Instant Mashed Potatoes with Onion and Herbs
Milk powder and dried onion turn a plain box of flakes into an actual side dish.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 3.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 94
- protein
- 8 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 5 min
- total time
- 7 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
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Winter / snow
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant mashed potato flakes | 1 cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Powdered whole milk | 3 tbsp | replaces the boxed milk, which is heavy and needs cold |
| Dried minced onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Italian seasoning | 1 tbsp | a full tablespoon is not a typo |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | most flakes are undersalted |
| Olive oil or butter powder | 1 tbsp | optional, but it is where the calories are |
Method
- Bring 250 ml of water to a boil in the pot.
- Stir in the dried onion, Italian seasoning, and salt. Hold it at a simmer for a minute so the onion rehydrates and the herbs open up.
- Pull the pot off the stove. Whisk in the milk powder with a spoon until no lumps float.
- Add the potato flakes all at once and stir. Cover and leave it alone for three minutes.
- Fluff with the spoon, stir in the oil, and eat straight from the pot.
The original called for half a cup of boxed milk, which means carrying liquid. Powdered whole milk does the same job dry: it goes in with the boiling water and rehydrates on the spot, so the pot weight is water you were carrying anyway.
Simmering the onion flakes before the potatoes go in is the part worth keeping. Dried onion dropped into finished mash stays crunchy and tastes like nothing. Given a minute in boiling water it softens and gives up flavor. Add the flakes off the heat, or the starch scorches on the pot bottom and you are scrubbing in the dark.
Packing
Flakes, milk powder, onion, seasoning, and salt go in one bag at home. Oil rides in a dropper bottle so a leak stays in one pocket.
Variations
- A foil packet of chicken or a handful of crumbled bacon bits makes it dinner instead of a side.
- Swap the Italian seasoning for garlic powder and black pepper if the herbs feel loud.
https://camprecipes.com/classic-recipes/mashed-potatoes-that-are-good