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Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings Freeze Dried Meal

Curated from 99 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: April 2, 2025

Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings Freeze Dried Meal

Brand: Mountain House
Price: $10
Snoop Score:
8.4
Sentiment
6.1
Popularity
7.7
Technical
9.4

Snoop's Take

Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings is a freeze-dried meal option designed for backpacking and camping enthusiasts, providing a delicious combination of chicken, vegetables, and fluffy dumplings in a creamy gravy. Customers have praised its quick preparation, stating that it’s "great for one hungry backpacker" and noting its attractive balance of protein, fat, and carbs, essential for strenuous activities. While some reviews point out concerns about high sodium content and small serving sizes, the overall feedback from users suggests that Mountain House is a reliable choice for outdoor meals, making it a recommended option in its category.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Freeze Dried Food

they just are not enough food.

Positive Feedback

they are great for very acriv people (backpacking) or long day of labor work that causes you to sweat a lot.

Negative Feedback
Product
8.4
Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings Freeze Dried Meal
Backpacking
10 / 10
Car Camping
8 / 10
Emergency Prep
10 / 10
Road Trips & Travel
10 / 10
See how this compares to all Freeze Dried Food

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Quick preparation time
they just are not enough food.
Rehydrates well at high altitudes
Even other backpacking brands stay crunchy despite soaking them for double the time.
Good balance of protein, fat, and carbs for strenuous activity
despite the sodium, the mountain house has a much better balance of protein, fat, and carbs which you will want if you’re doing strenuous activity.
Lightweight and easy to pack
Freeze dried food… Worth it? Ok, so I’m packing food for a 3 night backpacking trip around Mt. Hood with my teenage boys.
Quick preparation time with minimal cleanup
Research which ones are actually good and I prefer the ones where you pour the water in the bag to avoid clean up + you can hug it while it “cooks” if it’s a cold night.
Tasty and nutritious meal option
It tastes great and is pretty nutritious.
Love MH. 100% my preferred FD brand - whether #10 can or pouches.
Good for emergency stock
I think they would be a good thing to have in my prep stock, and ultimately would feel worth it to me if I bought 30-50 worth of them every month or so, then just stowed them away.
Tastes pretty good
They taste pretty good to me, but, as I've mentioned in other threads on this topic, they are not good for gut health.
Convenient meal option after hiking
they're pretty damn good.
Mountain house biscuits and gravy is the best one of them all.
Good taste for freeze-dried meals
MH all day. Beef stroganoff, breakfast skillet and chili Mac are my favorites
Extended shelf life up to 30 years
Anyone know why there is such a difference in expiration? Also, he had some Wise meals with just a manufacture of 2015.
Mountain House changed the expiration for their pouches from 7 years to 30 years
Convenient meal option for backpacking
The convenience of meals like Mountain House and Packit Gourmet is awesome, but the cost is more.
Biscuits and gravy is a good option
Biscuits and Gravy, the peak Chicken Teryaki is fantastic and I really liked the last pad Thai one I had but I can't remember which brand it was.
Biscuits and Gravy is a top choice
You're missing Biscuits and Gravy in there - tied for #1 with beef strog imo

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
Expensive for regular use
they are great for very acriv people (backpacking) or long day of labor work that causes you to sweat a lot.
Personally I prefer peak refuel but I think it’s subjective.
So, the downside to mountain house meals (and similar) is that they're fucking expensive.
My thumb rule is Mountain House 2 person = Real World 1 person.
Quality affected by past reformulations
Shame they reformulated for cost savings back in '17, a lot of recipes suffered for it.
High sodium content
The most common complaint I read is about the sodium content.
Mountain House is considered basic
Mountain house is considered pretty basic?
Pasta texture is unappealing
I think the pasta texture is terrible and near useless nutritionally.
High sodium content not suitable for regular meals
Definitely not meant to be eaten as a “normal” meal.
Small serving size
FYI, most packets are labeled 2 servings… for me each packet is a single serving.
Comparison with healthier alternatives
All of these have four major problems though:
Not enough food per serving
This. Ignore the packaging on freeze dried meals; they're only enough food for one person for the vast majority of people.

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product NameImagePriceScoreCompareSee DetailsBuy Now
Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings Freeze Dried MealMountain House Chicken & Dumplings Freeze Dried Meal$10
8.4
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Breakfast Skillet - Freeze Dried Camping FoodMountain House Breakfast Skillet - Freeze Dried Camping Food$10
8.0
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with NoodlesMountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles$10
7.7
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Expedition Bucket | Freeze Dried FoodMountain House Expedition Bucket | Freeze Dried Food$135
7.6
DetailsBuy
Peak Refuel Sweet Pork & Rice Freeze Dried MealPeak Refuel Sweet Pork & Rice Freeze Dried Meal$13
7.4
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Adventure Weekender KitMountain House Adventure Weekender Kit$49
7.3
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef - Freeze Dried MealMountain House Chili Mac with Beef - Freeze Dried Meal$11
7.3
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Biscuits & GravyMountain House Biscuits & Gravy$8
7.1
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Fettuccine Alfredo with ChickenMountain House Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken$11
6.8
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Classic Spaghetti with Meat SauceMountain House Classic Spaghetti with Meat Sauce$8
6.8
DetailsBuy
Peak Refuel Three Bean Chili MacPeak Refuel Three Bean Chili Mac$13
6.8
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Chicken Fried RiceMountain House Chicken Fried Rice$9
6.7
DetailsBuy
Peak Refuel Biscuits and GravyPeak Refuel Biscuits and Gravy$14
6.4
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Beef Stew - Freeze Dried Camping FoodMountain House Beef Stew - Freeze Dried Camping Food$10
6.4
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with BaconMountain House Scrambled Eggs with Bacon$7
6.2
DetailsBuy
Peak Refuel Chicken Pesto PastaPeak Refuel Chicken Pesto Pasta$14
6.1
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Vanilla Ice Cream SandwichMountain House Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich$3
6.0
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Creamy Macaroni & CheeseMountain House Creamy Macaroni & Cheese$9
5.6
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Granola with Milk & Blueberries - Freeze Dried FoodMountain House Granola with Milk & Blueberries - Freeze Dried Food$7
5.5
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki with RiceMountain House Chicken Teriyaki with Rice$9
5.0
DetailsBuy
Backpacker's Pantry Dark Chocolate Cheesecake MixBackpacker's Pantry Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Mix$7
4.8
DetailsBuy
Backpacker's Pantry Creme BruleeBackpacker's Pantry Creme Brulee$7
3.4
DetailsBuy
ReadyWise Breakfast Skillet Meal PouchReadyWise Breakfast Skillet Meal Pouch$13
3.2
DetailsBuy
Mountain House Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream SandwichMountain House Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich$3
2.8
DetailsBuy
Backpacker's Pantry Mango Sticky RiceBackpacker's Pantry Mango Sticky Rice$7
2.5
DetailsBuy
ReadyWise 72 Hours Emergency Food SupplyReadyWise 72 Hours Emergency Food Supply$28
1.9
DetailsBuy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.
Appearance compared to stew
It looks like a condensed-ish stew to me🤷‍♀️🙂‍↔️
Inquiry about freeze-drying process and texture
How does big companies like Mountain House freeze dry their food?
I've never dried chili, but have done eggs many times.
They have a factory tour video on Youtube where they show you what they're doing.
They freeze dry the meals in totality.
Discussion about personal preferences in freeze-dried brands
$1800 would almost cover the cost of a freeze dryer.
The mountain house meals are high quality but they are mostly carbs, which can generally be bought cheaper dried rather then freeze dried.
Different product lines available
On the whole, I think MH products are amazing.
Discussion on weight of meals
How much do they all weigh?
General discussion about favorite camping foods
The beans and rice meal is that good!
My favorites so far are the Chicken and Broccoli, and the Italian Beef.
Discussion about taste comparisons
When it comes to Freeze dried camping/hiking foods are there any brands that actually have good tasting food?
I've really enjoyed the stuff from [Good To-Go](https://goodto-go.com/) and [Packit Gourmet](https://www.packitgourmet.com/).
Packit Gourmet is the best! Especially their chili, which has separate packets of cheese, chips and hot sauce.
Backpackers pantry is legit. Especially their pad thai!

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.
Alternative preparation methods discussed
Do you use a coosie ? Or however it's spelled. Or just simply pour the boiling water into the Knorrs pouch and let it sit?
I just pour it directly in and let it sit.
I hike with a single cup alongside my waterbottle and the meals go in the cup.
Suggestions for alternative meal options
Not always cheaper, but here are a bunch of alternative options:
Easy to make some of your own. Ramen bombs are great, cheap, and light.
Omeals are usually pretty cheap and extremely convenient as you don't have to boil water for them.
Preference for additional ingredients to enhance meals
It's all about having a little something to add to the meal to make it that much nicer.
Suggestions to add ground beef for extra protein
This. Also lasagne.

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Preference for Mountain House over competitors
Mountain House are consistently the best freeze dried foods out there.
Mountain House breakfast skillet is freaking great
Advice on stocking up and pricing
/r/trailmeals wiki has a bunch of good brands to check out.
Costco had a 12 pack of mountain house meals recently.
Comparison with other brands and meals
This. Also ramen, cup of noodles, or even just plain couscous (add your own seasoning) will work.
Comparison with other brands
Check out other brands, too, and sales online.
Comparison with homemade meals and alternatives
This is too true! I only do a couple trips a year and always use Mountain House out of convenience.
Preference for various other meal brands
They have a bunch of different meals that meet different dietary needs.
Variability in freeze-dried food longevity and taste
The changed their expiration dates but, not all freeze dried foods last the same amount of time.
This is a great opportunity to see what still tastes good.
Discussion about food quantity and sharing
Part of the problem is that I'm sharing my meals with my boyfriend who can eat a lot, so we both go hungry.
Most people over pack food. I'm surprised he doesn't bring enough.
Having enough food, and the RIGHT food, is definitely key :)
Taste testing for hiking preparations
Rice & Chicken – 810 calories – 5/5. It tastes like a normal Rice Sides except it actually has decent chunks of chicken in it.

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Unexpected enjoyment from freeze-dried food
This was going to be a joke, but this was surprisingly really good.
Humorous take on dogs enjoying freeze-dried food
Also, I asked your dog what they thought of freeze-dried backpacking food and they just said “HECKIN YES PLEASE”
He’s like “You don’t even have to add water! Trust me , bro!”
Variability in taste among individuals
Make sure you try them before you decide they are a "meal" -- taste differs widely between meals, and even between people
Not suitable for long-term provisioning
Yes for their intended purpose, no for long-term provisioning.
Discussion about the differences between freeze-dried and dehydrated meals
I haven't tried Huel, but I'm interested. Also note - 'freeze-dried' and 'dehydrated' are techni
Discussion about favorite Mountain House meals
Best mountain house meals? Curious what everyone’s favorite mountain house meals are.
Preference for Peak Refuel over Mountain House for calories and protein
My new favorite pre-packaged meals are from Peak Refuel.
Second this. I’ve tried almost all of their meals and every single one has been awesome! The chicken pesto penne is my new favorite.
I agree, nothing beats the calories/weight, taste, or minimal water required.

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