Instant Beef Pilaf
Freeze-dried beef and instant rice that rehydrate in fifteen minutes. Lightweight, shelf-stable, and easy on a touchy high-altitude stomach.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 119
- protein
- 28 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 2 min
- water
- 300 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
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant rice | 3/4 cup | quick-cook white rice |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried hamburger | 6 Tbsp | |
| Freeze-dried peas | 1 Tbsp | |
| Freeze-dried corn | 1 Tbsp | |
| Dried onion | 1 Tbsp | minced or flakes |
| Vegetable soup mix | 2 Tbsp | such as Knorr |
| Oil | 1 Tbsp | carried in a dropper bottle |
Method
- Bring 300 ml of water and 1 tablespoon of oil to a boil in a pot.
- Add all dry ingredients and stir well to distribute them evenly.
- Cover, turn off the heat, and let sit for 15 minutes. Wrap the pot in a cozy if the air is cold.
- Stir once more. The freeze-dried vegetables will have plumped back up and the rice will be tender.
Freeze-dried ingredients pack calories without weight and rehydrate in minutes once hot water hits them. The beef and vegetables plump back up almost completely, and the rice carries the whole thing. Vegetable soup mix does the seasoning work, so you don’t have to measure salt, bouillon, and spices separately in low light.
The pot cozy is optional but worth the space for high mountains or cold weather. Wrapped in insulation, the water stays hot enough to finish rehydration without any fuel burned after the boil. This meal sits well at altitude where appetite is uncertain and comes together in the time it takes to set camp.
Packing
Mix the instant rice, freeze-dried beef, peas, corn, dried onion, and vegetable soup mix in a quart bag at home so camp prep is one pour. Carry oil in a small dropper bottle. For trips longer than a week, use a vacuum-seal bag to keep the freeze-dried meat from degrading.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of garlic powder or Italian seasoning to the dry mix before packing.
- Stir in additional freeze-dried mushrooms or spinach for more vegetable variety.
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast if you're carrying it.
- Mix in instant potato flakes to make it thicker and add calories.
https://trailcooking.com/2022/07/26/fbc-meals-veggie-beef-rice-casserole