# Instant mashed potatoes



## Deebo

Anyone else putting the instant mashed potatoes in their bugout bag. I have found the cheap box brand generic that you just add milk, water and butter to are very good flavored with just a pinch of chili powder and black pepper. My nephew and I call them "dirty mashed" becouse the spices turn them brownish. With my surgically altered stomach, I can only eat small portions, and they seem more filling to me than ramen. Of course, I still have some jerky in my bag, to get the protein, and need to order some more baraitric advantage meal replacement protein drink mix.


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## HuntingHawk

Then you would have to carry the milk & butter also. But both of those can be powdered.


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## Deebo

true, but those are just flavorings, and i should try it with powdered milk.....some of the instant mashed creations dont need the milk. Also, anyone ever heard of making dehydrated mashed potatoes? I had some once, my aunt poured it from a folgers can, said her mom made it? I remember the flakes were very big, added to boling water and were superb.


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## Montana Rancher

I don't think potatoes are a good choice for a bug out situation, a 1 cup serving is only about 250 calories and require the milk, butter, seasonings, a fire or stove, and a pot to prepare.

IMO pack calorie dense foods to get you out of dodge and then have some means of harvesting food once you are in the field. Snares, fishing equipment, a shovel, a gun will get you self sufficient the fastest.

I would suggest something like this

Emergency Supplies - 2400 Calorie Emergency Food Bar

Not much fun eating the same thing day in and day out, but since you can only carry so much, why not have the most efficient use of space and weight?


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## MI.oldguy

Not a lot of calories but a comfort to go with whatever else you may have to eat,like like betty crocker dry hash browns in like the little milk containers and some other box meals.at least you will get your daily ration of salt at the same time too.


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## roy

Instant mashed potatoes are an excellent choice for BOB. A 4 oz package contains about 440 calories and 8 grams of protein. They are quick to prepare or can be rehydrated and eaten cold in a pinch. I like them with Spam singles or chicken, either canned or foil packs. Other stuff in the same general category are Knorr sides. The pasta side work best. Use fats for a calories booster in either. Plain ole lard is probably the cheapest, lasts forever, 253 calories/oz. Squeeze margarine is also good as are any vegetable oils.


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## MrsInor

I really do not like instant or boxed potatoes. We have some in our storage but I would rather can and dehydrate potatoes.


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## Ripon

I've enjoyed them in the past. Costco use to sell a box at a good price and the sealed bags were good for 8 servings. Still though to need milk and butter is the problem and worse is they don't have a long shelf life. Potatos are too easy to grow so its not something I would stock up on. As for a bug out bag I couldn't stock anything in that which needed so many other ingredients - those 2400 calorie energy bars are what I'd want - 10 days worth.


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## Leon

welcome to costco...I love you...


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## rickkyw1720pf

One of my favorites is Instant mashed potatoes called 4 cheese. They are instant mashed potatoes with powered cheese in them I buy the cheep Walmart brand. I mix some in a bowl and make a paddy and fry it with my eggs. I got several bags (removed from the box) stored away they come in sealed bags already.


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## WVprepper

The 4 cheese ones are good.. We always have some on hand, and include them in our camper pantry incase we leave in a hurry.


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## wallyLOZ

I store instant potatoes in both my stay put and bug-out locations. Plan is to bug-out, but keep some at the stay put location in case we can't get out of dodge. When en-route you would want light weight, calorie dense foods. I've got protein bars and MRE's so we can travel as fast as possible to our BOL. IMO.


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## roy

You can do better than MREs, much better.


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## paraquack

And you can do worse.


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## AvengersAssembled

I like to have a bit of a variety, in my pack I carry a select few components from MRE's, a couple pouches of instant mashed potatoes (the kind where you only add boiling water), some 1,200 calorie emergency ration bars, and of course jerky and hard candy lol I constantly rotate my food out, it changes pretty frequently.


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## PrepConsultant

I prefer to have very calorie dense foods in my BOB. I carry the high calorie emergency ration bars,trail mix and jerky in my BOB. I also carry several of the powdered gatorade type single use drink mixes along with several bottles of water. I have several packages of powdered potatoes and stuff like that at my BOL which is now home and another spot we have picked. But for our BOB's it is the most calories we can pack into them using the least space as possible!
Our BOL which is now our home has several root cellars around the ranch where we have stuff stored. Including the more tasty stuff such as instant potatoes and stuff like that.


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## Blkwulff

I carry just add water pancake mix in my pack. Rice, tuna , and a bag of instant potatoes ton of condiments from stores ,syrup lemon juice , ketchup , mustard , honey , what ever store leave out I take a few


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder

Don't dismiss instant potatoes so quickly...

A lot of times when I am cooking chicken and have broth, that usually goes into my mashed potatoes instead of milk. In a BOB, you could replace some of the extras with bullion cubes, you should have water on hand..

It makes a great thickener when trying to make food go further.. some kind of camp stew where all you have is meat and nothing else, instant potatoes would at least make it stick to your guts a little while longer.

The small bags should have some powdered milk in them already, especially the ones where all you add is water? Not to count, they are light weight.

Also, nothing like a cup of soup....if nothing else.


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## Deebo

Yes, I have added it to hamburger helper when it was too thin..People have different tastes, and likes and dislikes..But I love my instant mashed. Been microwaving them lately, mix as per directions, let sit about 5 minutes, then micro till hot. AWESOME. And add a can of libby's sausage gravy, and it is dang good.


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## dwight55

Were any of you guys Navy cooks?

Seems like I've seen, smelled, or eaten some of those recipes :lol:

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Deebo

dwight55 said:


> Were any of you guys Navy cooks?
> 
> Seems like I've seen, smelled, or eaten some of those recipes :lol:
> 
> May God bless,
> Dwight


Sir, No Sir, but the man that I consider my father was 22 years Navy retired, he taught me a lot about cooking..His favorite's were "cabbage and ham", and "coca cola brown sugar basted ham".
My grandfather was also navy, And he "was the absolute best catfish fryer in Arkansas". Once, i came home " a little tipsy" and stopped in the kitchen, soup was warm, smelled great, had potatoes, ham, chicken, pork chop pieces, green beans, damn near anything you could think of..Well, I ate it all...MMMMM. Proceeded to the living room and grandpa said, " hey, before you take your boots off, go feed the dog all that old stuff I cleaned out of the refridgerator"...I told him what I did, and he got a good laugh at me..
A little off subject, I know, but had to share...


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## MI.oldguy

I like the dehydrated hash browns that betty crocker has,small package,lightweight, a little water and a few minutes fry em up and season.a little dak ham,and some sausage gravy and YUM!.


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## Go2ndAmend

If anyone here has actually eaten instant mashed potatoes made with powdered milk and powdered butter I would be curious to hear how edible they were. I like the concept, but I'm not sure I would put it into practice without trying it first.


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## PrepperDogs

When considering instant potatoes for LTS remember the golden rule concerning animal fats. I only store instant potatoes that can be rehydrated with water only.


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## Deebo

I have been eating the add water only instant mashed at work, they are great.


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