Cheesy Smoky Noodles

The second recipe in the Backpacker Magazine remake is a big bowl of cheesy ham and peas with pasta. It’s a tummy-filling, satisfying meal.

Now then, this one will be harder to make as you need dehydrated or freeze-dried ham bubes. We freeze-dried ham dice, so I have a ready supply. Most of you won’t have that connection, though. You can dehydrate it easily enough. Look for small-diced ham in the meat department, often next to breakfast sausage and bacon. Spread it out and dry it. And you are done. It is a salty mix for sure.

Use freeze-dried green peas, not dehydrated. This is one area where you don’t want to use dehydrated food, as it takes forever to rehydrate.

We used our favorite Blue Dragon Cantonese Egg Noodles

Fine them in the Asian section.

This is a hearty meal, great for cold-weather trips. It is, however, not a lower-sodium meal, so keep this in mind.

Cheesy Smoky Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 round of noodles or 1 packet of ramen
• ½ cup freeze-dried or dehydrated ham dice (see above)
• ½ cup freeze-dried peas
• 3 Tbsp cheese sauce powder
• 2 Tbsp dry milk

At Home:

Pack the dry ingredients together, tucking the pasta in with it, in a zip-top bag

One Pot Method:

Add 2 cups of water to your pot along with the dry ingredients, except for the pasta. Bring to a boil, and add the noodles. Cover tightly and take off the stove. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Stir well.

In cooler temperatures or at high altitude, use a pot cozy to insulate.

Serves 1.

~Sarah