Camping & Glamping Cooking for 2026

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2026

Start the New Year with a new repertoire of smart, affordable recipes for all the exciting camp-outs and road trips you plan to have in '26. 

CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Tuna CORNival

Save fuel and mess. Just throw this dish  together in a nonstick pan and heat it up.  It’s a  money-pinching main dish that stretches one can of tuna to feed a family of 6. Use ready-to serve, instant or from-scratch rice. 

2 cups cooked rice

15-ounce whole kernel corn, drained

15-ounce can cream-style corn

3 or 4 hard-cooked eggs, cut up

1 can tuna, drained and flaked

1 can cream-of-something soup

½ soup can milk or water

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Crisp chow mein noodles

Optional garnish: shredded cheese, chopped scallions or a few shakes of soy sauce.

 

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, layer rice, corn, eggs and tuna. Whisk soup, milk and mustard and pour over skillet. Cover and heat gently. .Place a scoop of chow mein noodles on each plate and smother with the hot mixture. Garnish ad lib.  Serves 6.

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week 

Zucchini Monterey 

When you’re asked to bring a vegetable side dish, this zucchini recipe will add color and zing to the potluck table.

3 large zucchinis, cut in bite size

Large onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablesppoon each butter and vegetable oil

Salt, pepper

4-ounce can diced chilies, drained

4-ounce can diced jalapeños, drained

3 or 4  plum tomatoes, diced and drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large wok or skillet, melt butter with oil and stir-fry zucchini,  gradually adding onion and garlic. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Fold in peppers and tomatoes. Cook until zucchini is crisp-tender. Sprinkle with cheese. Serves 10.

Cook's note: recipe can also be prepared in a skillet or wok, then put in a greased casserole dish and refrigerated to bake later. 

THE GIFT THAT GIVES ALL YEAR

AND ONE SIZE FITS ALL

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.  

https://amzn.to/3nNndWY 

POTLUCK RECIPE #2

Bean Pot in the Orchard

You’ll be asked for the recipe for this merry mingling of beans and sweetness. To make it vegetarian, omit the ham and use vegetarian baked beans instead of the pork and beans. 

1 pound cooked ham, diced small

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 onions, diced fine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 can  pork & beans such as Van Camp’s

1 can butter beans, undrained

1 can each, drained: and rinsed:

Green lima beans

Kidney beans

White beans such as Great Northern or cannellini 

8-ounce can pineapple  tidbits, undrained

2 tart apples, peeled and cut up

1/3 cup Craisins 

½ cup “lite” molasses

½ cup ketchup

In a large pot or Dutch oven, fry out diced ham in hot oil, gradually adding onions and garlic. When they are crisp-tender, reduce heat and begin adding remaining ingredients, stirring to mix well.  Add water or broth as needed. Heat on the stove, or campfire or in the oven until bubbly. Serves 16.

 Bonus points: soak Craisins in strong, hot cinnamon tea. Drain before, before adding. 

TRAVEL EMERGENCIES HAPPEN

     How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids?  A month in a remote, fly-in fish camp? Two weeks in a national park? See Survival Food Handbook for lists, tips on buying, stowing, and recipes that need no fresh ingredients. Be prepared for delays, refrigerator failure, supply chain interruptions and the unforseen. Stuff happens.   http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe 

Campers have limited storage space for emergency food.  Survival Food Handbook  is just for van campers, truckers, RV travelers and boaters. Make the most of every ounce, inch and dollar. Have a stash of staples you will use and replenish. Keep  a few emergency meals on hand in case there is a sudden evacuation, fridge failure, shelter-in-place order or other unplanned speed bump on your  journey. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

BONUS RECIPE

Camper’s Crabpot

3 cups water

1 chicken flavor bouillon cube

12-ounce package imitation crabmeat, cut up

8-ounce can mushroom steps and pieces, drained

Small green pepper, finely cut up

2-ounce jar chopped pimentos, drained

Small can sliced ripe olives, drained

1 envelope cream of leek soup mix (such as Knorr)

3 cups instant white rice

½ stick butter

Suggested garnish: lemon or lime wedges

Bring water to a boil,. Dissolve bouillon. Add  crab, vegetables and soup mix. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes. Bring back to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and turn off heat. Let stand 7-8 minutes out of the wind until rice is tender.   Stir, drizzle with melted butter and serve. Makes 6 portions. 

Camp COMFORT FOOD OF THE WEEK 

Shortcut Cholent

A traditional Jewish  comfort food, cholent is prepared differently in every kitchen, depending on  each home's culture and tradition. Basically it’s a stew that bakes ahead of time so no cooking will be done on the Sabbath. 

No traditional cook would endorse my shortcut version. However, here’s a way to have a delicious hot, one-dish comfort food  in quicktime.

12-to 14-ounce can corned beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large onions, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 cans butter beans (cooked large limas) undrained

Freshly ground pepper

Tomato juice of beef broth as needed

Paprika for garnish

Optional garnish: hardboiled egg

Scrape and discard  excess fat from the corned beef. Break up corned beef in hot oil, stir frying while adding onions and garlic. Cover and cook over reduced heat  until onions are tender. Stir in butter beans and pepper. Simmer to heat through,  adding a little broth if needed. Season to taste. Sprinkle  lightly with paprika. Serves 6 to 8. 

TIPS FOR THE CAMP COOK

Craving Manicotti but you forgot to bring a box of shells? Make your usual filling and sauce. Roll it in flour tortillas or  homemade crepes. Arrange seam side down with sauce and a topping of cheese.

Receive a full page of shortcuts, hints and camp cooking tips, hints and work-arounds by return email. Go to janetgroene@gmail.com and put Cook Tips in the topic line. I’ll send you a dozen or more random tips from my archives. 

WILL 2026 BE THE YEAR YOU GO FULL-TIMING? 

WHY WAIT TO RETIRE?

 Do you dream of living, traveling  (and perhaps earning a living) in a complete home on wheels?  We did. Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition by Janet Groene & Gordon Groene is a total guide to the full-time life on wheels. Should you sell the house or rent it out? Downsize possessions or put them in storage? Too young to retire? See the chapter on ways to make a living anywhere. Kids on board? We cover home schooling and also an exit strategy if and when the time comes to settle down. Order at any book store or let Amazon gift wrap and ship it for you.  https://amzn.to/29XFEk

BONUS RECIPE

Surimi and Spinach

Imitation crabmeat makes this seafood casserole affordable, tasty and nourishing. 

20-ounce bag  of chopped spinach

20 ounces imitation crab, cut up or shredded

Large sweet onion (e.g. Vidalia) finely diced

8-ounce package grated Cheddar cheese

1 stick butter, divided 

1/4 cup cooking sherry

2 tablespoons flour

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 cup sour cream

Thaw spinach and squeeze it dry. Lightly scatter some of the spinach in a sprayed 9 X 13-inch casserole. Sprinkle with some of the cheese, crab and onion and continue until you’ve used all but about a cupful of the cheese.

Whisk ½ stick butter, melted , with the flour, sherry,  soup and sour cream and pour over the casserole. Dot with small bits of the remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.  Serves 6. 

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NO BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Creamy Apple Pie

Large deep dish crumb pie crust, chilled

½ cup cold milk

8-ounce brick of cream cheese

1 box instant French vanilla pudding mix

1 cup cold milk

1 teaspoon each almond and lemon extract

1 can apple pie filling

Optional Glaze:

1/3 cup clear jelly such as apple or raspberry, melted

In a bowl beat the ½ cup milk with softened cream cheese. When it’s smooth, add the full  cup of cold milk and the pudding mix. Stir in extracts. Pour into pie crust. Chill until set. Spread apple pie filling on top and drizzle with melted jelly. Chill. Serves 8. 

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Cooking for Camping, , Tents to RV's

 Copyright Janet Groene 2025. This site has had more than 293,000 views. 

CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

 Rice Pilaf

Make one big batch of this versatile side dish to warm up all week. If you divide it into boilable bags, you can save it in right-size portions for each meal. 

Rice comes in many colors

4 cups long-grain rice

8 cups water

1 teaspoons each salt and pepper

2 medium onions, diced fine

2 medium shallots, diced fine

1 or 2 cups celery, diced fine

2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes OR

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup golden raisins, raisins or dried cranberries

Small can sliced black olives, well drained

2 teaspoons dried dillweed

Bring salted water and raw vegetables to a boil. Stir in rice and remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce heat and cook 20-30 minutes over low heat until rice is tender. (Brown rice takes longer.)  Adjust seasonings.   Makes 10 to 12 portions.

Cook's note: To make this a main dish, stir in bits of cooked meat, diced hardboiled eggs or cooked or canned seafood when rice is tender. Heat through.

MAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Janet’s Cranberry Relish

It’s tart, smart and a colorful addition to the season’s tables but you need a blender or food processor to make it.

1 package fresh cranberries

1 navel orange

1 package orange Jello, (reg. or sugar free)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. chopped celery

Wash and pick over cranberries.  Trim tough ends off the orange but leave skin on. Cut up entire orange and discard any seeds.  Pulse the  orange in a food processor until very fine. Add cranberries and Jello and pulse to taste. Add celery and walnuts. Pulse 2-3 more times. If it’s too tart for your taste, add more sugar or sweetener. Chill.

This keeps up to a week in the fridge and can also be frozen.

THE GIFT THAT GIVES ALL YEAR

AND ONE SIZE FITS ALL

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. 

Short of time? Amazon will wrap and ship it for you.  

https://amzn.to/3nNndWY 

PENNYPINCHER RECIPE OF THE WEEK

One can of tuna makes four hefty servings thanks to a protein boost from eggs and cheese.

Tuna Rice Pancakes  

2 cups cooked rice

1 tablespoon  flour or cornstarch

1 can tuna, drained and flaked

 2 eggs

1 cup fine chopped celery

Small onion, chopped fine

1 cup shredded cheese

1 teaspoon each season salt, dried thyme

Optional: Milk or water

Oil for frying

Butter pats for serving

Fluff rice and toss lightly with flour or cornstarch. Mix in remaining ingredients. If mixture is too thick, add milk or water one tablespoon at a time. Fry as for pancakes. Makes four large or eight smaller cakes. Serve plain or melt a butter pat on each. 

PANTRY RECIPE OF THE WEEK

This spicy supper can be made entirely with foods from your emergency pantry. I make it with canned chunk chicken. Exotic spices bring it to life. 

Chicken Casbah 

2  cups water 

2 chicken flavor bouillon cubes

2 cups cooked, diced  chicken

1/4 cup dried onion bits

1 teaspoon dried parsley

 1 teaspoon each ground ginger, cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon garlic granules

8 pitted dried plums

1 or 2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup honey

½ cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Bring water to a boil and dissolve bouillon. Add onion bits, parsley, spices, garlic, dried plums and honey. Simmer to plump the plums and blend flavors. Stir in garbanzos to heat through. Pan past almonds in hot oil and sprinkle over finished dish. Serves 4 to 6. It can also be served over rice to make even more servings.

Cook's note: coarsely mash some or all the gabanzos for a creamier sauce.  

BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

COWPUNCHER PINTOS

You’ll need a large pot (three gallons or larger)  and 2 ½ gallons of water for this feast. Start the pot early, keep the fire going all day and invite the neighbors in.

1 bunch cilantro tied with string

2 pounds heirloom  pinto beans such as Rancho Gordo or Ayocote

4 chicken or beef flavor bouillon cubes:

Large onion, coarsely chopped

2 green bell peppers, diced

1 tablespoon each Creole seasoning, chili powder, adobo and salt

4 tomatoes, diced OR

I can diced tomatoes with juice

Plunge cilantro in water, drain and wrap tightly in a clean towel. Set aside. Pick over and rinse beans. 

Bring 10 quarts water to a low but active boil.  Put beans and seasonings in the pot and keep  at a low boil for 4-6 hours. Stir occasionally and add water as needed. When beans are tender add raw vegetables and the bunch of cilantro. Keep at a low boil for another hour or so. Discard cilantro, adjust seasonings and serve. 

Optional: Save some or all the fresh cilantro leaves. Mince and sprinkle on finished beans. 

Cook's note: beans will be tender sooner if soaked overnight. 

FREE! Email me at janetgroene@gmail.com and I'll send you a full page of Tips for the Camp Cook, picked at random from my archives. Put Cook Tips in the subject line. 

GIVE THE GIFT OF FREEDOM TO SOMEONE WHO IS READY TO GO FULL-TIMING

The whole story, start to end, warts and all.....
We full-timed for 10 great years. 

 Do you dream of living and traveling in a complete home on wheels? Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition by Janet Groene & Gordon Groene is a total guide to the full-time life on wheels. Should you sell the house or rent it out? Downsize possessions or put them in storage? Too young to retire? See our chapter on ways to make a living anywhere. Kids on board? We cover home schooling and also an exit strategy if and when the time comes to settle down. Order at any book store or let Amazon gift wrap and ship it for you.  https://amzn.to/29XFEkq 

 

Camping Meals Made Easy

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2025. 

CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Salmon Stuffed Cabbage

This  tasty, healthful twist on stuffed cabbage is easy to put together and it all cooks in one pot. Use homemade rice or ready to serve rice from a packet.   

Large head of cabbage

2 cans or pouches. 7 to 10 ounces each, chunk salmon 

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups cooked rice 

8-ounce can tomato sauce

15-ounce can ready-to- serve chicken broth

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Trim and core the cabbage and put it core side down in a roomy pot with an inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes to soften outer leaves. Remove cabbage and cool. Peel off  large outer leaves for stuffing. Use a knife to coarsely shred  remaining cabbage and put it in the bottom of the pot. 

Drain salmon and twist a fork in it to break it up. Mix egg and  rice with the salmon and a little of the tomato sauce. Fill leaves with salmon mixture, fold in sides,  roll up and place seam side down atop the shredded cabbage in the pot. Drizzle with broth and remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with thyme.

Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat 30-45 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Place cabbage roll(s)  in shallow soup plate. Top with shredded cabbage and moisten with broth. Serves 6. 

Cook’s note:  To prepare  in a slow cooker cook on Low for six hours.

Campground Potluck 

Recipe of the Week

 

Peary Berry Crisp

15-ounce can whole cranberry sauce

Large can (32 ounces)  diced pears, drained

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1 stick butter

1 cup old-fashioned or one-minute oatmeal (not instant)

½ cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon apple pie or pumpkin pie spice

Mash cranberry sauce in a sprayed, 9 X 13-inch casserole and gently mix in pears. (Save pear juice to use in fruit punch.) Sprinkle with spice. Soften butter and use two knives or a pastry blender to cut butter and dry ingredients together until mealy. Sprinkle over fruit and bake at 375 about 20 minutes or until topping is golden. Serve cold, warm or at room temperature. Serves 10. 

Cook’s note: this also makes a good breakfast, alone or sauced with vanilla yogurt. 

TRAVEL EMERGENCIES HAPPEN

GIVE THE GIFT OF GOOD PREPPING, GOOD EATING

     Seasoned road warriors can tell you that  extra food is the ultimate travel insurance. Be prepared for an evacuation, quarantine,  a ban on  cooking fires, detours, fridge failure or a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. See Survival Food Handbook for lists, tips on buying and stowing, and recipes that need no fresh ingredients.  http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe 

Campers have limited storage space for emergency food.  Survival Food Handbook  is just for campers, truckers, RV travelers and boaters. Make the most of every ounce, inch and dollar. Have a stash of staples you will use and replenish. Keep  a few emergency meals on hand in case there is a sudden evacuation, fridge failure, shelter-in-place order or other unplanned speed bump on your  journey. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

African Peanut Stew

Depending on regional customs, this stew may be made with different meats and vegetables. What makes it authentically African is the addition of peanut butter. Peanuts are known there as ground nuts (to differentiate from tree nuts). In some areas this is served over a bed of rice topped with a hard-cooked egg.  For camping, packets of instant grits are a quick and easy base, allowing the cook to prepare as many bowls as needed. 

This is enough for at least 8 servings and many more by adding more grits to serve a crowd.  The stew can also be served over campfire-baked potatoes, biscuits, toast, rice or whatever starch is available. 

2 pounds boneless, skinless meat or poultry, cut in small bites.

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

4 cups water (and more as needed)

4 beef or chicken bouillon cubes

3 large onions, diced

Small zucchini or green pepper, cut up (optional)

28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 cup smooth peanut butter

Salt, pepper to taste

Optional: 1 hard-cooked egg per serving

1 packet instant grits per person 

Lightly grease a large pot.  Add meat, sprinkle with cornstarch and toss lightly to coat. Add water and bring to a low boil. Stir in bouillon to dissolve and add onions and tomatoes. Simmer, stirring over the coals or campfire as long as it takes for meat to be falling-apart tender. Add water as needed. Stir peanut butter into hot stew by tablespoons. When it dissolves and stew is hot, adjust seasonings and serve. 

To serve,  prepare as many plates as needed with instant grits (or other starch). Add a halved hardboiled egg to each plate if using. Ladle hot stew over all. 

COOKING ABOARD YOUR RV

    For yourself or a gift for any cook, any time,  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 grill.  Squeezed for time? Amazon will  gift wrap and ship it for you.   

https://amzn.to/3nNndWY 

VEGETARIAN RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Quinoa Pilaf

High-protein quinoa is a miracle grain to serve as a side dish or as a protein source in vegetarian main dishes. The more different fruits, the more colorful the dish.  

2 cups quinoa

½ cup fruit juice or sweet  wine

2 cups cut up dried fruit (raisins, Craisins, dried plums, snipped apricots, figs, dates)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups water or vegetable broth

½ stick butter, cut up

Optional: slivered almonds

Rinse quinoa. Bring salted  water or broth to a boil and add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat and cook until  water is absorbed. Heat juice or wine, add cinnamon and soak fruit. 

Keeping heat low, stir in butter and drained fruit. Cover,  turn off heat and let steep for a few minutes to blend flavors. Stir and serve. Makes 6 to 8 side dish servings. 

 

LFESAVER SAUCE OF THE WEEK

In camp cooking there are always surprises, from a sudden rain storm that drowns the fire to frisky winds that cool the pot, a broken fridge, a cranky burner in the RV stove. A sauce can save the day by adding a blast of flavor to a blah dish, or cover a spot that got just a bit too brown.

Try this sauce to perk up plain noodles, plain broiled fish or chops, warmed-up canned vegetables  or a green salad that needs a boost. Just a drizzle will do.

Shallot Sauce

1/2 cup minced shallots

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/3 cup water

1/2 stick butter, divided

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

      

Boil shallots and tarragon in the water until soft.  Reduce heat to Medium. Add half the butter, then the wine. Continue simmering another 5 minutes. Stir in remaining butter and Worcestershire. Spoon sparingly over food. 

Cook's note: Are you short of burners? Make sauces and gravies ahead and keep hot in a thermos. 

FOIL MEAL OF THE WEEK

Assemble each person's meal in foil. Cook in the foil. Eat from the foil. 

CHINESE PORK AND RICE

16 to 18 ounces lean ground pork

Medium onion, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, salt, minced garlic

2 tablespoons each soy sauce and sherry wine

2 cups cooked rice

Mix pork and onion, garlic, salt and spices. Make eight thin patties. Set out four squares of foil and spray  with nonstick spray. Place a patty on each Top each patty with 1/2 cup rice. Drizzle with soy sauce and sherry. Place another patty on top. Drizzle with more soy sauce and sherry., Wrap and seal to make four flat foil packets. Cook over medium coals, turning several times until pork tests done at 160 F. Makes four portions. 

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MAKE AHEAD DISH OF THE WEEK

    Cook at home, or spend a rainy day in the RV to make a double or triple batch of something you can freeze in small portions.  Salad olives, sold in jars,  are sliced,  stuffed olives. You can also just chop whole, stuffed olives. 

Spanish Meatloaf

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups garbanzos, drained and rinsed

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Large onion, diced

1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, dried oregano

15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)

8-ounce can tomato sauce

Small bell pepper, diced fine

1/2 cup each raisins and salad olives

    Beat eggs and add garbanzos. Mash coarsely or leave whole. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. I do this by hand, wearing disposable kitchen gloves. Place in one or two greased loaf pans and bake 60-90 minutes at 350 F. (Loaf should read 160 F. for food safety.) 

Cool completely. Wrap whole or slice in individual portions to make 12  servings. Freeze now to thaw and heat in camp. 

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Where to go on your next Road Trip USA? See Janet's picks of places near and far, sooner or later, active or lazy. https://janetgroene.blogspot.com 

Easy Meals For RV,, Glamping & Camping

Copyright Janet Groene 2025. To donate in support of this ad-free, 52-week  blog use your Paypal account to send $10 a year to janetgroene at yahoo.com 

Count your camping blessings.  RV-ing,  glamping and tenting are waiting for us Out There with a bounty of fresh air, gentle winds, cold nights for snuggling in a sleeping bag and a crackling campfire to brew your morning coffee hot and strong.

 Let's eat!

RV and Camping Meal of the Week

Unstuffed Cabbage

Get all the delicious taste of stuffed cabbage in a shortcut dish that throws together in minutes.

12-to-14-ounce package shredded cabbage coleslaw mix 

2 tablespoons canola oil

Small  onion, finely diced

½ cup raisins

28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 packet (4 servings)  ready-to-serve brown rice

14-ounce package cooked meatballs, thawed

Salt, pepper to taste

In a large wok, pot or skillet sizzle cabbage in hot oil, gradually adding onion until vegetables are limp. Stir in raisins, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil. Cover and nestle meatballs in the vegetables. Heat through, adjust seasonings and serve in 4 to 6 portions.

See more of Janet Groene’s galley-ready recipes at BoatCook

Camp Cook Tip of the Week. Bake sweet potatoes in the campfire, split open and drizzle  with butterscotch ice cream syrup. To receive a full page  of camp cooking tips FREE by return email, go to  janetgroene@yahoo.com and put Cook Tips in the topic line. Tips will be chosen at random from my archives. 

THE GIFT THAT GIVES ALL YEAR

AND ONE SIZE FITS ALL

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.  

https://amzn.to/3nNndWY 

FOIL MEAL OF THE WEEK

HamBana Bundles

This is a melty, knife-and-fork meal to eat right out of the foil.

For each person  you need:

2 thin slices deli ham

1 thin slice cheese 

Firm, ripe medium banana

Mustard

1/3 to ½ cup canned pork ‘n beans

Set out a square of foil and spray or grease the center. Cut the banana in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half. Lightly spread each ham slice with mustard.

Put two banana slices on the center of the foil, cut side up. Top with a slice of ham, two more bananas, another slice of ham, cut down down, then a slice of cheese. Top with beans.

Fold foil to form a packet and place on a Medium grill, banana side down. Heat without turning.  Handle carefully and beware of steam when opening.   Serve with bread sticks and a salad on the side.

TRAVEL EMERGENCIES HAPPEN

     How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids?  A month in a remote, fly-in fish camp? A two-week power outage in your forest cabin? See Survival Food Handbook for lists, tips on buying and stowing, and recipes that need no fresh ingredients. Be prepared for delays, an evacuation,  refrigerator failure, supply chain interruptions.    http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe 

Campers have limited storage space for emergency food.  Survival Food Handbook  is just for van campers, truckers, RV travelers and boaters. Make the most of every ounce, inch and dollar. Have a stash of staples you will use and replenish. Keep  a few emergency meals on hand in case there is a sudden evacuation, fridge failure, shelter-in-place order or other unplanned speed bump on your  journey. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Winter Vegetable Soup

This soup is theater. The whole cast gathers around to keep the fire going, chop, peel,  slice, stir and tell tall tales while the chicken creates a  low fat broth to coddle colorful vegetables.  

3 pounds boneless, skinless  chicken, cut in small bites

10 cups water

1 tablespoon  powdered chicken bouillon

3-4 ribs celery, diced

2 medium onions, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

Bring to an active simmer in a large pot over a hot fire. Meanwhile cut up and add:

4  carrots, peeled and diced

3 medium potatoes scrubbed and diced

1 or 2 medium turnips, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon each mixed Italian seasoning and dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

Optional: 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master

Several turns of the pepper mill

Keep fire at an active simmer. Cover. Stir occasionally and  watch to add water if it gets too thick. 

Ten minutes before serving time, add 

2 cups small broccoli florets

Two minutes before serving, add

2 cups thawed peas

Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serves 12 to 14. 

NO-BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Sweet ‘n Salty Peanut Squares

10-ounce package of Fritos corn chips

1 ½ cup unsalted dry roast peanuts

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup chocolate jimmies (optional)

Generously butter a 9 X 13-inch pan.  Mix Fritos, peanuts and chocolate chips and spread half of this the mixture in the pan.

Bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Stir in peanut butter. When it’s well blended, fold in the rest of the Fritos mixture and quickly spread in the pan. Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies. 

Cool completely before cutting in 24 squares. 

LIFESAVER SAUCE OF THE WEEK

 When a dish turns out a bit dry or colorless or bland,  hide it under a sensational sauce. Served bubbling hot, this gravy also helps keep the heat in on a cold winter day. 

Honey Mustard Gravy

2-cup packet country gravy mix

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/3 cup honey

Whisk gravy mix with 1 ½ cups cold water and cook, stirring until it begins to thicken. Stir in mustard and honey. Continue  stirring over medium heat until it’s smooth and thick. Add  water if needed. Spoon over grilled chicken or chops, roast beef sandwiches, cheese omelet or buttered egg noodles. Makes about 2 ½ cups gravy.

 Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

(Great for tailgating too!) 

Pumpkin Biscuit Hamwiches

These finger food quickies can be served warm or cold for breakfast, brunch,  lunch, a snack or just about any time. Make a big batch and thaw a few at a time as needed.

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup white or brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie space

1/3 cup canola oil

½ cup milk

15-ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Mix dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients in a large bowl and gradually mix into wet ingredients. Dough should form a ball. If it’s too wet, add a little flour. If it’s too dry, add a little milk. 

Knead dough only just 4 or 5 times on a floured board or towel. Do not over-mix. Pat dough to ½ inch thickness and cut for biscuits. 

Bake at 400 degrees F. until golden. When they are cool enough, split and make ham sandwiches (mustard optional).  Makes about 24. 

Wrap individually in foil to heat on the grate or in waxed paper to nuke. Freeze for up to 4 weeks..

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