PRO CHEF teaches me 4 incredible backpacking meals

[@kennethwyatt1089]

Chef Corso just recruited another hiker. My grandson, who’s an indoor kid addicted to tv/video games, loves cornbread (Jiffy). I make it for him every time he comes over. After watching this video, I pulled out my canister stove and went out on the patio and made us some peanut butter and jelly grits. After his first bite, he insisted that we go camping so we could cook this in the forest. Thanks for helping me get him off the couch.

[@ChefCorso]

cheers Kenneth! that's what it's all about!

[@hector5299]

We have a legend at REI about roasting Twinkies. It’s the origin of our Pray For Snow party

[@dadassery8506]

After 20+ years of backpacking I think I have things figured out, but once in a while you drop a game changer of a video. Thanks Dan

[@RedCatt423]

I would love to see the chef's food bag for a 4 day hike

[@brontewood]

Chef Corso - you need your own show! I want to binge watch these backpacking recipes!!

[@stevendavis6556]

He does have his own YT channel with many videos

[@stefaniemanton-ward7794]

He already has his own show called Outdoor Eats! It airs on FanDuel Sports Networks and OutsideTV :)

[@isabelledrolet4297]

You know you've been following a channel for a while when Dan's referencing a 4-year old video and you remember watching it then! Always a pleasure hearing from Chef Corso.

[@ChefCorso]

cheers!

[@amywert8088]

@@ChefCorso You should pop back and let folks know about your knife, lots of questions on it here.

[@edtobin4657]

Chef Corso rocks! I´ve been following him for a while. He inspires me for my camper van adventures

[@sherrycook7043]

Chef Corso!!! My favorite. Thanks for having him on. It would be fun to see the two of you take a hike and cook along the way.

[@debbilermond1553]

Chef Corso is certainly introducing a backpacking paradigm shift to camp cookery! I love the ingenuity he brings to the camp table. I went to his website and was overwhelmed by all the awesome recipes. Thank you both for testing out a few of these recipes. I mostly do Mountain House Freeze-Dried meals but would like to spice up our backpacking adventures with more interesting and tasty meal choices. 🥰

[@ChefCorso]

Cheers D! Welcome to a new path

[@KarlaStorm]

Last weekend I went backpacking in Big Bend and used 3 of Chef Corso’s recipes and I was the envy of my friends because they were fabulous!!!

[@stampede963]

I'm jealous. I love big bend and I love his recipes!

[@KarlaStorm]

@ Me too

[@sarahlikescanoes]

Yes! I always bring coconut powder to add to oatmeal, ramen, rice dishes, protein powder drinks, or meal replacement powders (Soylent chocolate is the best), and I recently added it to Backpacker Pantry Pad Thai which really elevated the flavour profile! Coconut rice is great with most dishes. I'm sure you can add it to desserts but I'm not a dessert person. I also love carrying crispy onions as those are lightweight and can be added to a ton of dishes for flavour and texture.

[@michellesharpe6159]

Unbelievable how organized that spice drawer is. . .

[@MayorOfAmerica]

Great video, I've been working these kinds of hacks in every kitchen, only info missing is calories!! On the trail, it's the essential math.

[@jonsible]

I'm a food guy who dables and hiking and this video speaks to my soul. Thanks for introducing me to this guy.

[@Ts7005]

Tack!

[@matthewjohnson8867]

Daaaaaang! That strawberry shortcake looks awesome!

[@bendennis8773]

Chef Corso is awesome. Been watching him for years.

[@spoofytube4475]

This video is much better structured version of the first one. Nice job!

[@soutahmike]

Ordered the 3 pack of recipes. Tried the PB&J grits breakfast last weekend while backpacking at some hot springs. It was delish!

[@Olyphoto7]

Always nice to see collaboration videos especially when it involves food and people from the PNW!

[@the88tlc]

Food is one of the most enjoyable things when camping....this Chef Corso is legit, great ideas... great to prepackage all of this in a ziploc. Instant potatoes, minute rice is great staples to build on... beef jerky and instant potatoes and cheese and butter is the bomb! so good, and cheaper than freeze dried.

[@ecoheliguy]

Here is my decades old favorite, needs a slight bit of home prep 1) Pan fry diced onion until soft and brown, add Taco seasonings of choice, bloom spices for a moment, add ground beef and cook until well browned. 2) Set oven to lowest setting 65-75c (150-170F), dehydrate setting or use a dehydrator. Empty one full back of frozen diced veggie (carrots, peas, corn, string beans) onto a tray. Spread cooked ground beef mixture on a separate tray. Dehydrate for 8 hours. 4) Bag veggies, and beef mixture separately in ziplock, bring along a pack of instant mashed potatoes. And seasoning of choice (hot sauce, sriracha, butter, paprika) 5) In the field place beef mixture in the button of a pot or bowl, layer vegetable mixture on top next, add instant mashed potatoes onto last. Add 2x amount of boiling water on top (gently to not disturb layers) let sit and insulate. 6) add seasoning of choice and enjoy your Shepherd’s Pie 🤤

[@MikeSalesTheTwispAngler]

How did you bring ground beef? 😀

[@ecoheliguy]

@ as mentioned above, pan fried, dehydrated, then into a ziplock bag

[@arh1234]

I did not know you could dehydrate food in an oven! That's awesome for me, since I don't need to do it often enough to justify a dehydrator.

[@jendfam]

I love to cook (in a real kitchen) but when it comes to backpacking, I’m a simple gal and lean toward Dan with freeze-dried meals (preferring my favorite cottage gourmet brands which are great quality but expensive). I almost scrolled on by this video, but I gotta say, as I watched it, my mouth watered and I was inspired to go backpacking or camping to try some of Chef Corso’s recipes!!Thanks for this awesome video!! ❤ I’d love for him to come raid my well-stocked pantry and create some easy BP dishes with stuff I tend to leave behind!

[@ChefCorso]

Cheers Jen. Look forward to you trying a few of the recipes

[@tinyyellowtree4076]

This was SO much fun! Absolutely buying the corn bread mix, probably try it with a baby's apple sauce packet, which reminds me, I should pack cinnamon...

[@joanrusche6918]

Love this! I cook meals on the trail and my friends tell me they eat better on the trail with me than they do at home. I’m happy to gain some new ideas from this video.

[@fightforfreedomneversurren8610]

I just started taking my kids backpacking and they would love the strawberry Twinkies idea.

[@ChefCorso]

so many great recipes to cook up with your kiddos!

[@bbeckwith]

Congrats on Chef Corso on his new show

[@chemistryflavored]

I’m so excited to try these! I am a big fan of non prepackaged meals more for cost reasons and I often dehydrate my own meals but I also love quick and easy. Thanks for sharing this!

[@chefblair63]

As a chef myself, I applaud you for doing this. I have done similar recipes earlier in my backpacking journeys, mostly to save $$. Sara Lee boxed, no bake cheesecake was one of my favorites if snow is available. Also powered butter is a game changer. I buy in bulk cans. Today’s small batch freeze dried purveyors make great meals and the weight and convenience is hard to beat for ultralight backpacking.

[@tomlovesdiy]

I have 2 favorite DIY meals. 1) ingredients, ramen, frozen peas, green onion chunks, peanut butter, garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, pouch chicken, some hot sauce or red pepper flakes. Garnish with chopped peanuts. 2) 1/2 pouch of Idahoan garlic mashed potatoes, a few pieces of homemade beef jerky (diced), frozen peas and carrots, brown gravy mix, garlic and onion powder.

[@JarradShaw]

Yes, Chef Corso!!! Bout time he is back!

[@masonjohnson8480]

The video I didn’t know I needed!!!

[@RVRepairNut]

This is probably the most unique video I have seen on this channel and it is Awesome! Will be making these with my family over Thanksgiving.

[@YTusercomment]

I'm a big believer in trying simply made, yet coked, backpacking meals. I've been experimenting with making my own dehydrated meals...this will be a great compliment to elevate the quality of my backpacking meals. Expands your back country culinary horizons...other than "Ramen this, and Ramen that..."

[@ChefCorso]

welcome aboard!

[@ShelbyWalkerAdams]

Dan, I think this was one of my favorite of your videos! You two need to pair up for a fun series.

[@gabehill1462]

This was great. Thank you!

[@cantstartafire]

Outstanding! Love this guy!

[@spacekat8249]

It was amazing! Unfortunetely in Europe, in France actually there is a lot of new laws againts "over packaging" and so it's very difficult quite impossible to find ingredients individualy packed as a "one serve" pack. Sorry, I know my English's awful but I hope you understand what I mean...When you are planning your backpacking foods it's wayyy complicated!

[@Big_Shonk]

We love chef Corso! More collabs pls

[@passiveincomeadventures]

We met Chef Corso at an outdoor expo right before we through hiked the Arizona Trail (with kids, so I was super stressed about the food!) We ended up buying a freeze dryer to convert his ideas to more shelf-stable options we could mail to ourselves and had to pack 2-3 months in advance of eating it. And he was right: home freeze-dried foods taste SO MUCH BETTER than commercial options. Our youngest still prefers "gas station foods" like EZ Mac, but our teens enjoyed amazing meals like homemade tikka masala and breakfast tacos for 3 months in the middle of the Arizona desert days away from civilization. While through hiking is a very different beast for food, meeting Chef and adapting his ideas really helped boost our trail morale!

[@bettyadkisson1681]

Try jam cobbler ,2tablespoons self rise flour,2tables sugar,2 tablespoons milk,1/2 teaspoon vanilla . In clean tuna can melt 2tablespoons butter,pour batter into buttered can,dab 2tablespoons of jam then top with another tuna can and put both into hot coals and put coals on top of 2nd can its done when knife comes out clean. And for dinner I make ramen noodles veggies,beef jerky,I cook the veggies and beef jerky till tender then add crushed noodles,add 1/2 teaspoon knorrs beef bounlion powder, then cracker 1 egg and stir till its cooked soft. And u always pre pack the ramen noodles 1/4 cup with 1/2 teaspoon knorr beef bounlion powder,because it has parsley in it and more servings,72 servings and cheaper then bouillon cubes which only has 24 servings. And make instant rice the with the same as the noodles. I pre pk. Rice ,ramen noodles ,dehydrated veggies,bouillon powder,garlic,onion powder,salt. And top the noodles with French onion dip. And seasoned bread cubes. For dessert I make a biscuits with 1 cup self rise flour,dash salt,1/2-3/4 cup whipping cream,2 tables sugar ,mix till moistened pour into buttered pan cook till browned flip and cook till done with lid on then top with sweet strawberries and enjoy.

[@PeterFLB]

Love this guy!! More trips with Chef please!!!

[@phasmata3813]

Gotta say that I'm a little skeptical of the nutritional superiority of a pot of Funyuns + jerky to that of something like Good to Go, Farm to Summit, Packit Gourmet, Pinnacle. Economical superiority for sure, though.

[@ChefCorso]

Indeed, Funyuns are Fun, but maybe the best on the nutrient scale. I welcome you got check our recipe bank for other options that can work for you that are drastically lower in salt and preservative than packaged meals options.

[@chefblair63]

I agree with your assessment. I don’t eat that crap at home.

[@backcountry4life]

Great stuff! I get tired of freeze-dried meals too so this is inspiring! Thanks for sharing! 🤟

[@Obi-Wan_Pierogi]

I love this! I'm in Poland, so some items aren't readily available, but it is good inspiration I buy these little packets that are meant to make a cup of soup. I used them as a base to flavour some freeze dried soy nuggets, once they've soaked a bit, I add more water to some groats and mix it all together. It's a good lunch.

[@truthntrails]

I'm not sure I'd love any of these recipes, but it was worth watching just to see Dan react with this much surprise and intrigue 😅

[@ThisguyLeftthechat]

Whenever i go backpacking i like to have grilled meat first night and later days some rice with pesto or some creamy pasta. That way i eat heavier stuff im the beginning of the trip. I really like having real dinner

[@paulkhanna1]

Okay, yeah, I'm sold on this.

[@anninwhack1998]

Love Chef Corso! I use his videos for ideas bc most dehydrated meals are too salty for me or just not appetizing. Thx for a great video and sharing recipes!

[@zachscherpa944]

Chef Corso! I have all of his books. They are great!!

[@wylde-lyfe]

Love this guy!! During my >50 years outdoors, I've tried a bunch of ready made stuff and make from scratch stuff. I prefer a mix of fresh/ scratch stuff, lots of possibilities if you simply use your imagination! Hope he puts out at least an e-book if he hasn't already done so. There's not a lot of great dish ideas out there using easy to find/ simple ingredients. It would be good to find nutritional info to match the dishes (caloric bang per ingredients), prep needs, etc.

[@wylde-lyfe]

Found, bought his books!!

[@ChefCorso]

Cheers Wylde! Welcome aboard

[@jasonmcspadden5590]

Dan, this was a great episode! I didn't know about Chef Corso before this. Thank you.

[@kdintheword1813]

Awesome! I can't wait to try some recipes!

[@Viajando6301]

Amazing! Plz more backpacking recipes videos Plz!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@krystaogletree826]

I thought you had another video from (2) weeks ago with Chief Corso. Let’s do another one. I’m waiting on camping ⛺️ season to start. The studio would be cool. I bought a (4 )cookbooks after your video. Your the best ❤

[@miken7629]

I usually have pudding for dessert, put package of no cook pudding + 1/4 cup Nido in freezer bag, add 1 cup water, shake bag for 3-4 minutes, sets up in 10 minutes.

[@aurtisanminer2827]

I love grits! They’re so easy to make and can be flavored in so many ways. I’m surprised they arent as popular as couscous

[@aurtisanminer2827]

I had no idea that corn bread mix basically had grits in it!

[@tythornberry4762]

Great video Dan!

[@christimartin8512]

Thanks for the video! Fascinating, easy recipes! Chef Corso, you must try Meat Shredz, freeze dried shredded pork. It is good right out of the pack, dry, or rehydrates into truly delicious barbecued shredded pork. With a pack of stolen BBQ sauce (Arby’s), you can have a hot, fresh pulled pork sammich! There are several flavors. It also is delicious added to any pasta sides, Mac and Cheese, or Knorr Rice Sides. Some of the sweet pork in Teriaki noodles, with some added bell peppers and maybe some dried mango, is out of this world delicious!

[@itsmeLori]

So creative!

[@garysladek9110]

Thanks, this video is....awesome. Wow.

[@eddiemathis412]

I like the recipe ideas however I am a cold soaker , I would love some good cold soaking recipes.

[@thinkhelpservice]

more of this guy! great job

[@maureen7653]

This was so interesting; very creative and fun!

[@Takenmynameandmycat]

I’d honestly call those “grits” a hasty pudding more or less. Still pretty neat idea.

[@pyronymph-868]

I like cheddar shreds and butter in my grits.

[@garypotter5569]

Surprisingly not lame.

[@bod3102]

Chuckle

[@johnsarangel]

you’ll be surprised when you talk to a chef. they have many cooking ideas so simple to cook and tasty you’ll think why you never thought of it.

[@lennynichols6809]

I like to put "tins" of shredded beef jerky in my backpacking grits. I like the smoked flavor from the jerky in the grits. "Tins" are plastic and I find them in convenience stores. It looks like chewing tobacco tins.

[@jeffpeters5347]

More of these videos please

[@alexkevhikes]

This video feels like the format of a day time television show lol.

[@ChefCorso]

back to you for the weather Jim!

[@KathyColorado1]

I agree, cilantro is gross. This was a great video. I have to eat gluten free so I will need to adjust all of these recipes . Thank you for sharing.

[@VelcorHF]

I’m glad he’s back.

[@1Grumpymonk]

All of these looked amazing. The breakfast and the stew I'm definitely going to try. I tend to just snack for lunch. Maybe the roasted twinkie 🤷

[@keithmeyers1720]

Been doin your strawberry shortcake all summer, people love it. NOW I gotta try roasting Twinkies, can't wait!

[@tanvach]

Wonder if the corn bread mix can be cold soaked? That’ll save so much effort for my morning meals.

[@ChefCorso]

not really. It needs heat to break down some of the fibers. It only takes a few min of cooking and well worth it

[@emil1981111]

Good stuff. What I want on trail is food where I can just add water and not simmer or anything like that. I prefer when you can buy and combine things to achieve that. This video was good inspiration but many of the things shown aren't available in Sweden were I live.

[@MalinaCC]

Definitely gonna try the strawberry shortcake recipe!

[@jamesmccreery250]

I have all the ingredients for this stuff at home already! only small draw back might be clean up.

[@vincentrogister5006]

Yes finally somebody who actually cooks in the backcountry not just rehydrate. Half of my favourite part of camping is how much better the food tastes you actually work up an appetite out there just boiling water isn't a satisfying method for cooking, I wanna saute fry bake. And it's possible my wife and son were canoe camping in algonquin park and we made jumbalaya with smoked sausage tomatoe paste in a tube onions peppers and smoked sausage served over uncle Ben's rice the texture alone is better than rehydrate slop

[@ParkourBrian]

Dan reminds me especially of Seth Rogan in this one 😂😂 always love Corso’s innovations!

[@pyronymph-868]

Toasted Starburst are amazing...

[@cwoollard1]

What is that knife? I want one!

[@rungavagairun]

I'm happy that there are people who cook like this in the backcountry, and if someone else was cooking this stuff for me, I'm sure I would enjoy it, but there's no way I'm pissing around with all that those ingredients and steps at camp. I carry a container of creole seasoning to add a little zip to the freeze dried meals that lack flavor, and I might carry an apple on day one of a multi day trip, but that's about as far as I'm willing to go.

[@slkendall85]

Quaker makes instant grits though? I like cheddar and deep fried crispy jalapeños you can get for salads in mine.

[@amywert8088]

Maybe not as easy to find on a resupply and Quaker is well known for having wayyyy too much glyphosate in their packets.

[@a.ramosakadrumgrl6677]

I’ve seen many of Chef Corso’s videos and have looked for recipes that are online.

[@jessicamwright99]

Look, I'm from the coastal south -- I mean I grew up on grits. I'm 100% willing to try the Jiffy recipe, but let's not call em grits 🥲 grits are 100% corn & ** savory!** Maybe let's call this Jiffy corn porridge 😂 On a similar note, though: I bring Quaker instant grits backpacking with me frequently. Light weight & they rehydrate instantly (I mean, actually no wait time). Maybe bring a little extra salt and pepper, and when I have the room, I bring a handful of chopped fresh bell pepper & cherry tomatoes to top it on days 1 & 2. You could even bring powdered butter, though instant grits usually already have a light butter flavor! This winter, I'm experimenting with adding dehydrated veg mixes to my grits, including kale (collards), mushroom, and sun dried tomato! This is a great option for folks who prefer salty vs. sweet, like myself, as I'm personally trying to find alternatives to the sweetness overload of a lot of backpacker-friendly foods: oatmeal/granola bars/easy-to-grab snacks, etc. All this said, I'm looking forward to trying all of these recipes!!! I backpack most weekends & am prepping for a long thru-hike in the spring. I'm planning on prepping & dehydrating a lot of my own food, and the balance between ease, cost, weight, good nutrition, and environmental impact is very top of mind for me right now.

[@jimonthecoast3234]

I've never gone backpacking, but I have gone tent camping.. -- we'd have Fresh trout, caught that mornign, a Tritip, Spagetting and meat sauce, all cooked on a campstove ( tritip was roasting in foil buried into hot coals from the monring fire, )

[@ostrobogulous1]

This was fun and great creative uses for all of those packets we accumulate. My only concern was what happens to all of those chemicals in Twinkies when they're charred? I'm not sure about that one!😬

[@57boomer44]

OMG I love grits!

[@bambu46]

That ain't grits, it's cornbread soup

[@markperry222]

I love Chef Corso's recipes. Only one problem, many of his ingredients are only available in N American supermarkets. In other parts of the world we are not so lucky.

[@SteveKuo]

Where can we find Chef Corso's knife?

[@stattravels8109]

This video is awesome

[@lucymoody4927]

7-11 makes their own version of Funyons and I would recommend that you try them, deliciousness

[@davidj830]

idk how people cook like this in wilderness... I'm usually cold and rained on.. yall are having a full blown picnic

[@deborahferguson1163]

Add exhausted and in pain to that!

[@georgesolanakis8264]

Remy and Alfredo Linguini at its finest! 😅 Dan you complete me! 🥰

[@ebbthenflow]

Looking for the link to his folding knife!!!

[@farewellvoyager5379]

Where and when will the knives be available?

[@james6420]

Great video! By chance, do you have a link to that knife? I need that in my life!

[@jjmcwill2007]

I think a single serving packet of SPAM, cubed, would be a great addition to the mango fried rice.

[@michaelhumphrey4949]

Folding knife link?