Beef and Gravy Potatoes
Instant mash, gravy powder, and dried beef. A hot dinner that needs one boil and no pot to scrub.
- calories
- 540
- weight
- 4 oz
- cal / oz
- 135
- protein
- 22 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 5 min
- total time
- 7 min
- water
- 400 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
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Winter / snow
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant mashed potato flakes | 4 cups | one standard box |
|---|---|---|
| Instant gravy mix | 2 packets | brown or country style |
| Butter Buds or butter powder | 1 small packet | |
| Dried beef | 2 small jars | chopped small at home; jerky works if you mince it |
| Water | about 400 ml per serving | check your potato and gravy boxes and write the number down |
Method
- At home, dice the beef and mix everything dry in one bag. Note the water amount on the outside of the bag.
- In camp, split the mix evenly between four bowls or freezer bags.
- Boil the water. Pour it over each portion a little at a time, stirring as you go.
- Let it stand a minute. The gravy powder needs that minute to thicken.
- If it seizes up, add a splash more hot water. If it is soup, add more flakes.
Dried beef is the whole reason this holds together on trail. It is salt-cured and shelf-stable, it rehydrates in the hot potato without any simmering, and it brings the protein that instant mash alone never will. Chop it fine at home. Big pieces stay leathery.
The gravy powder does more than flavor. It thickens the mix so a modest amount of water still turns into food you can eat with a spoon instead of drink. Butter powder replaces the fridge butter the home version would use, and it is where the fat comes from. Four servings out of one bag means one person carries dinner for the group.
Packing
One gallon bag holds the whole batch. Write the water volume on the bag in marker before you leave, because nobody remembers the ratio on day three.
Variations
- Swap the dried beef for a foil pouch of chicken or a summer sausage cut into coins.
- A spoon of olive oil per bowl pushes each serving past 700 calories.
- Dried onion flakes and black pepper in the mix cover for the flat taste of instant gravy.
https://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/recipe/trail_beef_potatos_and_gravy-197.asp