“I can’t turn water into wine, but I can turn pizza into breakfast.” -Unknown
We love pizza and are always searching for great places to enjoy one of our favorite foods when we travel. This passion extends to our camping trips but when we go camping, I prefer to make my own and as the meal planner and primary cook, I insist that our meals are simple, fun, and delicious. With this recipe, I think I found a great option!
The Pie Iron
I find inspiration for camping meals from YouTube camping families as well as bloggers that I come across so, if you are seeking the same kind of inspiration, be assured that there are endless ideas out there with just a little research. One of our favorite YouTubers, A+K Adventures, (AKA, Adam and Katherine) used a pie iron during one of their vlogs and they made it looks fun, easy, and delicious, meeting all of my requirements! To follow Adam and Katherine’s inspiration, I needed a pie iron.
As I started to shop, I discovered that pie irons come in different configurations and I quickly chose a double pie iron so I could make two sandwiches at a time meaning that my husband and I could eat together. The one I purchased is a heavy gauge cast iron and it conducts heat well. It also has a clip mid-way along the handle to secure the pie iron closed during cooking which is a very helpful feature that I would highly recommend. I easily found an endless array of pie irons on Amazon (of course) so I’m sure that finding the right one for your family will be easy and having it delivered to your doorstep quickly.
The best part about pie irons is that you can make all types of meals and desserts with them. Searching on Pinterest, I found endless recipes that I can use my pie iron to make. I know it will be great fun!
TIP: I used aluminum foil sheets on both sides of our sandwiches. I did this to prevent sticking and to limit any mess both in our iron and to limit any leakage that might have been an issue since we used our Solo Stove instead of an open fire. The foil made for no clean-up, a HUGE plus.
WARNING: Pie irons can be heavy and very hot so an adult should manage the iron during and after cooking. I don’t mean to state the obvious but be sure to remember that the pie iron will be VERY HOT as you finish cooking. I mention it because I did not have a sturdy hot pad or oven mitt so this is a lesson I don’t want you to have to learn the hard way! The pie iron itself will be very hot but remember that so will the rods that support the iron and the clip that keeps the iron closed, if your iron has one. To prevent a burn, helpful tools to have on hand would include heavy-duty oven mitts to help in handling the iron and tongs to peel back the foil and remove your sandwiches. Little hands shouldn’t be helpful at this stage and everyone should be mindful that the iron will be hot for some time after coming out of the fire. Also, some cooling time is a good idea before taking a bite of your pizza sandwiches. Coming right out of the iron, the sandwiches will be very hot.
Our Campfire Pizza Sandwiches
There are only a few ingredients needed for a campfire pizza sandwich. As our “crust,” we chose English Muffins but sliced bread could be a great base as well. The English Muffins held the pizza toppings we chose well and it came out crispy and crunchy.
As pizza lovers, we are always experimenting with different types of pizza at home. We have yet to find a jarred pizza sauce that we like so I made my own and put serving sizes into the freezer. This made our camping trip a breeze and as tasty as our homemade pizza. If you don’t have time to make your own, store-bought sauce is an easy, portable option so all you have to do is grab your favorite.
Toppings for a pizza sandwich can be as varied as any traditional pizza that you love. What are your favorite toppings? Pepperoni, onions, peppers, sausage, cheese, and so on! My only caution would be to go conservatively at first! When using a pie iron, you will need to be sure that your pizza sandwich will fit!
Assembly is a breeze and if you have kids, getting them involved in this step makes this meal a family affair.
Upper Right: open the English Muffin and spread your sauce.
Lower Left: Add your cheese.
Lower Right: Add your toppings.
Whether you make this recipe on a camping trip or try it over the fire pit in your backyard, I hope it is yummy fun for the whole gang!
Enjoy!
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