I’m getting ready guys. I’m just waiting for the weather to ease up a bit (it was 92 here yesterday and hot as the devil’s balls), so I can head out in the woods for a week. While I’m waiting, I’m getting my food situation together.
Nothing against store bought dehydrated meals. I’m a big fan of Heather’s Choice for her delicious, nutritious meals. I love PackitGourmet – the chicken and dumplings and gumbo are seriously delicious. I’ll even throw in a Mountain House meal every now and then. But it gets old. And unless it’s Heather’s Choice, after a few days on the trail, it just feels like my belly cannot get full properly. It needs “real” stuff going in it.
So I like to mix it up and make my own to throw in every now and then.
This is one of my favorites to dehydrate and bring with me. It’s not my recipe exactly. It was inspired by MrBableFish5, and if you’ve never heard of him, check out his youtube channel. He has some great, GREAT food for backpacking.
This spaghetti doesn’t take much time, not for the flavor pay off, and it’s so good that you can serve it to your family tonight and they will cheer. Freezes like a dream, and obviously dehydrates and rehydrates perfectly as well.
Common sense here, but if you intend on making this for an outing, you’ll need a dehydrator. I wish I had the big, fancy, expensive, black one, but I don’t. I have a cheap Nesco, five tray. I either got it on Amazon or at Wal-Mart, can’t remember but it works just fine for me. I put each 5.5 ounce portion in a paper bag and vacuum seal. The paper bag is so that the hard spaghetti noodles don’t put a hole in the plastic bag. Then, if I’m not gonna use them in 2-3 weeks, just to be as safe as possible, I’ll label and toss them in the freezer until I’m ready to take them.
So let me show you how I make this…you’re gonna love it!
ALABAMA STYLE BBQ SPAGHETTI – DEHYDRATOR & NOT
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground beef or pork
16 ounce jar, possibly extra, of Pig Stand BBQ Sauce, or your favorite BBQ sauce
1 large onion chopped
2 bell peppers chopped
2 cans of tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)
1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 8 ounce can of tomato paste
1 cup of beef broth
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cumin
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons black pepper
12 ounces pasta, one box
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, brown your meat. While you’re meat is browning start chopping your veg. When meat is browned, dump in a colander to let the fat and liquids drain off.
In the same pot, saute your veg until soft or how you like. You like that extra crunch? Don’t saute. But you know kids…they get a crunch and it’s all over.
When the veg are done to your liking, dump in all the ingredients except the meat and the pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. While that is simmering away, get some water to boil for your pasta. When water is boiling, break the pasta into thirds, if you’re using spaghetti. On the trail you don’t want long strands of noodles slapping you in the chin. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.
Once done simmering, add the meat and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the pasta, put the lid on, and let it sit for 20 minutes. This is just to let the flavors get to know each other a bit.
If you’re not dehydrating, eat up! If you’ve noticed, it’s a potFUL of pasta! You may want to think about meal prepping or freezing, unless you have 10 kids, then it’ll be gone in one meal.
If you are dehydrating it, you’ll need your “fruit roll up trays”. Spread it out on the fruit roll up tray, not too thick but not thin either. My machine has a meat setting, so that’s what I put it on. It’s labeled 160°. Let it go for about 12 hours. I usually put this on before I go to bed, or at about 6 pm so it’s pretty much done when I get up. That being said, depending on your humidity levels, you may dry longer or not as long as me. Sometimes, I have to add another 3-4 hours of drying time. What you’re looking for is crunchy meat and flexible pasta. Once you reach that, you’re golden.
After it’s done, I let it cool completely and weigh 5.5 ounce portions. This is dried portions, 5.5 ounces. I put it in a paper bag, and vacuum seal. Make sure you label with what it is and the date. I find once foods are dry, it might be hard to tell what it is. Is it pasta? Veggie soup? Beef stew?
Tired of boring dehydrated meals? Whip up some of this delicious BBQ Spaghetti and save money. Plus it's way more delicious than any prepackaged spaghetti you can buy! https://www.thebeardedhiker.com/bbqspaghettiClick To Tweet
HOW TO REHYDRATE
Bring roughly 2 cups of water to a boil. Put the dehydrated spaghetti in your vessel. Once the water is boiling, pour it over the spaghetti until it’s just slightly over the top of the spaghetti. Give it a stir, then put the lid on and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Check it at about 5 minutes, give it a stir, and if it looks like it might need a little more water, add just a bit. After 10 minutes you should be fully hydrated.
You won’t need all 2 cups of water, but better to be safe than sorry. If you have any left over, wash your pits. They probably stink.
**NOTE: There are Amazon links in here. More than you usually see here. They’re not really to get you to buy anything, although I will receive a small fee if you do buy, it’s more for visual references. The BBQ sauce may be something you’ve never heard of. The Sriracha diced tomatoes I just found about a month ago. I think I got it at Wal-Mart. 
Also, about the pasta, I love this one by Barilla. It’s the Bucatini and you can definitely get that at Wal-Mart, or wherever you shop. It’s got the perfect size, and while it looks thick, it’s hollow through the center, so there’s a really great mouth feel to it.
If you’re a vegetarian hiker, never fear! Just toss some Morning Star “meat” in there instead of the ground beef and change the beef broth to veggie broth. Easy.
And just for fun, let’s break this down money-wise. This whole pot of spaghetti, making at the low end, 6 servings, costs roughly $15.00, or $2.50 a serving. Mountain House’s Spaghetti with meat sauce at Wal-Mart is $7.05 a serving, 4.5 ounces. That’s $42.30 for 6 servings, not including tax. PackitGourmet’s spaghetti is $7.99 a pack with 6 servings $47.94 not including shipping.
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This sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Homestead Blog Hop!
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
I love spaghetti and I love bbq so I’ll definitely have to try this. Sounds good. Hope you stop by next Monday and link it up to my More the Merrier link party!
For sure Jamie, I’ll be there! Thanks!
How have I never thought of BBQ Spaghetti?!? Mind blown, need to try this, it looks amazing and I know my husband would love it.
It’s so different but delicious! Thanks for checking it out Luxe!
And why not BBQ Sauce for the sauce, that is a great idea and one to be tried! Hope you have a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
This looks really tasty. Anything with the word bbq in it is a hit with me! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
It sounds really yummy and like it has a little kick. Just the way I like it! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
Jann
Homemade is always better than prepackaged stuff. And this looks mouthwatering just from the photo.
Thanks Mary! Can’t go wrong with homemade, ever!
Hooray for real food! We’d finish this in a heartbeat with not a nary drop left behind. Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, and I hope your week is going great.
I have to give this recipe to my son he would love this he’s camps year round. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party @DearCreatives Pinned & sharing.
He will love this!
This actually looks amazing, can i have some please? You do have a courier service…right? hehe #TwinklyTuesday!
Absolutely I have a courier service!
Haha! ? awesome
It sounds great, and the BBQ sauce is a nice twist. I’m not sure I would dehidrate it, but do you think I could freeze individual portions? I love to cook on the weekends and then freeze the meals to use during the week.
Thank you for sharing the recipe at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
I have frozen this perfectly Teresa.
Thanks for the great directions with the dehydrator! The paper bag trick is going to come in handy for sure!
That sounds pretty sweet – to be able to indulge in an actually home cooked meal while hiking for a week. Pretty mind blowing stuff here (I am a day hiker, tents freak me out) so no experience in preparing meals that are subsequently dehydrated, we only use our dehydrator for jerky and drying out fruit or vegetables to turn into powder. Your BBQ sauce is sooo on point!
Thanks Milena! I’m thinking of putting some more of my hiking meals on here…I do a sweet potato spinach dahl that dries beautifully and to have that flavor after a 20 mile hike…ugh, heaven! If only I could find a way to bake up some fresh naan while I’m at it — No, to be honest, I wouldn’t even have the energy if I could.
This looks and sounds super yummy! I’m always one for adding random flavours to things and we will definitely be giving this a try! Thank you #TwinklyTuesdays
I thing you and yours will enjoy it!
I’ve always had a hard time re-hydrating ground meat, It comes out like saw dusty little pebbles. I read some where to add bread crumbs to the meat while cooking, During re-hydration, the bread crumbs absorb the water and make the meat moist. I tried it once messing around and it seemed to work. Have you tried anything like that?
No, I haven’t. I haven’t had any problems rehydrating the meat in this recipe. I guess because by the time the meat is browned and cooked in the sauce it’s pretty small.
In general though, thinking about it, no I haven’t had that problem. I find the idea of bread crumbs interesting though and it seems like it would work. I’ve dehydrated ground beef with no problems and chicken. I like to drain a can of chunk white meat chicken (don’t try a real chicken breast, it’s a#$), mix in some powdered ranch dressing mix and buffalo sauce. This is just to taste. Then I spread it out on the fruit roll up tray and dry, dry, dry.
It is actually very good dry as a crispy snack, but I rehydrate it and spread it on a tortilla. No problems there either with rehydration.
I’ll try to post more of my recipes I dehydrate. I make a bean bark stew that is pretty delicious.
Hi, I have never thought of adding a barbecue sauce to spaghetti before, I think that I may have to give this one a try #TwinklyTuesday
Yum! This looks absolutely delicious. It would be perfect for an easy camping meal. I’ll add a link back to it in my camping meals round up 🙂
It really is perfect for camping. Very comforting after a long day outdoors! Thanks for adding me, what a great list! Can’t wait to try some of those goodies!
I love combining different cuisines. I had a Korean kimchee pasta in New York about a month ago and it was incredible. It was a creamy tomato sauce that had the pungent flavors of kimchee and it may be the best thing I’ve eaten this year.
Jeff that sounds amazing! I love kimchi! I always have some in my fridge and my wife is always grossed out when she sees. She says it looks like an abortion in a jar. Whatever, it tastes good! Never ever would have thought to put those two together, but you got my mind working now!
What an ironic post to have come across because I actually made spaghetti for dinner tonight!
This was such a fun post to read. I will probably never go hiking or at least not a hiking situation that would require dehydrating food and I don’t have 10 kids but I think if I make less of this my kids would enjoy it. Thanks for sharing.
BBQ Spaghetti say waa! Sounds great Thanks for the recipe. Sharing on Twitter. Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Thanks Kim for coming check it out…it’s gooood! I’ll for sure see you next week!
Looks good! My hubby and son will need to try it on their boy scout camping trips! rockpaintingguide.com
That would be perfect!
Oh that looks amazing
Mollyx
Thanks Molly!
Besides your recipe sounding delicious; dehydrating it for future meals is very interesting. I could have used this post back in the days when we were camping – not too much backpacking! Thanks for coming to the party!
Hiking, camping, hurricanes…it’s great!
I haven’t thought of incorporating bbq sauce into spaghetti! This is genius and sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing and happy Fiesta Friday!
Thanks Jhuls! The BBQ makes for a delightful sauce.
I could imagine. ?
Such a delicious spaghetti! I agree, nothing beats real food! Thank you for sharing with us over at Fiesta Friday!