Pie Irons are very handy for campfire cooking. You can make many different easy to prepare dishes with pie irons. Read on to discover how to choose and use pie irons for your next camping trip.
How to Choose Pie Irons for Campfire Cooking
Pie Irons can be found in both cast iron and aluminum. Each type has its pros and cons. Let’s take a look at aluminum pie irons.
Aluminum pie irons are lightweight, making them much easier to store and use. Some aluminum pie irons also come Teflon-coated which makes for an easier clean up. However, aluminum pie irons won’t last as long as cast iron and they may warp if placed directly into hot coals over the campfire.
Cast iron pie irons are wonderful for campfire cooking. They won’t warp or melt in the hot coals and they will stand the test of time. Cast iron pie irons also distribute heat much more evenly than aluminum pie irons. The only drawback to cast iron pie irons is the weight. It can be difficult to hold them over the campfire for an extended period. However, you can usually overcome this by taking turns or setting up a system to suspend the pie irons over the campfire.
Pie irons also come in many different shapes – rounded edge, square and some even pose as waffle makers. Choose the shape that’s right for you. When you’re campfire cooking, will you want to make waffles, sandwiches, fruit pies? The answer to this question will help you determine which shape pie irons you will choose. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll want to buy every shape you can!
How to Use Pie Irons for Campfire Cooking
Pie Irons are very easy to use, making them a favorite when it comes to campfire cooking. Even children can get involved with campfire cooking if you have a few pie irons available.
For making sandwiches with your pie irons, all you need to do is place one slice of bread on the bottom side of the pie iron. Make sure to butter the side of the bread that will be touching the metal of the pie iron. Then, put your fillings on the bread (cheese, meat, etc.). Place the other piece of buttered bread on top and close the pie iron. Toast over the campfire for 5 minutes or so and you’ve got a delicious grilled sandwich.
For making fruit pies with pie irons, instead of filling the buttered bread with cheese or meat, use a canned pie filling or fruit preserves. This will make a delicious fried pie in just a few minutes over the campfire.
If you have waffle pie irons, all you need to do is pour in the waffle batter and cook over the campfire for five minutes or so. Make sure to grease the top and bottom of your pie irons if you aren’t using cast iron or Teflon-coated.
You can also make things like cornbread with your pie irons. Just add the cornbread batter to pie iron, clamp shut and cook over the campfire until it’s done.
Campfire Cooking Recipes for Pie Irons
Below are some easy to prepare campfire cooking recipes you can use with your pie irons. All of these have been tested and work great. Feel free to modify them or create your own campfire cooking recipes.
Campfire Cooking Recipes for Pie Irons – BLT
Fill buttered bread with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Add cheese if you like. Make sure you cook the bacon first. Toast the sandwich over the campfire until thoroughly heated.
Campfire Cooking Recipes for Pie Irons – Tuna Melt
Fill buttered bread with tuna fish, cheese, mayo, pickles, onions and tomato. Toast over the campfire until thoroughly heated.
Campfire Cooking Recipes for Pie Irons – Breakfast Sandwich
Fill buttered bread with a fried egg or two, bacon or sausage and cheese. Make sure you cook the bacon or sausage first. Toast the sandwich over the campfire until thoroughly heated.
Campfire Cooking Recipes for Pie Irons – Fried or Scrambled Eggs
You can also use pie irons to cook fried or scrambled eggs, making the preparation of the breakfast sandwich above even easier. For making fried eggs in pie irons, simply leave the iron in an open position and fry the egg over the fire. For scrambled eggs, add the eggs to the pie iron and close, holding over the campfire until eggs are done. Try adding cheese or veggies to the scrambled eggs.
These are some simple campfire cooking recipes for pie irons to get you started. If you use your imagination you can come up with all sorts of ideas for using pie irons. They’ve become indispensable on our family camping trips.
