When hitting the trails for a backpacking trip, meal planning can get expensive, especially if your “go-to” is quality freeze-dried meals. We have recently experimented with dehydrating our own meals and it turned out great. It was so simple to do! Sure, you might think that a dehydrator and a vacuum sealer are expensive, however, the investment will pay for itself in the end.
This recipe is awesome because it’s 2 steps of “set it, and forget it”. What could be easier?
BEFORE 
AFTER
Preparation at Home
- Start with your favorite chili recipe! We personally put in the following:
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can chicken broth
- 2 cups frozen veggies
- 2 cans tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 can diced jalapenos
- 1 diced onion
- 1 pound of cooked ground turkey (or meat of choice)
- chili seasoning to taste
- Throw it all in a crockpot and let it cook away for 4-5 hours on low! Remember, it is chili so anything goes! Add your own touch!
- Let the chili cool overnight in the fridge. Once the chili is completely cooled it will be ready for dehydrating!
- Spread the chili out on a dehydrator. Make sure to spread the layer evenly so that it will dehydrate at the same rate. We like the Nesco brand dehydrator.
- Turn the dehydrator on at 135 degrees F and let it go for 10-12 hours. For us, it took 12 hours to completely dehydrate the meat. You may find timing varies.
- The dehydrating is done, now time to pack it up! We like to vacuum seal dehydrated food and store it for later. Freeze sealed food for longer shelf life. If you plan to have this meal within a week or so, you could put it in Ziploc baggies to bring on your adventure!
Cooking at Camp
- Once at camp, bring water to a boil.
- Add the dehydrated chili to the water and stir. It takes about 15 minutes for the meat to completely rehydrate (timing may vary).
- ENJOY!
Peace, love, and hike thru life!