Keith Lusher 06.13.25
Some tenting reminiscences follow you ceaselessly. For me, it was a crisp night at Flint Creek, Mississippi within the Nineties. Our Boy Scout Troop had simply completed a day of fishing when my good friend’s father constructed a campfire and instructed us all to clean up earlier than dinner.
As the fireplace naturally gathered the youngsters from the warmth it was giving off, I seen my good friend eradicating oval-shaped aluminum foil packages from an ice chest. He positioned them across the perimeter of the fireplace, positioning them simply as you’d organize stones round a campfire. The mysterious silver orbs sat there, reflecting the orange glow of the flames for about an hour.
When the time was proper, my good friend’s father gathered everybody round. Utilizing an extended stick, he rolled every foil ball away from the fireplace and instructed us to attend a couple of minutes earlier than opening them. I turned to my good friend and requested what was within the foil. “They’re loaded baked potatoes – they’re soooo good!” he replied.
After I lastly unwrapped my foil bundle, steam seeped out to disclose a superbly cooked potato that had been break up and loaded with melted butter, bitter cream, inexperienced onions, cheese, and crispy bacon bits. All the youngsters had been amazed and the questions adopted: “When did you make these?” “The place are the plates?” “Are all of them the identical?” All to which the dad answered as we scoffed down the meal.
Since that night time at Flint Creek, these foil-wrapped loaded potatoes have change into my signature tenting dish. The great thing about this recipe lies in its simplicity and practicality: it eliminates the necessity for dishes, cooking gear, or on-site meals preparation.
What makes these campfire potatoes really good is the power to arrange every little thing within the consolation of your kitchen earlier than departing. There’s no want to cut, combine, or clear whereas on the campsite; every little thing is able to go whenever you want it.
The way to Make Campfire Loaded Baked Potatoes
Components:
- Medium to massive russet potatoes (one per particular person)
- Butter
- Bitter cream
- Shredded cheese (cheddar)
- Chopped inexperienced onions
- Bacon bits
- Salt and pepper to style
- Aluminum foil
Preparation:
- Wash potatoes.
- Lower every potato in half lengthwise.
- Place a beneficiant pat of butter within the middle of every potato half.
- Add dollops of bitter cream, cheese, inexperienced onions, and bacon bits.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Convey the potato halves again collectively.
- Wrap every loaded potato in aluminum foil, utilizing sufficient foil to later function a plate; guarantee all seams are tightly sealed.
- Retailer the wrapped potatoes in an ice chest till able to cook dinner.
Campfire Cooking:
- As soon as your campfire has established scorching coals, place the foil-wrapped potatoes across the perimeter of the fireplace (in a roundabout way within the flames).
- Cook dinner for roughly an hour. (no want to show as the warmth builds up contained in the foil and cooks evenly)
- Roll away from the campfire and let sit for about half-hour.
No Plate Wanted
When it’s time to eat, merely unfold the foil rigorously and curl the perimeters to create a makeshift plate. The potato can be completely cooked, with all of the toppings melted collectively right into a scrumptious mixture. All you want is a plastic fork to take pleasure in your meal.
After dinner, merely fold up the foil with the used fork inside and get rid of it correctly: no dishes to scrub, no cooking utensils to scrub, and no meals waste to handle. It’s the last word hassle-free tenting meal.
Variations to Strive
Through the years, I’ve experimented with totally different fillings and preparations:
- Mexican fashion: Add taco seasoning, jalapeños, and substitute bitter cream with guacamole
- Breakfast potatoes: Embody scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage within the morning
- Vegetarian possibility: Load with combined greens, herbs, and further cheese
Remaining Ideas
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered that preparation results in success. Doing the work in your snug kitchen quite than within the woods is just a no brainer. This recipe front-loads the trouble and eliminates campsite cleanup completely.
Essentially the most helpful tenting recipes aren’t difficult ones; they’re those that free you to take pleasure in nature with out being tethered to a washing station. Hopefully, this recipe will enable you take pleasure in your tenting expertise just a little extra by eliminating the time spent in preparation and cleanup.
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