Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: BWCA Food and Recipes :: Meals in the BWCA
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Swampturtle |
CL = Cache Lake foods Breakfast- Bagels & cream cheese French toast w/ maple syrup & bacon x 2 granola w/blueberries & Nido Egg bake x 2 CL Scones w/ blueberries & bacon Dinner- Marinated steaks, loaded mashed potatoes, sautéed peppers & onions Homemade beef stew, garlic cheese biscuits Cheese & spinach tortellini, red monkey spice/olive oil/broccoli/Parmesan cheese mix. Chicken tortellini soup-cheese tortellini, chicken bouillon, spice pack, dehydrated veggies (onions, carrots, celery) dehydrated canned chicken Homemade Jambalaya, (wild rice added from cache lake), CL sweet potato corn bread Chicken, stuffing & gravy-dehydrated chicken, dehydrated veggie mix (corn, peas, carrots) stove-top stuffing, dehydrated celery soup. Creamy fish chowder, (1 can dehydrated chicken-in case of no fish), CL onion fry bread. Lunch/snacks Day one fresh cold cut wrap clif bars/ gel shots Fiber one 90 calorie cinnamon coffee cake little Debbie fig bars asst gorp mix/dried fruit/nuts licorice, Swedish fish, Goldfish Homemade venison Jerky Cheese blocks & Summer sausage & Crackers CL Rice salad CL Curried sweet potato latkes Homemade Pea soup - extra meal Pics...beef stew & dehydrated jambalaya |
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Old Hoosier |
The options are many - but a few things "enable" change to wilderness menus the most: 1) able and willing to bake. I use the JMO, but reflector ovens and other means can open many new and delicious items. 2) Willing to search for "complete" recipe mixes. Can find complete cakes, biscuits, brownies, muffins, pancakes, etc. 3) Willing to bring a few special items fresh - like eggs, butter or critical ingredients that are needed in special sides or desserts. We base camp, so we are willing to pack a few extra pounds to make our meals significantly more enjoyable. Like you, I am always searching for new approachs to an enjoyble meal in the woods. Old Hoosier |
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OldFingers57 |
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Huntindave |
HOWEVER,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, you have me wanting to invite myself along on your next trip! |
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JJ47 |
With that said, my menus are similar in that they are usually a combination of fresh and dried food. The rations of which are greatly dependent on trip length and the number of people that need to be fed. Our last menu follows. This was also heavy, but the trip was short (4 days) and there were only 3 of us. Day 1 D - Steaks on the fire with crumbled Northern Lights blue cheese, roasted mushrooms and onions with fresh ginger, parsley and garlic. Roasted sweet potatoes with ghee and cinnamon maple sugar. No dessert. Ice cold margaritas for happy hour and Grand Marnier on the rocks afterwards. Day 2 - B - scrambled eggs (fresh), ham and swiss in a tortilla. D - Smoked sausage with Zatarain's dirty brown rice and grilled stuffed sweet peppers, Jello no bake cheese cake. Day 3 - B - Chipped dried beef with milk gravy on toasted bagels. D - Walleye fillets rolled and skewered then grilled over the fire and drizzled with soy, honey, ginger and garlic, roasted parsnips with ghee and fresh rosemary and cheddar fry pan bread. Campfire apple crisp for dessert. (re-hydrated dried apples, cinnamon granola, ghee and maple sugar cooked in the coals) Dinner backup was Camp Chow stroganoff if we didn't catch fish. Day 4 - B - Red River cereal with dried fruit and maple and brown sugar, cinnamon fry pan bread. Similarly I don't plan lunch at all. We usually have plenty of trail snacks along to keep the tank full. Salami and cheese, PB&J with tortillas, jerky, dried fruit, breakfast bars etc. |
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BKBlair |
Breakfasts - Eaten on the water while fishing. Granola Bars, Gorp Lunches – Main Meal Day 2 - Hot Chicken (Fire), Corn Bread, Apple Crisp Day 3 - Walleye (Fire), Mac & Cheese, Corn, Fritos Day 4 - Chili, Peanut Butter Tortillas, Apple Crisp Day 5 - Hash Browns, Canadian Bacon, Eggs, Buckwheat Cakes Day 6 - Walleye (Fire), Mac & Cheese, Corn, Fritos Day 7 - Muesli, Canadian Bacon (Brunch While Breaking Camp) Dinners Day 1 - Cheeseburgers (Fire), Baked Beans, Hash Browns Day 2 - Tortilla Dogs (Fire), Cheese, Baked Beans, Fritos Day 3 - Sloppy Joes, Cheese, Baked Beans, Hash Browns, Corn Day 4 - Summer Sausage, Salami, Sharp Cheese, Fritos Day 5 - Chili, Peanut Butter Tortillas, Apple Crisp Day 6 - Jerky, Sharp Cheese, Dried Fruit |
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billconner |
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dprochef |
Just curious as to what many of the people here have on their trip menus. I always like to expand my menu with options and I thought what better place than here. Thanks for all the input. Below is the menu from our last trip ( a little extravagant I know ( and HEAVY)) Day 1 Dinner - steak on open fire, mashed w/gravy, roasted carrots, chocolate cake baked fresh Day 2 - B - scrambled eggs, has browns ( dehydrated), and fresh baked blueberry muffins D - grilled turkey tenderloin, scallop potatoes, roasted carrots, chocolate pudding Day 3 - B - scrambled eggs, pancakes w/ butter & syrup, griddles spam patty D - grilled pork tenderloin, Alfredo pasta, fresh baked Parmesan bread Day 4 - B - pancakes, griddled summer sausage, fresh baked blueberry muffin D - fresh baked individual pepperoni pizza, chocolate cake Day 5 - B - fresh baked biscuits and gravy, D - chicken and sausage with black beans and rice, corn bread Day 6 - B - brown sugar and dried cranberry oatmeal, griddled spam patties Lunches are typically bagels w/PB&J, homemade dried fruit, granola bars, jerky, trail mix. First couple of days we hade cheese and summer sausage as well. Thanks for all those that contribute to this thread. |
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boonie |
quote billconner: "quote boonie: " Well, that's true, and everyone's taste is different. It's also true that I haven't liked every one I've tried, but that's true of fresh and frozen foods too ;). Which ones of the Hawk Vittles or Outdoor Herbivore meals did you not like? I've found that some I didn't care much for, others liked, and vice versa. I find Hawk Vittles Cashew Curry quite tasty. Have you tried it? Or any of them? Anyone else? I like to get other opinions of specific meals in case I'm planning for more than just me sometime in the future. I also liked the Bacon Baked Beans and the Beef Stew, but wasn't crazy about the Chicken Pilaf, which I've found some liked better than I did. I also like the Outdoor Hebivore Lickety-Split Lentils and the Thai Lemongrass Curry, which may not be to everyone's taste just like I'm not crazy about alfredo pasta dishes. I usually try a new one each trip. It certainly must be tough to come up with a menu for a group, and the larger and more diverse the group, the tougher it must be. My brother doesn't want to bother with it and just eats whatever I plan, but my tripping partner this year decided to do his own food. I wonder what that says about my menu! :). |
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Scout64 |
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outdooraddict |
Almost forgot a couple snicker bars and gorp ;) |
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schweady |
Day 1 Supper: ribeye steaks, instant mashed potatoes, packet gravy, frozen corn Day2 Breakfast: eggs over easy, bacon Supper: chicken breasts, Stove Top stuffing, packet gravy, frozen green beans Day 3 Breakfast: pancakes, sausage Supper: dry noodle mix such as a stroganoff, fresh carrots Day 4 Breakfast: French toast Lunches/anytime: pbj sandwiches, trail bars, sandwich cookies, licorice, other candies, gorp Fish may (or may not) supplement any meal The food pack is not light on the way in. |
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cgchase |
I figure - why not take advantage of the fact that I'm practically starving to death and just about anything will taste awesome to me. Seriously . .I ate a rainbow trout last year and I couldn't believe how good it was. I said "I've got to eat this at home more often . .it's just soooo goood". Nope. Starvation. Rainbow trout is just ok. |
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RRHD |
I love instant mashed potatoes with gravy and freeze dried chicken. Home dehydrated zucchini rehydrated then sauteed in ghee. Or freeze dried peas with ghee is a good side dish. Thai rice noodles with powdered coconut milk and aseptic packs of curry paste is my go-to, you can change the curry paste and meat or veg you add for variety. Home dehydrated chili or tomato meat sauce with noodles or corn chips are great. We make homemade very nutty granola and eat it with whey protein powder and milk. Lunches are crackers and sausage and cheese, or instant hummos with crackers. And I usually bring along some instant curried lentil soup from the bulk section of the Co-op for an emergency back up meal, or if we need a warm lunch. Plus dried fruit, nuts, kind bars, and fresh apples. The only pre-packaged meals we ever bring are Louisiana red beans and rice, and we buy the dehydrated chicken, otherwise it's either home dehydrated or just pieced together from grocery store ingredients. I'm a pretty serious cook at home, but more and more we stick to foods that can be rehydrated and boiled in one pot, and cold breakfasts. |
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Charliepete |
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shock |
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HammerII |
Having said all that depending on type of trip and who's coming I adjust what I bring. As a general rules cooking is left up to me and we do eat good. We try sometimes to have one meal that is a nod towards the older camp meals. While its a video of a trip it does show a few differant types of meals we pack to include homemade type MRE's and fresh traveling food. canoe trip |
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shock |
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mutz |
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boonie |
I do like these better than the Mountain House products I've eaten in the past. I also do have certain "cravings" when I get out of the BW :). |
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LuvMyBell |
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dprochef |
quote LuvMyBell: "You should also check out the Camping Recipes Forum. Lots of people provide specifics on their BWCA trip meals to include recipes." I'm really just curious as to how slim and /or extravagant people take their meal planning. More for fun than really needing recipes (that and I have looked over forum many times- neat place). |
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dprochef |
Look for that thread and vote or chime in I don't mind bringing a small cooler with 3 days of fresh food in. It also depends on time of year or course. Early spring and late fall you can get a couple more days in because of the cooler temp. |
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OldFingers57 |
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dliebs |
Dinners - Steaks and hashbrowns, Chicken Fetucini Alfredo (box kind) and 2 backup meals of Mac and Cheese with sliced summer sausage. Breakfasts - McMuffins, Biscuits and gravy, pancakes. We also bring extra sides of rice and hashbrowns to go with fish for the remaining meals. Bear Creek Wild Rice soup with chicken on those wind bound days. We eat a late breakfast and skip lunches. We do have a happy hour with trail mix, jerky, pringles and whatever else we have to snack on. Smores at night for dessert. Nothing special but it all tastes great up there. |
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billconner |
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fourkeelers |
I use a backpacker oven for quite a few things like lasagna and Pot pies. We eat well. Family calls it "dad's get fat camp", I tend to lose weight but others gain on my trips...... |
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pastorjsackett |
For breakfast we do eggs and bacon, pancakes, etc. Lunches are usually day trip fare: pbj bagels, venison sausage, crackers/cheese. Last trip my brother in law brought TWO 48 packs of salted nut rolls. I made him leave one of them in the car. He did bring a ton of jerky though... |
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boonie |
Breakfast is cereal - oatmeal, granola, muesli, sometimes a "protein smoothie". Lunch is eaten on the go and is ProBars. Snack is nuts, which have a high caloric density and a decent mix of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Sometimes a little dried fruit is added. Dinner is a packaged, dehydrated meal from Outdoor Herbivore, Hawk Vittles, or occasionally another provider. Breakfast and dinner are rehydrated in the bag and eaten out of the bag. No preparation required other than boiling water and no clean up beyond wiping the spork clean and putting the baggie in the trash bag. Beyond the stove (JetBoil Sol includes pot) and fuel, all I carry is an insulated mug, a spork, and a cozy for rehydrating the warm meals. And, you may not believe this, but...most of it is quite tasty :). |
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Twins87 |
The only thing we have ever had trouble with is the carrots this year but we didn't do a good job packing them on a travel day. They ended up on top of the food pack, baking in the sun, for 7 hours of traveling through lakes on a hot sunny day. Here's the menu outline for our 8 day trip this summer. We had some meals twice. Tried to eat heavier food earlier in the trip. We moved three times. We did also sneak in a can of Pringles this trip - my husband celebrated his 50th birthday while we were out and he had been craving potato chips on our last trip. They actually survived decently at the bottom of the food pack for several days. More than half were still intact and were a fun treat on his birthday day-trip. I always pack too much food. Though each trip this summer I got better - first time ever going on more than on trip in a year. We had less left each trip. BREAKFASTS Travel days are quick/easy meals – Hot/cold cereal or bagels/tortillas with cream cheese/PB & J Oranges or apples Coffee is instant VIA on these days. Layover days tend toward the more elaborate Egg/meat/cheese bagel sandwiches Breakfast burritos Pancakes Hashbrowns as a side with any of the above Coffee is made in a Java Drip pot on these days LUNCH – ALL ARE NO COOK, DESIGNED FOR DAY TRIPPING/TRAVEL DAYS Most are a variation of meat/cheese/delivery system/fruit or veggie/treat Meat/Cheese/crackers Apples or dried fruit Candy bar or cookie Bagel sandwiches: Cream Cheese/PB & J/meat/chz Carrots & dip Candy bar or cookie Wrap sandwiches: PB & J/meat & chz/foil pouch chicken Carrots & dip Candy bar or cookie Everyone also has two daily snacks – sweet or salty – that get packed with lunches on travel days. DINNER – ALL DESIGNED FOR COOKING IN CAMP OVER FIRE OR IN REFLECTOR OVEN OR ON STOVE Pork Chops/Chicken/Steak over fire Hash Browns Veggies S’mores or candy bars Chicken soft tacos Beans and rice Choc Pudding Reflector Oven Pizza S’mores or muffins Chicken & Gravy Loaded mashed potatoes Veggie (corn/peas) Biscuits Cobbler or muffins Pasta/red sauce/meat Bread Apple crisp Chili Corn muffins Cobbler or candy bars |
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lindylair |
After that it is dehydrated dinners which tasted just fine and kept us satisfied. We were lucky enough to have a campsite for 3 days with a huge patch of raspberries approaching their prime and we enjoyed two breakfasts of raspberry pancakes with real maple syrup. They were delightful and something I will include on future trips if the timing is right - we expected blueberries but there were none ripe. Raspberries are even better in my opinion. |
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bhouse46 |
Much like Boonie simplify is becoming the mantra for solos. One pan meals eaten out of the pan can be quite pleasant. When going with others the meal time is still special and calls for some good eating. French toast with a dense cinnamon raisin bread is better with fresh eggs, but Ovum works nicely. And there are more people to carry the equipment more advanced meals require. If you see me paddling by solo and you have one of those great meals prepared feel free to hale me over. |
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billconner |
quote boonie: " I've noticed cardboard is quite tasty when your tired and hungry. |
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NotLight |
Notice some fellow tortilla shell users here. These don't pack as small as the tortilla shells, but I've been using these Toufayan Flatbreads recently - not as dry as some other flatbreads. To me, seem to be to be much better tasting than the tortillas for PB&J, trail pizza, even for tortillas. But, take up a bit more space. |
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ECpizza |
Start with Hudson Bay Bread, homemade tootsie rolls (and caramels in cooler weather), and packets of everything from jelly to soy sauce. It's on every trip now. I am a ghee convert. No other oils go on my trips now. Breakfasts i have moved to mostly boil only so breaking camp is quicker. -Breakfast burritos (tortilla, powdered eggs boiled in a bag, maybe a few bits of bacon I cooked and crumbled at home)(powdered egg must be a dehydrated whole egg, no fillers. Mountain House scrambled eggs will NOT work.) -A breakfast casserole (or egg bake) that I dehydrated at home. Just add water... -pop tarts. Just drop the bag on boiling water for a few minutes to warm them up. (i find the C-store package to be better than the box package. You can buy them at Sam's Club in bulk too. A couple breakfasts MUST be pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns. Lunch is a catch all. - I pack enough Hudson Bay Bread for one bar every lunch plus one extra. This is Lord of the Rings 'elfin bread'. -GORP (raisins, peanuts, M&M's and sometimes something else like shelled sunflower seeds, or Swedish Fish Eggs left over from Easter) - cheese. We had Gouda, Parmesan, and Cheddar on day 7 (early August) -summer sausage -homemade candies It's all together and each takes what they want any lunch, or any time for that matter. Even done a quick breakfast from these items, and cooked pancakes etc for lunch on a rainy travel day. For dinner my staples are instant potatoes (love the new flavored single pack ones), and freeze dried (not dehydrated) corn and sometimes peas. -pasta. Spaghetti, Fettuccine, Macaroni... -spaetzle. Have not actually done this one in the BWCA yet, but a fresh batter made from egg powder and flour... Yum! (MUST have a stable stove and wear boots while cooking.) add a packet of gravy and some summer sausage and/or veggies... -home casseroles dehydrated (soup based do not dehydrate as well as tomato based casseroles) -quinoa. New to me, but with some bullion cubes and some cheese makes quite a tasty base from which to expand. This trip I added garlic, Parmesan, dry cure Canadian Bacon, dehydrated broccoli and dehydrated carrot strips. -"meat". Meat is important. In my spaghetti I use TVP. Foil packs of chicken or ham, summer sausage, bacon, and now a Canadian bacon. Never have I been hungry enough to find Spam appetizing. I hope never to be that hungry. -breads. Bannock etc. -one specific meal that makes every trip is Chicken Helper Chicken Fried Rice. Treats. Aside from prior listed treats, I always pack but only sometimes use... -popcorn. Pre measured in baggies just enough to nudge the top off my pot lid and not blow it off. -brownie and muffin mix. -cake. Pineapple upside down cake is my favorite. Pineapple on the bottom, and mix yellow cake mix with Sprite or equivalent. Outside the BWCA, just pour an entire can of pineapple bits, juice and all into the yellow cake mix and nothing else. Stir and bake. Often on the trail I change meal combos on the fly. Especially if someone catches a fish. Fresh berries change everything! The fun part for me is making meals simple, light, and fantastic! |
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schweady |
quote yogi59weedr: "I've.carried in whole potatoes. What I carry in i Dont have to carry out. Just curious on a few post I seen Pringles.. I'admit not in front of a judge mind you. I've. Taken Pringles. Do ya think ranger rick could bust me for it." Pringles ride quite well in the pack and are a treat of choice on our family trips. It's a reinforced paper tube, not a can. At least that's what my lawyer is going to argue. :) |
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schweady |
quote FOG51: "I have read all the posts and no one mentioned a stable we always take, it's good old fashioned stuffing, filling, light to pack, easy to fix, if you don't add the butter clean up is easy, and everyone likes it. FRED" +2. This is one of those "real food?" line crossers. Incredibly light to pack, super easy to prepare, and the inexpensive generic brands taste as good as Stove Top. It's a side for our second night chicken breasts, along with the green beans. |
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Grandma L |
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billconner |
Pudidngs and such DrBob - I use a wet dish towel over it in the shade and hopefully breeze for evaporative cooling, Works good, |
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DrBobDg |
dr bob |
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FOG51 |
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krick |
Same goes for lunches and dinner. A few elaborate meals, a few fish frys, but to keep it very simple and inexpensive - some meals are just tuna, hot dogs, or bacon sandwiches. |
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yogi59weedr |
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yogi59weedr |
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