The campfire is a staple of camping. However, what you cook over a campfire is up to you. Until last year, I kept to only roasting hotdogs and s’mores over the campfire.This became very boring and routine. This is why I decided that it was time to challenge myself beyond the basics. I began to experiment with cooking over the campfire. Let me tell you, they were not always successes! There have been charred burgers and uncooked potatoes as evidence of this. However, despite those failures, I refused to give up! Overtime it has become much easier. And it will for you as well as long as your willing to experiment and get adventurous!
While experimenting, I decided to try to make quesadillas over the campfire grate. I was so nervous about how it would turn out. We would be dispersed camping in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, I brought extra lunch meat and bread because of my uncertainty.
Here is how I prepped for making the quesadillas. I diced up a bell pepper and onion. I shredded up rotisserie chicken meat. I had pre-shredded cheese, red pepper flakes for seasoning, and tortillas. I brought olive oil spray for both sides of the quesadilla to make the tortilla nice and crispy.
Then the night came to test out this experiment. I was a bundle of nerves! Would it actually taste good? Or would we be eating sandwiches that night? We got a very nice fire going and let it burn down enough to put the grate over the fire. Side note, it is key to let the fire burn down before trying to cook. If you don’t allow time for this, it will be too hot and everything will burn. Once the fire was ready, we prepared the quesadillas. We sprayed both sides and placed them on the fire grate. And then the most amazing thing happened-they turned out incredible! It’s the best quesadilla I have ever had. The smoky flavor was unmatched.
I wanted to share this with you as inspiration. When it comes to campfire foods, move beyond hotdogs and s’mores. Get inventive. Allow room for failure. And in experimenting, I hope that you will find the best recipes and make the best memories!
