With the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday approaching quickly, it’s time to start planning if you’re going to spend your extra time off gorging on delicious turkey, or exploring the backcountry. Instead of choosing between the two, why not do both? With a little planning, and bit of help from your friends at BRMB, why not enjoy your turkey IN the backcountry this thanksgiving - after a nice long day of adventuring. Here are some recipe tips and tricks for you to feast on your Backcountry Camping trip this Thanksgiving weekend!
Root Veggie Campfire Hash
As an appetizer, or a beautiful side dish, these deliciously seasoned root veggies are the perfect pairing for any thanksgiving meal. (Recipe courtesy of hipcamp)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heirloom baby carrots
- 1 cup Brussel sprouts
- 2 medium purple yams
- 2 cups chopped butternut squash
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2-4 cloves of garlic
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
Directions:
1. Chop the sweet potatoes into disks, then quarter.
2. Cut the Brussel sprouts in half.
3. Heat up oil in the cast iron.
4. Once hot, add all the veggies to the skillet.
5. Stir occasionally for 20-30 minutes until veggies soften.
6. Mix in the cranberries and enjoy!
Scalloped Potatoes
Everyone needs a bit of a carb fixin’, especially in the backcountry! This scalloped potato recipe is sure to have everyone satisfied and is so easy, with minimal clean up, you’ll want to start making it at home too! (Recipe courtesy of mikosina)
Ingredients:
- 5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
Directions:
Prepare at Home
1. Peel and Thinly slice the potatoes and onions
2. Place in plastic bag for easy carrying
Cooking On the Trail
1. Place the potatoes and onion on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 20 inches x 20 inches); dot with butter.
2. Combine the cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; sprinkle over potatoes. Fold foil up around potatoes and add broth. Seal the edges of foil well.
3. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Turkey with Herb Stuffing
And now for the main course, the turkey! While it’s difficult to haul in an entire bird in your backpack, this recipe is the perfect alternative to have you feeling full and satisfied. (Recipe courtesy of appalachiantrails)
Ingredients:
- Sliced turkey from the deli section
- Dry herb stuffing. (Get the kind that is cut into cubes, not tiny pieces)
Directions:
Prepare at Home
1. Take the sliced turkey and seperate into pieces. Season with some sage or black pepper if you would like a bit more flavour. Place on dehydrator tray and dehydrate.
2. Put the turkey and ½ to 1 cup of the stuffing into a Ziploc bag.
3. Add 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of dried onion and celery (usually more celery than onion). These flavors can be increased or left out, depending on what you like in your stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner.
4. Put in one half cube of bouillon, depending on how salty you like you food. More bouillon = more salty flavor.
5. Put this mixture away or in the freezer.
Cooking on the Trail
1. Heat water and pour just enough into the Ziploc bag with the turkey, stuffing, onions and celery to rehydrate—not too much.
2. Let it sit a couple of minutes until the stuffing looks like stuffing.
3. Eat this promptly; it is a fine line between yummy stuffing and soggy bread.
Insta-Pumpkin Pie
(Recipe courtesy of backpacker.com by Kate Barrett)
No Thanksgiving feast would be complete without the sweet taste of pumpkin pie. Spice it up with this easy backcountry recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 15-ounce can of pumpkin
- Marshmallows (optional)
Directions:
Prepare at Home
1. Combine pumpkin pie spice with two teaspoons sugar in a zip-top bag.
2. In a second bag, combine graham cracker crumbs (finely crumbled) with remaining sugar.
Cooking on the Trail
1. To make crust, melt butter in a skillet
2. Add graham cracker crumb mix, stirring to moisten evenly
3. Press mixture onto a plate
4. To make filling, put canned pumpkin in a pot and add pumpkin spicec
5. Spread pumpkin on crust and top with roasted marshmallows
Have the best of both worlds this Thanksgiving, by enjoying a delicious four course meal while you’re Backcountry Camping! If you’re lucky, there might even be leftovers when you get home so you can have the best of three worlds! Now that’s something to be thankful for.
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