With tangy sour cream, hearty mushrooms, and sweet onions, bring the comfort of home on the trail with venison stroganoff that tastes just like you remember it.
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When creating dehydrated trail meals, I think about what I like to eat at home. I had already created a mac and cheese dehydrated meal (stay tuned for that recipe!) so it wasn’t too hard to create a venison stroganoff recipe. The key was getting the flavors of sour cream and Worcestershire sauce for that classic stroganoff flavor.
This meal has become one of my favorites because it’s comforting and tastes just like a stroganoff you might make at home. Feel free to make it a beef stroganoff if you prefer that over venison. And while you’re at it, make some extra of the jerky for snacking on the trail.
Ingredients and Variations for Venison Stroganoff
- Venison jerky with a beef stroganoff marinade: The venison jerky brings the flavor of Worcestershire sauce and beef broth with a hint of mustard. All the classic flavors of stroganoff. The jerky can also be made with beef too!
- Dehydrated flat egg noodles: You have to have your venison stroganoff with noodles. This recipe was developed with flat egg noodles*. Any noodle would work, but the quantity may differ based on the noodle shape.
- Dehydrated mushrooms: A classic ingredient in stroganoff. Make your own dehydrated mushrooms using your favorite variety or purchase dried mushrooms*.
- Dehydrated onions: Use your own cooked and dehydrated onions so you have larger pieces of onion like you find in classic stroganoff. In a pinch, substitute store bought onion flakes, but use less.
- Dehydrated peas: They add a nice pop of color to the meal. After all, we eat with our eyes too!
- Sour cream powder*: This adds the creaminess and tang that you find in traditional venison stroganoff.
- Butter powder*: Adds some fat to help the flour thicken the sauce.
- Granulated beef bouillon: Adds salt and beef flavor to the sauce.
- All-purpose white flour: Helps to thicken the sauce.
- Ground black pepper: Seasoning for the stroganoff.
Equipment needed
Measuring cups and spoons: to measure ingredients at home when packing the meal.
Scent proof bags*: Keep your food safe from wild animals with a scent proof bag. If wild animals are not a concern, the meal could be packaged in a zippered sandwich bag.
Vacuum sealer*: This is optional but will help keep the meal fresh longer.
Jetboil*: Used on the trail to cook the meal. Other backpacking stoves would work too.
Silicon spoon*: Use to stir the meal in the Jetboil so the non-stick surface does not get scratched. Can use the same spoon to eat the meal directly from the Jetboil.
Helpful Tips for Packing and Enjoying Venison Stroganoff on the Trail
At home
- When packaging the meal at home, have someone help hold the scent proof bags open. A canning funnel* also works to open the bag and get the ingredients in without spilling.
- Package multiple meals in an assembly line fashion, focusing on one ingredient at a time to make packing the meal go quicker.
- This meal cooks great in a Jetboil. It was tested in both a Jetboil and a sauce pan on the stove.
- Because everyone has different seasoning preferences, bring along salt and pepper packages* to season to your tastes. Save the salt, pepper, and other seasoning packages that are included in silverware kits when your order out.
On the trail
- Be sure to let the meal sit after cooking so the ingredients can rehydrate and absorb the water and create a sauce.
- The amount of water used to rehydrate the meal may need to be adjusted, especially if at a higher altitude. More water could create a runnier sauce; less water could cause the ingredients to not rehydrate as well.
- Water boils at a lower temperature at a higher altitude so this will affect the rehydration and cooking time of the meal.
Venison Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup Dehydrated flat egg noodles
- 1/4 cup Venison Jerky with Beef Stroganoff Marinade about 1.5 ounces
- 2 Tbsp Dehydrated mushroom slices
- 2 Tbsp Sour cream powder
- 1 Tbsp Dehydrated onion
- 2 tsp All-purpose white flour
- 1 tsp Butter powder
- 1 tsp Dehydrated peas
- 1/2 tsp Granulated beef bouillon
- 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
Instructions
Preparation at home
- Prepare the Venison jerky with a beef stroganoff marinade. Cut into bite sized pieces (so it rehydrates better).
- Cook and dehydrate the flat egg noodles.
- Dehydrate the mushrooms.
- Cook and dehydrate the onions.
- Dehydrate the peas.
- If necessary, purchase or acquire sour cream powder, all purpose white flour, butter powder, granulated beef bouillon, and pepper.
- Package all ingredients in a scent proof bag and vacuum seal, if desired.
On the trail
- Use 1 1/4 cup water.
- Put water and meal in a Jetboil (or other backpacking stove) and stir to combine.
- Bring to a slow, low simmer and stir the meal to prevent boiling over.
- Cook for a few minutes, continuing to stir, until bubbles appear in the water/sauce.
- Turn the Jetboil off and put the cover on it.
- Let the meal sit for 15 minutes to absorb the water, rehydrate and thicken.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- As you make the meal on the trail, you may find that you need more or less water to rehydrate the meal. The suggested 1 1/4 cup was how the meal was tested in a location that is around 600 feet above sea level. This was enough to rehydrate the meal and create some sauce. Extra liquid will make a runnier sauce and too little may not allow all the ingredients to rehydrate as well.
- The longer the meal sits after cooking, the more the ingredients have a chance to rehydrate. Not all ingredients may rehydrate fully.
- Altitude will affect the rehydration time and water needed.