From the multitude of delicious recipes entered, 12 were selected as Semi-Finalists in the 2008 Camping Life/Brunton Camp Cook Recipe Contest. Each Semi-Finalist will receive a Brunton RL4 headlamp (handy when cooking after sundown) and a Camping Life Camp Cook T-shirt.
One Grand Prize Winner was selected from these Semi-Finalists to also receive a complete camp kitchen including a Gannet stove, Gannet grille, Orion lantern, Wind River Cook Set, Wind River Tool Set, two My-Ti flatware pieces and two Flipsticks from Brunton.
All 12 prize-winning recipes are published below:
GRAND PRIZE RECIPE:
Ruth E. Finley; Woodland Park, Colorado
Spicy Chicken Stew
6 chicken thighs or breasts, boneless
1 onion coarsely chopped
2-3 Anaheim chili peppers (or bell pepper for less spice)
12-oz. can “Rotel” tomatoes
8-oz. can chicken broth
8-oz. can chicken mushroom soup
Onions, peppers, and rice can be prepared ahead of time and put into re-sealable bags. Chicken can be seasoned and put in bags ahead of time as well time. Spray skillet with olive oil. Salt and pepper the chicken. Add chicken to skillet and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. Add onions and peppers and cook for approx 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth and soup. Cover and simmer on low flame for 25 minutes. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. Serves 4 persons.
RECIPE CONTEST SEMI-FINALISTS:
Cathy Delgado: West Babylon, New York
Easy Cheesey Camp Chowder
3 tablespoons butter
¾-cup chopped onion
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
¾-cup diced ham (about 4 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8-teaspoon black pepper
8-oz. package shredded cheddar cheese
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Combine milk with flour in a bowl, stir into saucepan, and then add potatoes and ham. Cover pot and cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 30 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and then simmer until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Serve with crusty rolls or crackers. Serves 4 persons.
Mike Walls; Knoxville, Tennessee
Mike's Steer 'n’ Deer Camp Slumgullion
A long-handled skillet is the preferred for this, especially if you're cooking on a grate over a fire, but it can be done in a medium/large pot as long as you can stir the ingredients during cooking
1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground venison (substitute ground pork or mild sausage)
Medium can cut corn, with liquid
Medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium cans diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 cup beer (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Large dash garlic salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
Cook ground meat and onion in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is brown; drain and pour off excess liquid. Stir in remaining ingredients. Continue to heat until all ingredients are boiling. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes over slightly reduced heat, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Stir, cool for a couple of minutes then serve. Tastes even better with some hot, buttered cornbread! Serves 8 persons.
Samuel Kurtz; Tresckow, Pennsylvania
Cajun Rice
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/3 cup diced green onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery flakes
1 tsp. creole seasoning
1/4 tsp. red pepper
4 cups cooked long grain rice
¼ to 1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Brown ground beef and peppers over medium flame. Drain away grease and lower flame to simmer. Add all the other ingredients and cook until liquid is gone, about 25 to 35 minutes. Serves 4 persons.
Thurman H. Burnley; Fredericksburg, Virginia
Marsh Stir-Fry
2 lb. large shrimp (peeled) 21-30 count
2 lb. fresh water clams or mussels (shelled)
4 sets large frog legs (optional)
2 medium onions or large bunch of spring onions (sliced)
2-4 bell peppers (red and green, sliced)
1 tlbs. Old Bay or Lawrys seasoning salt
Half stick of butter
1-2 lb. fresh green beans (not can)
Clean, snip and boil green beans until done.
While green beans boil:
Heat skillet over low heat and melt butter. Add onions and peppers, saute until slightly softened. Raise heat to medium. Add shrimp, clams, and frog legs (bones can be removed). Season, then stir-fry until done. Meat should be cooked but not overdone. Remove stir-fry from skillet and set aside. Drain green beans, then saute in juice from stir-fry. Serve stir-fry on bed of saute green beans. Serves 4 to 6 persons.
Debra L. Camps; Oconto, Wisconsin
Omelet-in-a-Bag
Small zipper-lock type heavy-duty freezer bags
Permanent marker
Eggs (or Egg-beaters)
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
4 sliced sausages (pre-cooked)
4 pieces sliced bacon (pre-cooked or bacon bits)
4 oz. chopped ham
4 chopped mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheese
Write everyone's name on a bag with the marker pen. Invite each person to put whatever ingredients they want into their bag. Add two eggs per bag, and gently squeeze out all the air as you zip it tightly closed. Gently place the closed bag in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Pull bag out of water to test; gently squeeze bag to see if egg is fully cooked.
Ken Donaldson; Goldsboro, North Carolina
Outdoor Chicken Etoufee
Store each in it's own plastic storage bag:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped parsley
In another bag, place 3 or 4 chopped chicken breasts and keep on ice, or cold. One more bag containing 1/2 cup all purpose flour and the last bag containing 2 sticks of butter.
In a large saucepan make a roux by melting butter in pan and add flour. Keep stirring and on high heat until it turns brown. Add in onion, bell pepper, celery and cook on low heat until veggies are wilted. Add chicken and stir. Cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully and add water if it becomes too thick. Increase heat to a boil. Then lower heat and add green onions and parsley, cook for 6-8 minutes uncovered. Add salt and pepper and serve over rice. Serves 4 persons.
Andrea M. Short; Cookeville, Tennessee
Strawberry S'mores
1 bag large marshmallows (use as many as desired)
1 package cinnamon grahams crackers (halves)
Milk chocolate bars (halves)
1 basket strawberries (washed and sliced)
Several long handled forks
Regular size fork
Paper plates
Adult supervision required with children. Toasted marshmallows will be hot.
Layer cinnamon graham square, chocolate square and sliced strawberries on paper plate. Have top cinnamon graham square nearby. Poke marshmallows securely on long handled fork and place in flame. Toast to perfection and carefully blow out marshmallow if it catches fire. Use regular size fork for sliding toasted marshmallow onto each cinnamon graham, chocolate and strawberry layer. Cover with remaining cinnamon graham square. Let cool and enjoy.
Dale L. Styers; Kimball Township, Michigan
Popcorn Cake
3 qt. popped popcorn (small white is best)
2 cups gum drops
16 oz. bag marshmallows
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup salad oil
M&M's (optional)
Mix popcorn, gum drops and M&M's. Add marshmallows, oil and margarine. Mix all well and press into a bundt pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Press firmly and allow mixture to set well before pulling from pan.
Jennifer R. Platts; Greenfield, Indiana
Cherry Cobbler (Dutch Oven)
1 box white cake mix; prepare as directed on box
2 cans of cherry pie filling
Stick of butter
Butter Dutch oven. Pour cake mix in. Top with cherries. Place a few butter dollops on top. Place lid on and bake over fire for 30-45 minutes. Check often so it doesn’t burn.
Eric D. Cartright; Wichita, Kansas
Banana Breakfast Burrito
Per Person:
1 tortilla
1 banana
Peanut Butter
Your choice of Jelly
Spread peanut butter on half of a tortilla; jelly on the other half. Place a peeled banana in the middle of tortilla so that the peanut butter is on one side and the jelly on the other. Roll tortilla so that the jelly side is touching the banana; that way the peanut butter is "gluing” the burrito shut around the banana. This is a great tasting, easy breakfast or snack, and there is no cooking involved.
Judy Pfister; Green Bay, Wisconsin
Camping Donuts
2 twist-open cans of refrigerated Biscuits
Sugar
Cinnamon
Powdered Sugar
Cooking oil
Heat about 2 inches (deep) of oil in the bottom of your pan, separate biscuits and cut holes in centers. Gently place in hot oil and fry donuts until brown on each side. Fry the donut holes, too. Coat the warm donuts with sugar and cinnamon, or powdered sugar. Makes about 20 donuts.
