Patrol Freezer Bag Cooking—Method & Recipes

“What is Freezer Bag Cooking?” Planning FBC Recipes FBC is making your own meals, just the way you want and ready 1. Find out what is available: to use with only boiling water. Each portion is individual in a Try to find ingredients rather than whole complete meals. All quart size Ziploc freezer bag, ready to have water added, and be of these items are available in a dehydrated and quick cook eaten from the bag. Cleanup is washing your spoon, and folding version at your supermarket. up the bags.  Carbs: Potatoes, Rice, CousCous, Refried Beans, Noodles, Gravy, Instant Soup, Grits, Oatmeal, Granola, Instant It is like a commercial freeze-dried meal, but without the cost, Pudding and customized exactly how each person in the patrol wants.  Proteins: A foil pack of meat, cut up jerky, cut up Have dietary restrictions? No issues. Want a smaller or bigger pepperoni sticks, salami, foil pack tuna, cheese sticks, or portion for an extra-hungry patrol? Easily changed. any shelf stable protein adds to a delicious and quick freezer bag meal. How to do Patrol Freezer Bag Cooking:  Fats: Olive oil or Coconut oil can be added after Patrols who do the FBC method will want to plan the meals, then rehydrating, to increase the calorie count and add healthy get together and have a patrol meeting where you put the meals fats. Cheese and meats can add fats and proteins. together, at a patrol member’s house.  Flavors & Textures: Fritos or Potato Chips can add texture—dehydrated or freeze-dried vegetables add

healthy textures, flavors and colors. Instant Pesto mix, All ingredients for one meal are measured out into a single gravies, soup mixes, sugars, spices all add flavors. serving in each Ziploc bag, per scout. Then each scout customizes 2. Come up with a theme: the meal as they want, adding spices or leaving them out, etc. It is easier to design a meal when you are sticking with on idea. Not all meals are hot. Granola and instant milk is nice. “Thanksgiving on the trail”, Middle eastern meal, Mexican Note on each bag whose meal it is, what the meal is, and how meal, Southern breakfast, Asian meal, Granny’s home cooking, much water is required. etc. 3. Plan for Food Allergies: Mark volume in ML as most pots or water bottles have ML Figure out if there are any food allergies in your Patrol. Plan markings. Use a permanent marker on the outside—on the meals that include everyone. writeable section of the bag. At the end of the meeting—each 4. Figure out what meals you need: scout puts all of his meals into an individual sack to carry, or in Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch? Hot? Cold? When it is 100 degrees one that can be packed into a single larger bag for the patrol. This outside, no one wants a hot breakfast. In the snow all meals makes it easier to find their customized meals. should be hot and filling. Think about weather and location. 5. Ask for Help, if Needed: How to Cook a Hot FBC Meal: Your parents and Scoutmasters want to help you succeed. Heat water. Pour the water into cs or a water bottle to measure, 6. Check the Web for Recipes: then add it to the freezer bags individually by patrol member. Trailcooking.com has many recipes. Search the internet for Pouring from a c or water bottle prevents adding too much even more recipes. water. You DO NOT need boiling water!!! Boiling is at 212°, 180° works fine. EXAMPLE RECIPE: Mr. Bassett’s “Thanksgiving on the Trail” Stir with a long-handled metal, wooden (bamboo) or heat safe Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy & Turkey / Chicken spoon. After it is mixed , zip up the bag tightly and wrap in a  In a quart bag, put 1 or 2 servings of instant mashed fleece hat, jacket or cozy. Then let them sit until iready (5-15 potatoes—depending on anticipated appetite. Calculate min), make the patrol some hot drinks and wait for the meals to the water to rehydrate and write on the bag. finish rehydrating. Once ready, stir it more, and eat.  In a quart bag, put 1 or 2 servings of instant stuffing. You can put the freezer bag into a cozy before adding the water , AKA—Stove Top Stuffing. Write water on bag. to keep from burning your hands. But don’t spill water on your  In a quart bag—put 1 or 2 servings of instant turkey gravy. hat! Write water on bag.  1/3—1/2 can of Turkey Spam (sounds scary but is good), or How Do You Eat Out Of The Bag? a foil pack of chicken. Share with others, if Turkey Spam. This can take a little practice, but after the food is ready, roll the top 1/3 of the bag down (like folding a turtleneck). This will make Open meat, and cut into slices if necessary. Put meat into bag the bag into a bowl. OR, just use a long spoon and dig in. with Gravy. Heat water, and pour into bags. Wait for rehydration, watch the jealous faces as you eat.

(Instructions modified from Freezerbagcooking.com) SO GOOD, SO WARM, SO COMFORTING. Patrol Freezer Bag Cooking—Recipe / Per Person

Cold Cereal with Fruit Thai Nut Butter Noodles 1⁄2 c Granola or Muesli or breakfast Cereal 3 oz ramen (discard flavor pkt) 2 T dry milk—(Nido is a good brand) 1⁄4 c peanut butter / sunflower butter 3-5 T dried fruit 1 1⁄2 t sesame oil Add 1/2 c cold water. Stir, enjoy. 1 t soy sauce Notes: Always good, surprisingly comforting, EASY. 1 t diced dried onion 1⁄2 t red pepper flakes—optional

1 T vinegar Cheesy Bacon Grits / Cream of Wheat / Taters 1 foil pack chicken / tuna / etc. 2 pkt instant grits / Cream of Wheat/ 3/4 c instant Pack the noodles in a quart bag. Pack the sauce items in a snack potatoes size plastic bag. Heat 2 cs water. Cover the noodles with around 2 T dry milk 1½ c, let rehydrate till ready. Add ½ c water to the nut butter 2 T bacon bits or shelf stable bacon mix, stirring in slowly till combined. Drain the noodles, toss 1⁄2 t onion powder (not onion salt!) with the sauce and meat. 1⁄2 t dried diced garlic 2 oz shelf stable cheddar cheese / cheese stick Mountain Italian Noodles Dice the cheese up, add to the freezer bag. Add in 1 c near boiling 1⁄4 c shelf stable parmesan cheese water stirring well. Notes: Hot, and tasty. Make sure this is in a 1 T dried parsley cozy, it takes time. With the Taters, hold back some of the water 1 T italian herb blend at first then add at the end to get the correct texture. 1⁄2 t dried garlic 1 T olive oil (1 pkt) Super Fruity Breakfast Rice / Oatmeal 1 1⁄2 c water 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon 3 oz ramen (discard flavor pkt) 1⁄4 c diced dried fruit blend 1 foil pack chicken / tuna / etc. Add 1½ c water to ramen, let rehydrate till ready. Drain the 2 T dry milk noodles, toss with the olive oil, spices, cheese and meat. To 2 T brown sugar cheat—sub out the spices and cheese and use an instant pesto 2 T butter flavored coconut oil pkt. 2 T nuts—Optional 1 c instant rice / 1/2 c 1 minute oats Pepperoni Parmesan Ranch Noodle Salad Add 1¼ cs near boiling water and the butter to the bag. Stir well 3 oz ramen (discard flavor pkt) and put in a cozy for 15 minutes. Fluff and serve. 1⁄4 c freeze-dried vegetables—sold online in bulk. Notes: Surprisingly good. If wet, wait longer or drink it. :) 1 pk shelf stable pepperoni slices (3 oz packs) 1 oz shelf stable ranch dressing (1 pkt) Trasherole ‘Shroom Rice 3 pkts parmesan cheese—pizza pkt 1 c instant rice, white or brown Optional: 1 pkt red pepper flakes—pizza pkt 5 T dry cream of mushroom mix Add 1½ c cold water to ramen, let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Spices pkts to taste—parmesan, red pepper flakes, etc. Drain off water carefully, add in the pepperoni and dressing, tossing to coat, add cheese and red pepper flakes to taste. 1¼ ounce bag potato chips—bring the bag along.

Add 1¼ cs water, let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Cuff bag down, stir Chicken Alfredo Couscous and top with crumbled potato chips, cheese and spices. Yummy 1⁄3 c couscous trail trasherole! 1 T diced dried onion 1 T dry Alfredo mix (organic) Taco Refried Beans and Rice 1 t dried parsley ½ c instant rice 1⁄4 t dried garlic 1/3 c instant refried beans (pinto or black) 1 T dry milk 1 T dried onion or shallots 1 foil pack chicken Taco Seasoning to taste 3 pkts parmesan cheese—pizza pkt 2 oz shelf stable cheddar cheese / cheese stick Optional: 1 pkt red pepper flakes—pizza pkt 2-4 pkts salsa—Taco Bell—McDonalds—etc. Add ½ c hot water, plus chicken and its broth to the bag. Dice the cheese up, add to the freezer bag. Add 1 c of water, Rehydrate, fluff up the couscous, add cheese and red pepper reserving salsa pkts to the side. Add Salsa at the end. Great with flakes, to taste. Tortillas, and easy. I like this with a bag of Fritos mixed into it, with extra water to make it soupy. Mr. Bassett: [email protected]—Scoutmaster 498 WA