Snow Kidding. Go Camping!

Copyright Janet Groene 2026. To ask about rights to reprint this content email janetgroene (at) yahoo.com

SNOWED IN? REHEARSE RECIPES

FOR SUMMER RV, CAMPING & GLAMPING

RV,CAMPING/GLAMPING

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Bird ‘n Bacon Ziti

16-ounce box of ziti, cooked barely al dente and drained

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Optional: 2 tablespoons ketchup

2 soup cans milk

1 teaspoon crumbled, dried thyme

½ cup cooked crumbled real bacon

16-ounce package roast turkey lunch meat, cut up

1 ½ cups peas, thawed

16-ounce package shredded three-cheese blend

Optional topping:

1 cup cornflake crumbs

2 tablespoons butter

Grease a deep 9 X 13-inch baking pan or a Dutch oven.  Set the oven to 350 degrees or burn the campfire down to hot coals.

Toss cooked ziti with olive oil and spread half in the pan. In a large bowl whisk soup, milk, ketchup and thyme. Stir in bacon, turkey bits and peas. Fold in cheese. Spoon half the mixture over  the ziti. Add remaining ziti and top with remaining turkey mixture. Bake uncovered in the oven or in a covered Dutch oven over the campfire just until it’s heated through and bubbly. 

Melt butter in a small skillet, stir in cornflake crumbs until toasty and sprinkle over the dish just before serving. Serves 8. 

Shortcut. Cook pasta ahead at home. Drain and cool it at home, toss  with olive oil, bag and chill. Buy the best quality roast turkey lunch meat.  

Receive two dozen more shortcuts and camp cook tips by return email. I'll choose them at random from my archives. Email janetgroene@yahoo.com and put Cook Tips in the topic line. 

Easy SIDE DISH OF THE WEEK 

Nutty Rice

This makes a sweet side dish to go with ham,  pork chops or chicken. 

3 1/2 cups water

Small can crushed pineapple, with juice

2 teaspoons chicken soup base or powdered bouillon

2 cups long-grain rice

1 cup sliced, roasted almonds (or more to taste) 

Bring water and pineapple to a boil and stir in soup base and rice. Cover, reduce heat and cook 20 minutes without peeking or stirring. Serve sprinkled with sliced almonds. Makes  6 side dish servings. 

Optional: add a cup or two of shredded cabbage to the water and pineapple, bring to a         boil and proceed.

To toast sliced almonds, pan-toast with a little butter. 

TIRED OF BEANS AND WEENIES? 

COOKING ABOARD YOUR RV

    For yourself or a gift,  Janet Groene's timeless RV cookbook is packed with shortcuts, tips and 270 easy, delicious recipes to cook inside the camper or outside on the campfire, camp stove or grate.  

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Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

Beefy Bacon Rice

1 pound thick-sliced bacon, diced

1/4 cup bacon drippings

4 cups long-grain rice

8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

Large onion, diced

2 quarts beef stock

½ cup dry red wine

Fry out bacon in a large, stove-to-table pan. Remove bacon and excess fat from the pan and sizzle rice and mushrooms in hot bacon drippings. Stir in onion to coat.  Return bacon to the pot. Over high heat, slowly add beef stock and wine. When it boils, cover, reduce heat and cook 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir and serve.  Makes 10 to 12 potluck servings. 

FOIL MEAL OF THE WEEK

Customize each bundle to order. Any number can play.

Think of a Hershey Kiss

For EACH meal you need:

4- to 6-ounce patty of ground chicken 

Sprinkling of taco seasoning

½ to 2/3  cup ready-to-serve rice 

1/3 cup your favorite salsa

About 1/3 cup grated cheese

Optional: sliced scallions

Avocado slices

Lay out a square of heavy duty foil and grease the center. Form a chicken patty like a shallow bowl to hold the rice. Place the chicken on the greased foil.  Sprinkle lightly with taco seasoning. Bring up edges of foil as needed to form a shallow bowl as you work. Pile rice atop the chicken. 

Sprinkle rice lightly with taco seasoning and top with salsa. Bring together four corners of the foil, pinch together and twist tightly to seal the bundle and also firm a handle. Place over medium coals, chicken side down. Roast slowly until chicken tests done at 170 degrees. Keep heat at medium so chicken patty cooks thoroughly but doesn’t burn on the bottom. 

Open the bundle slowly to avoid scalding steam. Sprinkle with cheese and scaliions. Top with avocado slices. Eat out of the foil. 

LIFESAVER SAUCE OF THE WEEK

Canned vegetables need a flavor boost? Meat overcooked? Biscuits burnt around the edges?  Casserole lacks zing? Save it with a sauce. 

Orange Butter Sauce

Where to use it? Spoon warm orange sauce over hot green beans, steamed cauliflower, bacon omelet, jasmine rice, seared salmon,  grilled ham or pork chops.

2/3 stick butter

Small onion, minced 

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup orange marmalade

2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard

1/4 to 1/3 cup water, broth or dry white wine

Heat butter and cook onion and garlic until crisp-tender. Stir in marmalade and mustard with enough water, broth or wine to thin to taste. Serve warm. Makes 1 1/4 cups sauce. 

Seasoned campers, travelers, tenters, RV-ers know that

EMERGENCIES HAPPEN

     Be prepared for delays, refrigerator failure, evacuations, supply chain interruptions and such. Stuff happens. How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids?  A month in a remote fish camp? Two weeks in a national park? See Survival Food Handbook for lists, tips on buying, stowing, and recipes prepared with familiar, affordable, shelf-stowed supplies from the supermarket. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe 

Campers have limited storage space for emergency food.  Survival Food Handbook  is just for RV travelers, truckers, car campers, boaters. Make the most of every ounce, inch and dollar. Have a stash of staples you will use and replenish. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

MAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK

While you’re snowed in at home, make loads of this delicious loaf and freeze it by the slice.

 “Ham” Loaf

3 pounds lean ground pork

Medium onion, diced fine

3 drops liquid smoke

½ teaspoon maple flavoring

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 cups unseasoned dry bread crumbs

1 cup ginger ale

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon browning such as Gravy Master or Bovril 

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

Use your hands (kitchen gloves are a plus) to mix everything thoroughly and place in greased loaf pans Bake at 350 F. until internal temperature is 165 F. (Time will depend on the size pans you use.)  Freeze in pans for future camping trips or slice and wrap individually. In camp, thaw and heat. Serve with campfire baked sweet potatoes and pineapple coleslaw. 

VEGETARIAN DISH OF THE WEEK

Spanish rice is available in cans and in ready-to-heat pouches. Or make your own.

Spanish Stuffed Peppers

7 large, plump red or green bell peppers

1 can Spanish rice

1 can seasoned  black beans, drained and rinsed

Small can whole kernel corn,, drained

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup olive oil

Seed one pepper and slice into 6 rings. Place rings in a cold, greased, deep skillet or Dutch oven, Take a very thin slice off the bottom of each pepper so it stands upright in a pepper ring. (Do not sliced into the cavity.) Fill with layers of Spanish rice, black beans and corn. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until filling is heated through 

In a small, nonstick skillet, toast crumbs in olive oil. Sprinkle some on each stuffed pepper. Serves 6.

Alternate serving plan: Place a stuffed pepper on each plate and top with hot tomato gravy, cheese sauce or marinara. Then add the crumb topping.

BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Chicken Rice Chowder

Diced meat from a rotisserie chicken OR

4 cups diced, cooked chicken OR

2 cans, 10-12 ounces each, chunk chicken

8 cups water

6 teaspoons or cubes chicken flavor bouillon

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 medium onions, chopped

Medium red or green pepper, seeded and diced fine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons mixed Italian seasoning

2/3 cup long grain white rice

Small can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk

3 tablespoons flour

Large can (12 ounces) evaporated milk OR

1 ½ cups light cream

Assemble chicken, water, bouillon, vegetables and seasoning in a pot and bring to a low boil over a hot campfire. Let fire subside to medium. . Simmer ad lib, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. When vegetables are tender, add rice. Cover over medium coals 30 minutes or until rice is tender. 

Stir flour into 2/3 cup evaporated milk until smooth, then add to simmering soup until it thickens. Add additional milk or cream and heat but do not boil. If soup is too thick, add water or chicken broth to taste. Pass the pepper mill. Serves 8. 

NO BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Voodoo Pound Cake

Credit: Sara Lee

1 plain vanilla pound cake, your own or store-bought

Kahlua or other chocolate liqueur

Whipped topping

Slice cake and slather each slice with a tablespoon or two of Kahlua. Crown with whipped cream. 

Cook's Note:  To make your own spiked topping, mix 2 tablespoons rum with a cup  or so of chocolate syrup. Make a kicky  non-alcoholic chocolate sauce by stirring 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon instant coffee and 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves into about one cup warm chocolate syrup. 

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