Ditto on that,

For light weight food to heat on the trail that will stick to your ribs, instant mashed potatoes with bacon bits are cheaper and better tasting than much of the fancy Backpacker Food. And available at the local grocery store.

Bacon bits are light weight and can be added to all kinds of stuff to add flavor. I like to add to grits. Also good in rice, couscous, scrambled eggs ...

Another variation on this is to put beef jerky in a food processor (before the trip) and reduce it to something that looks about like coffee grounds. Store in a zip lock bag . Put the ground jerky in with the amount of water you need for your instant potatoes. Heat and stir in the instant potato mix.