on stovetop in 4 min. or less—thin egg noodles, angel hair pasta, or quick-cooking artisan pastas)*
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped chicken
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped mushrooms
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered chicken flavor base (or boullion granules)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (the dried, unrefrigerated kind in a can)
• 2 tablespoons instant dried buttermilk powder (or regular powdered milk)
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 teaspoons freeze dried Italian herb blend (or 3/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1-1/4 cups water

Thai Peanut Noodles

Peanut Noodles - Image by Google

• 1 cup pasta broken in 2”pieces (use pasta that normally cooks on stovetop in 4 min. or less—thin egg noodles, angel hair pasta, or quick-cooking artisan pastas)*
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped chicken
• ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
• ¼ cup freeze dried mixed vegetables
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered chicken flavor base (or boullion granules)
• 2 tablespoons PB2 powdered peanut butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons freeze dried cilantro (or ½ teaspoon dried cilantro)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• pinch of ground cayenne pepper (or more if you want it spicier)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Article by Thomas Freeman