Backcountry Meal Time — How Long?

Speaking for myself, I typically try to keep it short and sweet as far as cooking goes when on the trail. I try to snack during the day, granola bars and the like, to keep my energy up so dinner is not so crucial (something I learned during field exercises). I try to keep dinner and prep within 30 minutes, max. If I am in an area where starting a fire is easy enough, I will get that going and then set up. If not, I will use the butane stove.

I usually shoot to give myself at least an hour of daylight to set up and settle in.

I am not a huge fan of the freeze dried meals, personally. I generally take a few canned goods along, beef stew is one of my favorites, as they can be heated up and eaten straight from the can. No adding water is required, nor any special effort. Cans can be either set in coals or on top of said butane stove and heated while other chores are being done. For me, the ease of doing this outweighs any inconvenience of extra weight.

Longer treks, of course, I will vary things as much as possible as far as supplies.

Let's see. Find an acceptable spot. Take off pack. Set up tent. Unload cooking gear and food. Boil water. Add freeze-fried stuff to the boiling water. Turn off heat and let soak for 15 minutes. Organize the camp and separate gear that goes in the tent from stuff that goes back in the pack. Add some more water and a foil pack with tuna or salmon to the soaking dinner and bring it back to boil. Soak for 10 more minutes.

All this is done usually before dark. Eat, clean up, put food, cooking gear in a large bag that's hung from a tree. Sit for a while in the night while I listen and let my eyes get use to the dark. Then to bed.

Fishing sort of throws a fly in the time ointment...You don't know yet what's on the dinner menu.
I like to hit camp around 4:00, and within a half hour or so, (tent/ sleeping bag and pad made ready)...head for the water. A couple of 12+ trout seem to make everything in the bear can taste so much better (and goes well with) intended pasta something.
When with my hiking buddy, we stop fishing ~ 6:00. His job - hors d'oeuvres (few chunks good cheese and maybe wasabi peas) and 151 Crystal lite/ snow slushes.
My job is cooking up the trout and pasta/olive oil/ red pepper flake/ Salami side...chunk of chocolate finishes the meal...maybe a wee dram of Single Malt too.
We eat well...not a big fan of FBMs.

First, I generally don't use freeze dried food although I often take a packet along for emergencies or when for some reason, I get into camp too late or too tired or when the weather's too crappy to do a regular meal. Most times, however, I use a pasta based one pot meal. After I set up the tent, it usually takes about an hour to prepare the meal, eat it and clean up. The biggest hassle I find is finding an appropriate tree to hang my bear bag and then doing it where required. That can sometimes be a challenge I could do without.

I like to be in my tent shortly after darkness unless it's one of the rare times I have a fire.

I've never really thought about it, but I'd guess about an hour from tent/tarp set up clean up. Once I find a suitable campsite I look for dead falls first then start clearing an area to pitch my tent or tarp. Tent set up takes around 10 minutes but my tarp, although much lighter, takes a little longer to set up. I usually hang my bear bag before it gets dark. This keeps me from throwing a rock up in the air with a rope tied to it in the darkness. Like Jay, most of my meals are canned goods. My trips are mostly 3 day, 2 nights so weight is not too much of an issue. If I'm tired, I may eat a peanut butter sandwich and call it a night. If I do cook, I like to try and clean up before the food dries to my cooking pot and allow time for my utensils and cookware to air out before going in the bear bag. I also dump everything out of my pack and make a neat pile in the corner of my tent. I hate searching through a dark pack trying to find something. It works great until the next morning when you have to pack everything back up again.

After I set up my tent, I'll wander around a while before eating. I have to say I am the Queen of Lazy when it comes to cooking when I am out backpacking. I take food that does not have to be cooked, although sometimes I will boil water for hot tea or cocoa I don't want to spend time cooking and then cleaning up. I'd rather go wandering around and explore the area I am in. So to answer your question - how much time do I spend preparing my meals, clean-up, and storing my food? Maybe 30 minutes, tops.

We usually knock off by early to mid afternoon, so I'll start the water boiling when I feel like it (usually pretty early--I'm a hungry hiker). None of the cooking takes more than boiling water, but I usually make a cup of soup to share with the spouse, followed by the main dish, and dessert after that (I may do it all with one pot of water; it's just the eating that happens in sequence). My preference is to have it all done and cleaned up and the bear bag hung before the evening light show and photo frenzy.