Freezer Bag Alfredo Chicken
Alfredo and freeze-dried chicken over precooked couscous, steeped in an insulated bag. It's ready before your tent is.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 4.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 116
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 1 min
- water
- 250 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
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Couscous | 1/3 cup | precooked, just needs water |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried chicken | 1/2 cup | |
| Dried onion | 1 Tbsp | |
| Dry milk powder | 1 Tbsp | |
| Parmesan cheese | 1 Tbsp | shelf-stable or individual packets |
| Dry alfredo mix | 1 Tbsp | |
| Dried parsley | 1 tsp | |
| Dried garlic | 1/4 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 Tbsp | carried in a small dropper bottle |
Method
- Boil 250 ml of water.
- Pour the water and olive oil into a quart freezer bag with all the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is wet.
- Seal the bag tightly. Wrap it in an FBC cozy, insulated sleeve, or bundle it in spare clothing to insulate.
- Wait 15 minutes for the couscous to soften and the chicken to fully rehydrate.
- Stir well and eat straight from the bag or transfer to a bowl.
Couscous is already cooked when it leaves the factory, so it needs only water and time. Freeze-dried chicken rehydrates at the same rate, so everything finishes together in 15 minutes. Seal the bag well if storing longer than a couple of days; freeze-dried meat doesn’t tolerate air exposure.
Freezer bag cooking trades pot cleanup for a sealed plastic bag and a cozy. Pour hot water, seal, wrap it in your fleece or a dedicated insulator, and walk around your camp while it steeps. Eat straight from the bag or transfer to a bowl.
Packing
Mix all dry ingredients into a quart freezer bag at home and seal well, especially if storing longer than a week. Carry olive oil separately in a dropper bottle or sealed packet.
Variations
- For one-pot cooking, boil water with all the dry ingredients, stir, cover, and let sit 15 minutes insulated. This works when you're preparing other food too.
- Add a tablespoon of dehydrated broccoli or peas for vegetables.
- Swap the alfredo mix for chicken and herb seasoning for a different flavor profile.
- Use freeze-dried shrimp instead of chicken if you prefer seafood.
https://trailcooking.com/2022/07/06/fbc-meals-alfredo-chicken-pasta