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This year since I was truck camping for the first time in a couple years, I decided to try something new. I saw folks talking about freezing meals then warming them up in the bag using boiling water.
So I decided to start with leftovers from some meals in August then made a couple meals on purpose just to bag and freeze. I had some elk spaghetti, some lentil soup with elk burger, and some pork chops with stovetop.
What I hate the most about elk hunting is racing back to camp to make dinner and wind down knowing the clock is against you and the longer you take the less sleep you will get before the alarm goes off the next morning. Anything to speed up that process, remove the need to do dishes, and still have a decent meal (not MH) was all thumbs up for me.
I was very pleased. I did get a bit concerned by day 5 when most of the meals had mostly thawed. Even on ice I was concerned they might start to go bad once they thawed. The spaghetti was my fav. The lentil soup made me gassy as I have ever been.....funny but annoying as well. The pork chops and stovetop worked out great too although it did require a disposable plate as cutting and eating it out of the bag was a non-starter for me. The others I just cut the top off the bag and dug in.
I will definitely be doing this again on my next truck camp excursion. Maybe I'll just eat spaghetti all week. LOL
Boil your Spaghetti with Lentil soup,Then you'll have a rip-roaring good time!Ha!,Ha!
Lentil soup with a heavy dose of vanilla and you will have your own personal nose jammer!
Anything that reheats well, a small stove, heaven! And consider using a 'double boiler' method if you're worried about burning your meals. Them small stoves can be tricky.
Cooked food will keep a long, long time.
TCS food is considered "safe" up to 7 days at or below 41 degrees F
Try bbq chicken with mashed potatoes. Elk chili and add cheese onions and crackers, num num.. Do a couple practice.runs to make sure u don't overcook. It's ok if they thaw out. They are still goooood.
We just invited two old dudes with us who are just trout fishing and will have dinner on the table when we get back to camp. If this works it could be the best meal plan ever.
Joe, that's brilliant! ;-) Back when we had a 'real' deer camp up in VT I loved cooking for the guys. (Made dam' sure *they* did the dishes ;-) ) Nowadays we still get together during gun season and I make a big pot of spaghetti sauce, plus chicken and garlic bread etc. We usually skip the afternoon hunt that day ...
bunch of funny sorkers around here eh? ;)
Portable BBQ is gold. I find it takes me a solid 15 minutes or so to reheat in boiling water like that. Almost any pork chops, chicken drumsticks, steak, smokies, pizza, perogies etc can be done in 10-20 minutes on a bbq as well.
My first elk hunt in '08, I reheated chili beans w/ground beef for at least 10 days. My gut has never been the same.
We would take spaghetti & meatballs, chicken & potatoes, chili, etc. and freeze in one gallon freezer bag laid flat. (serves 4+) We used a roaster pan on a Coleman 2 burner stove, laid in freezer bag, used a stick to keep the opening of bag out of the water and placed al foil over the pan. In 15-20 min we could just serve from the bag to paper plates or bowls and have minimum clean up. Easy.
Tri Tip chili, BBQ chicken and mashed potatoes are my favorites. I just start heatin the water when I get back to camp, throw on your food and you are eatin in 15 minutes. I haven't eatin a mountain house since I learned that on Bowsite. No fart bombs. (I shouldn't say none)
Camp food at home, on a kids plate, lol.
Camp food at home, on a kids plate, lol.
Call me simple but on my last elk hunt this is what I ate for 9 days. Tiny propane grill for cooking burgers. Some diversity would be nice though.
Fisherick- x2. It’s almost like you’ve ate at our camp!!! Man I hate dishes and cookin after an elk day!!! Zatarans jumbalaya with ring bologna or andouille sausage and shrimp is a good one and I made bags of premade burritos which were a big hit. After your make the burritos brown them in a pan a bit before freezing keeps them from getting mushy
I’ve given up on any kind of meal planning. I just buy a bunch of Mountain House and eat that. Just about everything tastes good and nothing is faster.
The only variable is, baloney sandwich, Pepsi and an apple. Depending on where I’m at and what’s going on I like to get to the truck around noon, shoot my bow a little while munching the above and then head back out.
Jordan, next time, buy boneless pork chops, basically the loin without the bone, same cut as bone-in chops, and cut them up after they cooked. Then portion out the stove top and place whatever serving size of pork you want in with it. No knife or plate needed. I meal prep for work every week, and I do not want to bring a plate or have to cut. Just reheat and eat.
I'm in the same boat....I just got one of these non stick Skillets you see on TV got mine at Costco non stick one's in the past were not so non stick this one is is AMAZING....will bring the small one with me truck camping use it to heat...eat right out of it...and wipe with paper towel....repeat
I bring a BBQ
Smells great mid-day Q'ing
Good luck, Robb
Plenty of Room for a small group to eat
Plenty of Room for a small group to eat
Or just for me for a day or two of leftover C-Breast's
Or just for me for a day or two of leftover C-Breast's
even though weight and space is not generally a problem, I still like to use freeze dried foods for my hunting trips, it really does eliminate a few problems, #1 refrigeration, and space and weight. the variety we have is really very good. and it tastes good. clean up is a snap and water the the only thing to pack, a 5 gallon jug is plenty for an extended stay. just food for thought.
" I still like to use freeze dried foods for my hunting trips, it really does eliminate a few problems"
I'm with you here, Steve. One of my main reasons...I'm usually out and about from pre-dawn, until after dark. If I want to get any decent amount of sleep, dinner and cleanup needs to be quick, and easy.
We bring frozen meals but like to eat our "big meal" at lunch, assuming we come back to camp mid-day. Everything is pre-cooked even brats as they are easier to reheat than cook.
The big staple for our camp is I always smoke a brisket and bring it sliced and frozen in meal sized packages. Warms up easy and then with a splash of Rudy's sauce, it always hits the spot.
The other staple is a spiral sliced ham. This is what we eat many evenings as its great cold. We just pull some out of the ice chest, eat and get ready for bed. We freeze most of it and set out a package for the first few days and then eat what is thawed.
X2 on the quick easy cook and clean up.
