Mountain Chicken Noodle Dinner
Freeze-dried chicken and noodles in a powdered cream sauce. Full meal from one pot and one boil.
- calories
- 750
- weight
- 4 oz
- cal / oz
- 188
- protein
- 35 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 22 min
- water
- 355 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
| Freeze-dried noodles | 1 cup | any shape, homemade or store-bought |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried chicken | ½ cup | |
| Freeze-dried peas | ½ cup | |
| Dried diced carrots | 1 Tbsp | |
| Sour cream powder | 1 Tbsp | |
| Butter powder | 1 Tbsp | |
| Chicken broth powder | 1 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 Tbsp | carried in a dropper bottle or pocket packet |
| Shelf-stable parmesan cheese | 1 Tbsp | powdered, not grated |
Method
- At camp, add 1½ cups water and olive oil to your pot.
- Bring to a boil over your stove.
- Add all the dry ingredients from the freezer bag and stir well.
- Remove from heat, cover tightly, and let sit for 15 minutes. Use a pot cozy in cold weather to speed rehydration.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and eat directly from the pot.
The powdered cream and butter are where this works. They rehydrate into enough of a sauce to coat the noodles instead of making soup, and the freeze-dried chicken carries real protein without weight. The peas and carrots add structure and the broth powder adds salt.
Fifteen minutes covered is not decorative. The powders need time to fully hydrate, and the noodles need the moisture to soften. In cold weather, a pot cozy or your sleeping bag speeds the rehydration. Skip the sit and you have crunchy noodles in thin broth.
Packing
Mix all dry ingredients—noodles, chicken, peas, carrots, and powders—into a quart freezer bag at home. Pack the olive oil in a small dropper bottle or pocket packet. The parmesan can go in a separate packet or tucked with the oil.
Variations
- Add a packet of dehydrated mushrooms for more depth and body.
- Use half the water for a drier, noodle-forward version.
- Substitute the sour cream and butter powder with 2 Tbsp powdered milk and ½ tsp lemon powder for a tangier sauce.
https://trailcooking.com/2025/03/18/new-recipe-creamy-chicken-with-vegetables