Tag: Camping

Dump Cake

Dump cake is the go-to, easy dessert when camping (haha, besides s’mores, naturally). Of course it’s called a dump cake because you basically just dump everything into the pot and let it bake. I’ve made this in a regular pot in the oven, as well as a Dutch oven over coals. Whatever you prefer, it’s going to be delicious.

Man, I made this gluten free once and it turned out really weird and rubbery. Maybe it was just the specific cake mix I used, but it was not pleasant. Maybe I’ll try it again later with a different cake mix.

Dump Cake

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: easy
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An easy and delicious dessert, perfect for camping.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cake Mix (or gluten free cake mix)
  • 1 can Pie Filling
  • 1 can Sprite
  • ½ c. Butter, melted

Directions

Make using a conventional oven or Dutch oven. For Dutch oven, use 12”. Place foil in Dutch oven or pot if baking in conventional oven, and spray foil with cooking spray. Place pie filling in bottom, then sprinkle cake mix on top. Pour Sprite over all. For Dutch oven, cover and place 15 coals on top and 9 on bottom. Turn lid ¼ turn every 12 minutes, for 45 minutes total cooking. For conventional oven, don’t cover. Bake at 350° for 45+ minutes until golden. During the last 5 minutes, pour melted butter over top. Serve hot with whipped cream or ice cream.

 


 

Tin Foil Dinner

We used to make these all the time when we’d go camping as kids. I always forget how good these are–maybe it’s the butter that makes them so delicious. You can make these on the camp fire or in the oven. We’ll often make a “camping” family night at home and have tin foil dinners, then roast some marshmallows.

I remember one time when I was about eight, my dad was in charge of Scouts for our church, and they were going to a campout at Bear Lake. My mom, twin brother, and I decided to tag along with Dad and my older brother as they went camping with all the other boys from the church. The first night was a Sunday, and all the boys were supposed to bring their own dinner with them. Most boys did, but two or three forgot. So we had to give up our tin foil dinners to those boys, and mom had to find somewhere for the three of us to get dinner. That was the first time I ever ate a raw onion on a diner burger. It was hot! Haha. But I’ll never forget it. And I think raw onions are fine now. Just a funny memory.

And of course these are naturally gluten free–I even had these when I had to do the FODMAP diet for a few months.

Make it a meal with:

Tin Foil Dinner

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: medium
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Fun for camping or at-home camping.

Ingredients

For each person’s pie tin, you’ll need:

  • 1 pie tin or round cake pan
  • 1 Chicken Breast
  • 1 medium Potato, peeled (optional) and sliced
  • Corn
  • Italian Seasoning
  • 2 Tbsp. Butter
  • Baby Carrots (optional)
  • Tin foil

Directions

In a pie tin, place chicken, potatoes, and corn. (You may want to place carrots in the bottom/top if you’re cooking on the fire, in case of burning.) Place 1 Tbsp. of butter on the potatoes and 1 on the corn. Sprinkle all with Italian seasoning. Cover well with foil. In the oven, cook at 375° for 30-45 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken. If cooking on the fire, stack dinners with 6 coals on bottom and on top. Check after 20-30 minutes. Cook until the carrots are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°.

For a sheet pan dinner for a family: Place the carrots on a sprayed sheet pan in a preheated oven while you slice the potatoes. Carrots need to cook longer. Once you’re done slicing, place the potatoes on a layer, season and cover with butter, then place chicken breasts on top and season those. Cover all with foil and bake as directed.


Sparkling Potatoes

Sparkling potatoes in a Dutch oven are a camping classic, and I have many memories of having them during our camping excursions growing up. Or at Scouting events. We basically never go camping anymore, but it’s still fun to make these potatoes at home in the oven. Whether you’re having a “camping at home” night with s’mores or a Dutch oven night, they’re lots of fun. They do tend to be a bit greasy with all the cheese and bacon, so you may want to serve this with a less greasy main course or a nice fresh salad.

We’ve also made sparkling potatoes with leftover New Year’s ham instead of bacon. It’s pretty good and very similar to the regular kind, but bacon does make it better.

And of course this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Sparkling Potatoes

  • Servings: 8?
  • Difficulty: easy
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It takes a bit of time and it’s fairly greasy, but it’s delicious.

Ingredients

  • 8 Potatoes, sliced (peeled or not, depending on your preference)
  • 1-2 Onion(s), chopped
  • 1 lb. Bacon
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 (+) can Sprite
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Fry bacon and onions in bottom of pot. (If you want it less greasy, you can remove some bacon grease.) In same pot, add potatoes, salt, and pepper. Pour in Sprite. Sprinkle on a thick layer of cheese. Bake at 375° for about 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and cheese starts to brown.

(To save time, lately I’ve been cooking everything in a big ovenproof skillet beforehand to get the potatoes mostly done before putting it in the oven. Then I just pour in the Sprite and top with cheese, and basically cook until the cheese is melted and starting to brown a little.)

For cooking with charcoal: Dutchovendude.com says for a 12″ Dutch oven to be at 375°, place 20 coals on the lid and 6 under the oven. Don’t forget to rotate the oven every 10  minutes or so 1/4 turn.