Creamy Beef and Rice
Freeze-dried beef stirred into rice with a creamy sauce.
- calories
- 700
- weight
- 6.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 108
- protein
- 50 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 18 min
- total time
- 20 min
- water
- 1250 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
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant rice | 1 cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried beef | ½ cup | or substitute freeze-dried chicken |
| Sour cream powder | ¼ cup | this is what creates the sauce |
| Dried onion | 1 Tbsp | |
| Beef broth powder | 1 tsp | low-sodium if you can find it |
| Olive oil | 1 Tbsp | carry in a small bottle or packet |
Method
- In a pot, bring 1¼ cups of water and the olive oil to a boil.
- Add all the dry ingredients: rice, beef, sour cream powder, onion, and broth powder.
- Stir well to break up lumps and separate the ingredients.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- The rice absorbs the liquid and the sour cream powder dissolves into a creamy sauce. Stir once more before serving.
Freeze-dried beef is dense with protein and light to carry. Sour cream powder does the real work—it dissolves into the broth and turns plain rice into something with body and richness, without the weight or fridge requirements of actual sour cream.
Fifteen minutes of sitting time means you’re not hovering over a stove. Wrap the pot in a cozy if you’re at altitude or in cold weather, or just use your rain jacket. The rice absorbs the liquid passively while the sauce builds itself.
Packing
Mix the dry ingredients into a quart freezer bag at home. The oil packet goes in separately or in a small bottle. At camp, you're adding one bag of ingredients, not measuring five things.
Variations
- Swap the beef for freeze-dried chicken or pork.
- Add ¼ cup of dehydrated mushrooms for a richer stroganoff flavor.
- A pinch of paprika stirred in at the end makes a difference.
https://trailcooking.com/2025/02/14/new-recipe-creamy-beef-with-rice