Camping, Motorhome, RV Eats and Treats

blog copyright janet groene 2021, all rights reserved.

 

 

 

 CAMPING AND RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

CranApple Cobbler
 

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can apple pie filling
1 can unsweetened pie sliced apples
1 cup wine or fruit juice
1 tube of 8 buttery biscuits
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

    Oven method: Heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a  two-quart baking dish that fits in your galley oven.
    Mash cranberries in the baking dish and mix in apples and pie filling. Pour wine or juice over all and bake 10-15 minutes or until hot. Arrange biscuits on top and sprinkle with a mixture of the sugar and cinnamon.
    Bake another 15 minutes or until biscuits are toasty brown.  Spoon onto plates and serve warm. Makes 8 portions. It’s good plain or you can add  whipped cream, heavy cream or whipped topping.
    Campfire method: In a fire-safe dutch oven, heat cran-apple mixture as above. Arrange biscuits on top, sprinkle with sugar mixture, cover tightly and nestle in well-started coals until biscuits are puffy and firm. Biscuits brown best in a dutch oven that has a flat top, allowing hot coals to be placed on top.   
    Cook’s note: it’s important to heat the cranberry mixture first or biscuits will be doughy.

TIPS FOR THE CAMP COOK

    * Hard sided coolers are ideal for many things. Some have large rollers that travel well on any terrain including the beach.Large sizes double as seats or a work surface. They usually have better insulation than soft sided coolers. Soft coolers, on the other hand, make a good cushion or pillow after the ice is gone. 

    * Foil-baked potatoes are a campfire classic and the same goes for foil-wrapped sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and “toasted” cheese sandwiches. Make a cheese sandwich, butter generously on the outside, wrap in foil and grill.

    * Pre-chill ice chests with sacrificial ice. Drain, then fill with fresh ice and pre-chilled or frozen foods.

    * A scant teaspoon of any flavor gelatin dessert mix in mug of hot water makes a soothing hot drink. Stir thoroughly until gelatin dissolves.

BONUS RECIPE
Voyageur Vegetarian Bread Pudding

    The secret to this main dish casserole is to use a crusty,  chewy peasant bread such as sourdough. Saute fresh vegetables if you have them or use canned or frozen. Canned milk and process cheese are shelf stable, so they’re ideal provisions for boondock camping.  It works with fresh eggs, pasteurized eggs in a carton or reconstituted powdered eggs. 

4 cups diced bread
2 to 3 tablespoons dried diced onions
2 cans, 12 ounces each, evaporated milk
Water
6 to 8 eggs or equivalent
Freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
8-ounce package Velveeta cheese, thinly sliced
15-ounce can baby carrots, drained and cut up
15-ounce can cut green beans, drained

Oven method:
    Spray a 9 X 13-inch casserole and set the oven for 350 degrees. Put bread in the casserole and sprinkle with onions. Add water to milk to make 1 quart (4 cups) liquid. Whisk in eggs, a few twists of pepper and nutmeg.
    Arrange vegetables over bread and top with sliced cheese. Pour egg mixture over all, cover with plastic wrap and refrierate overnight, or let stand 30-45 minutes before baking. Casserole can also be refrigerated several hours or overnight.
    Bake until it’s puffy, golden and set as for custard (baking time will be longer if casserole was chilled)
Stove-top Method: Prepare as above and put mixture in a buttered heavy skillet. Let soak 30-45 minutes. Cover tightly and bake over low-medium heat until it’s set, as for custard.
 set as for custard (baking time will be longer if casserole was chilled)

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This recipe is easily doubled. Cut in squares and wrap individually, ready for anything from backpacking to solo motorhome camping.
Utterly Butterly  Bar Cookies
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 stick butter
2 eggs
12-ounce bottle butterscotch ice cream topping
12-ounce package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped peanuts

    Spray two 8 X 8-inch foil baking pans and heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cut butter into the dry cake mix and oats until it’s mealy. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture. Press remaining  crumb mixture into pans to form a crust. Bake 4 minutes.
    Whisk together eggs and butterscotch topping.  Put half in each pan.  Mix chocolate chips and peanuts with reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle evenly over pans. Bake 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 20 minutes, then use a serrated knife to mark squares or bars. When it's completely cool, cut and wrap squares. Or cool completely in the pans and wrap the entire foil pan for the freezer.     

Camping, RV and Road Trip Cooking

 Blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAMPING AND RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Make this dish meaty,  a vegetarian main dish or vegetarian side dish.

Tomato Cabbage Skillet  
    Make this generous, tasty and colorful side dish to go with meat from the grill, or ramp up the cheese to serve it as a meatless main dish. Or, to make it a one-dish skillet meal, fry out a pound of bulk sausage, drain and proceed with the recipe. Cabbage disappears into the mix as it cooks and adds sweetness as well as vitamins.

 

Medium onion, cut up
½ stick butter
14-ounce bag coleslaw mix (grated or shredded)
1 cup water
1 chicken, beef or vegetable bouillon cube
2 tablespoons cornstarch
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
Croutons
Shredded cheese ad lib

    In a saucepan or skillet, sizzle onion in hot butter and gradually stir in cabbage to coat. Add water and bouillon, cover and cook over low heat until cabbage is tender. It will be greatly reduced.
    Drain enough juice from the tomatoes to make a paste with the cornstarch and add it, with the tomatoes, to the pan. Heat, stirring, until it thickens. Sprinkle with cheese, top with croutons and serve family style. Serves 4 as a main dish or up to 8 as a side dish.

Do You Yearn to Go Full-timing?

 

    As an RV full-timer, you’re always at home, so there are things to be learned about choosing, furnishing and using an RV as a homestead. Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition, covers the subject starting with making the decision , living the life your way and, when and if the time comes going back gracefully  to what we called “real life”. Kindle or paperback http://amzn.to/29XFEkq

 

 

 

CAMPGROUND POTLUCK RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Pronto Pinto Beans
    If you like campground potlucks, save $ by buying ingredients in big, #10 cans. They’re found in big box stores, some supermarkets and at WalMart.  Add your personal magic with this recipe serving up to 20 people. Molasses is your secret weapon. 

 

1 or 2 cans chuck ham
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Large onion, diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
#10 can pinto beans
Tabasco

    Drain ham, saving juice to add later.  In a large, stove-to-table dutch oven or kettle, brown ham and gradually stir in vegetables and garlic to soften them. When vegetables are tender stir in molasses, ketchup and beans. Heat and adjust seasonings. (Long, slow heating develops flavors best.)   Pass the Tabasco sauce. Makes 20 side dish servings of ½ cup each.

Tips for the Camp Cook

    * Rule of thumb: 3 tablespoons oil plus 1 tablespoon vinegar makes vinaigrette. Try different oils, different vinegars, variety of herbs and seasonings.

    * When breaking eggs, put a paper towel on the surface first to catch any leaks.

    * A shower curtain makes a good emergency tarp if you have to cover your outdoor table in a sudden rain. Plain plastic shower curtains liners from the dollar store cost little, store compactly.

    * If you use melted butter in pie crust it will brown more evenly. Cut in cold butter for a flakier crust.

FREEZE-AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Chicken ‘n Johnny Cake
    Do not over-season the chicken. The soups add salt and robust flavor. This is a moist, mild, flavorful mix filled with meaty bits of chicken.

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix, baked according to package directions
11-ounce can whole corn with peppers, aka Mexicorn
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
Meat from a 3- to 4-pound roasted chicken, homemade or store-bought
1 can condensed cream of onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom, celery or chicken soup
Fill soup can 2/3 with milk or light cream

    Fold corn into cornbread batter. Bake the cornbread in one large or two smaller pans. Dice meat from the chicken after removing skin. In a large bowl fold soups and milk/cream into chicken. In a smaller bowl, crumble cornbread and fold in melted butter.
Two ways to proceed:
(1) Mix half the cornbread with the chicken mixture and spread a layer in foil pans sized right fir your family. Top with remaining cornbread mixture. Wrap and freeze for future baking.
(2) Mix everything together and pack in containers, allowing 1 to 1 ½ cups per portion. Wrap, freeze, thaw and heat. This is a good dish to freeze in boilable bags.

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RV Recipes for RV Travel and Camping

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Camp and RV Recipe of the Week
    Make these kebabs on the grill, air fryer, campfire, skillet. It’s the fruit that makes them special.

Chicken Kebabs with Peanut Sauce
12 dried plums or dried apricot halves
1 cup hot tea
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (white or dark)
Garlic flavored nonstick spray
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
Reserved tea
½ teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons soy sauce

    Pour hot tea over dried fruit and let stand 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well, saving tea.  Cut chicken in 16 chunks and thread on four skewers alternately with  fruit. Spray with flavored oil and grill or broil until chicken tests done (170 degrees F.)
     In a small pan, stir peanut butter with tea. bouillon and soy sauce over medium heat until smooth. If it' too thick add water to taste. Serve as a dipping sauce with kebabs. Serves 4.   

 

 

 

 

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
No-Bake Cheesecake Pies

    If you have an electric hand mixer in your camping supplies (I do) you can make this no-bake cheesecake in just a few minutes. Hand mixing is do-able but takes extra elbow grease. Make it ahead, then forget it in the refrigerator while it firms up. Make it different each time and it can be your signature dish at campground potlucks.  Today, fold in crumbled Oreo cookies. Next time add lemon zest, spread the top with blueberry pie filling or make it choco-minty by folding in chopped thin mint candies.

 
  

Garnish ad lib

2  readymade pie crusts such as graham cracker or chocolate
3 packages  cream cheese, 8 ounces each
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract
Large tub whipped topping

    Chill crusts. Let cream cheese soften at “room” temperature or nuke it for a few seconds. (Do not overheat.)  In a large bowl beat cream cheese, gradually adding powdered sugar and extract. Fold in whipped topping.  Put in pie crusts and chill at least 5 hours. Best served on the day it’s made.
    Garnish: sprinkle with crushed lemon hard candies, chocolate jimmies, or cookie crumbs. Or, cut in slices and spoon on crushed strawberries, pie filling or chocolate sauce. Each pie serves 6 to 8.

 

 

Bonus Recipe of the Week
    This recipe is from Janet Groene’s book Cooking Aboard Your RV, Second Edition. To order the book for yourself or a gift go here. paperback http://amzn.to/1lXwfvr

 

Snappy Seafood Bisque
       
1 can low sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can low sodium condensed cream of tomato soup

1 soup can water
12-ounce can evaporated milk
6-ounce can shrimp or crab, drained and picked over
Sherry wine (about 1 teaspoon per serving)

    Combine soups, water and milk  in a saucepan over medium flame, stirring with a spoon or whisk until hot and well blended.  Add seafood and continue heating. Do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls and pass a cruet of sherry. Serves 4.



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Camping Food and Fun with Janet Groene

Blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved. To donate $5 a year as a voluntary subscription use your PayPal account to janetgroene at yahoo. 

 

 

CAMP AND RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Potato Flake Chowder
    Throw this hot ‘n hearty camp chowder together fast and with no spuds to peel. 

 

2 to 3 pieces bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onion and celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 quart carton low sodium broth (chicken, vegetable, beef)
1 cup instant potato flakes
1 teaspoon dried, crumbled thyme
15-ounce can cream style corn
12-ounce can evaporated milk
Salt, pepper to taste
Optional garnish: shredded cheese or sour cream 

    Fry out bacon and pour off excess grease. Fry vegetables in remaining bacon and fat. Add broth and stir in potato flakes. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. If you want it thicker, stir in more potato flakes 3 minutes apart, only  one tablespoon at a time.  Continue heating over low heat  while adding corn and milk. Simmer gently, season, serve.  Serves 4-6 as a main dish.

TIPS FOR THE CAMP COOK

Weber Grills Present 10 Top Tips for Smoking
    These tips are just a sample of the fabulous tips and recipes found in the book Weber’s Smoke.
    Find the book in book stores and online. 

 1. Start early. Best flavor absorption occurs when meat is raw.
2. Most of the time, go low and slow.
3. Regulate heat with a water pan. If your grill doesn’t have one, fill a disposable foil pan with water.
4. Don’t over-do. Too much smoke makes for bitter meat.
5. Watch the color of smoke. White is good, black bad.
6. Keep air circulating by using the vents on the grill.
7. Be there. Don’t leave the grill unattended. You may have to add charcoal, adjust cents or add water.
8. Try not to peek. Smoke and heat escape when you do.
9. Let bark get dark. The meat should glisten with a dark mahogany crust.
10. Focus on the feature. Other flavors should support the smoke recipe, not overpower it. 

Have you discovered the Yacht Yenta mysteries on Kindle? Just right to read in camp after lights out, they will make you laugh, cry and enjoy armchair travel worldwide. Author Farley Halladay is a widow who shares her shortcut recipes throughout the books. Latest in the series is May Misfire.    https://amzn.to/3gJPBF2

BONUS RECIPE
Balsamic Bombshell
    Make this BAM of a flavor blaster to drizzle very sparingly  over steaks, bruschetta, scrambled eggs, fish, vegetables, you name it. Keep a jug of it in the fridge to add zing to every meal.

3 cups balsamic vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup honey
    Combine ingredients and boil for 10 minutes. Cool and use now or refrigerate for future use. A little goes a long way.  Makes almost a quart. 

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Ratatouille Risotto

This is a vegan/vegetarian dish when made with vegetable broth but meat eaters love it too. Make it just before serving or make it ahead and nuke it to reheat.  Of course it also works with chicken or beef broth and bits of meat if you prefer. 

1 eggplant weighing about 1 pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
Small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
Small red sweet pepper, seeded and diced
Medium zucchini, diced
Large onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups arborio (short grain)  rice
1 quart vegetable broth
15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

Shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Peel eggplant, slice ½ inch thick. If possible, toast slices in the toaster until light brown. Either way dice and proceed in a skillet or wok.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok.  Stir-fry eggplant, peppers, zucchini, onion and garlic. Gradually stir in rice to coat well. Mixture will be dry.
3. Add about a cup of broth and cook, stirring until it’s absorbed. Then keep adding broth one cupful at a time and stirring just until rice is tender. Stir in tomatoes to heat through.
4. Just before serving, garnish with shaved Parmesan. Makes 10 to 12 potluck portions.

Pressure cooker method: proceed as above but add broth and tomatoes all at once after ingredients are browned. Bring to a boil, close lid, raise full pressure and take pan off the heat. Let pressure return to normal (do not quick-cool) cooker.  Cool risotto and package for freezing, allowing 1 ½ to 2 cups per portion.  

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Motorhome and Camping Meals and Menus

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CAMPING AND RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Caribbean Bananas
    Make a quick, nutritious dessert in your skillet over any fire. 

 

4 large, firm bananas
½ stick butter
Small can crushed pineapple, well drained
1/4 cup pancake syrup
Optional: 1 tablespoon coconut rum
½ cup shredded coconut

    Slice bananas and sizzle in melted butter to coat well. Stir in pineapple, drizzle with syrup and rum. Sprinkle with coconut.  Serve warm. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Tips for the Camp Cook
    
* Use a sharp, thin knife to carve a cone out of the top of hot muffins. Fill hole with a marshmallow, peanut butter or cheese. Let melt or reheat in the microwave just enough to melt the filling.  Perch the cone back on top. 

 

    * Backpacker special. Make your own “pasta-rooni” for one or two. Boil 2 cups water and stir in 1 packet chicken noodle Cup-a-Soup with 1 ½ cups instant rice. Cover and let steep until rice is tender. Serve as a side dish or add a chopped hard-cooked egg(s), cooked canned meat or fish to make it a main dish. 


    * Make a quick skillet supper. In a bowl whisk a can of condensed tomato soup with a soup can of milk and a one-pint (2 cups)  carton of liquid eggs or egg substitute. Pour into a buttered, nonstick skillet and sprinkle with about a cup of pre-cooked rice. Sprinkle with grated cheese and parsley flakes. Cover and cook over low-medium heat until eggs set.

Janet Groene’s  Cooking Aboard Your RV is the ideal gift for yourself or a camping friend. See 200+ shortcut recipes and tons of tips for the space-challenged  RV cook. https://amzn.to/31tDGom

 
    
CAMPGROUND POTLUCK 

RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Hot ‘n Creamy Cukes
    
8 to 10 cups peeled, seeded, sliced cucumbers
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 ½ teaspoons dillweed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Cream or half and half
Salt, pepper to taste

 

    Cut peeled cukes in half lengthwise, remove seeds and slice in bite size chunks. Cook cukes in 2 cups broth until crisp-tender. Stir flour into the remaining half cup of unheated broth and stir into the cucumbers with the butter. Stir over low-medium heat until thick. Stir in dillweed and vinegar. Makes 8 potluck servings.
    Optional: A sprinkle of bright red paprika makes a nice finish on this dish. 

BONUS RECIPE
Peanut Kebab Dip

    Stick a big toothpick into warm meatballs, chunks of hot dogs or kilebasa, Vienna sausages from a can.  Give each person a small cup of this sauce for dipping. (I use inexpensive, bathroom size plastic cups). 

 ½ cup each soy sauce, peanut butter and water
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 bay leaf
Up to ½  teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
    In a small pan whisk soy sauce, peanut butter and water until it’s warm and smooth. Add bay leaf and pepper if using. Heat well. Discard bay leaf, and portion into small cups for dipping. Makes about 1 ½ cups. The recipe is easily doubled. 

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
    Make a big batch at home, then divide into freezer packages sized for your personal camping style .

Rice Scrapple
    Scrapple is an old-fashioned breakfast treat usually made with cornmeal and sausage. This is a different version. It’s an ideal one-dish camping breakfast to cook over any fire.  Freeze it in individual slices or in blocks to slice later. 

 

1 pound  ground chicken or turkey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, bacon fat, lard or other fat
Small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 teaspoon dried, crumbled sage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

4 cups water OR
32-ounce carton chicken or turkey broth

1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cream of rice cereal

Later: Flour and fat for frying

    Fry out chicken or turkey in hot fat, breaking it up into crumbles. Gradually stir in onion, seasonings and celery. Cover and cook over low heat until well done. Add water or broth, bring to a boil and slowly stir in cream of rice. Cook until it thickens according to directions on the cereal package.
    Turn into 2 buttered loaf pans. Chill. Wrap and freeze in a block  or cut chilled scrapple in thick slabs (1 to 1 ½ inches), wrap individually and freeze. One portion is one or two slices. 
    To prepare, thaw and dip slices in regular or gluten-free flour to coat both sides. Fry in hot oil or fat until crisp. Serve with syrup, jam, cheese sauce or red-eye gravy.
       
   

RV and Camping Meals are Good for Home Too

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2021, all rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

CAMPING AND RV 

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Shortcut Chicken Tetrazzini

2 cans, 10 ounces each, chunk chicken
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons chicken soup base
½ cup dry white wine
8 to 12 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 soup can milk
12-ounce box (6 servings) spaghetti, snapped into short pieces

    Mix chicken, water, bouillon, wine and mushrooms and bring to a low boil.  Whisk together soup and milk and stir into hot pot.  Bring back to a low boil and stir in broken spaghetti. Cover and cook over low heat until spaghetti is tender. Stir and serve. Serves 6 to 8.  

Slow cooker method: cook first ingredients on Low four to six hours, then stir in broken spaghetti and cook one more hour.
    Cook’s note: use regular spaghetti, gluten free or whole wheat.

Tips for the Camp Cook

 

    * Wow the campground neighbors with your own smoked bologna. Set your smoker to 225 degrees. Remove any paper or plastic from a 3-pound Bologna and score in a diamond pattern. Brush with your favorite mustard and smoke for 2 to 3 hours. Serve in cubes on toothpicks, with a dip such as BBQ sauce.

    * Make the same chicken and rice you always do, but fold in a couple of chopped, hard-boiled eggs and heat a can of chicken gravy to drizzle over all.

     * Survival Food Handbook is written for campers and boaters who want an emergency food supply on hand. (You know you're going to need it.) Using only familiar, affordable supermarket staples, it's a guide to choosing, stowing and using a space-efficient food supply. Also covers refrigerator failure, stove substitutes, cleanup after a disaster and more.
https://amzn.to/2PvOBbx

 
    *Heat 2 cups of bottled buffalo sauce with a stick of butter. Stir in two pounds of thawed meatballs and heat through. Serve over rice, noodles, toast, mashed potatoes.

    * Fluted coffee filters are the ideal size “napkins” for serving tacos.


CAMPGROUND POTLUCK 

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Crock ‘o Baloney
    The gang will get a kick out of the name of this dish. Good quality whole bologna sausage from the deli is packed with meaty flavor and garlicky goodness. Ask the butcher to put the Bologna sausage through the grinder set on Course or “chili grind” . To grind in the food processor, cut in chunks, work in batches. 

 

3-pound chunk of good quality Bologna sausage
Large onion, diced
2 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
Heaping tablespoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
12-ounce can beer
1 pint sour cream

    Mix the ground sausage, onion, caraway,  paprika and beer in a big pan, cover and cook over low-medium heat until onion is tender. Or, iIn a slow cooker, give it 6 hours on Low. Stir in sour cream and serve as is, or put on plates and pass the sour cream.  Serves 12 to 14. Good with rye bread or rolls. 

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
    Even if your camper is in storage for the winter you can rehearse recipes at home and freeze-ahead for the coming camping season.  A variety of extra vegetables is good filler and added nutrition. They disappear into the wonderful tang of this spicy treat. This dish makes a little meat go a long way. 

 Texican Turkey Mac

1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large onions, diced
2 to 3 cups very finely chopped celery, carrots, turnip, peppers, butternut squash (optional)
2 cans, 15 ounces each, chili no beans
2 cans, 10 ounces each, diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 ½ cups water
1 tablespoon each powdered chicken bouillon and dry mustard powder
2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 cups shredded cheese such as Mexi-blend
2 to 4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped (optional)
15-ounce can pumpkin (optional)

    In a large kettle, fry out ground turkey in hot oil, breaking it up and gradually stirring in onion and raw vegetables. Add chili, tomatoes, bouillon,  mustard and water. Bring to a boil and add macaroni.
    Cover, reduce heat and cook until macaroni is tender. Turn off heat and fold in cheese plus eggs and pumpkin if using. Cool and package in batches to suit your camping crew, allowing 1 to 1 ½ cups per serving. (This is a good dish to freeze in boilable bags for easy heating later.)
    Thaw, heat and serve with cornbread and coleslaw on the side. 

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Food Moves for Camping, RV, Motorhome

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BONUS RECIPE
    This is one to keep and use forever. Assemble it today, bake it tomorrow and make it different each time. Endless choices make this different dish with different meat choices, varied cheeses, different pastas, different soups.  Use a colorful selection of vegetables--red, green, yellow.  This casserole can be baked in most toaster ovens and it can also be micro-waved. See below for stove-top method.

Janet Groene’s
Choose-a-Combo Overnight Casserole
    Notes: If using all eggs instead of meat or fish, use 3 to 4 hard-cooked eggs in addition to the two eggs listed separately. Chop vegetables well for more thorough cooking. Pasta “cooks” itself overnight in the liquid. Vegetables do not. To make this in a 9 X 13 casserole, double all ingredients. Baking time will be longer.

 

1 can condensed soup (cream of mushroom, celery, chicken, tomato) and 1 soup can water 

1 cup uncooked small pasta (macaroni, small shells, wagon wheels, broken spaghetti)
1 cup cooked meat, fish, eggs or poultry
2 hard-cooked eggs, diced
Small onion, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped vegetables (sweet pepper, peas, mushrooms, plum tomatoes, celery, zucchini)
3/4 cup grated  cheese
 

    In a bowl whisk soup and water. Fold in all ingredients. Grease an 8 X 8-inch baking dish. Add ingredients. Cheese can be added now or saved for a topping later.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
    Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. (If microwaving use vented micro-ware-safe plastic wrap.) Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes until pasta is tender and filling is set.  Let cool 10 minutes. Serves 4.

No oven? Put everything in a zip-top bag and refrigerate overnight. Grease a heavy pot with a heavy lid. Add ingredients, cover tightly and cook with minimum peeking or stirring so as to create an even, baking-type heat in the pot bottom, sides and top. When pasta is tender let stand, covered for 10 minutes, then serve. Not recommended for a double recipe unless you have a large dutch oven over a well-started campfire.


CAMPING AND RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Chicken and Spicy Sausage Ragout
     Beef Summer Sausage that does not require refrigeration is available at supermarkets and specialty stores to give ordinary chicken stew a smoky, spicy twist. If you don’t have fennel, use celery.

4 to 8-ounce chub of beef summer sausage, cut up 

20-ounce package skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in bite size
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cups sliced fennel ribs
32-ounce carton low sodium chicken broth
1 cup flat  beer, divided
1 tablespoon  cornstarch
2 to 3 cans, 15-to 16-ounces each, butter beans (large limas)
Freshly ground pepper

 

    Cut up sausage and set aside. In a large saucepan, brown chicken in hot oil, gradually stirring in onion, garlic, fennel and seeds. Add broth, ½ cup beer and sausage. Cover, reduce heat and cook until chicken is done. Stir cornstarch into the last half cup of beer and stir into hot stew with the un-drained limas. Serves 6 to 8. 

Tips for the Camp Cook

   * Mix up your favorite bread pudding recipe and bake it in a pastry pie shell until crust is golden and filling set. Serve in warm wedges for dessert. Nice with caramel topping and/or whipped topping.  
* Grab a handful of mixed micro greens, mixed fresh herbs, tender carrots tops, fennel fronds,  pea tendrils, dandelion leaves, baby spinach and other tender greens.  Chop fine and sprinkle sparingly on dishes instead of chopped parsley or cilantro.

* Paper straws are too wimpy and plastic straws are a no-no. Invest in  stainless steel straws, which are easily soaked to clean and sanitize.

    * To make tomato sauce using tomato paste, add 2 parts per one part tomato paste. 

 
 * Be ready for the next food emergency, quarantine or other surprise with a supply of stowed foods at home and in your camper. Survival Food Handbook is written for campers and sailors who have limited space but need a backup food supply at home and away. Survival Food Handbook covers  topics such as how much is enough, how and what to stow, improvised stoves, what to do if the refrigerator fails, saving water, and much more.   https://amzn.to/2PvOBbx

 
Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

Chicken Pot Stickers
    This is a fun team project to make at a big potluck or tailgate party where someone is always stationed over a hot grill. Once you get the production line set up, it’s easy. The recipe is easily doubled. 

 

 

 

 
4-ounce can deviled chicken spread
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 hard-boiled egg, well mashed
1 tablespoon real bacon bits
30 small wonton squares
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water

   Mash chicken spread, egg, pecans and bacon bits into a paste. Beat egg and water until light.  Lay out several wontons at a time. Moisten a finger in the egg mixture and wet wontons all around the edges. Put a small dab of the chicken mixture in the center (do not over-fill). Fold over and press gently to seal. Cover filled wontons with a damp towel to await cooking.
    In a large, nonstick skillet heat a shallow layer of vegetable oil (preferably peanut oil) until it shimmers. Fry wontons on both sides until golden brown, adding more oil as needed. Cool potstickers enough to be finger foods but are still warm. Makes 30.   
    Cook’s note: These pot stickers are good alone,  or you can create a dipping sauce by whisking together 1 cup chicken bouillon or broth, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.  

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FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
 
    Make it big and freeze it in smaller batches suitable for your family size.

One Pot Hobo Dinner
    OK, so this is the same ol’ ground beef and macaroni in tomato sauce, but it’s a campground classic. AND you  don’t have to cook the macaroni separately, so it’s easier to make in a huge batch. Make it in a jiffy and have only one pot to wash. Freeze it in batches to warm up later in camp. 

    Cooked vegetables and the pumpkin puree disappear into the mix and add nutrition and bulk without getting squawks from fussy eaters.   

3 pounds ground beef    
2 large onions, diced
Large green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 to 3 cups finely  chopped carrot, fennel and/or celery 

2 cans, 16 ounces each, tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups water
14-ounce package elbow macaroni
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

15-ounce can pumpkin puree (optional) 

 
    In a large kettle fry out ground beef. Keep stir-frying over high heat while adding raw vegetables. Add tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil and stir in macaroni. Cook just until macaroni is al dente. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and pumpkin. Cool and package for the freezer, allowing 1 ½to 2 cups per portion. Thaw, heat and serve.

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