Creamy Chicken Noodle, Trail Version
Freeze-dried chicken, egg noodles, and enough powdered fat to make the broth thick.
- calories
- 780
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 142
- protein
- 42 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 12 min
- water
- 600 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
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Car camping
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Wide egg noodles | 1 1/2 cups dry | the thin ones cook faster |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried shredded chicken | 1.5 oz | rehydrates in the pot, no cooking needed |
| Chicken bouillon powder | 2 tsp | stands in for the boxed bone broth |
| Instant mashed potato flakes | 3 tbsp | thickener, replaces the flour roux |
| Whole milk powder | 3 tbsp | |
| Grated parmesan | 2 tbsp | the hard dry kind in the shaker, not fresh |
| Dried mixed vegetables | 1/4 cup | carrot, celery, onion |
| Dried sage, thyme, and parsley | 1/2 tsp total | |
| Garlic powder | 1/4 tsp | |
| Olive oil or ghee | 1 tbsp | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Boil 600 ml of water. Add the dried vegetables, chicken, bouillon, and herbs. Simmer five minutes so the vegetables get a head start.
- Add the noodles. Simmer another five, stirring often so nothing welds to the bottom.
- Cut the heat. Stir in the milk powder and parmesan while the pot is still hot but not boiling.
- Sprinkle in the potato flakes a pinch at a time until the broth coats the spoon. Stir in the oil, salt, and pepper.
- Lid on for two minutes, then eat.
The home version leans on a butter-and-flour roux, heavy cream, and a fridge full of fresh vegetables. None of that packs. Potato flakes do the same thickening job without needing to be cooked out, and whole milk powder plus parmesan carries the richness that cream was providing. Freeze-dried chicken replaces the rotisserie bird and rehydrates in the same water the noodles cook in.
Order matters more than technique. Vegetables and chicken need the longest soak, noodles go in second, and the dairy powders go in last with the pot off the burner or they turn grainy and stick. Add the potato flakes gradually. Too many at once and you are eating chicken noodle paste.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one bag except the milk powder and parmesan, which ride in a small separate bag. Boiling dairy powder makes it grainy, so keeping it out of the main bag is a reminder as much as a precaution.
Variations
- Cold-weather version: double the oil and use a full 1/4 cup of potato flakes for a near-stew.
- Swap in a foil pouch of chicken if freeze-dried is out of budget. Add it at the end, off heat.
- Broken ramen or thin pasta works if egg noodles are hard to portion.
https://mealswithmaria.site/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup