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Backpacker Magazine – May 2011

Recipe: Farmer's Mash

For a hearty vegetable stew, make this easy Farmer's Mash recipe in less than 10 minutes.

by: Megan Eckman and Jeffrey Opp

Farmer's Mash (Photo by Justin Bailie)

Weekend Packs
See four more short-haul packs.

Ingredients
1 package white chicken in a pouch
1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
½ of a 5.25-ounce box of scalloped potatoes
¹⁄³ cup instant potatoes

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.

Spice Things Up
Heat fiends: Wake up your tastebuds with these three modifications.
>> Add two teaspoons (or more) of wasabi powder.
>> Stir in a cheese packet from a mac ’n cheese box and red pepper flakes.
>> Add pinches of horseradish to taste.

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READERS COMMENTS

Thank you. Delicious/easy recipe-this is now my go to first evening meal on the trail.
Posted: May 17, 2012 Matt Jackson

tried it with freeze dried chicken (survival food) and it worked great. Tip, don't mess with alot of stirring once you add the chicken, just stir it in and let sit for a couple of min to rehydrate. They also make TVP (turkey flavor) and beef in freeze dried meat (try mountain house) Also saves you a couple of ounces.
Posted: Oct 28, 2011 susan

I know this may sound crazy but I buy my chicken packets off of Amazon in bulk.
Posted: Aug 23, 2011 Joe

I added the packet that came with the scalloped potatoes, but wondered whether I should do that or not myself. Next time I'm going to try recipe without it since the soup mix has all the seasoning in it. I ended up added more water and mash potatoes than they say because it was very salty. I enjoyed it and will try it again. It fed 2 people.
Posted: Aug 11, 2011 Roger

just used this awesome recipe in the ADK for a group of seven. loved it.
hints: if you add more water and mashed potatoes, it will feed more people!
Serves 2 as printed. Also fed them flatbread with it.
Thank you BPKR! Keep em comin!
Posted: Aug 07, 2011 keith

I am confused-do you use the scalloped potatoes AND the packet of sauce/season that comes in the box? Or did I get the wrong potatoes? Thanks!
Posted: Aug 05, 2011 Ann

How many does this serve?
Posted: Aug 02, 2011 Jen

How many does this serve?
Posted: Aug 01, 2011 Jen

Based upon advice I picked up on a forum on whiteblaze.com, I tried both Walmart and Target. I was successful at Target, they had Tyson "Chicken in a Pouch". Thanks for help.
Posted: Jul 28, 2011 Roger Cocchi

if you cant find pouches of chicken how about little cans of it? look near the tuna in your grocery store
Posted: Jul 19, 2011 Tannim

This looks like a good receipe that I would like to try, but I cannot find "chicken in a pouch" anywhere. Does anyone know where to buy it? All the local foodstores including the bid ones like Stop and Shop don't stock chicken in a pouch.
Posted: Jul 07, 2011 Roger Cocchi

Can't use Knorr soup mixes. They all have Monosodium Glutamate in them and it makes me sick. I can get similar soup mixes from Barry Farm, so I'll try them.
Posted: Jun 24, 2011 Bill Giles