Just curious to see if anyone uses those shelf stable chicken or tuna packets. I've had them before but never on a trip. Do you fry them up to add flavor? Add to a sauce or pasta mix? Use as a topping?

I like the idea of being able to add a protein to a meal if we don't catch fish, but I'm having a hard time figuring out a good recipe that would work with either fish or one of these packets. I have some ideas and one that would work fine with either option, but I've been skunked before on trips so it would be nice to have more than one backup option.

I bring the tuna salad packets all the time. Putting them on a burrito with some string cheese is one of my favorite power lunches on big paddle days.

I think I brought chicken once, and should probably do it more. I specifically like adding it to a tortellini dish I like to make, but that lacks enough protein.

We brought the tuna on our last trip for fish fillet insurance, but brought them home again. :-) Ate it up after getting back and it was just like out of the can. Will for sure bring either or both for future menus.

We’ll use the chicken packets with chicken taco seasoning. Great tacos! Also, we will add them to Knor chicken alfredo.

Add plain packets to Knorr Pasta Sides or Bear Creek soup mix. Use flavored ones for sandwiches.

Shelf stable chicken stove top dressing, and instant chicken gravy, all in one pot. Splurge on some cranberry sauce.

I love the tuna ones for lunch.

I put a recipe on the fish recipe thread for fish cakes using a tuna packet. If we had only gotten a smaller fish we might have used this recipe for fresh fish to stretch it enough for both of us. I really liked it with the tuna, though. We bought tartar sauce packets from the outfitter to go with whatever fish we had. It was much better than I expected.

Our group has used the chicken packets as an ingredient in pasta salad. Makes for a nice meal.

straighthairedcurly: "I love the tuna ones for lunch. "

+1.
I eat it right out of the packet so no dishes. It also makes lunch easy and convenient on a travel day, day trip, or out fishing. They have tons of different flavors but I have settled on the sunflower oil as my favorite.

We use it as a supplement to rice or soup dishes. Try this:

Make a pot of Knoor vegetable soup per the packet directions. Once it starts to warm up, add the packet of chicken. While it is cooking, mix some Bisquick with water to make a thick batter. Very thick. When the soup starts to boil, add spoonfuls of that mixture to the soup. In a few minutes you will have dumplings!

Another way to do it is to mix the Bisquick and water in a Ziploc bag and cut one of the corners off. Then you can squeeze the dumplings into the pot of soup.

Mike

We take chicken, cheese sauce, salsa for quesadillas at lunch. Tuna, mayo packets, tortillas or pita for quick sandwiches. And (don’t cringe) we also take individual foil packs of spam. When diced and added to scrambled eggs it is ok.

I use the chicken packets for Biscuits and Gravy. Easy to carry and just add to country gravy and pour over your favorite biscuits.

Don't speak that way about SPAM. It is perfectly normal to enjoy that delectable meat product. It is great to throw in with eggs in the morning. Dr. Seuss actually meant to name his book Green Eggs and Spam.

We also will add foil pack chicken and summer sausage to Tony Chachere’s Jambalaya. It’s a dry boxed product. Nice to have a little spice during a trip.

If in Canada, Metro grocery stores (there’s one in Thunder Bay if you are travelling through there, on Arthur Street about 1km east of the airport intersection Hwy 61 ) usually carry Cloverleaf brand yellowfin tuna in a pouch.



I eat it with Kraft Dinner (macaroni and cheese). You need to bring a little milk powder to mix up about a quarter cup of milk and some oil/butter to make the Kraft Dinner. Butter at home, oil when camping.

Important note [Dont be naive and buy Kraft brand Kraft Dinner. Like all true Canadians, we know the best Kraft Dinner is actually not made by Kraft. We just call all macaroni and cheese ‘Kraft Dinner’. Like saying Kleenex instead of ‘facial tissue’. The best brand is President’s Choice (PC brand) White Cheddar macaroni and cheese. Luckily you can buy it across the street from Metro at Shoppers Drug Mart (Mountdale and Arthur st.) , or at the Real Canadian Superstore at Carrick street and the Harbour Expressway.]



Cloverleaf yellowfin tuna pouch PC white cheddar macaroni and cheese

We always carry a pile of random tuna + chicken flavors. Easy lunch/snack if youre out and about as they pack down flat. Chicken salad pack with some cheese on a tortilla is a good chunk of calories fast on the go. Can sometimes help to add some lemon juice juice & salt to the tuna packets but otherwise we've never done much.

MikeinMpls: "We use it as a supplement to rice or soup dishes. "

Been doing this for many years. Chicken wild rice soups are great on a cooler days. Also, use the thin flour tortillas and then add a medley of things - rice, cheese, chicken, sour cream etc etc.

billconner: "Shelf stable chicken stove top dressing, and instant chicken gravy, all in one pot. Splurge on some cranberry sauce. "

We do this as well. Just add the chicken to the powdered gravy and dump over stove top. Filling and super easy.

Saberboys: "

billconner: "Shelf stable chicken stove top dressing, and instant chicken gravy, all in one pot. Splurge on some cranberry sauce. "

We do this as well. Just add the chicken to the powdered gravy and dump over stove top. Filling and super easy."

+1 ... we make instant mashed and serve with a side of dried cranberries for "Thanksgiving Dinner". The chicken also works great as an addition to Rice-a-Roni or Pasta-Roni.

soundguy0918: "

Saberboys: "

billconner: "Shelf stable chicken stove top dressing, and instant chicken gravy, all in one pot. Splurge on some cranberry sauce. "

We do this as well. Just add the chicken to the powdered gravy and dump over stove top. Filling and super easy."

+1 ... we make instant mashed and serve with a side of dried cranberries for "Thanksgiving Dinner". The chicken also works great as an addition to Rice-a-Roni or Pasta-Roni."

+2

We took the chicken pouch, boil in the bag brown rice and chicken gravy. A very tasty meal that two guys completely finished. (no leftovers). Makes a good dinner when you get skunked on fish.

ducks: "

straighthairedcurly: "I love the tuna ones for lunch. "

+1.
I eat it right out of the packet so no dishes. It also makes lunch easy and convenient on a travel day, day trip, or out fishing. They have tons of different flavors but I have settled on the sunflower oil as my favorite. "

I ran across these at Coborns last week and tried them out this week for lunches at work and really like them. They will be my lunches on this years BWCA trips


Eat it right out of the bag. A quick and easy lunch with no prep or clean up. Just throw the empty pouch in the garbage ziplock.

I will mix a near east flavored couscous with a tuna creation to make a flavorful and simple meal .or a knorr Spanish rice and tuna

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My son and I tried a local store brand of chicken on a weekend canoe trip to a local state park. He refused to eat it (13 year old male already over 5'9"). I was able to choke it down (I served in the infantry at one point, will eat anything). We swore off any more chicken packets.
After reading this, I may try again, but will by a better known brand. I have had tuna packets and they are fine. A bit bland by themselves, but mix with and they are pretty good.

Great topic!

A little feedback after we tried this a couple times.

The tuna tastes much better than the chicken. We bought mostly chicken and I would substitute most of it for tuna next time.

The chicken did work really well for the "Thanksgiving Dinner" meal. Mixing it with gravy took away a lot of the processed taste. This was the only chicken packet meal we liked.

Adding chicken to a dried packet of alfredo noodles was alright, but not great. I wasn't a big fan of the alfredo noodles without the chicken either.

Tuna with single serving packets of mayo and pepper works. I prefer it with crackers but by itself works great for lunch on the go. Much better than a protein bar.

I do not recommend the chicken by itself, even with mayo. It needs to be in a meal with stronger flavors where the meat just provides texture and protein.

The Starkist Smartbowls with tuna that come in a pouch that I posted about last year are now my go to lunch for bwca trips and for bwca day trips and for day hikes. Definitely more to them than the plain tuna pouches that I used to bring for lunches.

They’ve added a zesty lemon with beans and pasta to the flavors and that one, along with the rice and beans Spicy pepper, are my 2 favorite.

For me they are a great meal and as simple as can be with not needing to do anything except eat it right out of the pouch. Zero prep work or clean up.

They are now available at both Target and Walmart as well.

I usually collect a supply of mayo, pickle relish, mustard, salsa, franks hot sauce, etc, in individual packets before a camping trip. Then just add some combination right in the packet! Along with some type of crackers for a quick lunch.

tomt