Campfire Dessert Pizza

Sweet pizza cooked over the campfire

The kids thought this dessert pizza tasted kind of like a doughnut. I got the idea from a camping cookbook Over a Fire: Cooking with a Stick & Cooking Hobo Style. I made some changes: homemade dough instead of refrigerated, different toppings, etc. My husband has a couple changes for the next time we make this recipe too, but it really wasn't difficult and was very tasty.

Campfire Dessert Pizza
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
7 oz. water
Heavy duty aluminum foil
1/2 can chocolate frosting
Sweetened flake coconut
M&Ms
Chocolate chips
Pecans
Caramel ice cream topping

• Before you leave to go camping: combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in a zip bag. Place the extra cup of flour in another zip bag.
• At the campsite: in a medium bowl, add the yeast to the mix from home. Stir in oil and water and mix for about one minute.
• Add more flour until a slightly sticky ball forms.
• Transfer the ball to a floured cutting board and knead for 4-5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary until the dough is smooth and springy.
• Pour a small amount of oil in the bowl, add the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let raise for 1-2 hours until double in size.
• Cut two squares of 18 inch heavy duty foil, grease with olive oil. Punch down the dough and spread in a large circle on one of the pieces of foil.
• Transfer foil to a cooking grate set over hot coals. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the bottom side is browned.
• Place the second piece of foil over the pizza and grab both pieces of foil together to flip the pizza.
• Remove the top piece of foil and bake the second side for 5-10 minutes until browned.
• Transfer foil with pizza onto a large cutting board or picnic table. 
• Spread the frosting on the crust. Sprinkle on the coconut, M&Ms, chocolate chips, and pecans. Drizzle with the caramel topping.
• Use a pizza cutter or a knife to slice into squares.

Notes: If you don't want to make the dough from scratch, use refrigerated pizza dough. The cooking time depends on how hot the coals are. You could divide the dough in half and make two smaller pizzas.

Meaty Baked Beans

Cannellini, black, and Bush's beans with ground turkey and bacon

Five out of six of us give Meaty Baked Beans a "something good" rating. If you like beans and meat, this is your dish. If you don't like beans, well... even adding bacon can't change everything.

Meaty Baked Beans
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1 1b. ground beef or turkey
1-2 onions, chopped
1 16 oz. can Bush's Baked Beans, with sauce
3 15 oz. cans other beans (black, kidney, cannellini, etc.), drained and rinsed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown the bacon.
• Remove and set aside the cooked bacon, drain the grease (save the grease if using turkey).
• Add the ground beef and onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, cook over medium high heat for 7-10 minutes until the meat is brown and the onions are soft. If using turkey, add 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease back to the pan while frying. If using beef, drain off the extra fat from the pan after cooking.
• Turn heat to low and add the remaining ingredients.
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste.

Notes: Some beans like garbanzo tend to be a little firmer in the can. If you are using different types of beans, add the firmer kind first; then add the softer kind after 10-15 minutes.

Jalapeno Popper Spread - Guest Blogger Jason Ring

Jalapeno Popper Spread

Bacon Jason

Guest Post by Jason Ring.

Becky asked if I would be a guest blogger, and I would be crazy to say no. The recipe I am sharing today is Jalapeno Popper Spread. I developed this recipe from one that I stuff in jalapenos and cook over the grill. Sometimes the grill is not an option, and this dip is a convenient make-ahead if you are entertaining. The reason I share this recipe is that I know Becky's husband, Matt, enjoys this dip.



 
Jalapeno Popper Spread
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
1 small can diced jalapeno peppers, drained
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth.
• Stir in green chilies, jalapeno peppers, and bacon.
• Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes.
• Serve with Wheat Thins or taco chips!

Note: I have jalapeno plants growing in my planter garden right now and hope to make this using fresh jalapenos this summer.

Pretzel and Fruit Roll-Up Campfire

Campfire snack made from pretzel sticks and Fruit Roll-Ups

We made these fun little campfires as a take home snack at our Vacation Bible School. Even the littlest kids could do it with very specific instructions.

Pretzel and Fruit Roll-Up Campfire Snack
Pretzel sticks (each fire uses 3 sticks)
Fruit Roll-Ups (1 Fruit Roll-Up = 2 fires)

• Remove the plastic back from the Fruit Roll-Up and cut plastic into two pieces. Cut the Fruit Roll-Up into 8 pieces, 4 for each fire.
• Place one piece of plastic on the table.
• Place one green piece of roll-up flat on the plastic.
• Place one whole pretzel stick on the green roll-up.
• Break a pretzel stick and place the pieces perpendicular to the whole stick to make an X.
• Break another pretzel stick and add the pieces to the X to make a snowflake.
• Place one red piece of roll-up flat on top of the pretzels. 
• Bend or ball up the remaining red and yellow roll-ups to make a flame and place on top of the flat red piece.
• Eat snack.

Notes: The Fruit Roll-Ups that I had were red, yellow, and green. Any red or yellow roll-up or even Fruit by the Foot would work for this.

Non-dairy Snickerdoodles

Super soft, non-dairy snickerdoodles

There are lots of recipes for snickerdoodles. It seems that the biggest difference is whether you like your snickerdoodles crunchy or soft. My kids like soft cookies. These snickerdoodles have a little sugary crunch on the outside, but the inside is soft, almost cakey or doughy. That's how they like it.

Snickerdoodles (no dairy)
2 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar + 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• Preheat the oven to 375*.
• Mix the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Mix the oil, applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup and egg in a small bowl or measuring cup.
• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
• In a shallow bowl or on a plate, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the cinnamon.
• Form the cookie dough into Tablespoon sized balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
• Place cookies about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes.

Notes: This recipe makes about 30 small rounded cookies. If you like your cookies flatter, press down to flatten the balls of dough before baking.

Rice Bowls with Mexican Leftovers

Rice bowl using leftovers (rice, beans, chicken, cilantro, onion)

When we have tacos or burritos, we often have leftover bits of beans or meat or rice. An easy way to use up those leftovers is to make rice bowls. I'll usually make one bowl for lunch if there's not enough left for a full meal for all of us, but sometimes I make extra rice and such the first time so that there will be enough leftovers for everyone. It works well because each of us can pick which ingredients we like, and it doesn't seem like leftovers.

Rice Bowls with Mexican Leftovers
Rice or Spanish rice
Taco meat (pork, beef, chicken)
Beans (black or refried)
Onions, chopped
Peppers, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Cheese, shredded
Salsa
Cilantro
Sour cream 

• Layer rice, meat, beans, onion, peppers, tomatoes, and cheese in a bowl.
• Heat in the microwave until heated through (length of time depends on your microwave).
• Top with salsa, cilantro, and sour cream.

Notes: You can add anything to these rice bowls that you like on a taco. The list above is what we normally have around, but it varies every time.

Spicy Chicken Pasta

Spicy Chicken Pasta

Not too spicy, but it does have a little heat. This recipe is something good for a pot luck or party. My husband and I like it a lot, but only one of the kids will eat it. Ever since a friend of mine shared this Spicy Chicken Pasta recipe with us, I've been trying to find excuses to make it.

Spicy Chicken Pasta
1 pound pasta
3 chicken breasts
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups Ranch dressing (1 16oz. bottle)
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and place in a large bowl.
• Cut chicken breasts into strips and saute with salt and pepper (add a dash of chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin if desired). After chicken is cooked through, cut it into bite sized pieces, and add to the bowl with the pasta.
• Add the jalapeno, onion, red pepper, and cilantro to the bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine the Ranch dressing, mayo, sour cream, and spices.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to coat. 
• Let the salad rest in the fridge for a little bit before serving.

Notes: My sisters-in-law suggested adding cucumbers or cherry tomatoes. I think they would be great add-ins, but my husband thinks vegetables are overrated. :) Some diced Pepper Jack might be good in here too.