Here is a Freezer Bag Cooking (FBC) recipe that is tried and true, and that I have personally made numerous times both on the trail and at home. This beef stroganoff recipe is very filling and makes use of some different flavors and ingredients than the more common FBC recipes.
Sometimes you get tired of the same old flavors that are prevalent in freezer bag cooking, and this recipe is definitely a changeup. I like to use this meal as dinner after a few days of hiking to brighten spirits of tired trekkers.
As always, you can make this recipe with fresh ingredients or dried and shelf stable ingredients depending on your current situation. I have tried to give examples of any dried options where available.
Remember you can also make a lot of the dried ingredients yourself using a dehydrator, which can save a lot of money from buying the commercial versions which tend to be pricey.
Freezer Bag Cooking: Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dehydrated ground beef
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 packet cream cheese (see notes)
- 1 block ramen w/ seasoning pack (Beef flavored)
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Crumble the ramen block and place it into a freezer bag.
- Add the ramen seasoning pack, dehydrated ground beef, and paprika. Toss to coat everything with the seasonings.
- Add 1 ½ cups of boiling water.
- Remove from coozie, and stir the bag.
- Mix in the cream cheese, salt, and pepper to taste, and serve.
Packets of cream cheese can be found at gas stations and bagel shops. Sometimes you can also find them at a grocery store sold as a pack, but they are hard to find at times.
Dehydrated ground beef is a very useful ingredient for any freezer bag cooking and stores very well. You can also make your own using cooked ground beef that has been rinsed and a dehydrator, but I have experienced mix results with this.
If you like vegetables in your stroganoff, you can add in ¼ cup of any dried vegetables. I sometimes use dried red and green bell peppers, and it comes out great and changes the flavor profile.
Give this recipe a try and don’t be afraid to make changes to make it your own. It is important to personalize FBC recipes to your liking so that you can be prepared to make them the way you want, and the way that you will enjoy them. Then pull it out when someone says they are tired of FBC meals and want something different.
Born and raised in Kentucky, Steve grew up deep in the mountains on a family farm. After college, Steve spent over 15 years working in public service and has experience in Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement. He has also worked with training and deploying search & rescue and service dogs for utilization in a variety of services.
Steve is also a Scout Leader with the Boy Scouts of America, and works to teach preparedness to the next generation. Steve has worked with and taught firearms and self-defense in multiple venues, from tactical applications to long range shooting, and also has extensive training in first aid and wilderness first aid.
An active prepper, Steve has devoted hundreds of hours to mastering and teaching skills and techniques for use in survival, homesteading, and general preparedness.