Camp Hamburger and Rice
Freeze-dried meat and instant rice cooked with boiling water and a dash of vegetable soup mix. High protein, no fussing, done in 15 minutes.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 6.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 111
- protein
- 45 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- 500 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
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant rice | 1 cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried hamburger | 1/2 cup | |
| Freeze-dried peas | 1/2 cup | |
| Vegetable soup mix | 1 Tbsp | such as Knorr |
| Shelf-stable Parmesan cheese | 2 Tbsp | |
| Olive oil or vegetable oil | 1 Tbsp | carried in a dropper bottle or packet |
Method
- Boil 2 cups of water and add the oil.
- Dump in the rice, hamburger, peas, and soup mix. Stir well.
- Cover and kill the heat. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Stir and eat straight from the pot.
Freeze-dried meat and vegetables weigh almost nothing and rehydrate in minutes. The instant rice is the real trick: it swells to bind everything together and turn watery ingredients into an actual meal. The vegetable soup mix pulls its weight on salt and flavor, replacing the aromatics you can’t carry.
Fifteen minutes of sitting is all the cooking this needs. No watching the pot or adjusting heat. The freeze-dried meat carries 25 grams of protein in a half-cup, same as a real hamburger patty but worth less than an ounce.
Packing
Mix the dry ingredients—rice, hamburger, peas, soup mix, and cheese—into a quart freezer bag at home. The oil rides separately. You are pouring one premixed bag, not measuring five ingredients in camp.
Variations
- Use the freezer-bag method instead: pour the bag contents into an insulated cozy or thick stuff sack and add boiling water directly. No pot needed.
- Add a pinch of garlic powder or a packet of hot sauce to the dry mix.
- Double the freeze-dried peas if you prefer vegetables to protein.
https://trailcooking.com/2022/08/22/fbc-meals-hamburger-casserole