duuude I made the cottage cheese spicy (red pepper flakes, black pepper and oregano) and man oh man the 'bark' came out so dang good I ran back to the store to buy a dozen more cottage cheeses - all this to say thank you, again, for your inspiration to even try this dish. you ROCK!
Your recipes look amazing, Kevin! What I appreciate most is that you explain it with just enough detail that I feel confident in my ability to do this myself. I also like the variety of food you make - I love spice and variety, so I feel like I've found gold by following your channel!
Great Video Kevin. I have never seen one that is presented as professionally and succinctly as yours. This is the first of yours that I have seen but will definitely not be the last. Keep up the good work.
Glad it was helpful! I also have a book called Backcountry Eats that you might find interesting. It is on Amazon or on my website www.Backcountry-eats.com
Made this in June, ate in August. Absolutely amazingly delicious!! Followed recipe exactly. Easy. Dehydrated and rehydrated well. All flavours melded together. Will now be a staple meal for future trips. Cannot say enough good things about this meal Kevin! Thanks!
Thanks Free Thinker, do make sure that the dairy you are dehydrating is 2% or less. It won't last forever but I have found yogurt and cottage cheese to be very stable.
That looks _really_ good! To be able to quickly throw together some "lasagne" while outdoors after a hike is just about good enough for a magic trick. Cheers from Boulder, CO.
I made this recipe exactly as you described in the video (except that I used store-bought sauce). It came out PERFECT! You're a great teacher, looking forward to more dehydrating videos.
That looks amazing, I can’t wait to try this on my next canoe trip with my family. I just found your channel and see you have a book, I will be ordering it soon; Thanks!
I hope you enjoy it. This is one of my most popular meals that others are making. I think it's because it is a step beyond what most people think is possible for a backcountry meal.
Kevin. Did the whole process. Excellent! 9/10. I used low fat rigotta, ground turkey hamburger, mozzarella, spinach..... The rigotta tended to stay in the little chunks, the mozzarella was hard to dehydrate but it's good....melts into the mix. The homemade sauce reconstitutes exceptionally well. Next time I'm adding mushrooms. Covering the dry mix with water made it a bit soupy. Next time I'll stay clearly LESS than than covering it. Excellent recipe. Labor intensive but fun and delicious.
Kevin, you have opened up a whole new world of dehydrating for me! I’m doing this recipe next. I am so excited that in another video you are teaching how to compose a dehydrated meal recipe, not just copy someone else’s recipe. My old trail meals book was confusing and frustrating. I almost starved myself once, eating my own homemade chili and spaghetti for eight days, they tasted sad. Thanks for doing this!
Nice to hear. I am sure you will enjoy it, I have gotten a lot of positive feedback. One friend of mine uses bowtie pasta instead of cutting the lasagne strips - a little easier.
I found you by accident, and don't know why you never popped up in my searches before! I can't wait to get back from my backpacking trip and try this! I also purchased your book!.. I do the boiling the meat also.. I never thought about using a pinch of Olive oil for the fats.
@KevinOutdoors thanks. I will be on a section of the PCT in just a few days. I was going to go to Canada 🇨🇦 but fire is preventing me from going. It's just too close for my comfort level.
Great vidéo Kevin. I like your method of drying ingredients separately. This way you could do other recipes such as macaroni by using the same tomato sauce, pasta and ground beef. I tried your method last summer and was able to come up with several different meals.
Thanks Roland. I love when people tell me they are using the methods from my videos. I will keep making videos about individual meals because they are fun to do and because people seem to like them but as you point out it really is the same process for every meal that I do. The components can be used for a variety of meals.
Thanks for another great backcountry recipe! If you keep this up I will owe you alot more shout outs from my camp kitchens. Appreciate all the work you put into your videos and into your campmeals.
Thanks Mama! I am sure your family will like this one. Yes this meal is a bit more effort than some of my other meals. I did all the meal prep in one day but you could do the components separately on different days and it would be less of a burden.
I am just getting back to dehydrating. I have been experimenting with different meal packets that only need hot water or broth to rehydrate. Your recipes make it a lot easier for me, thank you
ABSO-FREAKING-LUTLY LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! I have a 10 tray square dehydrator from Cabelas! I’ve been so narrow minded and only made Jerky with it! I am soooooo making dehydrated goods for kayak camping!!!!
Thanks Levikrw, I love it when I get a response like that. You can do a lot of different things with that dehydrator. Just curious is it the big 80L version? I have borrowed a friends to experiment with and it is a beast!
Great video. I don't know weather you should be an instructor because your easy to lesson to. Or a chef. That meal looked great rehydrated. Wonderfull job. Thanks for sharing. I know this is two years old. Just found yea and subscribed.
That looked awesome Kevin. I like the way you season. Season like you mean it! Bay leaf plant in the kitchen, hmmm I need to look into that , sounds like a good idea. Thanks for sharing that one my friend!👊
Thanks, 2% cottage cheese dehydrates reasonably well but it isn't suitable for long term storage. No problems on a 2-week camping trip. I have a whole video on fat in dehydrated foods, it is a deeper dive than most of my videos... ruclips.net/video/Z5MJAQ3r-5k/видео.html
I learned that my backpacker when using a ziplock freezer bags...we cut the lasagna noodles a little bit smaller only because they weren't cooking it in the pot most of the time. Taste great and it was easy!
Hey Kevin, love your videos and recipes! You are like a dehydration-pioneer to me. Keep the recipes coming, you are doing a great job! I also recommended you to my hiking-friends. Best wishes from northern Germany!
Kevin (and y'all) I enjoyed watching you make this Lasagna and making it myself. It rehydrated pretty well (except for the cottage cheese) And tasted warm, spicy and nourishing in the Tetons this past weekend. I think I have a fresh question; Why is this the smelliest meal I've ever made/transported? Boy, it was strong! After I put the ingredients together in a freezer bag it permeated my freezer, our food tub in the car and then our bear canister. We ate it the first night because we were kind of sketched out packing it around. It was truly delicious, but I gotta figure out what to do about the smell! Thanks for a great channel!
Hi Jenifer, I am really not sure. I have had that comment once before on a different meal but not as bad as you are suggesting. All I can think of is it may be related to your selection of particular ingredients like onions? Perhaps you found something that is particularly smelly. Sorry this isn't the usual result.
I have been waiting anxiously for your book on dehy recipes. How close are you to publishing? I know it's a complicated endeavour. Keep up the good work on your videos. I always enjoy them.
Elsa and Kevin are 2 of my 3 favorite creators❤️ You both really inspire me. So cool to see Elsa liking this video. My third fave is Bicycle Touring Pro.
Hi Kevin - just found you... I'm impressed - really like your process and your simple 'how to' description throughout. Great Job - it all looks 'good enough to eat.' LOL
Dude! A man after my own heart. I love cooking and I LOVE cooking in the outdoors!!! Let the peasants skoff and consume their gruel and ramen. So, regarding this recipe....if you already have all of the components dried and in separate bags...why don't you assemble the dish in layers out in the field?
Kevin, I really like your idea of cooking the tomato paste for a while to give it a roasted flavor. I'm going to remember that one! You do a very good job with your videos.
Thanks Kevin I shall use this recipe. Although, I only have one Ronco 5 tray dehydrator. Should I just halve the recipe and dry the meat on the bottom?
Sorry, I have no experience with the Ronco 5 tray. I took a look at the machine and I will guess this recipe will fit. I'd leave something out, like the pasta, then see how it goes. You can always do that in another batch. Good luck!
Great recipe! I still shed a tear seeing that flavourful sausage fat run down the drain. I know they use tapioca maltodextrin commercially to absorb fats for dry-packing. You can get tubs of the stuff on amazon, I've played around with it before. If I have the chance, I might try rendering the sausage in a pan and tossing with maltodextrin before dehydrating. Vacuum- seal with a little oxygen absorber packet. Getting pretty fancy, I know, but if it means keeping that tasty sausage grease in the final meal it might be worth it. :)
Hi Michael, ricotta cheese won't work unless you can find a low fat version. I only dehydrate food items that are 2% or lower fat content. I have yet to find a low fat ricotta but it might exist.
Thank you ! I’ll definitely make this recipe! Question: are the dehydrated ingredients shelf stable or should they be kept frozen until we head out this summer?
Hi Brenda, these meals are relatively shelf stable but it all depends on how well you remove the moisture and any fat. Also the meals must be stored in an airtight container and out of sunlight. If you do all that the meals will likely last at least 6 months and likely a lot longer. I just keep them in the freezer so I don't even have to think about it.
Hey Kevin, I was wondering if you could tell me about the cottage cheese, I've tried 3 time and failed, I was wondering what temp and time you do it, or if you could make a video about dehydrating cottage cheese, thank u
Sure, I start with 2% (fat) cottage cheese. Anything with a higher fat content won't dehydrate properly. Then I spread it out on dehydrator trays, either using fruit roll trays (Nesco) or parchment paper and I dehydrate at ~135F. The easiest way to not have success is to start with a fatty cottage cheese. Anything with some fat (even low) stands a chance of going rancid so store anything with fat carefully.
Yes, I would say so. The most important thing is to ensure you do a good job of removing fat and getting the meal properly dried. After that storing in a cool dark place inside an airtight container will make the meal last longer. The length of shelf stability can be anywhere from 2 months to years if done properly. I throw mine in the freezer and that way they last almost forever.
@@KevinOutdoors I took this on a Rabbit hunt it was better then the store bought meals. I used ground beef, added mushrooms and Kraft parmesan cheese to in ( in the bag).
@@keithress Awesome! I absolutely love to hear when someone actually tries these meals out. Great choice on substitutions! It is your recipe now. Enjoy!
@@KevinOutdoors I was thinking on a Chicken Parmesan in a pasta sauce. any ideas on how??? if you do think of one PLEASE do a Video!!! if I do one that works I'll let you know. I'm trying to tackle the idea of dehydrating the chicken patty or cut it into small pieces.
If you do a good job then it could last 6 months to a year or even longer. If you do a poor job of removing water and fat and don't seal it properly in an airtight container then all best are off. Good luck!
Kevin if you open both ends of tomato paste completely the contents will just slid out. Remember to take off the top before you open the bottom end, less messy that way. Cheers
Hi Nick, I don't really have a recipe other than what you see in the video. The ingredients are... 1 box lasagne pasta cooked, pasta sauce (2 onions, 2 cans of tomato paste, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 1 jar of crushed tomatoes, oregano, thyme, bay leaf (I would add garlic to the sauce if I didn't add freeze dried garlic at the end), 1 package frozen spinach, 6-8 Italian sausages, 1 container of 1% cottage cheese, freeze dried mozzarella cheese (optional). The proportions are what I show at the end. My meals are usually 150g dry so I use 50g pasta (1/3) then 30-40 g each of sausage and sauce then I top up the rest to 150g. When you re-hydrate the meal add olive oil at the end and grate in some fresh Parmesan cheese. Good luck!
Looks delish! I just received your book and will start trying recipes. Question about the meal in this video: do you store components in ziplock bags for months? I thought food needed to be stored in airtight containers.
Hi Denise, I do store these meals in ziploc bags but it isn't the best practice. Ziploc bags aren't 100% airtight. Vacuum sealing is a better option. But I have had very good luck with just ziploc bags,. especially when I throw them in the freezer.
Can you keep,these meals in your cupboard or should they be frozen? If you take them out of the freezer and pack them but don’t end up eating them can they just go back in freezer?
I would recommend not to use any oil before dehydration. I always try to add oil during or after rehydration, it really helps with the taste, especially since you have removed all the fat from the meat. Good luck.
Hi Chuck, the meal will work in a pot or in a freezer bag but I don't do the freezer bag option. I just don't like the plastic taste you get with that method.
They should dehydrate just fine or you could just get textured vegetable protein (TVP) at a bulk food store. It is already dry and you could add it directly.
I followed your recipe exactly but as I dehydrated the sausage it seemed to get greasy. I laid it out on paper towel and changed the parchment paper in the middle of the drying process because there was so much grease. Is this normal? Will this meat still be shelf stable or should I try the meat part again?
Good question. Sometimes a sausage will be OK but some sausage remains fatty. It will affect the storage life of the meal. I would do the meat again. I don't know how far you are into the process but I have even boiled the meat twice to remove the fat. Good luck.
Thanks Tiffany, How long you can store this depends on a lot of variables including how good a job you did at removing fat and moisture. How well you stored it in an airtight and cool dark place. In my experience 6 months is easily achievable and a year is likely. The meals will store even longer in the freezer. Regarding gravel, no the boiling method I use allows the meat to rehydrate quite well.
Thanks for the video! Quick question, if you don't mind mis-shaped noodles can you simply not pre-boil them? Just crumble them into your bag and let them cook in the backcountry? Food novice here so hopefully this isn't a silly question.
Good question. Pre-cooking pasta and rice is a way of saving fuel. I know it looks like we are returning to square one when I cook and dehydrate pasta but it isn't the same thing after it goes through the cooking process. You can cook pasta in the field but you will consume a lot more fuel. Usually pasta takes ~10 min to cook after you bring the water to a boil. This is just simmer time and not as consumptive as when you are bringing the water to a boil but it is burning time that you don't need to do. My meals re-hydrate in boiling water then I turn the stove off. Depending on what meals you bring cooking rather than re-hydrating could easily mean x5 the fuel carried on a trip. Now, I haven't tried this yet but Lasagne comes in both uncooked and 'oven ready' versions. The oven ready variety is used as is without cooking when you make a Lasagne. The 'oven ready' version might work here with the method I use or it might require a little but not a lot of simmering. I have been thinking of experimenting with this.
@@KevinOutdoors Thank you so much for the fast reply! Makes sense now that you explained it. I might try those pre-cooked noodles you mentioned as well. You made everything look very doable for someone just dabbling in this area for the first time. Thank you!
Eating like a king in the back country! Was watching John on Back Country Angling Ontario and he deferred to you and your backpacking meals. I am thoroughly impressed! By any chance do you bother adding back some of the fat lost from the hamburger by using some olive oil?
Hey Kevin. I was wondering if you would mind giving me some advice. When I dehydrate the 1% cottage cheese it looks to turn color a little . It goes a little yellow. I was wondering if that's normal?.
Yes, I suppose it turns a little yellowish when I do it. Too bad we can't post photos here. It isn't a deep yellow but slightly yellow. I hope that helps.
The meal should be fine if prepared 3 weeks before a trip. Ideally if you do a good job of removing the fat from the sausage and a good job of dehydrating the meal and store it in a cool dark place in an airtight container it should last 6+ months, and you might get more than a year out of it. I freeze mine and they last almost forever.
Hi Lisa, no I haven't done feta. Anything with fat becomes problematic as the fat doesn't dehydrate. I have had success with items that are 2% or less fat.
In a truly airtight bag (not ziploc) it should easily last 6-months to a year, but you will likely last 2-4 years if properly stored. These meals last almost forever if you also throw them in the freezer.
@@ColoradoMtnGirl33 Yeah, obviously 0% fat is ideal but I have found if you keep things the fat less than 2% it will still hold. You do take a bit of risk in this so that is for you to decide. But think of fish and jerky that people dehydrate all the time, it is hard to truly get 0% fat fish or beef.
That's very similar to how I make the Bolognese sauce though I add red wine or balsamic vinegar, paprika, vege stock powder and chilli. I like your idea to use cottage cheese for the bechamel sauce. I will try it. What brand dehydrater is that because it's time I got one. Thanks.
duuude I made the cottage cheese spicy (red pepper flakes, black pepper and oregano) and man oh man the 'bark' came out so dang good I ran back to the store to buy a dozen more cottage cheeses - all this to say thank you, again, for your inspiration to even try this dish. you ROCK!
Awesome! Glad this worked for you!
Your recipes look amazing, Kevin! What I appreciate most is that you explain it with just enough detail that I feel confident in my ability to do this myself. I also like the variety of food you make - I love spice and variety, so I feel like I've found gold by following your channel!
I really appreciate that, Thanks!
Great Video Kevin. I have never seen one that is presented as professionally and succinctly as yours. This is the first of yours that I have seen but will definitely not be the last. Keep up the good work.
Glad it was helpful! I also have a book called Backcountry Eats that you might find interesting. It is on Amazon or on my website www.Backcountry-eats.com
Wish I could like this video twice! This is the best dehydrated meal I have seen.
Thanks Heidi!
Made this in June, ate in August. Absolutely amazingly delicious!! Followed recipe exactly. Easy. Dehydrated and rehydrated well. All flavours melded together. Will now be a staple meal for future trips. Cannot say enough good things about this meal Kevin! Thanks!
Thanks so much Dianne, I love to hear how my meals turn out for others!
Love that you keeping us posted
No prob!
I love this! Especially you showing rehydrating the meal. I’m preparing this for my thru hike of the PCT. Thank you, Kevin!!
Thanks Carly, if you love the recipe then consider my book which you can find at www.Backcountry-Eats.com. Have a great hike!
Inspired! Who knew you could dehydrate cottage cheese?! I've been avoiding all forms of dairy and fats but you've opened my eyes, Kevin!
Thanks Free Thinker, do make sure that the dairy you are dehydrating is 2% or less. It won't last forever but I have found yogurt and cottage cheese to be very stable.
@@KevinOutdoors late to the game, but...dehydrated yogurt?
Mmmm, you’re the man Kevin, looks so much better than store bought meals.
Absolutely! That is why I put the effort into this :) Thanks Derek!
I used your recipe for a trip on the Petawawa River last week. It was are favorite meal during the trip. Thank you.
I love that. Great to hear!
Great video. Lots more like this please!!! I know it’s an older video but I just ordered your book and found this very helpful.
Thanks, lots of plans to do more food videos.
Look awesome! I never realised you could safely dehydrate cottage cheese!
It works as long as you keep it to low fat cottage cheese. Any fat will reduce the shelf life.
That looks _really_ good! To be able to quickly throw together some "lasagne" while outdoors after a hike is just about good enough for a magic trick. Cheers from Boulder, CO.
You get it!
Great Video! I can’t wait to try this!
Hope you enjoy it!
I made this recipe exactly as you described in the video (except that I used store-bought sauce). It came out PERFECT! You're a great teacher, looking forward to more dehydrating videos.
Those are my favorite type of comments! Thanks for letting me know that it worked for you!
That looks amazing, I can’t wait to try this on my next canoe trip with my family. I just found your channel and see you have a book, I will be ordering it soon; Thanks!
I hope you enjoy it. This is one of my most popular meals that others are making. I think it's because it is a step beyond what most people think is possible for a backcountry meal.
I have never made lasagne. You make me want to try it! Delicious!
Thanks Erik!
Another delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing
Most welcome! 😊
Wow! Les explications sont très claires pour que je puisse me lancer! Merci!
Bienvenue!
Thanks, that looks amazing, can't wait to try it
Hope you enjoy
This is my favorite dehydrated meal that I've made so far. Thanks for the idea Kevin!
My pleasure!! love to hear that!
Made my first dehydrated curry and rice.
Ready to try this weekend on a bike ride.
Have a great trip!
Kevin. Did the whole process. Excellent! 9/10. I used low fat rigotta, ground turkey hamburger, mozzarella, spinach.....
The rigotta tended to stay in the little chunks, the mozzarella was hard to dehydrate but it's good....melts into the mix. The homemade sauce reconstitutes exceptionally well. Next time I'm adding mushrooms. Covering the dry mix with water made it a bit soupy. Next time I'll stay clearly LESS than than covering it. Excellent recipe. Labor intensive but fun and delicious.
Thanks Blackdogbite!
Kevin, you have opened up a whole new world of dehydrating for me! I’m doing this recipe next. I am so excited that in another video you are teaching how to compose a dehydrated meal recipe, not just copy someone else’s recipe. My old trail meals book was confusing and frustrating. I almost starved myself once, eating my own homemade chili and spaghetti for eight days, they tasted sad. Thanks for doing this!
Thanks so much Happy Outside! I am currently working on a dehydrated meals cookbook. Stay tuned!
Very cool video. Well made. I look forward to test this out myself. Great! Thx a lot 👏👏
Good luck. If you have a deeper interest, that recipe and more are in my book Backcountry Eats. Cheers.
I love your dehydrated food. I just got a dehydrator for Christmas I’m going to make some backcountry dehydrated food soon
Good luck with the dehydrator. It has changed how I prepare for a backcountry trip. You have a lot more control with your meals. All the best!
I learned smth new today. Thanks. Very helpful.
Thanks CDN soul
another great video. keep throwing in the food ideas and recipes
Thanks Stephen, will do.
Great video my friend. I am going to be making this one.
Nice to hear. I am sure you will enjoy it, I have gotten a lot of positive feedback. One friend of mine uses bowtie pasta instead of cutting the lasagne strips - a little easier.
@@KevinOutdoors great idea
I found you by accident, and don't know why you never popped up in my searches before! I can't wait to get back from my backpacking trip and try this! I also purchased your book!.. I do the boiling the meat also.. I never thought about using a pinch of Olive oil for the fats.
Awesome, thanks so much and welcome to the channel!
@KevinOutdoors thanks. I will be on a section of the PCT in just a few days. I was going to go to Canada 🇨🇦 but fire is preventing me from going. It's just too close for my comfort level.
It is always nice hearing where my meals are travelling to! Have great hike. Perhaps next time you will make it to Canada.
Looks like another great meal. Thanks Kevin
Thanks! Much appreciated!
Great vidéo Kevin. I like your method of drying ingredients separately. This way you could do other recipes such as macaroni by using the same tomato sauce, pasta and ground beef. I tried your method last summer and was able to come up with several different meals.
Thanks Roland. I love when people tell me they are using the methods from my videos. I will keep making videos about individual meals because they are fun to do and because people seem to like them but as you point out it really is the same process for every meal that I do. The components can be used for a variety of meals.
Brilliant!
Thanks.
Just made your recipe :) looks so good, thanks for the inspiration :)
Glad you liked it!!
Thanks for another great backcountry recipe! If you keep this up I will owe you alot more shout outs from my camp kitchens. Appreciate all the work you put into your videos and into your campmeals.
Thanks Mama! I am sure your family will like this one. Yes this meal is a bit more effort than some of my other meals. I did all the meal prep in one day but you could do the components separately on different days and it would be less of a burden.
Awesome meal! Ive never made this before but im definitely adding this to my list. Thanks Kevin
No problem, I hope you enjoy!
Amazing I love this idea
Thank you! 😊
I am just getting back to dehydrating. I have been experimenting with different meal packets that only need hot water or broth to rehydrate. Your recipes make it a lot easier for me, thank you
Wonderful!
ABSO-FREAKING-LUTLY LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! I have a 10 tray square dehydrator from Cabelas! I’ve been so narrow minded and only made Jerky with it! I am soooooo making dehydrated goods for kayak camping!!!!
Thanks Levikrw, I love it when I get a response like that. You can do a lot of different things with that dehydrator. Just curious is it the big 80L version? I have borrowed a friends to experiment with and it is a beast!
Great video. I don't know weather you should be an instructor because your easy to lesson to. Or a chef. That meal looked great rehydrated. Wonderfull job. Thanks for sharing. I know this is two years old. Just found yea and subscribed.
Thanks 👍 I am pleased that people find my videos easy to follow. You might also be interested in by book www.Backcountry-Eats.com
I just watched a lot of your outdoor meal receipts. Yammmiieee!!!!
You should rename your channel to Outdoor Gourmet!
Thanks so much!
That looked awesome Kevin. I like the way you season. Season like you mean it! Bay leaf plant in the kitchen, hmmm I need to look into that , sounds like a good idea.
Thanks for sharing that one my friend!👊
I was thinking about the veggie version, what would you suggest. Zucchini or eggplant maybe?
Thanks buddy! This one is a bit more effort than the usual dehydrated meal but it is worth it!
I think both would work well!
Great .. thank you. Will try ti.
Please do!
excellent how to video, what good looking meal
Thanks Craig!
Great video Kevin! This lasagna that you made looks delicious.
Thanks so much it is a good one!
Okay, I'm hungry now...and I just had lunch! Thanks for the great idea.
You are welcome Jerry. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Looks great, inquiring about dehydrating cottage cheese, have always been leery of drying dairy.
Thanks, 2% cottage cheese dehydrates reasonably well but it isn't suitable for long term storage. No problems on a 2-week camping trip. I have a whole video on fat in dehydrated foods, it is a deeper dive than most of my videos... ruclips.net/video/Z5MJAQ3r-5k/видео.html
Looks great I will have to try this !!!
Thanks, it is a good one!
Thanks, Kevin, for sharing. I’ve been wanting to do my own dehydrated lasagna for sometime and the way you do yours looks great!!!
Thanks, I appreciate that!
Damn you're a Chef 🏆🥇
Thanks!
I learned that my backpacker when using a ziplock freezer bags...we cut the lasagna noodles a little bit smaller only because they weren't cooking it in the pot most of the time. Taste great and it was easy!
A friend of mine suggested I use bow -tie pasta instead of lasagne noodles. It saves a little on the prep time.
@@KevinOutdoors I didn't have a problem with the lasagna. I just took out my kitchen scissors and cut away! 😄
Hey Kevin, love your videos and recipes! You are like a dehydration-pioneer to me. Keep the recipes coming, you are doing a great job! I also recommended you to my hiking-friends. Best wishes from northern Germany!
Thanks Marius. Nice to hear from Germany. I have more recipes on the way. All the best in 2019!
Looks so good!!
Thanks so much!
Kevin (and y'all) I enjoyed watching you make this Lasagna and making it myself. It rehydrated pretty well (except for the cottage cheese) And tasted warm, spicy and nourishing in the Tetons this past weekend. I think I have a fresh question; Why is this the smelliest meal I've ever made/transported? Boy, it was strong! After I put the ingredients together in a freezer bag it permeated my freezer, our food tub in the car and then our bear canister. We ate it the first night because we were kind of sketched out packing it around. It was truly delicious, but I gotta figure out what to do about the smell! Thanks for a great channel!
Hi Jenifer, I am really not sure. I have had that comment once before on a different meal but not as bad as you are suggesting. All I can think of is it may be related to your selection of particular ingredients like onions? Perhaps you found something that is particularly smelly. Sorry this isn't the usual result.
Awesome videos! I've seen pretty much all of them! Waiting for the next one. Better than this season of Game of Thrones.
LOL, thanks Jon! Wish I got paid the same as George R. Martin! :)
I have been waiting anxiously for your book on dehy recipes. How close are you to publishing? I know it's a complicated endeavour. Keep up the good work on your videos. I always enjoy them.
Thanks Dean, I hope to have the book out in about 3 months. Thanks for your patience.
Lasagna is perfect anytime!!!😋😋😋😋
It is.
I would eat that, great recipe! :)
Yep, it is a good one!
Amazing!!!
Thanks Elsa! Much appreciated!
Elsa and Kevin are 2 of my 3 favorite creators❤️ You both really inspire me. So cool to see Elsa liking this video. My third fave is Bicycle Touring Pro.
@@babsbing7319 Thanks Babs Bing! You are lumping me in with some great creators. Thanks!
You've got great menu ideas Kevin. Based on your own packaged meal size of approximately 150 g would my use of a 750 ml pot be big enough?
HI Tim, yes that should work. 150g usually rehydrates to about 2 cups of volume so about 500ml.
Hi Kevin - just found you... I'm impressed - really like your process and your simple 'how to' description throughout. Great Job - it all looks 'good enough to eat.' LOL
Thanks again Gwen. I don't know if you noticed I have written a book on the subject check it out at www.Backcountry-Eats.com
Dude! A man after my own heart. I love cooking and I LOVE cooking in the outdoors!!! Let the peasants skoff and consume their gruel and ramen.
So, regarding this recipe....if you already have all of the components dried and in separate bags...why don't you assemble the dish in layers out in the field?
You could certainly do that but stirring the food once or twice while rehydrating helps.
Wow!!! I'm subscribing.
Welcome to the channel Ken!
Kevin, I really like your idea of cooking the tomato paste for a while to give it a roasted flavor. I'm going to remember that one!
You do a very good job with your videos.
Thanks Leslie, all the best!
Thank you for this video. New sub
Thanks!
Thanks Kevin I shall use this recipe. Although, I only have one Ronco 5 tray dehydrator. Should I just halve the recipe and dry the meat on the bottom?
Sorry, I have no experience with the Ronco 5 tray. I took a look at the machine and I will guess this recipe will fit. I'd leave something out, like the pasta, then see how it goes. You can always do that in another batch. Good luck!
Great recipe! I still shed a tear seeing that flavourful sausage fat run down the drain.
I know they use tapioca maltodextrin commercially to absorb fats for dry-packing. You can get tubs of the stuff on amazon, I've played around with it before. If I have the chance, I might try rendering the sausage in a pan and tossing with maltodextrin before dehydrating. Vacuum- seal with a little oxygen absorber packet. Getting pretty fancy, I know, but if it means keeping that tasty sausage grease in the final meal it might be worth it. :)
Thanks Riley, I will be researching tapioca maltodextrin. It might just be the logical next step to elevate a dehydrated meal.
Great video! I like cottage cheese very much but was wondering if ricotta would work as well?
Hi Michael, ricotta cheese won't work unless you can find a low fat version. I only dehydrate food items that are 2% or lower fat content. I have yet to find a low fat ricotta but it might exist.
@@KevinOutdoors that makes sense and thanks for the reply!
Thank you ! I’ll definitely make this recipe!
Question: are the dehydrated ingredients shelf stable or should they be kept frozen until we head out this summer?
Hi Brenda, these meals are relatively shelf stable but it all depends on how well you remove the moisture and any fat. Also the meals must be stored in an airtight container and out of sunlight. If you do all that the meals will likely last at least 6 months and likely a lot longer. I just keep them in the freezer so I don't even have to think about it.
Hey Kevin, I was wondering if you could tell me about the cottage cheese, I've tried 3 time and failed, I was wondering what temp and time you do it, or if you could make a video about dehydrating cottage cheese, thank u
Sure, I start with 2% (fat) cottage cheese. Anything with a higher fat content won't dehydrate properly. Then I spread it out on dehydrator trays, either using fruit roll trays (Nesco) or parchment paper and I dehydrate at ~135F. The easiest way to not have success is to start with a fatty cottage cheese. Anything with some fat (even low) stands a chance of going rancid so store anything with fat carefully.
Great video! Where did you get the pot cozy?
I made it, I have a video on that. ruclips.net/video/ay1BUpMwss8/видео.html
@@KevinOutdoors my bad I found the other video shortly after I messaged. Thanks for the videos getting into dehydrating and your videos are great!
Yeah! We love lasagna and now we love you 😁👍🏻.
Thanks! This one is a bit complicated to make but it is certainly worth it.
@@KevinOutdoors Nothing is complicated, just take time to accomplish it 😊. The ingredients are in the dehydrator as we speak 😁.
Can this meal be packaged for long-term storage? Thanks so much for the recipe!
Yes, I would say so. The most important thing is to ensure you do a good job of removing fat and getting the meal properly dried. After that storing in a cool dark place inside an airtight container will make the meal last longer. The length of shelf stability can be anywhere from 2 months to years if done properly. I throw mine in the freezer and that way they last almost forever.
@@KevinOutdoors Thank you Kevin! I really appreciate the informative video and the follow-up. I am going to try this for my AT thru-hike! My best, Kim
@@KimCrowHikes Very cool, when people show envy at your meal please tell them about my book Backcountry Eats! :) www.Backcountry-Eats.com
@@KevinOutdoors I will and checking out the link now. Thanks!!!!
trying this this weekend !!!
That's what I want to hear! Come back and tell me how it worked out. Or find me on Facebook and send me a message. Love to hear how it goes.
@@KevinOutdoors friend request sent !!!
@@KevinOutdoors I took this on a Rabbit hunt it was better then the store bought meals. I used ground beef, added mushrooms and Kraft parmesan cheese to in ( in the bag).
@@keithress Awesome! I absolutely love to hear when someone actually tries these meals out. Great choice on substitutions! It is your recipe now. Enjoy!
@@KevinOutdoors I was thinking on a Chicken Parmesan in a pasta sauce. any ideas on how??? if you do think of one PLEASE do a Video!!! if I do one that works I'll let you know. I'm trying to tackle the idea of dehydrating the chicken patty or cut it into small pieces.
Great video- very helpful. Can you dehydrate ricotta instead of cottage cheese if low fat or no fat?
If you could find some 2% ricotta then yes. I have found it online but not in local stores.
Looks good, going to try it next week. How many days if vacuum sealed will it last in back country?
If you do a good job then it could last 6 months to a year or even longer. If you do a poor job of removing water and fat and don't seal it properly in an airtight container then all best are off. Good luck!
“I’m really good at this and I can go a lot faster.” Heh, heh…. Thanks for sharing.
Kevin if you open both ends of tomato paste completely the contents will just slid out. Remember to take off the top before you open the bottom end, less messy that way. Cheers
I will have to give that a try.
Any chance we could get a recipe for this? Want to try it over the long weekend.
Hi Nick,
I don't really have a recipe other than what you see in the video. The ingredients are... 1 box lasagne pasta cooked, pasta sauce (2 onions, 2 cans of tomato paste, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 1 jar of crushed tomatoes, oregano, thyme, bay leaf (I would add garlic to the sauce if I didn't add freeze dried garlic at the end), 1 package frozen spinach, 6-8 Italian sausages, 1 container of 1% cottage cheese, freeze dried mozzarella cheese (optional). The proportions are what I show at the end. My meals are usually 150g dry so I use 50g pasta (1/3) then 30-40 g each of sausage and sauce then I top up the rest to 150g. When you re-hydrate the meal add olive oil at the end and grate in some fresh Parmesan cheese. Good luck!
Thank you. That works for me.
Looks delish! I just received your book and will start trying recipes. Question about the meal in this video: do you store components in ziplock bags for months? I thought food needed to be stored in airtight containers.
Hi Denise, I do store these meals in ziploc bags but it isn't the best practice. Ziploc bags aren't 100% airtight. Vacuum sealing is a better option. But I have had very good luck with just ziploc bags,. especially when I throw them in the freezer.
Nice video m8! Merry Xmas!
//Jesse Sweden
Thanks so much, Merry Christmas to you too!
Can you keep,these meals in your cupboard or should they be frozen? If you take them out of the freezer and pack them but don’t end up eating them can they just go back in freezer?
You can keep them in any cool dry place. They last a lot longer in the freezer. Yes you can put them back in the freezer if you don't use them.
Thanks! I’ve bought a couple books, but honestly your recipes are all better. More please!
Do you have an alternative for the cottage cheese? ( not a cottage cheese fan)
Not really Ceri, just leave it out and add more mozzarella.
Awesome ...thanks ! I was thinking of adding some dried milk powder as well to give it a little extra dairy.
Hi is it okay to put oil?
I would recommend not to use any oil before dehydration. I always try to add oil during or after rehydration, it really helps with the taste, especially since you have removed all the fat from the meat. Good luck.
Like, like, like! Thanks!
Thanks Matt! You don't have to hit the like button three times but I guess it doesn't hurt :) Thanks!
have you tried this as a freezer bag meal ? where you add the boiling water to the ingredients and let it sit in the cozy for 20 min
Hi Chuck, the meal will work in a pot or in a freezer bag but I don't do the freezer bag option. I just don't like the plastic taste you get with that method.
Any idea if plant based meats will dehydrate?
They should dehydrate just fine or you could just get textured vegetable protein (TVP) at a bulk food store. It is already dry and you could add it directly.
@@KevinOutdoors thank you! Just made the vegan chili from your book! Can’t wait to dehydrate it and cook on next weeks backpacking trip.
I followed your recipe exactly but as I dehydrated the sausage it seemed to get greasy. I laid it out on paper towel and changed the parchment paper in the middle of the drying process because there was so much grease. Is this normal? Will this meat still be shelf stable or should I try the meat part again?
Good question. Sometimes a sausage will be OK but some sausage remains fatty. It will affect the storage life of the meal. I would do the meat again. I don't know how far you are into the process but I have even boiled the meat twice to remove the fat. Good luck.
This is awesome! Thank you for the video. How long can you store the sausage meat? Is it gravel like when you rehydrate it?
Thanks Tiffany, How long you can store this depends on a lot of variables including how good a job you did at removing fat and moisture. How well you stored it in an airtight and cool dark place. In my experience 6 months is easily achievable and a year is likely. The meals will store even longer in the freezer. Regarding gravel, no the boiling method I use allows the meat to rehydrate quite well.
Thanks for the video! Quick question, if you don't mind mis-shaped noodles can you simply not pre-boil them? Just crumble them into your bag and let them cook in the backcountry? Food novice here so hopefully this isn't a silly question.
Good question. Pre-cooking pasta and rice is a way of saving fuel. I know it looks like we are returning to square one when I cook and dehydrate pasta but it isn't the same thing after it goes through the cooking process. You can cook pasta in the field but you will consume a lot more fuel. Usually pasta takes ~10 min to cook after you bring the water to a boil. This is just simmer time and not as consumptive as when you are bringing the water to a boil but it is burning time that you don't need to do. My meals re-hydrate in boiling water then I turn the stove off. Depending on what meals you bring cooking rather than re-hydrating could easily mean x5 the fuel carried on a trip. Now, I haven't tried this yet but Lasagne comes in both uncooked and 'oven ready' versions. The oven ready variety is used as is without cooking when you make a Lasagne. The 'oven ready' version might work here with the method I use or it might require a little but not a lot of simmering. I have been thinking of experimenting with this.
@@KevinOutdoors Thank you so much for the fast reply! Makes sense now that you explained it. I might try those pre-cooked noodles you mentioned as well. You made everything look very doable for someone just dabbling in this area for the first time. Thank you!
Eating like a king in the back country! Was watching John on Back Country Angling Ontario and he deferred to you and your backpacking meals. I am thoroughly impressed! By any chance do you bother adding back some of the fat lost from the hamburger by using some olive oil?
HI Canesser, Jon has a great channel! Yes I add fat back into the meal. Usually in the form of olive oil.
Hey Kevin. I was wondering if you would mind giving me some advice. When I dehydrate the 1% cottage cheese it looks to turn color a little . It goes a little yellow. I was wondering if that's normal?.
Yes, I suppose it turns a little yellowish when I do it. Too bad we can't post photos here. It isn't a deep yellow but slightly yellow. I hope that helps.
@@KevinOutdoors ok that's great ty. Makes me feel more comfortable.
Hey Kevin! I'm new here. How long does this meal last before it goes bad? Can I prepare this 3 weeks before heading out?
The meal should be fine if prepared 3 weeks before a trip. Ideally if you do a good job of removing the fat from the sausage and a good job of dehydrating the meal and store it in a cool dark place in an airtight container it should last 6+ months, and you might get more than a year out of it. I freeze mine and they last almost forever.
not sure if someone already asked this but why do you cook the noodles just to dehydrate them?
Good question. Pasta is raw and needs to be cooked. If you just add hot water to pasta it won't turn out properly.
Looks yummy, will give it a try. Have you ever dehydrated feta cheese? I bought your book and it’s excellent.
Hi Lisa, no I haven't done feta. Anything with fat becomes problematic as the fat doesn't dehydrate. I have had success with items that are 2% or less fat.
Just rewatched this Lasagna video... Gotta make me some of this... Just curios how many meals at 150gm did this recipe make?... Dennis, Canoehound
Most of my meals make at least 4 individual meals. Sometimes I get 5 or even 6 out of them.
Update: my daughter is on the AT and she is requesting the lasagna I made from following you.😘
That's awesome!
Kevin, this is an amazing recipe! How long do you think it will keep in an airtight bag? THANKS!
In a truly airtight bag (not ziploc) it should easily last 6-months to a year, but you will likely last 2-4 years if properly stored. These meals last almost forever if you also throw them in the freezer.
@@KevinOutdoors THANKS! Even with the cheese it'll last that long? (Properly dehydrated and sealed)
@@ColoradoMtnGirl33 Yeah, obviously 0% fat is ideal but I have found if you keep things the fat less than 2% it will still hold. You do take a bit of risk in this so that is for you to decide. But think of fish and jerky that people dehydrate all the time, it is hard to truly get 0% fat fish or beef.
@@KevinOutdoors That's such a good point!! Thank you again!!
Should I be adding lots of salt to the meat or meat water to dehydrate? I’m just thinking microbes
No I wouldn't add salt. Just to taste is fine. You aren't curing the meat you are dehydrating it.
That's very similar to how I make the Bolognese sauce though I add red wine or balsamic vinegar, paprika, vege stock powder and chilli. I like your idea to use cottage cheese for the bechamel sauce. I will try it. What brand dehydrater is that because it's time I got one. Thanks.
The same process should work for your recipe. As long as there are no fatty ingredients you should be fine.
Great and don't worry I found your great vid on dehydrators!