A Few Summer Camping Recipes: Hashbrown Casserole and Grit Cakes

Our early August camping trip was fantastic...

The weather held up surprisingly well. Temperatures stayed around 80 degrees and slightly overcast... perfect conditions when camping in the summer months.

I made a few tried and true and a few new recipes, so here two I'd love to share.

Grit Cakes:

These grit cakes were a happy accident.  I made the grits a day early (didn't pay attention to my menu!) So, I saved them in a ziplock in the cooler.  The next day, I simply formed them into patties.  Then I fried them in the leftover bacon grease (yum) until golden brown on the outside and warm on the inside.  I used a pan on the campstove, to ensure I didn't loose a cake in the fire.  They had a great crust and a warm buttery center.  Delicious!

(Prepare the grits as the package says OR replace 1c of the water with milk, add tons of salt and pepper and a few tablespoons of butter... your choice:-)

Hash Brown Casserole

This is a tried and true favorite.  Could not be easier to prepare!

Prepare the Fire: Make sure there is a nice bed of coals in the fire ring.

Prepare the Dutch Oven: Spray the inside of your D.O. with non-stick cooking spray (much easier clean up)

Ingredients:

1 bag Frozen Hash Browns (great to take camping: they will defrost in the cooler by the time you are ready to use them)

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 16oz Sour Cream

2c Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1T Salt (I use Kosher, less if using iodized)

1/2T Pepper

Combine all ingredients except hash browns in a bowl. Once mixed, add the potatoes. Stir to coat the potatoes. Then pour into the dutch oven.

Make an even layer of coals to place dutch oven on.  Cover with the lid and place an even layer of coals onto the lid.

Let cook for 30mins. After 30mins, check on the progress... it will most likely need another 15mins, but at this point, you can see if the coals need to be adjusted for even cooking.  Let cook for another 10-15mins, until the center is bubbling and the sides are a nice golden brown.

Serve after it has cooled for a few minutes... these hold heat like crazy!

This serves 4.  Save leftovers to fry with eggs in the morning (if there are any!)