A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

  S’mores Bread Pudding Yield: 6 to 8 servings. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread, torn into pieces 1  cup coarsely broken graham crackers 2  tablespoons

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

  S’mores Bread Pudding Yield: 6 to 8 servings. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread, torn into pieces 1  cup coarsely broken graham crackers 2  tablespoons

4 Campfire-Inspired Recipes

 

S’mores Bread Pudding

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 (1-pound) loaf French bread, torn into pieces
1  cup coarsely broken graham crackers

2  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
16 marshmallows
1 cup high-quality dark chocolate chips, divided (we used Ghirardelli)

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9 x 12-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon softened butter.

Place French bread on a sheet pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Place toasted bread in baking dish.

Place broken graham crackers on sheet pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake graham crackers for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and vanilla. Place the marshmallows and the chocolate chips over the bread so that they are evenly distributed. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and lightly press down to make sure all of the bread is coated. Let bread sit for 5 minutes.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the egg mixture is cooked and set. The center should be slightly springy but not firm. Remove from oven and place toasted graham crackers on top, lightly pressing edges into the top. Serve warm.


Fireside Foil Supper

Yield: 8 packets.

For the seasoning:
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

For the packets:
Heavy-duty foil
1  small head cabbage, leaves separated
2  pounds lean ground beef (90/10)
1 sweet onion, cut into ½-inch slices
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 to 5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick

Prepare campfire or grill to high heat. Coals should be white. Cut 8 pieces of foil, approximately 18 inches square. Combine seasoning ingredients and set aside.

With the shiny side of the foil squares facing upward, layer a cabbage leaf, 4 ounces of ground beef, 1 to 2 slices of onion, 4 to 6 slices of carrots, and 2 to 3 slices of potatoes on each square. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over ingredients. Bring each end of the foil square to the center and twist tightly to form a packet.

Place foil packets around outer edge of coals or on grate of grill. Rotate packets every 5 minutes, cooking a total of 20 minutes. Use caution when opening packets to allow for steam release.


Trail Mix Brittle

Yield: Approximately 2 pounds.

2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
½ cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1 cup salted peanuts
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
½ cup raisins
4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Butter a full-size baking pan (18 x 26 inches) or 2 half-sheet baking pans (18 x 13 inches).

In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, cook until temperature reaches 240°. Add peanuts and cook until thermometer reaches 285°.

Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, coconut, raisins, and sesame seeds. Pour immediately into buttered pan(s). Tilt the pan so that the brittle covers the entire pan, corner to corner. Allow brittle to cool and harden. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 weeks.


Blueberry Breakfast Bake

Yield: 6 servings.

For the mix:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup whole milk
3 cups fresh blueberries

For the topping:
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For serving: 
Softened butter
Maple syrup

Note: We used 12-ounce aluminum cans. For baking at home, use a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or ramekins.

Prep your clean baking cans or baking dish with cooking spray, oil, or butter. For the mix, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to a medium-size bowl. Stir to combine. For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. If camping, the flour mixture and topping can be stored in ziplock bags. (Just be sure to label them.)

Preheat your oven to 350° or prep campfire so wood or coals are grayish white.

For the mix, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, mixing until dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix. Fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared cans or baking dish.

For the topping, in a medium-size bowl, use a pastry cutter or fork to add the butter to the dry ingredients. Mixture should resemble coarse sand. Sprinkle the topping over the batter.

If at home, bake in a 350° oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. If camping, set cans on grate set approximately 6 inches above coals. Bake over coals until cake is golden brown and edges are bubbling. If coals get too hot, use a stick to move and adjust heat.

Serve with softened butter and/or maple syrup.

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This story was published on Jun 17, 2019

Lynn Wells

Lynn Wells gained a fond respect and interest in cooking from her mother and Aunt Addie at the age of 8 in North Carolina. During college, Wells worked in a wide range of restaurants, from fine dining to family- owned. After graduating from UNC Greensboro with a degree in nutrition management and hospitality, Wells began a 21-year career in the nutrition department at Cone Health. In 2014, Wells started Thyme Well Spent Personal Chef Service, an in-home cooking experience for private clients, which continues today. Wells is also a food writer, food stylist, culinary consultant, and the recipe developer/writer for Our State.