This story was taken from Facebook (with permission) from one of our customers, Carol A., in Utah.

I’ve had a very busy summer spent mostly dry camping (no hookups) … I got our freeze dryer at Christmas (2016) and ran it almost 24-7 until summer started. I purposely focused on one-dish meals for our summer in the 5th wheel.

I worried about taste, texture, and whether or not my husband would be satisfied, even happy. The answer is a resounding YES! The smaller mylar bags worked great for the two of us. They’re lightweight so they don’t stress the pantry shelves of our 5th wheel. I used bottled water to reconstitute, unless juice or broth was suggested. Our favorite meal is Costco’s Chicken Alfredo – I reconstitute it in a disposable foil cake pan, cover it with a sheet of foil, and let it bake in the oven for a bit – AWESOME!

I also freeze dried my own recipes for Chicken and Rice Casserole; Beef Stroganoff with homemade Spaetzle noodles; Taco Soup (I rehydrate shredded cheddar cheese for sprinkling on top, then open some corn chips to garnish); Sausage Tortellini Soup; and a tomato-based Hamburger Goulash with elbow macaroni. I did Hormel Chili (freeze dried right from the cans – so easy!); I did some marinated grilled chicken slices, which I rehydrated to put on top of green summer salads (YUMMY)!

I used Stephanie Petersen’s book, “Meals in a Jar” to prepare Macaroni, Cheese, and Asparagus Casserole; Chicken Noodle Skillet; and Cheeseburger Skillet (these recipes call for freeze-dried ingredients that are measured into mylar bags instead of jars). I used freeze-dried milk, raw scrambled eggs, and pre-cooked sausage patties for breakfasts as well as bags of freeze-dried biscuits and gravy (another favorite).

I took sandwich meat slices which had been rolled, freeze-dried, then put in mylar bags between two opposing paper plates to keep them from being smashed/broken before hydration. Our refrigerator had fresh produce in the bottom drawers, but the rest was used for soda pop and water, since most food was in mylar until rehydrated.

We ate like KINGS! I can’t tell you how lovely it was to work a hard day, then be able to eat a fabulous meal with hardly any effort and very little cleanup! I’m in love!

Thanks, Carol! We encourage our customers to continue sharing their stories! We love reading them.