If you're a frequent visitor of An American Housewife, then you know I love to cook over a campfire. Even when we aren't camping. A couple summers ago after our grill wore out, we didn't have the budget to replace it so I ended up building a fire and cooking on our fire pit on the patio all spring, summer and fall. To mix it up a bit, I often used a Swedish Fire Starter (Light My Fire Original Swedish FireSteel
) to start it - it made it more like backpack/hiking and camping instead of just being in my own backyard.We have a set of two fire irons that are fun to use to make impromptu fruit pies and sandwiches. They are cast iron plates on long handles that you place your buttered bread in, top with either canned fruit filling or other sweet goodies for a dessert, or cheese, veggies and meats for a sandwich, and you heat over the campfire until it's golden brown and delicious.
The reason this post is on my mind this morning is because I had planned on taking off with my backpack and camping this weekend, but then I found out it was my husbands weekend 'off' from work. He isn't a camper! So my plans were scraped for another time. I'm thinking of getting out the tent and 'camping' in our back woods tonight though! I do this with the dogs sometimes. My husband thinks I'm nuts but hey, I get the camping experience but yet I have solitude from other noisy campers and a full service bathroom within walking distance! Ha Ha.
Depending on where you live, you might know these campfire pies as pudgie pies, mountain pies, hobo pies, toasties or any other family name for them. Many of the newer irons are made out of aluminum and are thinner than the cast iron versions. If you have a thinner metal, just be sure you don't burn your pies. Some people grew up using canned biscuits or canned crescent rolls in place of buttered bread. We've used biscuits once, crescent rolls once and they worked just fine but I rarely (almost never) purchase those products so typically we just use bread we already have on hand. If you choose to make the cinnamon or caramel rolls, a biscuit or roll works better than bread I think.
One I haven't tried yet but I was just thinking to myself it would be good and I hope to try in the next week or two (as soon as I build a new fire pit - which I'm hoping to do this weekend) is a pie made with lemon pie filling or lemon curd, and a marshmallow.
Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Over a Campfire
2 slices sourdough bread, buttered
2 tablespoons diced fully cooked ham
3 tablespoons shredded pepper Jack cheese
*additional options: different cheese, mushrooms, salsa, etc.
Place one slice of bread in a greased sandwich iron, butter side down. Top with ham, mushrooms, cheese and salsa. Top with remaining bread slice - butter side up. Close iron to seal. Cook over a hot campfire for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.
Fruit Pies
2 slices buttered bread of choice
2 T of any canned fruit filling (apple, cherry, blueberry, peach,etc)
Place filling between the two slices of buttered bread in your pie iron, butter sides to the irons. Grill until golden brown. Remove, sprinkle with sugar if you wish.
Peanut Butter S'Mores
Between the two buttered bread slices, place a large marshmallow, dollop of peanut butter and a square of chocolate candy bar. Close the iron, seal and toast over the campfire til golden brown.
Pizza Pies
Between the slices of buttered bread (or pita bread or even English muffins for this one) place a tablespoon of pizza sauce, a bit of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices and any other pizza toppings you like. Seal and toast over the campfire for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and done.
Caramel Rolls
Use canned biscuits or crescent rolls for this one. If you use biscuits,use a butter flavored spray like Pam to help it not stick.
Version one: Using 2 biscuits, form a ball. Roll in a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Place inside your heavily sprayed iron and toast 2-3 minutes until golden.
Version two: spray the iron, stretch out a biscuit and lay it down. Top with a dollop of butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and add a dollop of brown sugar. Top with another biscuit. Seal, toast for 2-3 minutes til golden.
Products related to this post available through Amazon;
Rome's 1605 Double Pie Iron with Steel and Wood Handles
Rome's 1805 Round Pie Iron with Steel and Wood Handles
Coleman Camp Cooker
For those that wish to make these in the house without a pie iron, there are 'sandwich' makers available! This one will make sandwiches or waffles - as it has removable plates.
T-fal SW6100 EZ Clean Easy to Clean Nonstick Sandwich and Waffle Maker with Removable Dishwasher Safe Plates, 2-Slice, Silver
