Our campout last weekend featured a Thanksgiving Feast in which everyone contributed and ate together. This was a front country campout, where we had access to dutch ovens and the trailer. Just wanted to share the menu:
Tossed Salad – From a bag mix bought at the store. Grated cheese was available along with Fritos instead of croutons and Ranch Dressing was provided.
Biscuits – From the Pillsbury Tube. Biscuits were loaded up in a dutch oven and sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese. They were cooked as per the directions on the tubes in a dutch oven using the 35 degrees per briquette rule and putting 2/3 of the briquettes on the lid and 1/3 under the oven.
Green Bean Casserole – 4 cans of drained green beans, 2 cans of cream of mushroom, 1 cup of milk, 2/3 of a can of fried onions mixed and dumped into a dutch oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes then stirred and the other 1/3 can of onions added to the top of the mixture for the last 5 minutes along with a few more coals to the lid.
Mac & Cheese – Half a pot of water was boiled over fire and then placed in a pot coozy to keep up to temperature. 2 boxes of noodles were stirred in and left sitting for 10 minutes and then drained. A stick of margarine, a cut up block of Velveeta Cheese and a cup of milk (or so) was stirred into the noodles.
Stuffing – 3 cups of water and a half stick of butter were boiled over fire and then placed in a pot coozy. Two boxes of instant stuffing was stirred in as per the directions on the box.
Mashed Potatoes – The scouts that cooked this one went off menu. They mixed the instant potato mix and water, milk, etc as per the instructions on the box, but they used cold water. They then heated the whole mix over the stove, trying to keep it from burning the whole time. It came out ok, but it would have been better IMHO if they would have used boiling water to start.
Fruit Pies – They lined the dutch oven with the instant pie shell from Pillsbury, added two cans of fruit filling and a second crust on top using a fork to poke holes to vent in the top crust. They cooked at 350 degrees per the instructions.
Turkey – This was what the Scoutmaster provided for the feast – One 13.5 lb turkey added to 3 gallons of Peanut Oil at 350 degrees in a propane Turkey Fryer. The turkey had been injected prior to cooking with creole butter out of a jar. It was cooked for 4 minutes per pound as suggested (52 minutes) but we believe that this was a little too long and it was a little dry. Maybe the weight on the bird included the neck and giblets and stuff, so we should have reduced the time by a couple of pounds? Maybe next year.
Scout Troop – Before eating, and after a prayer of thankfulness, many of us addressed what we are thankful for. I am definitely thankful for our friends and family in Scouting.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
An Hour a Week.... left over after Scouting 