Hi guys,

I run a student camping trip several times a semester. All of our trips have been 2 nights, so it's been easy enough to do Wraps on the first night and a big pot of vegetarian chili the second night.

The chili is awesome, we have it to a science. However, we're going to Acadia National Park next month one full day longer than usual, and I need an idiot-proof 1-pot meal that tastes nothing like Chili for the second or third night.

Anyone have any ideas?

Sausage Casserole would be good.

It's gotta be vegetarian, since some of our group members are earthy-crunchy.

How hard is it to make a quiche?

Use veggie sausage.

For quiche you need an oven.

jambalaya, chana masala, daal, pizzas

Any kind of soup or stew would be easy. You could buy a million of those Bear Creek Soup packets or try making something.

THis potato soup is super hearty and you can choose not to add meat. I add some of the cheesy sauce from the box of scalloped potatoes. If you bought the generic stuff it would be pretty cheap and easy compared to everything else. Multiply by 12-13 though.

Potato soup
http://www.backpacker.com/may-2011-recipe-farmers-mash/skills/15693
1 package white chicken in a pouch
1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
½ of a 5.25-ounce box of scalloped potatoes
¹⁄8 cup instant potatoes
~1/4 cup dehydrated vegetables (this is an add on from the original recipe. I usually just buy frozen veggies I like from the store and dehydrate them up and divide into small bags)

AT HOME
Place the scalloped potatoes and vegetable mix in one zip-top bag and the instant potatoes in another.

IN CAMP
In a pot, stir the scalloped potatoes and vegetable mix into 2½ cups water. Boil for one minute uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for two minutes. Add the chicken and the instant potatoes, stirring slowly and continuously to thicken the stew. Once the instant potatoes are dissolved, let simmer uncovered for one to two minutes. Serve hot. Tip: Crumble in crackers for crunch.

Serves2




curry is also a nice change. You would have to multiply this recipe by 3-4.
curried vegetables
1 ½ cup lentils
7 cups water
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup fincely chopped onion
1 fresh green chili pepper minced
4 c peeled and finely diced sweet potato
1tb curry powder
1 tsp dried cumin
2 tbs grated fresh ginger
4 c diced cauliflower
2 c diced bell pepper
10 oz spinach
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
3 ½ couscous or instant rice
1 ½ c water to rehydrate

rinse lentils and cook in water for 30 minutes
in a separate wok cook onions and chili peppers
add sweet potatoes curry, cumin, and ginger and sauté for 2-3 minutes
add 2 cups of water with the cauliflower and bell peppers
cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender
drain the lentils and blend the lentils for 2-3 minutes (be careful here. I burned out the motor on my mom's blender. be sure to have enough liquid in it.)
when cauliflower is tender stir in the spinach lentil puree, lemon juice, and salt and simmer for a few minutes
pour 1 ½ cup of vegetable mix into plastic wrapped trays (7 trays)
each tray hss one serving
deyhydrate and separate into plastic bags
add ½ cousous into each bag
boil 1 ½ cup water and then add mix
cook for 5 minutes

wt 2 lb 2 oz
7 servings


I do not know where I found this recipe and I hope I am not in the wrong by sharing it.

Have you ever tried daal? probably one of the most fiberlicious and protein heavy foods around. You could either make this ahead and dehydrate (more work on your part) or make it at camp (more weight)
For 4 servings. I think you might need 1-2 bags of lentils for this)
1 T. sesame oil or, alternatively, olive oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T. finely chopped fresh ginger
4 cups water or vegetable broth. I like vegetable boullion from knorr. but I think I am going to try another poster's vegetable broth next time).
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 t. cumin (if easier just substitute curry powder or use tumeric and cumin for all of these spices )
1 t. coriander
1 t. tumeric
¼ t. cardamom
¼ t. cinnamon
¼ t. cayenne pepper
1 t. salt, or to taste
2 T. tomato paste
1 Lime
1 can optional diced tomatoes.

If making this in camp I would wash the lentils at home first and pull out any funny things. dry it and rebag it.
at camp:
1. saute the onion and garlic in oil
2. add the spices to the oil and heat them up. right now you should have your camp salivating
3. add the water or broth and lentils.
4. cook until lentils are done. red lentils cook very fast about 20 minutes
5. While it is cooking add tomato paste and if you had diced tomatoes I would add them here

I have never cooked this for a very large group. If I had my druthers, I would cook it at home first and then do that cozy thing you do for the chili. I have a tough time cooking grains for large groups and I am imagining lentils provide the same frustrations. I think you have done this enough to do ok though.

This is a post by Sarah. I have not tried it yet but it screams delicious to me. Broth is meant to add that salty umami taste anyways so I don't think making a veggie broth will be much different than chicken broth to meat lovers. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/70513/index.html?skip_to_post=603099#603099

It wouldn't be hard to start with this broth, add noodles, any veggies you had laying around. throw in some white beans and call it delicious

Oh and speaking of umami. I regularly bring soy sauce packets with me on to the trail to really give things flavor. I throw it in soups and have even made a steak marinade on the trail.

Bean Burritos:

When we threw our annual New Year's campout/bash in Ontario we would have a burrito. The only thing you need to cook are a bunch of cans of refried beans or pre-cook meat if you want. Everything else: Cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, salsa, onions, sour cream, peppers, etc, can all be chopped and prepared while the beans are cooking. Once it's all ready, throw said ingredients in a flour tortilla and call it good. Easy to prepare in sub-freezing temps.

Best part is, you only need one big pot, a spoon or two and a knife. No need for any dishes.

Edited by rOg_w on 03/17/2013 17:26:20 MDT.

Zatarains jambalaya is very cheap ($1-$3 a box, and easily serves 4 per box), can be found at any supermarket, really really delicious but requires that you have water simmering for 25mins after reaching a boil. If you got the fuel and the time, it's a good solution. You can even add tofurkey or some other kind of bean-based protein to keep it veggy friendly. Keep in mind it's all carbs and very little calories...but then again, that's what olive oil is for. Either way, it serves as a great foundation for you to add other ingredients to.

Edited by Konrad1013 on 03/17/2013 19:13:46 MDT.

+1 for glopping on the olive oil. fat is satisfying

I'd love to hear how you do for 25, do you do it all at once? In one pot? Just wondering :-) That is a lot of thinking...lol!

You could do a burrito table....rice, beans, canned and drained kernel corn, cheese, sour cream, olives, tomatoes, lettuce and so on. That way everyone could have what they want. It sounds like you will have coolers? Serve with lots of chips and salsa....cheap and filling.

(This sounds more like car camping than backapacking given the numbers?)

Quick, simple, yummy, filling and nutritious...macaroni and beans. Perfect for feeding the masses on the cheap. If it dry pasta, generally the dish is not only vegetarian but is VEGAN friendly, too. Bonus points for the hippie-dippy tree-hugging crowd. ;)


INGREDIENTS

White kidney beans (canned is fine)
Diced tomatoes (ditto)
Olive Oil
Onions
Garlic
Some appropriate spices and herbs (basil, oregano, salt pepper, etc).
A little balsamic vinegar
Add in some veggies for variation and to make a one pot meal
Grate some cheese over it when serving (or use that stuff sold in a green can. ;) )

DIRECTIONS:

Saute the garlic and onions in the bottom of the pot with the olive oil
Throw in beans *UNDRAINED* once the onions start getting glassy
Add pepper, salt, red pepper and stir
Add tomatoes and stir
Add in herbs and some balsamic to taste
Add in some fresh veggies (spinach? squash zucchini? )
Let simmer

Get your pasta going (small shells work great)
When it is al dente, drain. (Save some of the pasta water if you want more of soupy type dish vs a stew-like dish. )
Add the above mix you had simmering.

..and yer done. Add grated cheese to taste.

With a some good sized stock pots and Coleman two burners stoves you can feed the masses. :) There are many variations to this recipe...

(And, if you open a fancy restaurant in Boulder, CO you can charge $40 for a very small plate of this dish. I sh** you not. :O )

Edited by PaulMags on 03/17/2013 23:12:30 MDT.

So many great ideas! I think I'll do a little combining. Going to do a vegetable soup with potatoes and pasta shells. Good stuff in, good stuff out! I'm sure it's a hard recipe to botch, as long as you remember a little salt.

I'm bookmarking this for future trips. Seriously- thank you guys!

It's a car camping trip, 2 pots on a Coleman gas stove. The trips are always a blast, it's mostly just to get college kids out into the woods!

Gosh... 25 people? I don't even know 25 people.

Don't invite me, I like meat. I hate it when people try to force vegetarian fare on me.

However... how about some sort of chili? On second thought, why not have each group of 5 cook their own chili and then have a contest to see whose is best. That sounds like fun... something Ken would do at GGG.

If I was in charge, I would tell everyone to bring a MH meal of their choice and I would provide boiling water.

On third thought, if I was in charge there would only be 24 people, and I wouldn't show up :)


Have fun, whatever you decide to do :)