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by Layne Cameron
You can cook an entire Thanksgiving meal during a campout?"
I questioned the boastful Scoutmaster. He guaranteed me that he wasn’t
joking — he wasn’t sending me to find that proverbial left-handed smoke
sifter.
His detailed plan was so convincing that I booked him
and other representatives from his troop on a local television show. The
dinner he prepared left myself and the show’s host humbled. The gourmet
Scoutmaster served turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings from a stack
of dutch ovens as tall as a Cub Scout. The bird was tender and the stuffing
and vegetables were perfectly spiced.
Hikers would rather not haul a 10-pound dutch oven in
their packs — or a 20-pound turkey for that matter. However, by planning
menus, repackaging food, packing the right spices, and being creative
with aluminum foil, there is no reason to eat another bland trail meal
again.
All recipes serve two hikers with the exceptions of Beef
Stroganoff Buffet and Deluxe Chicken Dinner.
***
PB&A
Ingredients
Apple
Peanut Butter
Raisins
Directions
1. Core the apple
2. Mix the peanut butter and raisins together and then stuff the
apple with the mixture.
Options: Other stuffings include cottage cheese,
chopped ham, turkey, or other fruits. Toppings can include crushed nuts
or honey.
***
Piedmont Pizza
Ingredients
English muffins
Tomato sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Pizza fixings
Directions
1. Split muffin and cover each half with sauce, cheese, and fixings.
2. Wrap in foil and cook over coals for 20 minutes or until cheese
is melted.
***
Deluxe Chicken Dinner
(serves 4)
Ingredients
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup Minute Rice
1 box stuffing mix
1 large can cooked chicken
Directions
1. Boil 2 cups of water and add the bouillon cubes.
2. Add rice and cover.
3. Prepare stuffing mix according to directions.
4. Add chicken to rice and stir.
Options: Add vegetables for variety. Pack stuffing
mix and directions in ziptop bag before leaving camp.
***
Knobstone Trail Soup
Ingredients
¼ cup beef or chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. parsley flakes
11/3 cup dried carrots
11/3 cup dried celery
¼ cup dried onions
1 cup rice
Dried tomato slices
Directions
1. Boil 4 cups water.
2. Add ingredients and simmer until vegetables are tender and rice is
cooked.
Options: Add fresh broccoli, or substitute rice
or macaroni for the rice.
***
Humble Hobo
Ingredients
1 small can cooked chicken
Vegetables of your choice
1 tsp. oil
Salt and pepper
Rosemary
Directions
1. Place chicken and vegetables in foil.
2. Sprinkle on oil and spices.
3. Seal tightly and cook over coals for 30 minutes, turning often.
***
Bag O' Eggs
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/8 cup milk
Salt and pepper
¼ cup Cheddar cheese
3 sausage links, precooked
3 tsp. salsa
Directions
1. Bring medium-sized pot of water to boil.
2. Break eggs into ziptop bag.
3. Add milk, salt, and pepper and shake.
4. Break sausage into ½-inch sections and add to bag.
5. Submerge bag and cook until eggs are no longer runny. Top cooked
eggs with salsa.
***
Okeechobee Casserole
Ingredients
1 box macaroni and cheese
¾ stick butter
¼ cup milk
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 small can tuna
Salt and pepper
Directions
1. Melt butter in skillet and saute onion and green pepper until
tender.
2. Cook macaroni and cheese according to directions using remaining
butter and milk.
3. Add drained tuna and sauteed onion and green pepper to macaroni
and cheese and stir.
Option: Top with shredded Cheddar cheese.
***
Beef Stroganoff Buffett
(serves 4-6)
Ingredients
1 lb. round steak, cut into strips
1 envelope dry onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ soup can of water
Salt and pepper
1 bag egg noodles
1 pint sour cream
Directions
1. In a dutch oven, mix together steak, dry onion soup mix, mushroom
soup, water, salt and pepper.
2. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours over hot coals.
3. Prepare egg noodles according to directions.
4. Add sour cream to meat mixture when ready to serve.
5. Serve meat over noodles.
***
Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. minced onion
2 tsp. sun-dried tomato
1 small can cooked chicken
12 oz. bag corn chips
6 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Combine chili powder, dried onions, and sun-dried tomatoes in
a plastic bag before leaving camp.
2. Boil 4 cups of water and add spices and canned meat.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the crumbled corn chips and cheese. Stir until chips are
moistened.
***
Simply Spicy
Ingredients
1 package macaroni and cheese
¼ cup milk
¼ cup butter
1 small can tuna
1 small can diced chilies
Directions
1. Prepare macaroni and cheese according to directions using milk
and butter.
2. Drain tuna and chilies and stir into macaroni and cheese.
Originally published in the 1998 May/June issue
of Camping Magazine. |
