Three Square
Summer recipes for camping, picnicking, and backyard living
Blueberry French Toast Bake
French toast is a classic camping breakfast, and its basic ingredient list and uncomplicated preparation make it a breeze when you’re cooking for two. But if you’re trying to feed four or more, the process becomes a bit tedious. Dip, flip, transfer to skillet, toast, flip, repeat. By the time the last piece of toast is off, the first one is completely cold. Perhaps there’s a better way?
Our solution to this dilemma is simple: Dispense with the notion of individually toasted slices of bread and get on board with the idea of a French toast casserole: chunks of bread tossed in a sweet egg-milk mixture, then baked to perfection in a Dutch oven. The edges are golden brown, the center custardy perfection, and it’s all done at the same time.
Cut it into wedges, spread with butter, and drizzle with maple syrup. It’s like a French toast cake for breakfast.
- 8 slices thick bread
- 1 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup blueberries
- Toppings
- Butter
- Syrup
- Start your coals. Cut out a circular piece of parchment paper to serve as a liner inside a 10-inch Dutch oven. Tear the bread into rustic pieces (roughly 2 inches square) and place in the Dutch oven on top of the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the eggs, then stir in salt, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Once those ingredients are fully incorporated, stir in the milk.
- Now slowly drizzle the mixture over the bread. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to lightly toss the bread until each piece is evenly coated. Sprinkle the blueberries on top and mix gently.
- Cover the Dutch oven and set it over 7 evenly spaced briquets, then add 14 briquets to the top of the lid, giving a cooking temperature of about 350 degrees in a 10-inch oven. (Use 16 total coals for an 8-inch Dutchie or 25 for a 12-incher, placing one-third of your briquets underneath and the rest on top.) Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve with butter and maple syrup.
Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas with Pickled Red Onions
Anyone with kids knows that quesadillas are a lunchtime godsend. They’re easy to prepare, quick to cook, and almost universally loved. All those factors make them a great camping lunch idea, but a plain cheese quesadilla feels like just that: kid food. We wanted to spruce up this classic, adding grown-up flavors while keeping the preparation simple. The result is this barbecue chicken quesadilla with pickled red onions.
The sweetness of the sauce plays wonderfully against the citrus brightness of the pickled red onions. Toss in some fresh cilantro and serve with a sliced avocado on the side and you have a first-rate lunch that is ready in 30 minutes.
You’re probably already a seasoned pro at making quesadillas, so why not take your craft to the next level?
- ½ small red onion
- 2 limes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup Carolina barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack or cheddar cheese
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 1 tablespoon butter
- At home (up to two days in advance), thinly slice the red onion and place in a resealable container. Add salt and the juice of two limes, shake, and refrigerate.
- At camp, heat the cooking oil in a cast-iron skillet. Pat the chicken thighs dry and salt them lightly. Now add the thighs to the heated skillet and pan-fry until brown on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on the other side until done, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and chop into bite-sized pieces. Transfer the pieces to a bowl and add the barbecue sauce (we like the tangy Carolina style) and cilantro. Drain the red onions—now pickled from the lime juice—and add half of them to the chicken mixture, reserving the rest. Toss to coat.
- Wipe out your skillet and add the butter. For each quesadilla, assemble directly in the skillet: Bottom tortilla, ¼ cup of shredded cheese, half the chicken mixture, another ¼ cup of shredded cheese, and a second tortilla. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes, then flip. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the second side is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Top with more pickled red onions and cilantro. Serve with salsa and sliced avocado.
New Orleans-Style Red Beans and Rice
Smoky, spicy, and deeply satisfying, this hearty one-pot wonder is a camp-friendly adaptation of the classic New Orleans-style red beans and rice. Traditionally served on a Monday using the leftovers from a more elaborate Sunday night dinner, red beans and rice has become a beloved tradition in its own right. We’re happy to eat it any day of the week.
Preparing this meal in one pot makes cleanup easier, but the reason Cajun cooks insist on doing it this way is because it allows the flavors to build one savory layer at a time. First you brown the andouille sausage, then sauté the holy trinity (green bell pepper, onion, and celery). Next come the spices: Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Finally, add the red beans, water, and rice, then cover and simmer until the rice is tender and the flavors well acquainted, about 20 minutes.
Each step adds another wonderful flavor to the mix, and the single pot melds it all into a complex and satisfying meal far greater than its humble parts.
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 to 3 andouille sausages
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (14 ounce) can red beans
- ½ cup white rice
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt to taste
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. If using raw andouille sausage, remove it from the casing and crumble into the pot. If using precooked sausage, cut it into half-inch slices and add to the pot. Cook over medium heat until the sausage browns slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the finely chopped green bell pepper, diced onion, and celery. Stirring frequently, cook until slightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and bay leaf, and cook for two more minutes.
- Drain and rinse the red beans and add to pot. Add the rice and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Salt to taste. Top with flat-leafed parsley, serve, and enjoy.
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