Instant mashed potato with crispy onions and cheese
Potato flakes, milk powder, hard cheese and crispy onions weigh little, keep without a fridge and turn into a warm, creamy dinner in 5 minutes. You only need hot water – the mash itself does not have to boil. This saves fuel, and the pot does not burn. Sprinkle the crispy onions on only just before eating.
- About 5–8 minutes in total
Explained simply
Mashed potato from a bag is almost like magic: dry flakes and hot water turn into soft mash in a minute. With cheese and crunchy crispy onions on top it becomes a proper dinner.
The mash does not have to cook at all. You only heat the water, take the pot off the stove and then stir in the flakes. That way nothing burns and you save gas.
The crispy onions go on top right at the end, otherwise they go soft. And straight after eating you pour a little water into the pot – otherwise mash leftovers get as hard as glue.
How it works
To make potato flakes, potatoes are cooked, mashed and then dried into thin flakes at the factory. The starch in them is already broken down. When hot water is added, it soaks it up at once and the flakes turn back into mash.
Milk powder is dried milk. It spreads well in cold water; in hot water it easily forms lumps. That is why you stir it in before the water gets warm. Fat such as oil or butter makes the mash creamy and provides plenty of energy – helpful after a cold day.
Because only water is heated, this dish needs very little fuel. That is a big advantage on long trips when every gas canister counts.
What really matters
Stick to the amount of water on the pack, because every brand is slightly different. Better to start with a little less water and add more. If the mash is too runny, stir in a few more flakes.
Hard cheese such as mountain cheese or Parmesan keeps better than soft cheese without a fridge, but not indefinitely. Carry it in the shade and well wrapped, and in warm weather eat it in the first days of the trip. If it smells unusual or turns slimy, throw it away.
Many mash mixes already contain milk powder, and crispy onions are usually coated in wheat flour. Anyone who cannot tolerate milk or gluten reads the ingredient list and uses milk-free flakes, oil instead of milk powder and gluten-free crispy onions or toasted seeds.
Safety: what to watch out for
A stove always belongs outside – never in the tent, never in the vestibule, never in the car. Burning gas or spirit produces carbon monoxide. You cannot see or smell this gas; it makes you tired and can knock you out. On top of that, tent fabric catches fire within seconds. If it rains, cook under a tarp with open sides or wait.
The most common accidents when cooking outdoors are scalds. A narrow stove with a full pot tips over easily. Put it on firm, level ground, hold the pot by its handle while stirring and only let children near the stove together with an adult. With a scald, cool it at once with cool running water; with large wounds, burns to the face or in children call 112, in Austria also 144.
Mash holds its heat for a very long time and sticks to lips and skin. Let it cool briefly before tasting and give children their portion in their own bowl. Milk boils over quickly – as soon as bubbles appear at the edge, turn the stove off.
Step by step
Set up a safe cooking spot
Put the stove outside on firm, level ground or a flat stone – well away from the tent, dry grass and leaves. A windscreen keeps the flame steady but must not enclose the stove completely. Lay everything out before you light it: pot with lid, cooking spoon, water, ingredients. A small pot is enough here – only water is heated.
Caution: Never cook inside the tent or vestibule.
- 1
Set up a safe cooking spot
Put the stove outside on firm, level ground or a flat stone – well away from the tent, dry grass and leaves. A windscreen keeps the flame steady but must not enclose the stove completely. Lay everything out before you light it: pot with lid, cooking spoon, water, ingredients. A small pot is enough here – only water is heated.
Never cook inside the tent or vestibule.
- 2
Stir milk powder into cold water
Pour the amount of water given on the pack into the pot and stir the milk powder straight into the cold water. In cold water it dissolves without lumps.
- 3
Heat, but do not boil over
Put the pot on a medium flame and stir now and then. As soon as small bubbles rise at the edge, turn the stove off. Milk boils over quickly and burns on the bottom.
Hold the pot by its handle while stirring.
- 4
Stir in the flakes and let them swell
Sprinkle the potato flakes into the hot water and stir hard until no dry flakes can be seen. Put the lid on and let it swell for 1 to 2 minutes.
- 5
Season and adjust
Stir in oil or butter, a pinch of salt and a little nutmeg. If the mash is too stiff, add a splash of hot water; if it is too runny, a few more flakes.
- 6
Fold in the cheese
Cut the hard cheese small or grate it and stir it into the hot mash. In the warmth it melts and goes stringy.
- 7
Onions on top and eat
Fill the bowls with mash and only now sprinkle the crispy onions over it so they stay crunchy. Let it cool briefly and eat straight away.
- 8
Soak the pot at once
Mash dries as hard as paste. Pour a little water into the pot straight after eating, then it is easy to clean later. Packaging goes into the rubbish bag.
Common mistakes
- Letting the flakes cook along – the mash burns and turns gluey
- Tipping milk powder into hot water – lumps
- Stirring in crispy onions too early – they go soft
- Too much water at once
- Not soaking the pot – leftovers set rock-hard
Quick view
Materials
Instant mashed potato flakes
Per person about 40–50 g of flakes (follow the pack)
Many mixes already contain milk powder – read the ingredients.
Close the pack tightly, the flakes draw moisture.
Milk powder (whole or skimmed)
Per person 2 tablespoons (about 15 g), not needed if already in the mix
Contains milk and lactose.
Use mixed milk quickly, do not leave it standing for hours.
Clean drinking or treated water
Per person about 200–250 ml, as on the pack
Treat water from streams or lakes first – also for rinsing vegetables and beans.
Carry enough for cooking, drinking and washing up.
Hard cheese in a piece (e.g. mountain cheese, Parmesan)
Per person about 30 g, finely cut or grated
Keeps better without a fridge than soft cheese, but not forever – carry it in the shade and eat it in the first days in hot weather.
Contains milk.
Crispy fried onions (tub or bag)
Per person 2 tablespoons
Usually coated in wheat flour (gluten).
Sprinkle on just before eating, otherwise they go soft.
Cooking oil (rapeseed or olive) in a leak-proof bottle
Per person 1 teaspoon of oil or a knob of butter for more energy
Hot oil can spit and catch fire – never pour water on burning fat; put the lid on and turn the stove off.
Table salt
A pinch, nutmeg to taste
Salt improves keeping quality but does not replace heating through.
Stove
Never operate inside a tent, shelter or enclosed room – carbon monoxide and fire risk.
Stove fuel (canister, liquid fuel, alcohol)
Store fuels apart from food and in original containers or bottles intended for them.
Store cool, well ventilated and out of children's reach.
Metal pot (stainless steel, aluminium, titanium)
With lid
Hot – scalding risk.
Long cooking spoon (wood or heat-resistant plastic)
A long handle keeps your hand out of the hot steam.
Knife (fixed or locking blade)
For the cheese
Cut away from your body.
Rules on carrying knives differ by region – check local rules.
Bowl or large mug with spoon
Children eat from their own bowl – not straight from the hot pot.
Suitable for
- Multi-day backpacking – light and long-lasting
- Little fuel, cold evenings
- Exhausted groups who need something warm fast
- Children who like mash
Not suitable for
- Milk allergy without milk-free ingredients
- Gluten-free diet with normal crispy onions
- Cooking in a tent or vestibule – never
Prerequisites
- Able to use the stove safely, or an adult helps
- A permitted, safe cooking spot outside
- Ingredients packed dry
Safety
- Milk powder, cheese and many mash mixes contain milk. Crispy onions are usually coated in wheat flour and contain gluten. Some mash mixes contain celery or mustard. Ask beforehand and read the ingredient lists; with severe reactions call 112 at once.
- Hard cheese keeps better without cooling than soft cheese, but not indefinitely. Carry it in the shade and well wrapped; in hot weather eat it in the first days of the trip. If it smells unusual or turns slimy, do not eat it.
- Eat cooked food hot straight away. Do not leave leftovers without cooling for more than two hours – and never overnight in the lukewarm pot. Anything left over is heated until it is steaming hot all through before eating, or it is thrown away. Pack food and rubbish animal-proof at night.
- Only use clean or treated water. At a campfire the fire rules apply: only where it is allowed, never with wildfire danger, pot stable on a pot support, water ready to put the fire out and the fire extinguished completely at the end. Take packaging and food scraps back with you, scatter washing water well away from streams and lakes.
How it works
Potato flakes are cooked, mashed and dried potatoes. Hot water makes them swell again within a minute – they do not need cooking any more. That is why the pot comes off the stove before the flakes go in: nothing burns and you save fuel. Milk powder and fat make the mash creamy and provide extra energy. Crispy onions only stay crunchy if they go on top right at the end.
Advantages
- Very light and long-lasting
- Needs only hot water – saves fuel
- Ready in 5 minutes
- Soft and easy to digest after hard days
Disadvantages
- Little protein without cheese or a side
- Several allergens (milk, gluten)
- The pot must be soaked at once
- Hard cheese does not keep forever in heat
Deep knowledge
Background
Dried potato flakes are a classic part of trail food because they weigh little, keep for a long time and need only hot water. Heating water instead of cooking food for a long time saves fuel and water.
The WHO's Five Keys apply for safety: work cleanly, use safe water and do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours. In the EU, milk and cereals containing gluten are among the allergens that must be highlighted in the ingredient list.
Variants
- Children's mash
- Without nutmeg, with extra cheese and a few sausages from a jar, heated in the water. Children may stir in the flakes and sprinkle the crispy onions.
- Vegan
- Choose potato flakes without milk, use a spoonful of oil and a little more water instead of milk powder and nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Crispy onions are usually vegan but contain gluten.
- Gluten-free
- Leave out the crispy onions or use gluten-free ones; add a few toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch instead. Check the ingredient list of the mash mix.
Common mistakes
- Letting the flakes cook along – the mash burns and turns gluey
- Tipping milk powder into hot water – lumps
- Stirring in crispy onions too early – they go soft
- Too much water at once
- Not soaking the pot – leftovers set rock-hard
Limits and risks
- The amount of water depends on the brand – the pack's instructions apply
- No figure on how long hard cheese keeps without cooling
- Too low in protein as the only meal on long trips
Material alternatives
Derived from material properties: a substitute must have all relevant properties. Observe the notes on the substitute.
- Stove fuel (canister, liquid fuel, alcohol)
- Dry firewood (Collect only where permitted.), Tinder (Carry in waterproof packaging.), Char cloth (charred cotton) (Store dry in a tin.), Finest-grade steel wool (Store separately from batteries – fire risk.), Fatwood (resin-rich wood) (Collect only dead wood where permitted.), Petroleum jelly cotton balls (Use only pure cotton.), Cooking oil or cooking fat (tallow, lard) (Never put out burning fat with water – cover it with a lid to smother it.), Tree resin (spruce, pine) (Resin is flammable and sticks to the skin when hot – melt it only slowly over low heat.), Birch bark (from dead, fallen wood) (Never peel from living trees.)
- Metal pot (stainless steel, aluminium, titanium)
- Single-wall stainless steel bottle (Heat only single-wall bottles without paint/plastic; remove the lid before heating.)
Results come exclusively from structured entries. No improvised instructions are generated.
Sources (5)
- World Health Organization (WHO) (2006): Five Keys to Safer Food Manual · Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours; reheat leftovers thoroughly; use safe water
- European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2011): Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers · Milk, cereals containing gluten, celery and mustard as allergens that must be declared
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Prevention guidance · Never use stoves or other fuel-burning devices inside tents or closed spaces – carbon monoxide
- European Resuscitation Council – Resuscitation (journal) (2021): European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: First Aid · Cool burns and scalds at once with cool running water; call emergency services for severe burns
- Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace (Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts) · Pack out rubbish, scatter washing water away from water, keep fires small or use a stove