Chicken and Vegetable Pilaf
Instant rice with dehydrated mushrooms, tomatoes, and freeze-dried chicken. Add boiling water, cover, wait.
- calories
- 700
- weight
- 6.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 108
- protein
- 42 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 16 min
- water
- 415 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
- Gluten free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant rice | 1 cup | white or brown |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried chicken | ½ cup | diced or chunk style |
| Dehydrated mushrooms | 2 Tbsp | crumbled fine |
| Freeze-dried tomatoes | 2 Tbsp | crushed |
| Butter powder | 1 Tbsp | |
| Dried milk powder | 1 Tbsp | |
| Shelf-stable Parmesan | 4 tsp | finely grated |
| Granulated onion | 1 tsp | |
| Granulated garlic | 1 tsp | |
| Dried parsley | 1 tsp | |
| Ground black pepper | ¼ tsp | |
| Vinegar packet | 1 | optional; deli packets are free for the asking |
Method
- Boil 1¾ cups water in your pot.
- Add all the dry ingredients and stir well.
- Add the vinegar packet if you're using one.
- Cover the pot and remove from heat.
- Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Stir and eat.
Instant rice is the vehicle. Dehydrated mushrooms and tomatoes add umami and depth, while butter powder and Parmesan deliver fat—the ingredient doing the real work of making this taste like dinner. Freeze-dried chicken is lightweight protein that needs no refrigeration. Everything mixes dry at home and travels weightless until you need it.
Fifteen minutes of passive steeping does the actual cooking. The mushrooms soften, the rice absorbs liquid, the chicken rehydrates, and all the flavors meld together. The vinegar is optional but worth finding—a deli packet adds tartness that cuts through the richness without adding weight. In cool weather or at high altitude, wrap the pot in your fleece to keep everything hot while it steeps.
Packing
Mix all dry ingredients into a quart freezer bag at home. Tuck the vinegar packet into a side pocket so it stays separate.
Variations
- If using canned or pouched chicken, reduce water to 1¼ cups.
- Add instant mashed potato flakes for more body.
- A teaspoon of instant miso paste brightens the whole dish.
- In cold weather or at altitude, wrap the pot in a fleece or emergency blanket to keep heat while steeping.
https://trailcooking.com/2023/11/15/new-fbc-recipe-chicken-and-vegetable-rice