Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls – Making Dehydrated Meals for Camping

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Unstuffed cabbage rolls are another favorite camping and hiking lunch or dinner recipe.  It’s filling and satisfying.  So, you’re not going to be hungry again in another 30 minutes.

Unstuffed cabbage rolls are a cheap, quick, and easy dehydrated dinner you want to take advantage of. It’s made with ingredients we can easily find at the local grocery store and can be dehydrated at home.

So let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Dehydrated Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

We have deconstructed the traditional comfort-food cabbage roll recipe so we can enjoy it when out in the field or at the campsite.

Our recipe only needs a handful of simple ingredients that you can easily dehydrate yourself.

Supplies Needed for Dehydrated Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

  • Several 1-quart zip-top bags
  • Heavy-duty paper towels
  • Labeling materials such as masking tape and waterproof all-weather pen
  • Small food-safe leak-proof container (optional)

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Dry Ingredients

Shown are the ingredients for our unstuffed cabbage roll recipe. From the bottom left going clockwise, one the dehydrated RoTel tomatoes, two the dehydrated tomato sauce, three the dehydrated cabbage, four the spices, including garlic powder, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, five the dehydrated onions and jalapeno pepper slices, six the dehydrated ground beef crumbles, seven the dehydrated rice made with beef stock. | The dehydrated unstuffed cabbage roll ingredients. | Dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls. | Making dehydrated meals for camping. | Homemade dehydrated meal recipes. | Make your own dehydrated camping food. | Homemade dehydrated camping meals. | Homemade dehydrated backpacking meals.
The ingredients for our unstuffed cabbage roll recipe. From the bottom left going clockwise, 1) dehydrated RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, 2) dehydrated tomato sauce, 3) dehydrated cabbage, 4) spices (garlic powder, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes), 5) dehydrated onions and jalapeno pepper slices, 6) dehydrated ground beef crumbles, 7) dehydrated rice made with beef stock.

Dehydrated Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Wet Ingredients

  • A quality oil, such as avocado or olive oil, in a leak-proof container (optional)

A bit of healthy cooking fat, such as olive or avocado oil added to the meal after cooking will significantly enhance the flavor. Fats concentrate the flavors in food. It gives the food a smooth and creamy texture that many of us crave. Since fat gives us more energy than proteins or carbohydrates, it makes us feel full faster, and it makes us feel content.

Dehydrated Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Ingredient Notes

Most store-bought bouillon cubes or powders contain mainly salt, sugar, and fillers. Many folks will just make their own, blending nutritional yeast, mushroom powders, and other herbs and spices. We’re partial to our universal vegetable bouillon recipe.

We recommend making and trying this homemade dehydrated camping meal recipe several times at home before preparing it for the first time in the field so you will know what to expect. Armed with this experience, you can dial in the spices how you like and add or subtract any of the other ingredients. Don’t depend on untested gear or untested recipes.

At-Home Preparation

Combine all the dry ingredients into a food-safe 1-quart quality name-brand zip-top bag for best storage results. The sharp edges of dehydrated ingredients could cause micro-punctures in the zip-top plastic bag.

”Shown
All of the unstuffed cabbage roll dry ingredients are in a zip-top bag.

Compared to the local big box stores, Amazon has the best prices for the Ziploc 1-quart zip-top bags. So says the 20,000 plus Amazon customer reviewers who took the time to leave feedback. The rough edges and sharp ends of dehydrated foods very often compromise generic zip-top bags. Quality zip-top bags are a necessity when making dehydrated meals for camping.

Need another reason to buy quality name-brand Ziploc bags? An analysis commissioned by the Mamavation website showed that the majority of plastic sandwich bags sold in the U.S. contain high levels of toxic PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. Ziploc was one brand that contained no detectable levels of forever chemicals.

Be sure to include a short note with the name of the dish and detailed preparation instructions. We have included detailed preparation instructions at the end of this page.

Optimize Food Protection for Storage and Travel

Double bagging, using two zip-top bags with a separator, is an option to help guard against punctures, leaks, and water penetration and to protect the food’s integrity. This way, it remains viable in the field or pantry storage.

The Scott Shop towels brand makes an excellent bag separator. These multipurpose paper towels are thicker than the average heavy-duty paper towel. As a multitasker, repurpose these towels for the after-meal cleanup activities. 

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These Scott brand heavy-duty paper towels help protect your homemade dehydrated camping food meal packets. The rough edges and sharp ends of dehydrated foods very often compromise lesser-quality zip-top bags. Wrapping the inner zip-top bag with a few heavy-duty paper towels before placing it in the outer zip-top bag helps to guard against micro-punctures that may cause leaks and water penetration. This way, the food packets remain viable in the field or pantry storage.

These heavy-duty paper towels have over 11,000 Amazon customer reviews with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, which is evidence of a great product. You may be able to find them at your local big-box megamart automotive department.

In the Field Preparation

Shown are the unstuffed cabbage roll dry mix ingredients that were emptied into our cooking pot, which is step one. | Dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls. | Making dehydrated meals for camping. | Homemade dehydrated meal recipes. | Make your own dehydrated camping food | Homemade dehydrated camping meals. | Homemade dehydrated backpacking meals.
We emptied the contents of the zip-top bag into our cooking pot.

Empty the contents of the zip-top bag into the cooking pot, then add just enough water to cover the ingredients.  It’ll be approximately 1 1/4 cups of water.  Cover the cooking pot and hydrate the dry ingredients for about 5 minutes. 

We added just enough water to cover all of the dehydrated ingredients in the cooking pot. | Dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls. | Making dehydrated meals for camping. | Homemade dehydrated meal recipes. | Make your own dehydrated camping food | Homemade dehydrated camping meals. | Homemade dehydrated backpacking meals.
We added just enough water to cover all of the dehydrated ingredients for our unstuffed cabbage rolls.

Practice these Dehydrator Chef homemade dehydrated camping meal recipes at home several times with the very same outdoor kitchen gear used in the field or at the campsite. This approach lets you practice your skills to know what to expect and where to adapt.

Next, on your cooking stove and over medium flame, bring the hydrating mix to a boil, frequently stirring frequently to mix. After coming to a boil, if your stove is capable of a low-heat simmer, turn the flame down to reduce the chance of burning.

”Shown
We are bringing the unstuffed cabbage rolls to a boil.

After two or more minutes of simmering, stirring, and mixing the ingredients, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest and hydrate for at least 15 to 20 minutes more for the flavors to blend and the ingredients to fully reconstitute.

Add any remaining seasonings might like, such as kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, or some hot sauce for added flavor.

Shown is the cooked unstuffed cabbage rolls that have been resting, steaming, and rehydrating for 20 minutes wrapped up on a cozy. | Dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls. | Making dehydrated meals for camping. | Homemade dehydrated meal recipes. | How to make your own dehydrated camping food | Homemade dehydrated camping meals. | Homemade dehydrated backpacking meals.
The unstuffed cabbage rolls have been hydrating for 20 minutes wrapped in an old flannel shirt. Now we’re ready to eat.

If desired, incorporate olive or avocado oil into the mixture. The additional fat complements the flavor profile, compensating for the absence of the unique taste associated with fat. The fat enhances taste and promotes a sense of fullness more quickly.

Dehydrated Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Nutrition Information

Nutritional values are approximate and exclude optional ingredients and oils added to enhance flavor. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, cooking methods, portion sizes, and more.

Calories: 645kcal | Total Fat: 10g, | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 635mg | Carbohydrate: 52g | Dietary Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 20g | Protein: 35g

The Dehydrator Chef Book

Available only on Amazon.com

You’ll find step-by-step instructions for 26 homemade dehydrated camping meals. Many recipes are only available in this book.

Grab yourself a copy today.
Shown is our dehydrated unstuffed cabbage roll recipe, a satisfying, lightweight meal on your next trip to the field or campsite. The ground beef crumbles, rice, and cabbage combined with the RoTel diced tomatoes with green chilies and tomato sauce provide a rich flavor. Spices like garlic powder, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes add just the right amount of seasoning. Toss in a few jalapeno slices for those who like a bit more spice.

Dehydrated Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Dehydrator Chef
Try this dehydrated unstuffed cabbage roll recipe for a satisfying, lightweight meal on your next trip to the field or campsite. The ground beef crumbles, rice, and cabbage combined with the RoTel diced tomatoes with green chilies and tomato sauce provide a rich flavor. Spices like garlic powder, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes add just the right amount of seasoning. Toss in a few jalapeno slices for those who like a bit more spice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dehydrated Camping Meal
Cuisine Backpacking, Camping, Hiking
Servings 1
Calories 645 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • quality cooking oil, such as avocado or olive oil (optional, stored in a leak-proof container)

Instructions
 

At Home Preparation

  • Add the dry ingredients to a food-safe 1-quart quality name-brand zip-top bag. Label the zip-top with the contents and the date.
    50 grams dehydrated ground beef crumbles, 40 grams dehydrated rice, 15 grams dehydrated onion, 15 grams dehydrated tomato sauce, 6 grams dehydrated RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, 15 grams dehydrated cabbage slices, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, boullion powder, 3 grams dehydrated jalapeno pepper slices, crushed
    unstuffed cabbage roll dry ingredients in a zip-top bag | dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls | making dehydrated meals for camping | homemade dehydrated meal recipes | make your own dehydrated camping food | homemade dehydrated camping meals | homemade dehydrated backpacking meals
  • Store the leak-proof containers of cooking oil in your cooking pot or with your camp kitchen spices and condiment packets.
    quality cooking oil, such as avocado or olive oil

Packaging

  • Wrap the zip-top bag with a heavy-duty paper towel to help guard against punctures, leaks, and water penetration due to the sharp edges of the dehydrated ingredients and to protect the food's integrity. This way, it remains viable in the field or pantry storage.
  • Add the paper towel wrapped dry mix bag to the last food-safe 1-quart quality name-brand zip-top bag and label it with the contents and the date.

In the Field Preparation

  • Empty the dry mix contents of the zip-top bag into a suitable-sized cooking pot. 
    unstuffed cabbage roll ingredients were emptied into the cooking pot | dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls | making dehydrated meals for camping | homemade dehydrated meal recipes | make your own dehydrated camping food | homemade dehydrated camping meals | homemade dehydrated backpacking meals
  • Add enough water to cover the dry ingredients. Then add a tad bit more water. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover, and let the dry ingredients hydrate for a minimum of five minutes.
    We added just enough water to cover the dehydrated ingredients in the cook pot
  • Next, on your cooking stove and over medium flame, bring the hydrating mix to a boil, frequently stirring to mix. After coming to a boil, turn the flame down to a simmer to reduce the chance of burning.
    lunch is being cooked on a camp stove | dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls | making dehydrated meals for camping | homemade dehydrated meal recipes | make your own dehydrated camping food | homemade dehydrated camping meals | homemade dehydrated backpacking meals
  • After two or more minutes of simmering and stirring, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest, hydrate, and steam for 15 to 20 minutes or more for the flavors to blend and the ingredients to fully reconstitute.
  • If desired, add a bit of the healthy cooking oil from the leak-proof container. Stir to combine.
    quality cooking oil, such as avocado or olive oil
    unstuffed cabbage rolls | dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls | making dehydrated meals for camping | homemade dehydrated meal recipes | make your own dehydrated camping food | homemade dehydrated camping meals | homemade dehydrated backpacking meals

Notes

Canned ingredient used in this recipe may include added salt. It is assumed that some, but not all, of the sodium content would be drained away with the canning liquid when processed for dehydration. So the actual sodium may be less than shown above.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 160gCalories: 645kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 35gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 965mgFiber: 12gSugar: 20g

Nutrition information is only an estimate and may differ depending on the ingredients you use.

Keywords dehydrated camping meal recipes, dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls, homemade dehydrated camping meals, make your own dehydrated meals, recipes using dehydrated food
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Dehydrated Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Preparation Instructions

Include these detailed preparation instructions with your dehydrated meal for use in the field or at the campsite.
Active Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dehydrated Camping Meal
Cuisine: Backpacking, Camping, Hiking
Keyword: dehydrated camping meal recipes, dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls, make your own dehydrated meals, recipes using dehydrated food
Yield: 1

Equipment

  • camp kitchen equipment (including camping stove, cooking pot, utensils, etc.)

Instructions

  • Empty the dehydrated unstuffed cabbage roll dry mix contents of the zip-top bag into your cooking pot.
    1 serving dehydrated unstuffed cabbage rolls dry mix
  • Pour in enough water to cover the dry mix, then add a tad bit more.
  • Cover and let the dry ingredients hydrate in your camp cookware for at least five minutes.  Stir all of the way to the bottom now and again. Add more water if the hydrating mix gets too dry.
  • Next, on your cooking stove and over a medium flame, bring the mix to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
  • After bringing the mix to a boil, turn the stove down to a low simmer for two minutes.
  • After two or more minutes of simmering and stirring, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest and hydrate for 15 to 20 minutes or more for the flavors to blend and the ingredients to fully reconstitute.
  • Finally, after the unstuffed cabbage roll mix has rested for 15 to 20 minutes, add some of that optional cooking oil and stir to mix. Enjoy!

Notes

Repurpose the heavy-duty paper towels for the after-meal cleanup activities.

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