Salsa Potato Mash with Fajita Veggies
Instant potatoes cut with salsa and cheese, topped with rehydrated peppers, onion, and corn.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 19 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 17 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
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Instant mashed potato flakes | 3/4 cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Salsa powder or dried salsa mix | 2 tbsp | tomato powder plus chili powder also works |
| Sour cream powder | 2 tbsp | |
| Freeze-dried shredded cheese | 1/3 cup | jack or a Mexican blend |
| Dried onion slices | 2 tbsp | |
| Dried zucchini slices | 1/4 cup | |
| Dried mushroom slices | 1/4 cup | |
| Freeze-dried corn | 1/4 cup | |
| Fajita seasoning | 2 tsp | leave out any cornstarch |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Salt and pepper | to taste | |
| Dried cilantro | 1 tsp | optional |
Method
- Put the onion, zucchini, mushroom, corn, and fajita seasoning in the pot with 250 ml of water. Bring it to a boil, then hold a low simmer for about 8 minutes until the zucchini bends instead of snapping.
- Pour the veggies and whatever liquid is left into your mug or a bag. Do not rinse the pot.
- Boil another 350 ml in the same pot and take it off the heat.
- Stir in the salsa powder, sour cream powder, and cheese, then rain in the potato flakes until it stiffens up.
- Add the oil, salt, and pepper. Spoon the veggies back on top and scatter the cilantro.
The original is two baked russets, an hour in an oven, and a scoop of cold sour cream. None of that travels. Potato flakes get you the same starch in three minutes, and the salsa and sour cream go in as powders, which is where all the flavor of the original filling actually lived.
The veggies cook first because they need real simmer time and the potatoes need none. Reusing the pot without rinsing keeps the seasoning that stuck to the bottom, and the leftover veggie water thins the mash instead of going on the ground. Freeze-dried cheese melts into hot potato better than a hard cheese does, though a crumbled hunk of jack works if that is what you carry.
Packing
Two bags. One holds the potato flakes, salsa powder, sour cream powder, and cheese; the other holds the vegetables and fajita seasoning. Keeping them apart is what lets the veggies simmer without turning the whole pot into paste.
Variations
- A foil packet of chicken or a scoop of TVP in the veggie step adds 15-20 g of protein.
- Dried bell pepper in place of the mushrooms gets it closer to a real fajita plate.
- Swap the sour cream powder for powdered coconut milk to make it dairy-free, and drop the cheese.
https://ohmyveggies.com/twice-baked-salsa-potatoes-with-fajita-veggies