[pct-l] My favorite meals (right now)

[Melissa Spencer]

Thought I would share some of my favorite backpacking meals with you:

1. TURKEY SPAGHETTI
1/4-1/2lb. cooked extra lean ground turkey, dried
2 servings Barilla Plus angel hair pasta
Handful each of dried onions and dried olives
1/3 jar your favorite spaghetti sauce, dried, plus red pepper flakes to 
taste--I like spicy!
3T parm cheese, sealed in FoodSaver--to top
--You can cook this all up together before and dry it, but I like to leave 
everything seperate. The straight noodles pack better in a foodsaver or 
ziplock bag. ~600 calories.

2. TURKEY (OR BEAN) BURRITOS (OR TAMALE PIE)
1/4lb of cooked extra lean ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning (or 
1/2c dried refried beans)
1/2 bag Lipton Spanish rice
Dried: onions, olives, jalapenos
1/4 c dried sharp cheddar cheese:
(http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_FN+C115_A_name_E_Provident+Pantry%AE+Freeze+Dried+Shredded+Sharp+Cheddar+Cheese)
1 packet hot sauce (http://www.minimus.biz/detail.aspx?ID=7257)
2 tortillas (or use a bag of Fritos and throw them in the mix for tamale 
pie-type thing)
--Bring everything (except the tortillas and hot sauce) to a boil with the 
perfect amount of water (you know it by now), then let sit for 10 min. Eat 
on tortillas with hot sauce on top. ~900 calories

3. TUNA CASSEROLE
Mary Janes Farm Mac and Cheese (or a box of regular)
2T whole milk powder (http://www.wildernessdining.com/tf613.html)
1/4 c dried cheddar cheese
1/4 c dried veggies (jalapenos or chiles are nice to add too)
Big pinch of black pepper
foil pouch tuna
--No cooking required if you use MJ farm. Just bring to boil water and dump 
everything in. Wait 10 min. ~700 calories

4. ROASTED PEANUT PASTA
Really simple, but my favorite right now.
Get the Simply Asia noodle bowl with the same name, the noodles are cooked. 
Take the noodles out of the pouch and dry them (otherwise this meal is too 
heavy). Then add the veggie packet to the dried noodles (plus I add more 
veggies). Bring the sauce packet and the topping packet as is.
-- Bring noodles and veggies to a boil. Let sit 5-10 min. Add sauce and 
topping. 680 calories.

5. Sloppy Joes
1/4 lb. extra lean ground beef cooked as directed for sloppy joes (flavoring 
packet, tomato paste), dried.
Add garlic or onions to taste.
1/4 dried cheddar cheese in seperate packet.
2 hamburger buns.
-- Bring meat to a boil with just enough water (takes a tiny bit more than 
you think). Boil a couple of minutes. Add aforementioned cheese. Let sit 
until reconstituted (about 10-15 min).

6. BACKPACKING NACHOS
3/4 c. freeze dried sharp cheddar cheese (do you see a pattern here?)
3/4 c. dried refried beans
lots of dried olives
several dried jalapeno slices
bring a little bag of tortilla chips