Lately I've been doing some FD meals but also having some instant mashed potatoes (single pouch/just add water) or chow mein noodles on the side.

It started because I wanted to just pack a jet boil stove. It fries fish great. But not so great for simmering meals I got at the grocery store. At least that's what I thought, it's OK, but nothing like a MSR Dragonfly. But the MSR stove (plus pans) was so bulky, and the JB was so convenient to use too.
Both prepackaged store and FD meals are high in sodium, so that wasn't any difference.

Some ideas;
Beef stroganoff w/instant potatoes
Beef stew w/instant potatoes
Chicken terayaki w/Chow mein noodles
Sweet & sour pork w/Chow mein noodles
Pasta primavera w/Ham or chicken packet

I don't get things too complicated. It works for me. Easy to put together and make. I don't want to spend a lot of time in camp or before my trip messing with meals. If you do, great. But for those that might lean to FD I hope these ideas help you. I know I'm not reinventing the wheel here. But sometimes it's the little sides dishes we enjoy most for added tastes and variety.

Each FD meal pouch and instant potato package count as a single serving each. So a combination of one each would serve 2 people.

I'm very curious about the jetboil, and how it handles cooking for for.  Frying pan?  Big pot?  I need to see a demo somewhere... and a few testimonials!

prouboy

Jeez, I meant cooking for four!

ugh

I got the fry pan and large pot that went with the jet boil. So that's what I'll comment on.

The fry pan is great for frying fish. No hot spots and the flame the stove produces is about the right temp for frying in oil.

I didn't think the larger pot worked so good for simmering IMO. Not so much a problem with the pot as the stove. The stove seemed to not adjust down very well and consumed a lot of fuel. Not as thoroughly tested as the fry pan though. I have the original stove so there may be improvements since.

Jet Boil is best at quickly boiling water.

Thanks JJS -- I did some google searching for reviews.  Lots of reviews.  The best one was this:

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Based on my reading and your comments, I think I'm going to stay with my good old Coleman Excomponent multi-fuel stoves.  They're quiet, start easy, adjustable, and pretty fuel efficient.  They're just heavy and require the added chore of adding fuel. 

prouboy

Sounded like the reviewer agreed. Not so great a simmer and burns fuel fast.  :thumbdown

Do try it for a fish fry though, and of course boiling water.  :thumbup

I've used the Jetboil for group of 3 - used the larger 230 gram cannister, a pot support on top of the burner, and a 2 quart pot for boiling water - it worked well enough, but without the heat exchanger on the pot, it did go thru more fuel

the easiest addition to freeze dried meals is Lipton Cup-A-Soup.  fix your fz dr and while waiting ten minutes, you can hace your soup (which is nice if the weather is cold).  Herb-Ox beef broth in packets is another option.

When eating freeze dried foods (Beef Stew and Oriental Chicken are favorites) before adding water I'll add some instant rice increasing the water by about 1c to 1c ratio bulking up the meal while adding some more calories.

I actually like freeze-dried food, and I like packing them.  But my canoe buddy is uber sensitive to salt and says the freeze-dried stuff is full of it.  So, when I'm tripping with him, I don't pack freeze-dried.

prouboy :'(

Puckster wrote on Sep 28^th, 2012 at 2:06am:

I actually like freeze-dried food, and I like packing them.(

Me too, well certain ones anyway. Some are gawd awful. I split the two serving packs into two meals and eat the untried additions first. That way if I hate one I'll try not to have to eat it again.

My all time favorites are NH Hawaiian Chicken (I think that was what it was called) and BP Sweet and Sour Chicken. Both have pineapple and you couldn't get me to eat pineapple unless it was on a pizza w/ ham.

I tried a new FD last trip. MH Chicken Breast w/ Rib Meat and Mashed Taters. First half try was chicken breast with potato soup. Second try featured mashed potatoes. It didn't pack well with the shape of a chicken breast but it was really quick and I was  surprised that the breast patty was closer to real than I expected. Coulda used some peas and carrots though.

db wrote on Sep 28^th, 2012 at 6:14am:

Puckster wrote on Sep 28th, 2012 at 2:06am: I actually like freeze-dried food, and I like packing them.( Me too, well certain ones anyway. Some are gawd awful. I split the two serving packs into two meals and eat the untried additions first. That way if I hate one I'll try not to have to eat it again. My all time favorites are NH Hawaiian Chicken (I think that was what it was called) and BP Sweet and Sour Chicken. Both have pineapple and you couldn't get me to eat pineapple unless it was on a pizza w/ ham. I tried a new FD last trip. MH Chicken Breast w/ Rib Meat and Mashed Taters. First half try was chicken breast with potato soup. Second try featured mashed potatoes. It didn't pack well with the shape of a chicken breast but it was really quick and I was  surprised that the breast patty was closer to real than I expected. Coulda used some peas and carrots though.

Ever try the "ProPacks"?  I think they're made by Mountain Home.  Very good!

prouboy

Yes very compact, hearty serving size, some tasty meals though a little pricey and loaded with sodium. I still prefer to prepare and dehydrate my own meals.