recipe challenge: Vienna Sausages for the fridgeless :)

[Kaylee]

It's resupply day, way out in a Northern Food Desert, and I found myself seriously contemplating buying a six pack of cans of Vienna Sausages.
Main Advantage: single serving size, so ideal for the fridgeless.
I'm "meh" on them, then I realized... I'll post it as a Recipe Challenge to CRVL, and some of y'all will share some great experiences.

Challenge "guidelines":

• you've actually prepared the meal/recipe (please, no guesses)
• it's doable in a limited environment (i.e. no running water, no fridge)
• semi healthy-ish would be nice
• pictures welcome

I'll fling a Food Geek Point (in the rating tool integrated into the cybersecurity suite that I use) at all useful posts.

I've very occasionally eaten them when on Motel Contracts, but never did much with them.
Have added them to pasta, which was ok, though not great, purely in my opinion.
Have eaten them unheated as pseudo hotdogs. I don't recall ever trying them with mustard.

Will buy a can or two and experiment this week.

 

[ckelly78z]

You could probably get some canned chili sauce, dice up some onions, add some cheese, and a dash of yellow mustard, and put on a fresh Hawaiian roll for a mini chili dog.

 

[Kaylee]

What do you do with the rest of the can of chili sauce?

Otherwise, your culinary thinking is in tune with mine. I've got dehydrated onions and mustard, so will be trying them, on grilled VSs (have never really cooked them before, so am hoping frying/grilling improves the taste).

 

[XERTYX]

Try the bbq flavor. Walmart or kroger brand are just as good. Armour makes one with bourbon bbq sauce. Those are good but a lil salty and sweet. (I like savory) put one between 2 saltine crackers and smoosh it. Better than potted meat on crackers imo.

I've never really used them in a recipe unless adding some to a can of Beenie weenies is a recipe. If you're super hungry the crackers can be dipped in the leftover bbq sauce in the can.

Just dont read the label. Haha. My brother put me off of potted meat and Vienna sausages for years cuz he told me to read the ingredients.

The most fun you can have for 47 cents these days.

 

[Kaylee]

LOL!
Yeah, there were cans of "potted meat" beside them, but I did not even consider them, having long-ago read the ingredients, and still remembering the paranoia about "pink slime".

Good point on the BBQ flavor! The very last can I tried (a year or two ago?) was that, and it was "different".
If I find any of that nearby, I'll try it with pasta, after frying the VSs.
Will probably Thermos cook the pasta, then (after straining) add the juice/pseudo-sauce to the thermos (to heat up the sauce) while I fry the non-dogs.

Never tried them on crackers, and still have most of a box of low-sodium Triscuits - great suggestion!
It's going to be non-oppressive, temp-wise, starting Saturday, so I'll try that, and give frying 'em a whirl... plus, mustard.
Expect food porn, soon-ish!
I hereby confer upon you a Food Geek Point. I've tossed in a ThankYou, for good measure & immediate gratification.

P.S. An honorary mention / honest try goes to "ckelly78z".

 

[maki2]

I would stick to the single serving packages of Spam. I never have never liked the texture of Vienna Sausages.

Or go for a very traditional trail food, cowboy beef and beans. That is made using beef jerky rather than fresh meat. There are lots of recipes that use beef jerky for soups, stews, pasta, etc. Of course you can also get chicken and turkey, and even salmon jerky. It is a nice, light in weight option for adding meat to your diet if you don't have refrigeration .

 

[ckelly78z]

No redeeming qualities to vienna sausages, and I can't say I was ever happy eating them....too salty for me.

 

[XERTYX]

I want to say my mom used to cut them up into circles and fry them like she sometimes did with hotdogs. But I cant really recall. Too much fun for too many years and my memory is a little hazy.

I'd imagine they would do well in thermos cooking as they're already fully cooked and a little mushy anyway. I found a thermos soup jar in the back to school section yesterday at the grocery store that said $3.74 but the UPC didnt match the shelf tag so I took it anyway. It was $12 so that was a hard pass. I've got a double wall vacuum insulated soda cup that I'm thinking might work.

Maybe I'll try and make red beans and rice with it and toss in some Vienna sausage as an experiment. I've made it with kielbasa loads of times but never made any in a thermos.

 

[Doubleone]

Boiled in beer until the beer reduces a bit then add BBQ sauce (my fave is Baby Rays) and a dash of Tabasco sauce to taste for some zip. I do this with cut up hot dogs for special occasions like Super Bowl or Daytona 500 parties.

Another way is cold or warm with dijon mustard (not the regular yellow mustard or sweet brown), salt, and Louisiana hot sauce.

Of course you could always combine with pork and beans for some monster beenie-weenies.

 

[maki2]

just use them in a breakfast taco with lots of salsa to disguise the taste and refried beans to disguise the texture.

 

[BrigidBlueMoon]

My Grandma use to mash them up with a fork and fix it like tuna sandwiches.  Also good if you have a way to make toast..  Split them in half long ways and fry them up to go with eggs.  

Good Luck !!!

 

[Kaylee]

Brigid: eggs! Perfect-o-mundo! That should have occurred to me - thanks!

That's why I asked:
to find out "obvious" (to others) ways people are really eating these things.

Did find (and buy) a can of the BBQ, and will probably try that next week. On my way "Home" tonight, may pop in & buy one can of the non-BBQ and try that with scrambled eggs.

This morning, scored some real sausages (very nice Italian but barely spicy) on sale for cheaper than Vienna fake sausages, and am eating them exclusively before my ice melts.
Now I'm planning to eat the last one with eggs, tomorrow.

Toast is always an excellent idea!
I've had decent success grilling my bread items using a regular fry pan.
Forum MasterToaster "Abnorm" (aka Doug) has educated me that using a frypan constitues grilling, not toasting, however the results are mostly indistinguishable, so I'm OK with it. It's easiest with bagels & English muffins, since only one side is cooked.

Will report back next week.


P.S. Brigid: welcome to the forums & please post more!
Just read your intro, now.

Please consider trying some road trips in your existing vehicle, before investing in something new.
You'll learn a ton that way, and have a much better idea what type of vehicle will fit you long term.

Practicing Road cooking is a great area to get your feet wet, and the most fun Beginner task (The Poop Bucket is the least fun).
You can do a pretty good job of simulating road limitations, without spending any money.
Free is even better than cheap.
When I started planning a year & a half ago, I already had a ton of motel room & fridgeless cooking experience (I'd been a non-dweller Nomad for more than two decades, doing IT contracts around the country). Re-thinking & experimenting to an environment with less limitations was a ton of fun.

 

[lenny flank]

Never liked Vienna sausages.

I do have a fondness for Underwood Deviled Ham, though.

 

[Kaylee]

Ditto! though I'd prefer it less salty.
Even bought in bulk, it's still much more expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/Underwood-Deviled-Meat-Spread-Ounce/dp/B0015U5UCC/

I'm disabled with zero income, and years away from retirement income, so frugal eating isn't a choice or game, it's the only way to extend my remaining savings.
I've already cut out internet, most showers, and (The Big Thing) summer travel to a better climate. Eating fake hot dogs is easy, in comparison.

 

[XERTYX]

Kaylee if you're on SSI or SSDI disability benefits you should qualify for SNAP food stamps. That helps a lot but most states reduce the dollar value of your monthly food stamps benefits based on your disability check.

I havent applied for food stamps since I got My SSI approval but the calculator on my states food stamp website says I'd only qualify for about $23 a month in food stamps. I used to get $196 before I got my disability check. $23 isnt much but that's 92 packs of ramen noodles a month

Also your local Dept of Family and Children Services or whatever your state calls it may have a form for you to fill out so that the state pays for your Medicare premiums if your check is below I believe $1600 per month.

These 2 things combined might help you eat a little better. Maybe you can buy hotdogs instead of Vienna sausages a few days of the month.

 

[Kaylee]

XERTYX: thanks!
Both for your support & honest backstory.

JD Gumbee insisted I try applying for SSDI, and I did do enough research to confirm that I would have qualified if I had applied at the time of my disabling accident.

The accident was more than 13 years ago.
Unfortunately, I chose to be "responsible" and live on my savings - it never occurred to me to apply for any assistance, and I'd never known anyone on SSDI, so it just wasn't in my cultural frame of reference.

After the first 3 years, I was able to work, however I still have sensory hyper sensitivity issues.
In theory, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make "reasonable accommodation", however the reality is that it's all but useless. In most of my post accident contracts, I've excelled at my work but done so by coming in during quieter off hours. Then, as soon as I've finished the core part, they've told me I have to be there strictly during "normal" hours. Crash & burn.
My last contract was particularly depressing: I created a solution that all of the other programmers classified as "brilliant", but one of the key managers threw a hissy fit when he found out I was working on weekends & at night.

When I asked for advice here, the forum consensus was that I should not waste my time & energy applying for SSDI.
There's two locked threads on that, if you're curious.

My priority right now is to finish the most important components of my life's work.
That's my legacy, and working on it is my Bliss.

Eating vienna sausages is a small sacrifice for the privilege of doing that Work.

The problem with "real" hot dogs is refrigeration.

Should have mentioned:
The place where I'm getting (legal) free wifi, has a neighbor who grils.
Oh Dang is the aroma awesomely overwhelming!!!
Every time it happens I get hot dog & cheeseburger cravings.
That's what inspired my quest to investigate Vienna sausages. I'd never tried frying them, but will.

Seriously folks, as long as I can do my Work, I'm ok. Now that I live in a van on public land, I have Quiet, and I just completed a major release of one of my most publicly important projects. That feels awesome.
I consider it a fun challenge to find frugal food.

 

[XERTYX]

I wasnt aware that there were closed threads on the topic. In my case I had to hire a lawyer. The nice thing about that is that you dont pay anything if you lose and the lawyer gets 20% up to a maximum of $6K from your back pay which is capped at 2 years back pay. It took me nearly 3 years but I did get approved finally. It's my understanding that when you became disabled is irrelevant. The judge will determine whether or not you are fit for work. Or if there are jobs that you could perform with reasonable accommodations.

But anyway I'm glad you are happy. I hope that you find the best solution for your situation. And I hope also that the Vienna sausages work well for you.

 

[Kaylee]

Thanks for your kind support!

Yeah, I just can't gamble years of stress, which would dramatically interfere with my ability to complete my volunteer work.
If there was an organization that would shoulder the burden, it could be worthwhile, but nobody (including JD) was able to come up with even a single one.

Plus, being life-limited, means I don't have to worry about silly nutritional stuff.
During my recent stock up trip, I found bacon bits at a sane price. More per ounce than Vienna Ss, but very frugal when used in moderation with eggs.

 

[XERTYX]

I dont know where you are located but kroger (Ralph's I believe on the west coast) sells their own store brand of "real bacon bits" in a resealable 3oz package for $1.49 they look sort of like shredded bacon. Similar to that shredded beef jerky that comes in a tin like Copenhagen does.

I've never used it in eggs but it's good with salads and VERY tasty stirred into mac and cheese. Chop some onions and boil them in the pasta water with the noodles. Drain the water off. Make the sauce the same as you normally would and stir in some bacon bits. A darn fine meal for cheap.

The only thing is once opened it needs refrigeration. Although I'd gamble with it out of refrigeration for a day or 3. I have before.

 

[Kaylee]

Bravo!
Yes, bacon bits have so much "bang", they're worth the apparent high price.

My last bag lasted 17 days without refrigeration.
I intentionally stress tested it, and had zero problems.

Another darn-fine-meal-for-cheap is "loaded" hashbrowns. Just add bacon bits & cheese at the end. I'll post pics, soon.