Easy Meals for Campfires, Camp Stoves

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2022. 

3-pound bag of baby potatoes
  
1 pound hot dogs, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Large onion, diced
1 can condensed cream of potato or cream or cream of celery soup
1/4 cup your favorite gourmet mustard
1/4 cup milk
½ cup pickle relish (or more to taste)
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar (more or less to taste)
Ketchup (optional)

Wash potatoes, cut in quarters and boil just until tender. Drain and stir in hot dog mixture.  (Recipe follows.)  Serve warm. Feeds 6. Pass the ketchup.
    Hot Dog mixture: Sizzle hot dogs in hot oil with the onion until the onion is crisp-tender and weenies are lightly browned. Stir in soup, mustard and milk. Fold in relish and vinegar. Fold with potatoes and serve warm.  

 
 

NEW FEATURE
See the Trail Mix Recipe of the Week

   From sweet to savory, from snacks to full trail meals, these recipes are homemade in a big batch,  then packaged by the portion to carry in pocket or pack. They are ideal for campfire munching, beach combing, star gazing, backpacking, hiking, fishing, sailing, road trips  or those dreaded airline delays. 

 
TRAIL MIX RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Banquet-in-a-Bag Trail Mix
    This mixture plus plenty of drinking water makes a complete meal. Many types of jerky are available including meatless varieties.

4 cups white cheese  snack crackers
2 cups round oat cereal
2 cups square rice cereal
3 cups snipped jerky (your choice)
2 cups natural, unsalted, roasted almonds
1 cup snipped dried apricots
1 cup golden raisins

    Put everything in a clean bag, seal and jostle gently to mix well. Measure by the portion into re-usable snack bags and keep in a cool, dry place.  Makes 15 cups. Measure 1 to 1 ½ cups per portion.Bonus points: To each bag add a wrapped handi-wipe and small bag with 1/4 cup M&M’s for dessert.

Do you keep a few emergency food supplies on board?  See free pantry recipes requiring no fresh food at https://boatcook.blogspot.com  

 Janet Groene’s Survival Food Handbook is a guide to shopping the supermarket for shelf foods that are used and rotated regularly, always on hand for that sudden power outage, fridge failure or evacuation.  Storage space in campers and boats is limited, so this book’s focus is on packing the most nutrition for the least space, ounce and cost. This is about everyday  staples, NOT about those high-priced doomsday foods that you put away and forget. https://amzn.to/3mIfryC

 

Campground Potluck RV Recipe of the Week
Lazy Days Tomato Pie
    This recipe is ideal to bake and take, or to bake in your camp oven. It’s good warm or at “room” temperature.   It’s a substantial main dish for vegetarians or a hearty side dish go to with meat or fish from the grill.

28--ounce can sliced or diced tomatoes
9-inch pastry crust, your own or store-bought
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
1 tablespoon freeze-dried chives
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons flour, preferably self-rising
2 cups grated Cheddar   

    Set the oven to 350 degrees. Drain tomatoes very well in a sieve. You need about 2 ½ cups.  Discard juice or save it to use in soup or stew. Line a pie pan with the pastry and flute the edges. Prick all over with a fork and bake 10 minutes. If crust has sagged, carefully press it back into place with the back of a fork while it’s hot.
    In a bowl whisk mayonnaise and flour, fold in cheese and spread a little into the pie shell. Put drained tomatoes in the pie shell and sprinkle with basil and chives. Spread remaining cheese mixture over the tomatoes. Bake 30 minutes on the bottom shelf of the oven until the pie crust is golden and the cheese layer is lightly browned. Let cool 5-10 minutes before cutting. Cut in wedges and provide a spatula for serving.

To make a single pie crust in a hurry, melt a stick of butter in the pie pan. Stir in a cup of flour. Use floured fingers, and more flour as needed, to form an even crust on the bottom and up the sides of the pie place. Flute edges and bake.  

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT SMELLY PROOF BAGS?

This is opinion,  not an ad nor a paid testimonial 

    After seeing them on Shark Tank, I just HAD to get a supply of these reusable storage bags for camping and RV trips. They range in size from 2 X 2 inches for spices and pills to the BIG 24 X 30-inch size for dirty laundry. They keep scents in and oxygen out, so foods stay fresh longer.
    Living in the close quarters of a van, camper or tent, we can get grossed out on strong scents such as fish, bait, bananas, coffee, dirty socks, diapers. These incredible bags keep things dry, separate and stink-proof. They are tough, washable for re-use and recyclable.  They come in a number of styles and finishes (black, clear, heavy duty), in a child resistant model and in foil for the ultimate barrier. All have the unique SmellGuard Barrier Technology. They are not for cooking use and should not be boiled or heated above 190 degrees. 
    I order mine at (866) 515-9622. 

See tips for women who RV at https://www.SoloWomanRV.blogspot.com

Tips for the Camp Chef

    *Why waste space by carrying chicken bones? Oven-roast three or four birds at a time. Cool. Dice meat. Use bones and skin to make a wonderful broth, then discard. Package diced chicken in batches, figuring ½ cupful per  portion. Freeze for future camp-outs. Use in dozens of ways, from chicken salad to chicken soup, chili, stir-fry, stew.

* Place a boneless chicken breast on an oiled square of foil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs. Top with a scoop of cooked sticky rice and a slice of shaved deli ham. Drizzle with 1/4 cup white wine. Bring up corners of foil and twist to seal. Grill, chicken side down, until chicken tests done at 170 degrees.

    * Mix ½ cup each crumbled blue cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream with 1 T. white wine vinegar and 1 t. sriracha. Chill.  Serve as a dip for chips, veggies, bread sticks, Tater Tots, chicken nuggets.


FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Chicken ‘n Rice Pasties

    This recipe is easily doubled. Set up an assembly line at home and make pasties (pass-ties) in all shapes and sizes to warm up in camp.  Fillings can be varied with meat,  seafood or vegetable mixtures. Just don’t over-fill pasties or they’ll leak.  Unlike yeast dough and tortillas, pastry (pay-stry) crusts require careful handling. 

2 pastry pie crusts, your own or store-bought

1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons flour
Pinch salt, pepper, dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
Small can chunk chicken, drained well and finely chopped
½ cup each chopped, cooked or canned mushrooms and cooked rice
Small can deviled ham
2 teaspoons minced garlic
       
     Set the oven to 375 degrees.. Prepare baking sheets. Whisk egg with flour and seasonings. Stir in chicken, ham, mushrooms, rice and garlic. Mix well. Roll out pie crusts to thin them slightly. Cut each in half.
    Place a mound of chicken mixture on half a piece of crust, allowing space at the edge for sealing .Use a wet finger to moisten edges of dough. Fold over and seal with a fork. This may take some practice to produce a leak-proof pasty. Cut three tiny slits in the top to allow steam to escape and bake until pasty is golden brown.
    Cool completely, then wrap in heavy duty foil. This protects the pasty and allows you to warm it later over the campfire. Place each wrapped pasty on a cheap paper plate for further protection against breakage. Outer wrapping can be plastic, foil or freezer wrap. Handling carefully, stack and freeze. Makes 4 meal-size pasties.

       SCROLL DOWN. THERE'S MORE