Backpacking doesn't mean you have to subsist on handfuls of trail mix for dinner. Filling meals are easy with a few key ingredients, a pot and some imagination. Bring ingredients that are freeze-dried, in foil packets or cans or otherwise don't have to be refrigerated to stay fresh. Pack a few of your favorite spices in small baggies or containers and, if you need one, don't forget the can opener.
Rice Bowls
Instant rice makes an easy base for a number of backpacking suppers. Pack an uncooked portion of rice in an airtight bag, boil it for the allotted time over your campfire and add your chosen ingredients while it's cooking. Dried vegetables are an ideal rice bowl addition. Find dried ones at specialty supermarkets or pack canned if you don't mind the extra weight. Rice bowls also work with Spam chunks, tuna fish packets and melted string cheese. A sushi rice bowl can be yours with a package of Nori, the same seaweed used for California sushi rolls. Some rice bowl spice options are soy sauce, mustard and red pepper flakes.
Pasta Dishes
Pasta boils up quickly and also offers many options for a filling dinner. Pasta choices range from macaroni to angel hair, all of which is lightweight and easy to carry. Measure out the amount of pasta you need and pack it in an airtight bag. The same ingredients used in the rice bowl work with pasta, although the pasta sushi may be an acquired taste. Opt for a full-fledged spaghetti dinner by packing a can or two of spaghetti sauce. Canned or dried mushrooms, onions and foil packet chicken finish off the spaghetti sauce.
Ramen Noodles
Ramen noodles are cheap, lightweight, cook in only a few minutes and come with their own seasoning packet. They, too, work well with dried veggies, tuna and meats. Try the shrimp-flavored ramen with a dash of sesame oil, red pepper flakes and dried onions. Ramen noodles also work as a pot pie, although Trail Cooking describes the ramen pot pie recipe it offers as "Trashy trailer food." Bag ramen noodles with 2 cups water and one 3-ounce can of chicken and heat in a pot of boiling water. Move your bagged concoction to a cozy for 10 minutes, then mix in one packet of instant mashed potatoes to thicken.
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