Southwestern Corn Skillet
Freeze-dried corn, peppers, and onion cooked back to life with oil and chile flake.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 2.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 132
- protein
- 7 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 3 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 13 min
- water
- 350 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
- Lunch
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried sweet corn | 1 1/2 cups | stands in for 4 ears or a pound of frozen |
|---|---|---|
| Dried diced bell pepper | 1/4 cup | |
| Dried diced onion | 3 tbsp | |
| Granulated garlic | 1 tsp | or 4 cloves worth of dried minced |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Red pepper flakes | 1/4 tsp | more if you want it to bite |
| Instant refried bean flakes | 1/3 cup | optional, turns the side into a meal |
Method
- Pour the corn, pepper, and onion into the pot with 350 ml of water. Let it sit off the heat for five minutes so the vegetables start drinking.
- Bring it to a simmer and hold it there three or four minutes, stirring so nothing scorches on the thin spot in the pot.
- Cut the heat once the corn is plump and most of the water is gone. There should be a little left, not a broth.
- Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, and chile flakes, then the oil last so it coats instead of frying off.
- If you're using the bean flakes, add them now and stir until it goes thick. Eat straight from the pot.
The original is a skillet side built on fresh corn, onion, and pepper, which is three refrigerated items and a saute pan you’re not carrying. Freeze-dried corn is the piece that makes this work on trail: it rehydrates in minutes and keeps enough sweetness to play against the chile flake and salt. Dried onion and pepper never fully return to crisp, but they don’t need to here.
The presoak matters more than the simmer. Dropping everything into boiling water cooks the outside of the corn before the middle takes on any water, and you end up chewing. Cold soak first, then heat. The oil goes in off the flame because it’s the only fat in the pot and you want it carrying spice, not smoking.
Packing
All the dry vegetables and spices go in one bag at home. Bean flakes ride in a second bag so you can decide side-dish or dinner at camp. Oil stays in a bottle in a side pocket.
Variations
- Wrap it in tortillas with a foil packet of chicken for camp tacos.
- A squeeze of lime powder or a packet of hot sauce at the end wakes it up.
- Swap half the corn for freeze-dried black beans if you want the protein without the bean flakes.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/weekly-menu-yummy-recipe-southwestern-corn