Kiss My Grits!

That cheeky catchphrase was a favorite of a sassy waitress named Flo on the 1970s sitcom Alice. The actress who played Flo was a native of Alabama and no stranger to grits. Made using ground corn kernels, grits are a southern specialty and the official state food of South Carolina, but you don’t have to be southern to enjoy them.

Growing up, one of my best friends was a southern girl and whenever I ate at her house, grits were almost always on the menu. Grits can be served for breakfast much like oatmeal or cream of wheat and they can be served with dinner much like mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, and pasta.

And for those of you who are wondering, both grits and polenta are made from ground corn, but the main difference is what type of corn. Polenta, as you can probably guess from the color, is made from yellow corn, while grits are normally made from white corn (or hominy). Polenta originated from northern and central Italy. Grits came from the Native America Muskogee tribe. Grits will usually end up being finer and smoother. Polenta has a coarse texture and takes a little longer to make.

And, just like potatoes, polenta, rice, and pasta, grits will go with just about anything, but perhaps the most famous pairing is shrimp and grits. Think of them as mashed potatoes but with a different flavor and texture.

Grits can be made simply with just water, a little butter, and some salt and black pepper or they can be dressed up with milk or cream, chicken stock, cheese, green onion, garlic, almost anything. They are a blank canvas. They are also an excellent source of vitamin B and iron. For a sweet, hot breakfast, omit the black pepper and add some fruit or cinnamon and sugar. Again, treat it like oatmeal or cream of wheat. Today, September 2, happens to be National Grits for Breakfast Day.

Grits can be made on the stove top or in a slow cooker. The only trick is, much like cream of wheat, when you add the grits to the boiling liquid you have to add slowly and stir or whisk the whole time and keep stirring until everything is mixed well; otherwise, they will clump.

The recipe below is easy to make on a stove or in a slow cooker. They are smooth and creamy, and all my southern buddies have given them two thumbs up. When I make these in the scout camp dining hall, on Saturday morning, I’ll set out a large slow cooker with breakfast and they quickly disappear.

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 1/2 cups water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups stone ground grits
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions
In a saucepan, on medium heat, combine all ingredients except grits and cheese. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent the milk from scalding on the bottom. Gradually whisk in grits. (Add them too quickly and they will clump.)

Reduce heat to low and cook according to the directions on the container, stirring frequently. Add the cheese and stir until melted in. If grits get too thick add more water or half-and-half.

Serves 6-8

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Cheddar Herb Biscuits

These biscuits are little flavor bombs. They are light and fluffy and super cheesy.  The garlic adds savoriness while the buttermilk adds tanginess, and the cayenne gives it just a bit of a kick. They go well with a hearty stew or chili or jambalaya. Really, I think they could go with just about anything. You can serve them with breakfast or dinner.

They go together really easy and could be baked in a Dutch oven or in a box oven. While you could serve them with butter, they don’t really need anything. They are perfect all on their own. Be warned, once you start eating them, you’ll find it difficult to stop and before you know it, they’ll have disappeared and all that will be left will be that tingle from the cayenne.

Ingredients for Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tablespoon parsley, fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Ingredients for Topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon parsley chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Prep
At home, before you go, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Load into a resealable bag or an airtight container and add it to your food tote.

In camp, melt your butter and then start your coals according to your baking method. For a box oven, 15-18 ought to do. Coals for a Dutch oven will depend on the size of the Dutch oven you’re using. Check my Dutch Oven Size Chart and Temperature Guide on the Resources page. The temperature of your oven needs to be 450°F.

I recommend using parchment paper to bake on because the cheese makes them just a bit sticky.

Dump your dry ingredients into a medium or large bowl. In a 2-cup measuring cup or a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and melted butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese and parsley.

Using a standard ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop the batter evenly onto the prepared baking sheet or into the prepared Dutch oven. Leave a little space between the biscuits. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

For the topping, whisk together melted butter, parsley, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the biscuits and serve immediately.

Makes about 12 biscuits.

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Cheese for Backpacking

We have a deli drawer in our refrigerator that is overflowing with cheese because we hate cheese in this house! With only a few exceptions, just about every meal includes cheese of some kind. Years ago, my children decided that if I had a food-based name, it would be Parmesan because I put Parmesan on just about everything. One of my go-to snacks is string cheese or a wedge of Cheddar.

On a weekend or week-long backpacking trip, I’m not sure I would survive without cheese. And, cheese is a great source of calcium and protein, two important things for rebuilding our bodies after a long day on the trail. In addition, for me, that little wedge of Laughing Cow or that slice of Cheddar on a cracker is a morale booster and puts me in my happy place. So, what to pack?

Hard Cheese

Hard cheese is best for extended trips, hot weather, snacking, and meal topping. Low moisture in aged hard cheeses concentrates flavor and extends shelf life. Hunks should remain edible for more than two weeks in temps in the low ‘80s. All hard cheeses sweat oil and whey, so opt for bricks rather than sliced or shredded and the moisture will be easier to manage and the shelf-life will be longer. Wrap in waxed paper then loose plastic wrap–not a resealable bag. Store in a food-specific stuffsack to prevent an oily mess. Our favorites are Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Parmesan (of course).

Cheddar is good fuel for cold or hard hikes due to its high fat content (9.5g/ounce). I love pairing it with apples or slicing it and eating on crackers.

Mozzarella is another good choice, but it needs to be the low-moisture, semi-dry variety and not the water-packed kind. Smoked hunks and string singles (my favorite) can last two weeks without refrigeration.

Parmesan is considered a recovery superfood because it is protein-dense and salty (450mgs/ounce), and digests quickly and easily. Pack solid pieces (trim off the rind) and shave onto meals after cooking or include the powdered variety in your homemade meals.

Soft Cheese

Soft cheese is best for short trips and cool weather. Their high moisture content makes them mold quickly. Soft cheeses should remain edible for a week at temps below 72°F; at higher temps, they can spoil in as little as two days. Purchase vacuum-sealed packs. After opening, seal in an airtight container and store in a cool part of your bag.

Brie is a creamy, sharp-flavored cheese that is high in salt. The rind is edible so there’s nothing to pack out. If you’ll be hiking through an area where there are good trail berries in season, it goes well with berries. If not, you could pack single-serve packets of jam to go with it.

Cream cheese is a low-fat spread that adds body to sweet or savory foods. If you thin it with a little water, you can substitute it for sour cream or milk in a recipe. Single-serve packets are pretty easy to find and last longer than a week without refrigeration.

Goat cheese is easier to digest than cow cheese. Because of that it makes a great lunch or snack because it is not likely to upset your stomach. However, it is more delicate than many other cheeses so plan to eat it in your first few days on the trail.

Shelf-Stable Cheeses

These long-lasting cheeses can boost flavor and calories in your recipes.

Powdered cheese is dehydrated and lightweight. It can be added to recipes that call for cheese like mac and cheese or alfredo sauce. Mix blue cheese into polenta, Cheddar into pancake mix or sprinkle dried Parmesan on anything.

Processed cheese has a mild taste but it has a high salt content, which, on the trail, isn’t necessarily a bad thing because you are sweating so much. Velveeta, Easy Cheese, American slices, and gourmet brands can last weeks so they are perfect for those 50-milers or longer trips like the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, or the Continental Divide Trail (the Triple Crown of Hiking). Blending during production helps “processed cheese food” stay creamy when melted (instead of separating like natural cheese). Stir 1/4 cup into two cups of cooked noodles for a rich meal, or add to soup mixes to increase calories.

So, when you’re planning your meals and snacks for your next backpacking trip, don’t be afraid to cheese it up!

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Cheese Spread! Don’t Forget the Crackers!

We tend to burn a lot of calories on campouts. We’re playing and/or working hard. In addition to our 3 squares a day, at the end of the day, we’re looking for that bedtime snack to tide us over until breakfast. We call it a cracker barrel. It’s also a place to gather and talk about the day and share stories around the campfire.

For cracker barrel, we like to keep things simple. No cooking and no cleanup because who wants to be doing dishes late at night? Finger foods are the way to go and this make-ahead cheese spread is perfect. It’s simple to make (about 15 minutes) and brings an element of fanciness to a campfire cracker barrel. Folks just don’t expect it and that makes it fun to serve.

To learn more about the tradition of the cracker barrel or for more cracker barrel ideas, please read my blog post: “Evening Cracker Barrel and the Art of Snacking.”

This cheese spread can be made at home before you go. It can be kept chilled up to two days, so I would make it no earlier than Thursday night for a Saturday night cracker barrel. Serve it with crackers, sliced bread or crudités, which is a fancy French word for sliced or whole raw vegetables. I like to serve it with crackers because, growing up, cheese and crackers was one of my dad’s favorite snacks, and that’s a fond memory for me.

We’ve spread it on Wheat Thins, Ritz, buttery club crackers, and plain old saltines. There really isn’t a cracker this cheese spread doesn’t go with. My favorite is the Wheat Thin or some kind of whole wheat or whole grain cracker.

For serving, you can shape it into a ball or a log, or smush it into a shallow plastic container. A shallow container will give the spread more surface area for the chives, parsley, and peppers you’re going to sprinkle on top. You want folks to be able to get a nice combination of everything on their vessel.

I use a 25-ounce shallow Glad container that holds half a batch nicely and allows plenty of room to sprinkle on the toppings (pictured above). If I need to serve a whole batch or more, I use multiple containers. I transport the toppings separately and sprinkle on when I’m ready to serve.

If you’re making this at home for a holiday party or a family gathering, you can line a small, 6-cup Bundt pan with plastic wrap and press the mixture into that and chill for 1 to 48 hours. Unmold it onto a serving platter and cover it with the chives, parsley, and peppers for a festive looking wreath. Crackers, bread, and crudités can be arranged around the wreath or served in baskets, bowls or platters on the side.

This recipe calls for pickled piquanté peppers, such as Peppadew, which is a trademarked brand. Peppadews are hot, very sweet peppers that have been pickled. The heat is similar to a jalapeño and they are bright red, which gives the cheese spread a very festive look. Peppadew peppers are hard to find, depending on where you live. I have to order them from Amazon. In a pinch, we’ve used Mezzetta sweet cherry peppers, but they’re not quite the same. Whichever you use, I recommend removing the seeds because they are very hard. Leftover peppers can be added to the crudités or you can save them and add them to other dishes. They are great on a pizza.

Ingredients
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups shredded firm cheese, such as Cheddar, Pepper Jack or Colby
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup pickled piquanté peppers, such as Peppadew, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped
Crackers, sliced bread or crudités, for serving

Directions
In a food processor or a medium mixing bowl, if you’re mixing it by hand, combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. If you’re using a food processor, transfer the mixture into a medium bowl. Fold in all but 2 tablespoons of the chopped peppers.

Form the mixture into a ball or log and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Or, smush it into a shallow plastic container or a 6-cup Bundt pan lined with plastic wrap and cover. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

At home, if you’re using the Bundt mold, uncover and invert the cheese mold onto a serving platter. If you formed it into a ball or log, unwrap and transfer to a serving platter (in camp, you could use a large paper plate).

In camp, if you’re using a shallow plastic container, you can serve directly out of the container. Sprinkle with the chives and parsley to completely coat the cheese mixture, and garnish with the reserved 2 tablespoons peppers.

Serve with crackers, sliced bread or crudités and you’ll need a knife or spreader.

Serves 16 to 20.

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Denver Frittata

On the average West Coast diner breakfast menu, the Denver Omelet, also known as the Western Omelet, is a common item. It’s made with red and green bell peppers, onion, ham, and cheddar cheese, and has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. So, how to make one in camp or for a crowd? Convert it to a frittata.

Frittatas are simply baked omelets and perform extremely well in a Dutch oven in camp or in a cast iron skillet at home. Like most frittatas, this one starts on the camp stove by sautéing the vegetables. Once the vegetables are soft, the ham is mixed in and the cheese sprinkled on top. The egg mixture is poured over everything and the whole thing is baked until the eggs are puffy and set. The last 5 minutes of baking, you could even sprinkle on a bit more cheese to melt on top before serving. How easy is that?

The Denver is popular and has endured over the decades because of it’s bold flavors. Between the onion and peppers, sharp cheddar cheese, and smokey, salty ham, it is a great breakfast any time of year. Serve with biscuits, hashbrowns, and fruit. It’s sure to be a winner!

Equipment
10-inch Dutch oven or 7×9 or 9×9 baking dish, bowl, whisk.

Ingredients
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced small
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced small
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup (heaping) ham, cooked and diced small
8 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper

Prep
The ham and vegetables can be diced at home and loaded into containers or resealable bags for the ride to camp in the cooler.

In camp, assemble your materials (mise en place) and start 25 coals in a chimney.

On medium-high heat on a propane stove, heat oil in the Dutch oven. Add the bell peppers and onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, in a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and add the ham and toss together. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the ham and vegetables. Bake in a 400°F oven, using 17 coals on the lid and 8 underneath, for about 25 minutes or until egg is puffy and set. Serves 6.

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Enchilada Pull-Aparts

The first time I made these, I accidentally used diced jalapenos instead of diced green chilies. They were just a wee bit spicy, but we still really liked them. In addition to being hot and tasty, these go together in a snap and take only 30 minutes to bake. You can easily have dinner on the picnic table in under an hour. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and a salad, and you have a great meal.

This is also a dish that you can easily customize. I did, without even intending to, when I swapped the diced green chilies for diced jalapenos. You could swap the red enchilada sauce for green or swap the ground beef for chicken. You could add black beans, diced tomatoes, or some corn. Whatever floats your boat. Have some fun and make it your own. I’ll bet it becomes a family favorite.

Equipment
12-inch Dutch oven or 9×13 baking dish.

Ingredients
1 package of refrigerated biscuit dough
10 ounces enchilada sauce (we like to use red)
1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning or use your own mix
4 ounce can diced green chilies or diced jalapenos
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese

Prep

On a propane stove or over coals, in a Dutch oven, brown the ground beef. Drain the grease and stir in the taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir in the diced green chilies or jalapenos. Remove from heat and set aside. Start your coals.

Open the biscuits and slice each biscuit into 8 small pieces. Add the biscuits and enchilada sauce to the Dutch oven and lightly mix everything together like tossing a salad. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.

Bake in a 350°F oven, using 17 coals on the lid and 8 underneath, for 30 minutes or until the biscuits are cooked through and the cheese is fully melted. You could also load this into a 9×13 baking pan and bake it in a box oven, using about 14 coals.

Top with cilantro, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce, etc.

Serves about 8

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Cottage Pie with Hashbrown Topping

This is classic British comfort food from my paternal grandfather’s side of the family. People often confuse cottage pie with shepherd pie, which is made with lamb. Cottage pie is made with beef. For either recipe, you can use leftovers or fresh ingredients.

This recipe breaks from the traditional shepherd or cottage pie in that it uses shredded potatoes instead of mashed potatoes for the topping. But if you wanted to go the more traditional route, you could top this one with a mound of mashed potatoes. Either way, it’s yummy.

Instead of ground beef, you could use just about any cut of beef and cube it up before browning. It takes about an hour to get this dish on the table and it easily scales up if you’re feeding a crowd.

Cottage pie is a hearty dish loved by both adults and youth. The chili powder brings a nice subtle heat that keeps you warm long after dinner.

Equipment
12-inch Dutch oven or 9×13 deep baking dish, if feeding a crowd, double this recipe and bake it in a 16-inch Dutch oven

Ingredients for Potato Topping
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 russet potatoes, shredded, or about half a bag of frozen
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients for Meat Vegetable Mixture
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 spring onions or ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
1 ½ pounds ground beef or a roast, cubed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas and carrots
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

Prep
Lightly grease Dutch oven or baking dish.

For the potato topping, in a medium bowl, combine grated potatoes, melted butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In Dutch oven, over medium heat (either coals or propane), melt butter and sauté onions and garlic until the onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and chili powder and stir until you have a nice paste. Add tomatoes and beef broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. While I’m doing this I usually prep and start my coals. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat further and stir in the peas and carrots, and cheese. Cook until the cheese is melted.

Evenly cover the top of the casserole with the grated potato mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bake in a 425°F oven, or until crisp on top and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

If you’re making a single batch in a 12-inch Dutch oven, use 31 coals, 21 coals on the lid and 10 underneath.

If you’re making a double batch in a 16-inch Dutch oven, use 42 coals, 28 coals on the lid and 14 underneath.

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Single batch serves 5-6.

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Cheesy Spicy Hash Brown Casserole

We love hash browns for breakfast either in a main dish like a big breakfast skillet or as a side dish. This hash brown casserole makes a great side dish and brings great flavor and a little heat. When I made this last weekend for the first time for a mixed group of scoutmasters and scouts, I seeded my chiles because I was concerned that I might overwhelm some of the younger taste buds. The heat was very mild. If you really want to bring the heat, then leave the seeds in. You could also swap out some of the chilies for hotter varieties. My son tried to talk me into using a ghost pepper. I said no. I opted for Monterey Jack cheese but, again, if you want to bring the heat, you could step it up to Pepper Jack cheese. I used frozen southern style hash browns, but you could just as easily peel and dice fresh potatoes.

First thing in the morning, after I get my coffee, I’d start this one. It has about 30 minutes of prep (less if you chop your veggies and grate your cheese at home before you go) and then about 30 minutes of baking time. After 30 minutes, the potatoes were cooked through but you’ll notice in the picture below that they look a little pale. Next time I might let them brown a little in the Dutch oven before I put the lid on and add coals. After I put the lid on and add coals, I also might let them go longer than 30 minutes just to see if I can get a little more color on the potatoes.

I’d recommend a 12-inch or larger Dutch oven or 9×13 deep baking dish for a full batch. If you want to do a half batch, I’d step down to a 10-inch or 12-inch Dutch oven or an 8×8 baking dish. Remember to adjust your coals for the size of your Dutch oven. Here’s a link to my Dutch Oven Size Chart and Temperature Guide.

Equipment
12-inch Dutch oven, cutting board, chef knife, cheese grater, stirring/serving spoon.

Ingredients
8 slices bacon, fried and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 large green chiles, diced
2 jalapenos, finely diced
1 poblano chile, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
4 pounds (2 bags) frozen southern style hash browns (diced potatoes)
Salt and ground pepper
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
2 cups grated Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack

Prep
Dice the vegetables and grate the cheese. On a campfire, a bed of coals, or on a propane stove, fry the bacon in the Dutch oven until its nice and crispy. While the bacon is frying, load 27 coals into a chimney with 1-2 fire starters and, when the bacon is done, light your coals. Remove the bacon from the Dutch oven and set aside on a paper towel. You may want to critter and camper proof it or it just might disappear! I’ve had a number of scouts learn that lesson the hard way!

To the Dutch oven, add the butter and then add the chiles and onion, and sauté until well browned. Pour in the frozen hash browns and add some salt and pepper. Be generous with the salt; that’s a lot of potatoes. Toss everything together. Let it heat up for just a few minutes to steam off any excess liquid from the hash browns; you can crumble or chop the bacon while you wait.

Sprinkle on the cheese and top with crumbled bacon. Put the lid on and move it to coals.

Bake at 375°F, using 18 coals on the lid and 9 underneath, for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly or until the potatoes are done to your liking.

Makes about 20 4-ounce (½-cup) servings or 10 8-ounce (1 cup) servings. And, c’mon, let’s be real. We’re all going to take a 1 cup serving and go back for seconds…. Just sayin’….

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Chuck Wagoneer

Chili Quick and Simple

Yesterday was National Chili Day! We love chili and this chili goes together fast and easy. It would be a great meal for a Friday night after you’ve rolled into your site and set up camp. It’s also a hot, slightly spicy, hearty meal. You can get this on the picnic table in about 30 minutes, which should leave plenty of time to eat, clean up, and get started on the evening campfire.

It has nice, fresh tomato flavor with just a little kick from the green chiles and chili powder. I prefer to use petite diced tomatoes. Our protein of choice was ground beef and we chose to use kidney and black beans. We used a can of tomato sauce, but if you prefer a thicker chili, you could use tomato paste instead.

If you’re home, you could also make this in a slow cooker. Brown the meat on the stove top before adding it and the other ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook the chili on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

In camp, if you have a little more time, this would be great to start a little earlier and let it simmer for an hour or two. We made my awesome cornbread to go with it. If I wasn’t crunched for time, I would probably start the chili and then make the cornbread, which bakes for an hour, and let the chili simmer while the cornbread bakes.

For the cornbread recipe, please see my blog post: “Cookie’s Cornbread.”

For a fully loaded, awesome, rich flavor, 4-bean, slow-cook chili, please see my blog post: “Cookie’s 4 Bean Chili Con Carne.”

But if you’re looking for a tasty and fast to the picnic table meal, this one is a winner.

Equipment
4-quart pot or 10-inch Dutch oven, cutting board, knife, colander, tablespoon, stirring/serving spoon.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (or protein of choice)
2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (15 ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed (black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, or a combination)
1 small white onion, diced
2 tablespoons chili powder

Prep
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, sauté the onions in a little bit of butter and then brown the ground beef, stirring frequently. Drain any excess grease. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the onion is cooked and softened to your liking. Serve with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, cilantro, etc. Serves 4-6.

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Baking in the New Year

What are your plans for upping your cooking game in 2016? Is there a specific dish you’d like to perfect? A technique you’d like to master? A culinary style you’d like to try?

This year, my cooking resolution is to master the art of scones or biscuits. For me, the terms are interchangeable. Because of our genealogy, our family is heavily influenced by England, Scotland, and Ireland. For my husband, that’s nearly all of his genetic makeup. For me, that’s nearly half with my other half being Scandinavian. So, we tend to call them scones.

There are two possible pronunciations of the word scone: the first rhymes with gone and the second rhymes with tone. In US English, the pronunciation rhyming with tone is more common. In British English, the two pronunciations traditionally have different regional and class associations, with the first pronunciation associated with the north of England and the northern working class, while the second is associated with the south and the middle class.

However you pronounce it, I feel a strong genetic tug to make scones, which I have ignored for far too long.

You have to admit that there’s just nothing like a fresh baked biscuit with breakfast or dinner, and what would biscuits and gravy be without biscuits? So, in the coming months, you can expect some scone recipes to appear in the blog. I hope that excites you as much as it excites me.

Scones or biscuits are a great way to get fresh bread into your camp menu. They are relatively easy to make without all the fuss of yeast bread. They can easily be made by hand, requiring no fancy equipment.

And, everyone loves a good biscuit. While a plain biscuit is hugely popular, you can also pack them with all kinds of goodies from cheeses to meats to fruits. Depending on what else you are serving, your scone can be savory or sweet.

I decided to start with a savory, cheese scone. This is a great recipe and you can subtly alter the flavor of the scone by the type of cheese you choose to use. From sharp Cheddar to Parmesan to Swiss to Gorgonzola, choose your favorite cheese and try making a scone with it. This would be a great scone to serve with breakfast or dinner. Can you imagine serving a hot and hearty stew with a warm, cheesy scone? Yum!

Equipment
Mixing bowl, clean work surface (cutting board, tabletop), pastry cutter, a fork for mixing, measuring cups and spoons, a Dutch oven or a box oven.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
⅓ cup unsalted butter, chilled
⅓ cup milk
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water for glaze (optional)

Prep
Preheat your oven or start your coals. Lightly butter the center of a baking sheet or the Dutch oven.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cheese. Cut the butter into little cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, stir together the milk and 2 eggs. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined (a fork works well for this). At some point, the fork will become useless, so you might as well just pick it up with your hands and mush it together into a ball, sponging up all the little dry bits with the dough ball.

Shape into a disc with your hands, then spread the dough into an 8-inch diameter circle in the center of the prepared baking sheet or Dutch oven. (The first time I made them, I actually got a ruler and measured; now I just eyeball it using my hand.) If desired, brush the egg mixture over the top of the dough. Cut into 8 wedges.

Using a home oven, Dutch oven, or box oven, bake at 400°F for 15-17 minutes or until the top is lightly brown (emphasis on lightly), and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Try not to overcook it. If you overcook a scone, it dries out and starts to become a brick.

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