Say YES to Camp & RV Cooking

Copyright Janet Groene 2025. This blog has had more than 278,000 views. To place your ad on all six Groene sites for  one small rate, email  janetgroene at yahoo.com/

Summer vacation is almost over. Let's get out there and camp! 

THUMBNAIL RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Chili Maker Master Mix

In a dry bowl mix 1 1/4 c. flour, 1 c. diced dried onion bits, 1/4 c. each sweet paprika & chili powder,  1 T. each dried garlic granules, sugar & dried thyme. Divide into 6 equal portions.  Seal in bags. Keep cool & dry. 

In camp, put 1 can ground beef or chunk chicken in a cold pan with 1 can  diced tomatoes, minced green pepper, 1 can drained, rinsed pinto beans, 1 c. water. Heat to an active  simmer. Whisk 1 packet chili mix in 1 c. cold water. Stir into pot,  heating and stirring  until it thickens. Thin to taste with water, tomato juice or broth. Season to taste. Serves 4. 

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CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Impossible Popeye Pie

You'll need four eggs for this protein-packed pie. It makes its own crust and creamy topping. Make it vegetarian  or flavor it with bits of cooked ham or bacon. 

10-ounce package chopped spinach, thawed, drained and pressed dry 

1 cup biscuit mix

1/4 cup milk

Small onion, finely minced

2 eggs

12-ounce carton cottage cheese (1 ½ cups) 

2 eggs

6-ounce package grated yellow cheese such as Cheddar

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Grease a large, deep pie pan. Whisk together biscuit mix, milk and 2 eggs and pour into the dish. Scatter onion over dough (plus any cooked bacon or ham bits if using). 

In the same bowl used for the biscuit mix, whisk two more eggs and mix in the cottage cheese, yellow cheese, and garlic. Spread over dough. Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes or until the pie is firm and brown around the edges.  Let stand 5 minutes to firm up. Then cut in squares. Serves 5 to 6. 

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 grill.  

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Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

Crusty Baked Tomatoes

Many campgrounds have communal kitchens with ovens . Make multiple pans of this popular dish to serve a crowd. 

 Butter

8 slices day-old sandwich bread

Brown sugar

3 cans, 28 ounces each, crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons  flour 

2 medium onions, diced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Let butter come to “room” temperature. Generously butter the baking pan and each slice of bread.  Sprinkle buttered bread lightly with brown sugar and dice it.  

Melt  a pat of butter and cook onions until soft. Turn off heat and stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar. Drain  a cup of juice from the tomatoes and whisk in the flour.  Mix the juice, onions, tomatoes,, garlic powder, cinnamon and cloves in the buttered casserole. Bake until tomatoes are bubbly and bread topping is toasty. Serves 12 to 15. 

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VEGETARIAN RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Provisions  Pie

In parts of the Caribbean, vegetable accompaniments with a meal are simply called “provisions” on the menu. 

You get the cook’s choice depending on whatever was found in the local market that day: yams, pumpkin, callaloo, cabbage, okra , yucca.

2 cups diced, mixed vegetables

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced plum tomatoes, drained

1 cup biscuit mix

1 1/4 cups milk

3 eggs

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

6-ounce package shredded Cheddar cheese 

Cook vegetables and onions in a little water until crisp- tender. Drain.  Spread in a buttered, 10-inch, deep dish pie pan.  Scatter tomatoes on top. Set aside to cool while you whisk milk, eggs, biscuit mix and herbs.. Sprinkle shredded cheese over vegetables and pour batter over all.

Bake about 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Filling should be set and the top toasty.  Let stand 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve warm. Serves 4.  

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LIFESAVER SAUCE OF THE WEEK

Robusto Italian Red Wine Sauce

Make a big batch of this killer sauce to bust a move on a bland dish. It keeps in the chiller up to two weeks, but olive oil solidifies. Let it return to “room” temperature, then stir and use. It asserts itself, so use it with a light touch. 

 Drizzle over cold salad greens, hot vegetables, stuffed cabbage rolls, scrambled eggs, grilled meat or seafood

2 teaspoons each onion powder, salt, black pepper, dry mustard powder

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 ½ cups dry red wine

2 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) 

Mx well and chill overnight for flavors to blend. .Stir before using.

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BLACK POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

New England Beans ‘n Rice

A staple combination in many nations, beans and rice takes many forms and flavors. Here’s one for the Yankee’s campfire.

8-ounce block of salt pork, scalded and diced

2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat

2 large red onions, diced

Small green pepper, diced

2 or 3 ribs celery, chopped

3 cans butter beans (cooked dried lima beans) 

28-ounce can diced tomatoes

32-ounce carton chicken broth

2 tablespoons brown sugar or molasses

½ teaspoon cinnamon 

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup cooked rice per serving 

Melt fat in the pot and brown salt pork, gradually adding onions, pepper and celery. Add butter beans , tomatoes and  broth.  Cover and nestle in well started coals. Keep at a simmer until onion and celery are tender or as long as you wish, Just don’t let it boil dry. Stir occasionally and add  water or broth as needed.

Place a mound of rice in each soup plate and top with the bean mixture. 

MAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Make a Texas-size  batch of this recipe ahead of time and freeze it  right-size portions for your next camp-out. 

Texas Cassoulet

1 pound lean ground pork

1 pound bulk mild sausage

2 large onions, diced

1 cup water

1 teaspoon chicken flavor bouillon e.g. Better Than Chicken

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried, crumbled thyme

1 cup dry white wine

3 cans black-eyed peas

Fry out meats and separate into crumbles. Spoon off excess fat. Gradually stir in onions to coat with pan juices. .Add water. Stir in bouillon, soy sauce and wine. Cover and simmer gently   until meats are well done and onions tender. Stir in drained peas and heat through. .

Adjust seasonings. Soy sauce is salty so you may not need more salt, but do add  freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Cool and package for the freezer, allowing 2/3 to 1 cup per serving.  In camp thaw, heat and serve over cornbread, biscuits or Texas toast. 

Cook’s note:  Freeze in boilable bags, for easy heating in hot water. Bring hot sauce to pass at the table. 

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