Tag: make-ahead

Pie Iron Fajita Quesadillas

Quesadillas are one of my favorite things to make in our pie irons. Tortillas work really well in the pie iron, forming a pocket to hold ingredients without sticking. On our recent camping trip we made Pie Iron Fajita Quesadillas. At home, pre-cook peppers and onions in a skillet with a little fajita seasoning. 

Pie Iron Fajita Quesadillas At camp, put the cooked vegetables and cheese between two flour tortillas in a lightly oiled pie iron. Tear off the edges of the tortilla after you close the pie iron. Then heat over the campfire until the cheese melts and the tortilla is lightly toasted. 

Pie Iron Fajita Quesadillas Top with salsa and guacamole and enjoy!

Pie Iron Fajita Quesadillas

Makes 6, Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 3 bell peppers (some combination of red, yellow, orange or green)
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Fajita seasoning, to taste
  • cooking spray
  • 12 flour tortillas
  • 6 slices cheddar
  • salsa
  • guacamole

Supplies

  • pie iron
  • butter knife

Directions

At Home

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers & onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Add fajita seasoning to taste and cook for an extra 2 minutes. Let cool and store in refrigerator or cooler.

At Camp

  1. Spray pie iron with cooking spray. Place a tortilla in one side of the pie iron.
  2. Fill tortilla with cheddar slice and fajita mixture.
  3. Top with another tortilla and close pie iron. Tear off the edges of the tortillas.
  4. Heat pie iron over fire, turning occasionally, until the tortilla is toasted and the cheese is melted.
  5. Release quesadilla from pie iron, using butter knife if necessary. Serve with salsa and guacamole.

Veggie Chili

My southern Grandma’s veggie chili is my all time favorite. It’s got tons of healthy stuff in it: zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes and beans.

Chili is perfect fall camping food, especially when there’s a chill in the air.

Maybe that’s why they call it ‘chili.’ Or maybe not.

Great Veggie Chili recipe for backpacking or camping

I made a batch of chili and dehydrated half of it for our recent camping trip on the Wisconsin River. Dehydrating is a great way to go, but if you’re planning on car camping you can freeze the chili instead. It freezes well and it’ll keep your cooler cold until you’re ready to thaw it.

To make dehydrated chili, start by cooking up a batch of chili at home. Then leave it in your dehydrator overnight.

Great Veggie Chili recipe for backpacking or camping

At camp start by covering the dehydrated chili with water. Let it soak for about 15 minutes. Lay in the sand, recline in a camp chair, etc.

Great Veggie Chili recipe for backpacking or camping

Then heat it over a stove or fire. So easy!

Dehydrated Veggie Chili
Vegan

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
2/3 cup salsa
2 teaspoons chili powder
pinch of crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 large red bell pepper cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 large zucchini cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 medium yellow squash cut into 1/2″ chunks

At Home:

  1. Sauté onion. Add tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, crushed red pepper and salt. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes
  2. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 50 – 60 minutes.
  3. Let chili cool slightly and then spread over solid ‘fruit roll’ dehydrator trays. I dehydrated half of a batch of chili, but if you have enough trays you could dehydrate a full batch of chili. Set dehydrator to 135 degrees. Once chili is dry (about 8 hours), put it in an air-tight container or zip top bag.

At Camp:

  1. Cover chili with water and let sit 15 minutes, or until it’s nearly rehydrated. 
  2. Heat and serve.

Camping Recipe - Veggie Chili

Broccoli Noodle Salad

Need a fresh recipe for backpacking or camping? Try this Dehydrated Broccoli Noodle Salad.On our recent camping trip on the Wisconsin River, I made this Broccoli Noodle Salad and it was amazing. I thought it might have just tasted great because we were starving, so I made it again for a party last week. Still delicious. This Broccoli Noodle Salad is ideal for backpacking as well.

Broccoli Noodle Salad - Perfect for backpacking or camping!

I dehydrated the broccoli and green onions. That way I didn’t have to worry about them spoiling. If you’re going car camping, you may want to skip the dehydrator and just make the salad ahead of time at home. It’s the kind of salad that tastes better if it sits for a day in your fridge or cooler.

Broccoli Noodle Salad - Perfect for backpacking or camping!

A few hours before you want to eat, add water to the dehydrated vegetables.

Broccoli Noodle Salad - Perfect for backpacking or camping!

This is the fun part. Crunch up the ramen noodles while they are still in their bag. Get out that pent-up aggression!

Broccoli Noodle Salad - Perfect for backpacking or camping!

Ok. Calm down. You’re on vacation. Add the ramen seasoning packet to the dressing. Add the ramen noodles to the vegetables, along with the dressing, peanuts, sunflower seeds. Stir together and enjoy!

Broccoli Noodle Salad - Perfect for backpacking or camping!

Dehydrated Asian Broccoli Noodle Slaw
Adapted from Allrecipes
Vegan

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounce package broccoli coleslaw mix (I used Trader Joe’s organic)
  • 3 ounce package Top Ramen Oriental Flavored Ramen Noodles (other ramen noodles may not be vegan)
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
  • 1/2 cup unsalted raw sunflower kernels
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:

At Home

  1. For even dehydrating, slice the green part of the green onions and finely chop the white part. Spread out green onion and broccoli slaw on separate trays of the dehydrator. Set dehydrator to 135 degrees. Once vegetables are dry (about 4 hours), put them in an air-tight container or zip top bag. 
  2. To make dressing, combine sugar, oil and apple cider vinegar. Store dressing in a leakproof container.
  3. Put peanuts and sunflower seeds in a separate container or zip top bag.

At Camp

  1. A few hours before serving, add enough water to dehydrated green onions and broccoli slaw to cover.
  2. Once the vegetables are rehydrated, pour off the excess water.
  3. Take the bag of ramen noodles and crunch it up. Add ramen noodles to the vegetables. Add  ramen flavoring packet to the dressing. Shake or stir the dressing.
  4. Add peanuts, sunflower seeds and dressing to vegetable noodle mixture. Shake or stir to combine.
%d bloggers like this: