Back to Back Issues Page
Trail Bytes Nov. 2026: Woody Gap Goulash & Turkey Soup.
November 06, 2026
Hello Chef,

My mother was a great cook, and one of the meals she made regularly was American-style goulash. Her version combined elbow macaroni, ground beef, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and Velveeta cheese.

I've been making trail versions of her goulash for years, using the same simple ingredients in dehydrated form. I skip the Velveeta, but otherwise, the basic idea is much the same.

Photo: Dominique enjoying Woody Gap Goulash at a great lunch spot.

Last month, we wanted a hot lunch for a hike on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. The ingredients for making an improvised goulash were ready to go in my dried food supply.

As usual, I added the dried ingredients and boiling water to our thermos before driving to the trailhead. Dominique loved it, so we’ll be packing this meal again for hikes in November.

Photo: This version of Woody Gap Goulash included dried macaroni, sausage-seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, spinach, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes.

Here’s the recipe:

Woody Gap Goulash

Servings:

1 large or 2 small. Fills a 24-oz. thermos.

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup dried macaroni (75 g)
  • ⅓ cup dried ground beef (45 g)
  • ⅓ cup dried mixed vegetables (15 g)
  • ⅓ cup tomato sauce leather (18 g)
  • ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
  • ⅛ tsp. salt
  • 2¼ cups water for rehydration (532 ml)

* Sausage-seasoned ground beef was used.

** The dried vegetables were a mix of spinach, mushrooms, and sliced cherry tomatoes.

Dehydrating Skills

Review how to dehydrate the ingredients in Woody Gap Goulash:

Macaroni

Sausage-Seasoned Ground Beef

Tomato Sauce Leather

Spinach

Mushrooms

Cherry Tomatoes

Leftover Turkey?

If you have leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, turn it into a hearty soup and dehydrate it for your winter hikes.

Use my Creamy Chicken Soup recipe, substituting turkey breast for chicken. To make the soup creamy, blend a portion of it and stir it back into the pot before dehydrating.

Explore the Recipe:

Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) Soup

Next week, Dominique and I are heading to the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina for four days of hiking. The following week, we're returning to Black Rock Mountain State Park in North Georgia for three days of hiking and cabin life. The weather should be brisk, so I’ll be packing a good supply of hearty soup.

Thanks for reading Trail Bytes. See you next month.

Freundliche Grüsse,

Chef Glenn & Dominique

P.S. Explore the dehydrators and accessories I use regularly in my Food Drying & Trail Cooking Gear Guide.

Visit my Backpacking Chef Facebook page for the latest posts. Be sure to "follow" the page to continue seeing posts.

If you received this newsletter from a friend and would like to subscribe (it's free), subscribe here.


Back to Back Issues Page