Thanks for all the ideas gentlemen, exactly what I was looking for!
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Simple Meal Ideas
- Thread starter devils son in law
- Start date
This old post just popped on the MSR blog. And has links to similar info.
www.msrgear.com
Homemade Backpacking Meals, Just Add Water | Summit Register
Learn the basics of homemade backpacking meals you can make by combining a boiling water with ingredients from the local grocery store.
www.msrgear.com
Ziplock freezer weight bags will hold up to boiling water. I double bag mine. Put in an insulting coozy to rehydrate, the bag will be very hot, and shoujld keep it hot enough for 30 minutes or so, enough to rehydrate most properly dehydrated foods. I like to carefully open and check for enough moisture at about 10 minutes.
No, I think it's Auguste Escoffier's. He wasn't big on cheese, more a butter guy.
I like “Pasta Roni” angle hair pasta dinners. I repackage them from the bulky box to a zip lock, and cut any cooking directions from the box and toss that in.
Knorr sides.
Idahoan instant potatoes or hash browns are another easy meal, those instant potatoes come in many different flavors A great fast pick me up on a cold rainy day (with a pot of tea). Memories...
Fish, ready mix pancakes with real maple syrup, pre cooked bacon and venison jerky round out my meals.
Not a fan of freeze dried or gorp.
Knorr sides.
Idahoan instant potatoes or hash browns are another easy meal, those instant potatoes come in many different flavors A great fast pick me up on a cold rainy day (with a pot of tea). Memories...
Fish, ready mix pancakes with real maple syrup, pre cooked bacon and venison jerky round out my meals.
Not a fan of freeze dried or gorp.
If you can carry eggs without issues then a couple of those cracked into a fry pan is as easy as it gets. If you want to complicate the morning then you can turn 'em into an omelette. Next up is porridge. I like an oat mixture of both flakes and steel cut. No milk, no sugar, just a handful of dried fruit. Maybe a sticky splash of some of that maple syrup we've been saving for our pancake morning. Oh pancakes!
The only gorp I'll go for is my own nuts n dried fruit mix, snacked on sparingly. No candy no thanks. A hot soup from a Thermos is great at midday. Dehydrating soup is easy at home. My favourite simple camp supper is chili con carne, vegetarian or otherwise. Also an easy dehydrated recipe. There are as many recipes as there are campers.
The only gorp I'll go for is my own nuts n dried fruit mix, snacked on sparingly. No candy no thanks. A hot soup from a Thermos is great at midday. Dehydrating soup is easy at home. My favourite simple camp supper is chili con carne, vegetarian or otherwise. Also an easy dehydrated recipe. There are as many recipes as there are campers.
We have a couple easy meals from the supermarket we like.
Annie's mac and cheese with a can or two of lump crab meat stirred in.
Zatarain's red or black beans and rice with a can of chicken added. We usually bring flour tortillas which pack well and seem to last forever, so burritos are an option. If we have eggs (usually) breakfast burritos are better with any beans and rice leftovers.
We almost always pack fresh peppers and onions which keep well and make everything better.
Annie's mac and cheese with a can or two of lump crab meat stirred in.
Zatarain's red or black beans and rice with a can of chicken added. We usually bring flour tortillas which pack well and seem to last forever, so burritos are an option. If we have eggs (usually) breakfast burritos are better with any beans and rice leftovers.
We almost always pack fresh peppers and onions which keep well and make everything better.
I get carried away with soup making in the winter. Fill the freezer with all types. Take a couple out, thaw them and simmer on the stove to thicken, then load up the dehydrator.
It helps if they're not too chunky. They can also be adjusted for carbs, protein. An immersion blender is your kitchen friend for making soups.
In camp all you need to do is empty dry soup mix into wide mouth Thermos, add boiling water and screw on the lid. Don't forget the spoons, cups and crackers.
I say yes to the tea!!! We have Thermoses strictly for tea.
If you're into the Knorr sides, I like their Spanish rice side, which I pair with a can of black beans, drained, rinsed, and put into a plastic bag before the trip. The meal is hearty and tasty - can be eaten in flour tortillas as a burrito or staight from the pot. One package rice + 1 can beans = hefty meal for two ppl. Throw in summer sausage or similar to add interest/fat calories. No idea how long black beans last in a ziplock like that - I've only done this on 3 day trips or where I had cooler with ice. In cooler weather I'm sure it's less of an issue.
I've also done couscous paired with pre-packaged Indian dishes - curry, palak paneer, dal, etc, available from my local Indian grocery, Trader Joes, and elsewhere. I like that the couscous doesn't require simmering, just bring water to a boil and let sit. But you do have to reheat the pouch meals, and the combo is pretty heavy, so I use this on trips where weight is less of an issue.
My fastest ever dinner was when we decided to go on a one-nighter with about an hour's notice. I went to Subway and got a footlong sub. My friend, a back-country gourmet, was incensed. But my dinner was ready loooooong before his.
I've also done couscous paired with pre-packaged Indian dishes - curry, palak paneer, dal, etc, available from my local Indian grocery, Trader Joes, and elsewhere. I like that the couscous doesn't require simmering, just bring water to a boil and let sit. But you do have to reheat the pouch meals, and the combo is pretty heavy, so I use this on trips where weight is less of an issue.
My fastest ever dinner was when we decided to go on a one-nighter with about an hour's notice. I went to Subway and got a footlong sub. My friend, a back-country gourmet, was incensed. But my dinner was ready loooooong before his.
I, too, like the spanish rice.If you're into the Knorr sides, I like their Spanish rice side, which I pair with a can of black beans, drained, rinsed, and put into a plastic bag before the trip. The meal is hearty and tasty - can be eaten in flour tortillas as a burrito or staight from the pot. One package rice + 1 can beans = hefty meal for two ppl. Throw in summer sausage or similar to add interest/fat calories. No idea how long black beans last in a ziplock like that - I've only done this on 3 day trips or where I had cooler with ice. In cooler weather I'm sure it's less of an issue.
I've also done couscous paired with pre-packaged Indian dishes - curry, palak paneer, dal, etc, available from my local Indian grocery, Trader Joes, and elsewhere. I like that the couscous doesn't require simmering, just bring water to a boil and let sit. But you do have to reheat the pouch meals, and the combo is pretty heavy, so I use this on trips where weight is less of an issue.
My fastest ever dinner was when we decided to go on a one-nighter with about an hour's notice. I went to Subway and got a footlong sub. My friend, a back-country gourmet, was incensed. But my dinner was ready loooooong before his.
The black beans, also a fantastic addition. As far as "keep time length", I cannot say. However I can report that canned black beans dehydrate to a minimal weight and rehydrate easily.
Friends of the BWCA put out a post on simple meals the other day.
www.friends-bwca.org
Boundary Waters (BWCA) Meal Plans & Food Ideas
A complete guide to eating and cooking in camp, drinking and preparing delicious meals on your next canoe trip.
www.friends-bwca.org
I take steak on almost every trip. I would freeze them first and they would usually be thawed for the second night's dinner. On one trip blood leaked out and caused a mess in the food pack. Ever since I have never taken any raw meat again. I still take steak, but I cook them first and then freeze them. If you use a high fat content steak like a rib and don't overcook it before you freeze it will be as good ever. I also take sausage, usually smoked, but if it was fresh I would cook it first too.
Great idea! I'm going to use it as one of my meals this summer.
In summer a big salad with some cooked beef on it. Add quality cheese, artichoke hearts, sunflower seeds, sweetened pecans, dried cranberries, whatever else you like. Bring some really good salad dressing.
Bob's Red Mill brand has potato flakes that are just potatoes with no additives. I like those reconstituted with boiling water, a little powdered milk and bacon bits and sharp cheddar cheese mixed in.
Lots of good ideas here that I will try.
A couple of things that I have found:
I used to dehydrate ground beef to use as a base for many dishes but since I discovered Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) I have stopped using hamburger. TVP is available at Bulk Barn stores in Canada and via various on-line sources. TVP has a similar texture to dehydrated hamburger, has almost no flavour and has a similar protein content to hamburger. It weighs almost nothing. I use it to replace ground beef in many meals and add a bullion packet and other spices to give it flavour. It rehydrates quickly by adding 7/8 cup of boiling water to 1 cup TVP or I just put it in the pot with the other ingredients.
To speed up meal preparation, if you can find "express" pasta, it requires 1 cup water to 1 cup pasta and the water gets absorbed so no draining required. Also, you don't have to heat large amounts of water and then drain. Since I had trouble finding the "express" type pasta at local stores, I started cooking pasta (usually macaroni) and then draining and then dehydrating it. I can add the pasta, an equal amount of water and other ingredients with their appropriate amount of water in one pot. It really speeds up meal preparation.
If you like soup, try blending lentils (or other beans, etc.) into a powder. Put the powder and spices, dried onions, etc. in a bag then, at camp, add boiling water and you have "almost instant" soup.
Not quite on topic, but if anyone is interested, I have some dehydrated salad recipes that I got from Backpacker Magazine many years ago.
A couple of things that I have found:
I used to dehydrate ground beef to use as a base for many dishes but since I discovered Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) I have stopped using hamburger. TVP is available at Bulk Barn stores in Canada and via various on-line sources. TVP has a similar texture to dehydrated hamburger, has almost no flavour and has a similar protein content to hamburger. It weighs almost nothing. I use it to replace ground beef in many meals and add a bullion packet and other spices to give it flavour. It rehydrates quickly by adding 7/8 cup of boiling water to 1 cup TVP or I just put it in the pot with the other ingredients.
To speed up meal preparation, if you can find "express" pasta, it requires 1 cup water to 1 cup pasta and the water gets absorbed so no draining required. Also, you don't have to heat large amounts of water and then drain. Since I had trouble finding the "express" type pasta at local stores, I started cooking pasta (usually macaroni) and then draining and then dehydrating it. I can add the pasta, an equal amount of water and other ingredients with their appropriate amount of water in one pot. It really speeds up meal preparation.
If you like soup, try blending lentils (or other beans, etc.) into a powder. Put the powder and spices, dried onions, etc. in a bag then, at camp, add boiling water and you have "almost instant" soup.
Not quite on topic, but if anyone is interested, I have some dehydrated salad recipes that I got from Backpacker Magazine many years ago.
We sometimes use the sub idea for a quick lunch on day 1 and for supper day 1 if starting later in the day.If you're into the Knorr sides, I like their Spanish rice side, which I pair with a can of black beans, drained, rinsed, and put into a plastic bag before the trip. The meal is hearty and tasty - can be eaten in flour tortillas as a burrito or staight from the pot. One package rice + 1 can beans = hefty meal for two ppl. Throw in summer sausage or similar to add interest/fat calories. No idea how long black beans last in a ziplock like that - I've only done this on 3 day trips or where I had cooler with ice. In cooler weather I'm sure it's less of an issue.
I've also done couscous paired with pre-packaged Indian dishes - curry, palak paneer, dal, etc, available from my local Indian grocery, Trader Joes, and elsewhere. I like that the couscous doesn't require simmering, just bring water to a boil and let sit. But you do have to reheat the pouch meals, and the combo is pretty heavy, so I use this on trips where weight is less of an issue.
My fastest ever dinner was when we decided to go on a one-nighter with about an hour's notice. I went to Subway and got a footlong sub. My friend, a back-country gourmet, was incensed. But my dinner was ready loooooong before his.
