Let's start a BWCA.com Cook Book. Please post your favorite LUNCH & MUNCHIE recipes here. No comments - Only recipes.

NOTE: There probably aren't many "recipes" that get used for lunch and munchies other than GORP or food items like that. (Please feel free to include those types of recipes.)

How about if we change this topic slightly to include what you pack for lunches when you're on the move or out fishing?

Clif bars, Klements singles (sausage sticks)and string cheese singles.

Also, my GORP mix (minus the R and P)...sunflower, pumpkin, soy nuts and pistachios.

Peanut butter & tortillas, summer sausage & bagel

Some hard salami or summer sausage, cheese, pumpernickle rye bread, candy bar and mixed nuts.

Crackers
Sausage
Cheese
Bite-size candy bar
Kool Aid

Hudson Bay Bread
PB & J
Beef Jerky
Bite-size candy bar
Kool Aid

Here is my favorite easy lunch:

Foil chicken pack (seasoned ones)
Mini red onions
Pita bread
Light mayo packets lifted from subway
Pepper

If the rest isn’t self-explanatory, you maybe shouldn’t be going camping without some help.

Bagels
Pepperoni
Cheese
Spearmint leaves or lemondrops
Trail Mix (mine has cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, soynuts, chopped apricots dates and papaya, dried cranberries, m&ms)

Clif bars (me)
Zone bars (wife)
Beef jerky
Beef sticks
GORP
Peanut butter bagels

Ritz Crackers with Cheese in the middle.
Beef Sticks (Wimmers Little Meaty Snack Sticks)
Little Bag Planters Peanuts (I hate GORP)
Scooby Snacks (Fruity Snack) or Fruit Roll Up

Crunchy Jiff PB & honey in pita pockets with pineapple cups and a bit of GORP, all washed down with good old water.

Heavy to carry, but very tasty.

Hardboiled eggs...Great for first day.
Instant pudding is a nice desert after most meals on the go.

Miso Soup

Miso paste or the dehy miso packets
Seaweed
Tofu non refrigerated variety
Scallion optional
Success rice

Simple - just boil water add all or some of the above and you have a quick tasty lunch.

Foil packed tuna
Mayo packets
Relish packets
Crackers

Liter of filtered water
Single ice tea mix packet
Nip of Canadian whiskey

Breakfast #1-grabngo snackbar
Breakfast #2-oatmeal
Lunch-venison jerky & ramen
Dinner-Fish & Gordon's potato pearls

Nothing fancy I don't go to eat.

Hummus with pita.

Woodman's carries a couple of different dehydrated versions of hummus in the international section. The one requiring only water was OK. The one that uses olive oil & water is really good. Requires bringing a pre-measured amount of oil that is triple sealed but we think it is worth it.

Backpack Gourmet- all the pate recipes are perfect for lunch. This is our favorite.

White Bean Pate

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
1 carrot shreaded
3 cloves garlic
8 mushrooms (we like a mixed wild mushroom)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
30 oz Canned small white beans- rinsed and drained

Saute the onion, carrot, garlic, and mushrooms in the olive oil until tender. Add salt and pepper. Puree everything with the beans in the food processor- then dehydrate. We spread this on crackers, dip with pita chips or use the multigrain sunflower rolls and make a sandwich.

See the post on Main Meal Dehydrating for how to dehydrate.

Blueberry Crisp Bars (Jan 2011 Backpacker magazine)

Made these at home to take for our HAAA a couple weeks ago. They are very good.

1 Tbls butter
5 1/2 cups Special K Blueberry cereal flakes lighty crushed
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup brown sugar

Grease 13x9 pan with butter.
In large bowl, mix cereal and dried fruit.
Put sugar, and honey in medium pot and heat on medium until sugar fully dissolves. Careful not to burn sugar. Remove from heat.
Stir in peanut butter.
Pour over cereal flakes and fruit and mix together gently and thoroughly. Spread mixture in pan.
Place in refridgerator for two hours to cool and set.
Cut into bars and wrap individually. Can store in freezer.

I actually used mixed dried fruit and it was good.

SPAM (foil pack), spicy brown mustard and tortillas . . . For one person, open one package of SPAM and cut it into 4 equal pieces and add some mustard. Tear 2 tortillas in half & make 4 "wraps." Really hits the spot in the woods! --OldGreyGoose

Peanut Butter Cranberry Go-Bars "Loaded with good-for-you ingredients, these not-too-sweet bars still taste like a treat, and they'll withstand cold, heat, and being stuffed in a backpack or pocket." These can be modified to suit your taste, likes & dislikes. --OldGreyGoose

Power-Packed Peanut Bars
Serves 12

1 1/2 cups Nature's Path "OatBran Flakes" cereal
1 cup "Total" cereal (however, any unsweetened flakes cereal could be substitued (ie. Wheaties)
2 cups rolled old-fasheioned oatmeal
3/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (could substitue 1/4 cup of Splenda Brown sugar if you'd like less sugar)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, mix together cereal, oats, and peanuts. Set aside.
2. Place peanut butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until mixture is smooth and just starts to boil.
3. Stir in vanilla and add cereal mixture. Gently toss to mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a 9-inch greased pan. Pat and press level (by wetting down fingers with water).
4. Cool completely and then cut into bars. Wrap bars in plastic wrap and store in airtight container. These freeze well

QUICK LUNCH rollups

Tortilla or pita
ham
cheese stick

Tortilla or pita
PBJ

Lunch on the trail:

pears
blue cheese
bagel chips

foil packed smoked salmon
crackers of choice
smear of cream cheese

ultimate pb + j
Spread on a bagel or your favorite packable bread:
crunchy peanut butter
jam/jelly
sliced strawberries
dried craisins
cashew halves

Deb's Granola Bars (make before trip)

2 c oats
1 c sliced almonds
1/2 c wheat germ
1 c shredded coconut

Toast on a cookie sheet at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Be careful not to burn.

Combine:
2/3 c honey
3 Tbs butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Bring to a boil and pour over toasted mixture

Add to mixture
1/2 c chopped dates
1/2 c chopped apricots
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c dried apples
(any dried fruit you have on hand can be used)

Reduce oven to 300. Spread into well greased, 9x13 pan. Bake 25 minutes.
Wait 2-3 hours before cutting to allow bars to set. Cut and wrap bars in waxed paper.

Lake trout: Cook fillet over fire then eat.

Healthy Energy Crackers

- Box of reduced fat Ritz
- No-Fat Milk
- Reduced fat peanut butter
- Bag of dark chocolate chips

In a saucepan, mix the chocolate chips with milk. Heat the mix until the chocolate melts and the mix is a smooth consistency.

Spread peanut butter on one cracker, place another on top to make a sandwich.

Dip the cracker sandwich in the chocolate mix. Place on wax paper to dry/harden.

Packet tuna with tartar sauce (instead of mayo). Spread on crackers, bread or roll in a tortilla.

bagel
sliced pepper jack
jalapeno and cheddar summer sausage
butter spread
combine ingredients and enjoy

Almond Apricot Bars

1/2 c unsalted BUTTER
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c quick oats
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1/4 c wheat germ
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 eggs
1 c almonds blanched
3/4 c coarse chopped dried apricots
1/4 c flake coconut
1/4 c gold raisins
Cream butter and brown sugar til soft. Mix in oats,flours,germ,orange rind. Pat into 8" square pan. Then mix eggs,almonds,raisins,apricots,another 1/4 c brown sugar and pour/spread over base. Bake at 350 for 35 min. or til golden brown. Cool, and cut into bars. Wrap each in foil or saran. Good to carry along in pocket for bear bait!

MRE's Besides the main course and side dishes. They also come with toilet paper, salt, pepper, sugar, matches and heater.

Jrlatt

Still like Hudson Bay Bread for lunch. Packed full of energy for the day. I first had this as a Scout in 1969 in the BWCAW through the camp on Moose.
I make a large batch and package it in single servings for each member of our crew. A little peanut butter, jelly, or honey makes for agreat and easy lunch.

Here is the recipe in case you can't find it.

This is a recipe for what the Sommers Canoe Base calls Hudson Bay Bread, or sometimes just Bay Bread. In the 1960's, the Base got the recipe from the Minnesota Outward Bound School, and for several years it was baked at the Barbara Ann Bakery in Ely. At the bakery, it was baked in a convection oven, so it is difficult to get exactly the same effect in a conventional oven. This recipe comes very close.

One important technique left out of the Base's official instructions is that rolled oats should be used (not instant oats), and more importantly, they should be ground up. A blender works fine for about a cup at a time, and a food processor would probably work even better.

Bay Bread is most excellent as lunchtime fare on canoe trips when you are burning thousands of calories each day. It is convenient, easy to pack, and is a concentrated food source that everyone seems to look forward to on the trail. When you see the ingredients, you will see why it does NOT make a very good "light snack" at home.

1 1/2 lbs. (3 cups) butter or margarine - soft
4 cups sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup (light Karo)
2/3 cup honey
2 tsp. maple flavoring (Mapleine)

Cream together the above ingredients. Gradually add:

1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
19 cups finely ground rolled oats (see above)

Press into cake pan or large sheet pan about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Do not overcook, as it will get crispy and brittle. Take out of oven and use spatula to press down (keeps it from crumbling). Cut into exactly 3 1/2 inch squares. Package in plastic bags with as many as there are crew members (one each for lunch). If you measured correctly, they should just fit into 1/2 gallon paper milk cartons. They will be protected, easy to pack, and easy to find when you want to grab a quick lunch. Slather with massive quantities of peanut butter and jelly, and wash it down with some Red-Eye, and you will know you ate lunch!

Justin's nut butters.

Spread 'em on bagels, bread, pancakes, fruit or eat them right out of the packet. Find them at natural food stores or REI. www.justinsnutbutter.com (tried to post link, wasn't working)

Tuna salad (foil packed) on Pita bread.
Summer Sausage on Pita bread.
Canadian bacon on (guess what) Pita bread.

Hey what can I say, it does not smoosh.

Rice Crispy Bars But use Fruity Pebble's or Coco Pebbles.
I vacuum pack them and toss one or two in my pocket for a snack or breakfast on the go.
Sorry no pic's we ate them all!

Chicken Fajita roll-ups

1. Tortilla shells and I pack them in a Frisbee to keep from getting all bent up or broken.
2. Chicken foil packet
3. Prep veggies at home onions and green peppers.
4. Toss all your vegies in a Ziploc bag add fajita seasoning and kneed in bag, double bag or vacuum pack it.
5. When ready to serve, open bag and chicken and stir.
6. Spoon out portions in to your tortilla shell and add a little cheese whiz ;)

Pizza Roll-ups

1. Tortilla shells
2. Squeeze bottle of pizza sauce "sometimes hard to find"
3. Package of slice pepperoni... in the jerky isle
4. Jar of parmesan cheese

Squeeze a little pizza sauce on your tortilla shell
Add slices of pepperoni
Top with parmesan cheese

Enjoy

Typical "Lunch" or no-cook meal

Trail Mix (1/2 cup/person individually packaged in 'snack' size baggies
or Fisherman's Mix
or Mixed Nuts

Granola Bars
Beef Jerky
Dried fruit or fruit snacks
Fig Newtons or Rice Krispie bar (found at convenience store)
Jolly Rancher candies

I made these on our most recent trip. Have to say, they were really good.

Tuna salad wraps

* 1 (24 ounce) can solid white tuna packed in water, drained
* 4 stalks celery, minced
* 4 tablespoons dill relish (or 1 small dill pickle, minced)
* 12 tablespoons light mayonnaise
* 8 tablespoons red onions, finely chopped
* 8 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
* 2 teaspoons dried dill
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 8 fat free whole wheat tortillas

For the tuna, I used the stuff that comes in the foil packets.
Celery I dehydrated along with the onions. The mayo and relish I got from the gas stations. Lemon juice I had the wife grab a few packets from her work but I think you could get them at a long John Silvers maybe.
Salt, pepper and dill went into a small sandwich bag.

I made a great lunch and fed 4 of us, 2 wraps each.

I've seen a couple similar pita sammiches, but my favorites:

Chicken from a foil pack
pre-cooked bacon
tabasco
mayo packs lifted from Chik Fil A (they have the best mayo)

or

hard salami
Pepper jack cheese
Chik-Fil-A mayo

All stuffed into a pita.

I also love smoked oysters and Rosemary and Olive Oil triscuits.

Tuna Melts

1 Foil pack of tuna per person
2 baby bell rounds of cheese per person
2 tortillas per person

Place tortilla on frying pan and place 1/2 of the tuna (for 1 person) on one side of it. Cook until warm.

Cut up cheese into chunks and place on other side of cooking tuna/tortilla. Cook until melty.

Fold tortilla in half.

Enjoy.

Make it simple!

Vehicles & Riders is all you need. Vehicles are the base for your meal (bread, crackers, hardtack, biscuits, hudson bay bread, etc.), Riders are your toppings (hummus, peanut butter, jelly, honey, etc.)

Quesadillas make a great in-camp layover day lunch!

Just need:
Tortillas (which I usually bring for pb&j or sausage & cheese lunches on the go)
Cheddar cheese
Onions, diced
(optional, can add summer sausage, tuna from packets, etc.)
Bottled margarine or oil to grease the pan

Can cook over a camp stove in a pan, over a fire in a pan, or even better, find a flat rock!

Tortillas with peanut butter, banana chips and bacon jerky. Breakfast, lunch, or snack, no cooking required.

Any just-add-water soup.

White Bean & Tuna Spread- a protein packed lunch that is awesome on very crusty bread or crackers.

White Bean & Tuna Spread#

Lipton cup o soup packets (just add hot water)
Foil pack chicken to add to soup.
Cheese and crackers
Tea bags per taste (just add hot water)
Cookies for dessert

This is good for those cold, wet days.

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
simmer together one minute
remove from heat
stir in
2 cups raisin bran crunch
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup peanuts
1/2 cup dried blueberries
put into an 8x8 pan
freeze for 30 minutes
remove from freezer cut into bars

Bear Creek Wild Rice Soup - split in 1/2 since it makes 8 servings....

Some Naan heated up on the side

premade ham or turkey sandwiches for the 1st day. Wrapped well and put in top of pack with chips.

The tuna with lemon pepper packet. Others I've talked to like the ranch or chipotle with Keebler Toasteds Whole wheat crackers.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (bread kept in a bread keeper) Pack bread keeper with other crushable stuff as bread is eaten.

If I'm on the go ...
Foil pack salmon
Pack of cream cheese (w/ jalapeno is my favorite)
Triscuits (6-8 per person)
Lemonade
Spread cream cheese on the Triscuit, top with salmon and enjoy

If I'm in camp
Bear Creek tortilla soup fortified a foil pack of chicken. I buy the dry soup mix, sift the dry ingredients from the soup powder and divide it into four portions. Vac pack it. Each portion makes 16oz.of soup.

I have pretty much switched from bread to tortillas. Lots of calories and hard to smash.

If I am on the move, a quick lunch is a couple of tortillas, peanut butter, jelly and to add some crunch, I add a handful of high protein granola to each tortilla. This and some dried fruit will add fuel to your engine.

An alternative to this is using a flavored tuna packet with your choice of condiments to fill the tortilla. Lots of good protein.

Here are some ideas that we have had over the years for lunch/snacks/energy

Fresh-
Day one fresh deli wraps-large tortillas, cold cuts wrapped in foil
Tuna salad foil pack, small pitas, mayo packets
Smoked Cheese (mozzarella, Gouda, cheddar), crackers, summer sausage

Dry-
Bear creek minestrone or chicken soup with ritz crackers
Bear Creek
Cache lake fry breads-sweet or savory
Cache Lake cold wild rice salad with veggies & dressing
Cache Lake
Clif bar, Luna bars, clif gel shots Mocha w/caffeine/chocolate/vanilla
Clifbar & Luna
Pickle cup/fruit cup/applesauce cup
Peanut butter or chocolate peanut butter jif cups
gorp snack mix, Target caramel cashew, dried fruit & nuts, freeze dried fruit
Peanut butter & jelly food tubes with small tortillas
Homemade Jerky-beef or venison (black pepper & garlic/pepperoni/andouille/hot & spicy/sweet hardwood)
Nesco jerky cure & spice
Little Debbie cosmic brownies
Licorice, Swedish fish, gummy bears
Pepperidge Farms savory/pretzel/sweet goldfish crackers
Fiber one 90 calorie crumb cakes

Tabbouleh with Pita Pockets: Feeds 6 Adults

1 Pita Pocket per person (light lunch)
2 cups Bulghur Wheat
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup lemon juice (1 large lemon)
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup chopped parsley
1 large cucumber, unpeeled, diced
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon black pepper

For the best results, you will want to prep and create this after breakfast in the morning. After a few hours paddle, when lunch rolls around, all of the ingredients will have had the time to meld and taste perfect.

Place the Bulghur Wheat into a doubled up large Ziplock (gallon size) bag. Pour in the boiling water, add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30-minutes. Just enough time to wash breakfast dishes.

After the Bulghur Wheat has had time to soften and soak up most of the water, add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper; mix well. Let sit in your food bag or barrel until lunch time. Cut Pita bread in half and fill each half with a generous helping of Tabbouleh.

Instead of plain peanut butter, we make "Matt food" (named after the camp counselor that came up with it).

To make it, mix peanut butter, powdered milk, rolled oats, and honey until the peanut butter can be formed into balls without being sticky or too dry.

This makes a very protein packed, easy to handle food that is delicious on a piece of chocolate, on bannock, or just munched on plain. We mix it up at home before the trip and just stuff it back into a peanut butter jar for storage.

Another high protein recipe to make ahead:
2 C. soynuts
1 C. dried apples, chopped
2 C. peanuts
2 C. raisins
2 C. sunflower seeds
2/3 C. dried dates
2 C. powdered milk
2 C. rolled oats
1 C. coconut
2/3 C. peanut butter
2/3 C. honey
1/3 C. vegetable oil
Mix together all the dry ingredients. Heat the PB, honey, and oil then mix it with the dry ingredients.
On trail, a cup of this with a little water added to hydrate the milk makes a yummy granola like mixture. It can be eaten dry also.

I'm intrigued by Matt Food. Friend of mine who had gastric bypass surgery had a similar concoction he called "mudge" that didn't have oats in it.

Curious... what ratios do you use? Do you toast or bake the oats prior to mixing?

BuckFlicks: "I'm intrigued by Matt Food. Friend of mine who had gastric bypass surgery had a similar concoction he called "mudge" that didn't have oats in it.


Curious... what ratios do you use? Do you toast or bake the oats prior to mixing?"

The ratios are strictly based on taste and texture. You want to taste the honey but not be too sweet. The oats and powdered milk absorb the wetness of the honey and the of the PB so you add enough of each so you can roll a ball of the Matt food and it will stick together without getting glop all over.

I use rolled oats and toasting them would probably be tasty, but I am too lazy. If you don't like the chewiness of the rolled oats, you can use quick oats.

Maple Bacon Quesadillas

Created on our last trip to Insula by our “what do we have left” meal.

It will now be a go-to.

Ingredients:
Cooked Bacon
Aged cheddar
Maple Syrup
Tortilla shell
Oil

Heat skillet over the fire

In each tortilla place, 2 strips of bacon, sliced cheddar and a drizzle of maple syrup. Fold in half.

Put a splash of oil or butter in a heated skillet

Brown both sides and melt cheese.

Eat!

I made these last summer, and though they were delicious, they completely crumbled? Is that normal?

First of all, you’re all posting some great meals and info all over this site. Stoked to be apart of it!

For snacks I like to have rolled tortilla chips (takis, Trader Joe’s, Tostitos), there’s many flavors and they live through the abuse of packing and unpacking. Good crunchy snack. A good gorp, which mine varies from time to time. Hot n spicy usually. Skittles or licorice often find their way into my bag. Smoked fish or jerky

For lunches I’m always into peanut butter and raw honey on a tortilla. Sometimes I get tired of this other times I like it a lot. Maybe some smoked meat, cheese, some good mustard and either crackers or a harder bread like ciabatta for a lunch.

Some times I’ll do a freeze dried bag meal like good to go or backpackers. Or the tuna packets, they’re also simple.

Salt a London broil and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

The next morning rinse off the salt and season with pepper and onion powder. Grill to medium rare.

Slice steak into strips - the thinner the better.

Dehydrate steak strips along with sliced onions and peppers.

Rehydrate on the water with one beef bouillon cube.

Add to large tortillas and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Finish off with horseradish sauce pilfered from your local Lion's choice.

This is a favorite of ours when stopping for lunch on a relatively short travel day. Enjoy!