Alfredo Mashers
Instant potatoes, powdered milk, and green-can parmesan. One cup of water and a spoon.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 4.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 138
- protein
- 14 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 3 min
- total time
- 5 min
- water
- 240 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Winter / snow
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant mashed potato flakes | 3/4 cup | plain, not a seasoned side dish |
|---|---|---|
| Dry milk powder | 2 tbsp | |
| Shelf-stable grated parmesan | 2 tbsp | the green can kind, no refrigeration |
| Dry alfredo sauce mix | 1 tbsp | check the label if you need it gluten-free |
| Granulated garlic | 1/4 tsp | |
| Ground black pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | one packet, or a dropper bottle |
Method
- Bring 240 ml of water to a boil with the olive oil in it.
- Pull the pot off the stove.
- Add the dry mix and stir hard until there are no dry pockets left.
- Wait two minutes. It thickens as it sits, and it is hot enough to burn your mouth right away.
Instant potatoes are the fastest hot dinner in a pack, but plain flakes and water make paste. The dry milk and parmesan give it fat and body, and the alfredo mix supplies the starch and salt that make it read as a sauce rather than a filler. The oil matters more than it looks: without it this comes in under 400 calories, which is not a dinner after a long day.
All of it is shelf-stable by design. Dry milk stands in for cream, the canned parmesan does not need a cooler, and everything but the oil packs into one bag. Add the oil to the water before boiling so it disperses instead of pooling on top.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one quart freezer bag at home. The oil rides separately in a packet or dropper bottle. The bag also works as the cooking vessel: pour the water in, seal it, and let it sit in a cozy ten minutes instead of using a pot.
Variations
- Stir in a 5 oz pop-top can or 7 oz pouch of chicken, broth and all, with the water. Adds about 30 g of protein and roughly 7 oz to your pack weight.
- A handful of dried mushrooms or diced dried onion, added to the boiling water for a minute before the potatoes go in.
- Crushed fried onions on top if you have the space.
https://trailcooking.com/2019/01/24/three-trail-ready-recipes