Backpacking food doesn’t have to be expensive and complicated. It can be easy and cheap AND found in your local grocery store. One of my favorite grocery store backpacking meals is the cheap and easy One Pot Thanksgiving Dinner. It’s easy to make – all of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store and only boiling water is required for cooking this one. It’s cheap – this meal will cost you $6, or $4 if you opt to skip the turkey jerky. It’s tasty – all of my favorite holiday dinner flavors are combined into one convenient pot, making this super easy to enjoy while backpacking, camping or hiking.

One Pot Thanksgiving Dinner

Ingredients

1 cup of dry stuffing
½ cup of instant mashed potatoes
1 tbsp of turkey gravy powder
1 packet of coconut oil or butter
1 oz of turkey jerky
2 cups of water
2 tbsp of crispy fried onions

Prepare Ahead of Time

Combine all dry ingredients into a Ziploc bag. Keep water and oil/butter separate.

To Prepare on Trail

Boil 2 cups of water with your backcountry stove
Add stuffing mixture and oil/butter
Stir and remove from heat
Cover (put into a stove cozy if your backcountry pot isn’t insulated)
Let sit for 10-15 minutes
Uncover, give it another stir and top with fried onions
Either enjoy directly out of your backcountry pot or put the mixture in a tortilla

Total Calories Per Meal: 538 Calories
Total Cost Per Meal: $4-$6, depends on if you include the turkey jerky or not
Serving Size: Makes 1 “Trail” Serving (A “trail” serving is more like 2 servings off-trail)

Special thanks to Country Archer for gifting me their turkey jerky to check out. It’s delicious and I couldn’t wait to add it to this recipe. Country Archer Hickory Smoke Turkey Jerky is made with 100% natural turkey breast and with real ingredients. It’s high in protein, low in fat, contains NO antibiotics or hormones, no preservatives, no nitrates/nitrites, no MSG, certified keto, certified gluten-free, tender and delicious and is made here in the USA. Visit the Country Archer website for more information on all of their 100% grass-fed beef jerky and meat stick products.

Grocery Store Backpacking Meals: Cheap & Easy One Pot Thanksgiving Dinner

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I made this for our backwoods canoe camping trip and it was really good. Writing this one in my camping cookbook. Enjoy your channel and blog. Thank you. Northern Canada

Kathleen says:

October 13, 2021 at 10:14 am

Awesome!! 😀

Did you make the pouch where you put the food in? The one that hold the heat? If so, can you do a video on it! 🙂

Kathleen says:

January 21, 2022 at 8:59 am

I did make the Food Cozy myself. Here’s the video I wanted that helped inspire me to make my own: https://youtu.be/NQqV-y8TvqQ

How big is the coconut oil packet? I see several sizes on amazon and there is no reference in the recipe or picture.

Kathleen says:

July 21, 2022 at 11:56 am

As far as I know, Trader Joes only sells these coconut oil packets in the one size – a box of 14 – (15 mL packets)

This is brilliant! I think I’ll add some dried cranberries, too.

Kathleen says:

July 21, 2022 at 11:54 am

Great idea!

- Christopher says:
  
  August 26, 2022 at 5:35 pm
  
  I used Ocean Spray Crasins (cranberries) and added 1-2oz to the mix.
  I mixed all the dry ingredients and chopped up turkey jerky into a ziplock sandwich bag, sealed, folded, and inverted that and stuffed it into a second sandwich bag. then added coconut oil pouch, fried onions, and 1-2tbs crasins. then squeezed all the air out, and sealed it.
  
  it’s not thanksgiving without cranberries!
  
  - Kathleen says:
    
    August 29, 2022 at 2:36 pm
    
    Nice addition! I’m personally not a fan of cranberries, but adding the cranberries to this recipe definitely gives the whole meal a more Thanksgiving vibe!