Campfire Cooking for Thanksgiving

The entire Getaway team spent two nights at our Outpost in Virginia and celebrated Thanksgiving a little early. It’s rare that the team is all together in one place, and we got to know each other a little better while huddling and laughing under the stars. We prepared our own Friendsgiving meal over the campfire. Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Thanksgiving Recipe Main: Steve’s Turkey Recipe

What you’ll need:

• 1 12-lbs. fresh turkey
• 1 handful of sage
• 1 handful of rosemary
• Butter

To prepare:

1. Prepare a hot coal fire
2. Stuff the turkey with rosemary and sage
3. Cover the bird in butter
4. Truss turkey and mount on spit
5. Place the spit over fire
6. Cook for about 4 ½ hours, turning every 15 minutes

Thanksgiving Recipe Sides: Spinach Cheese Artichoke Dip

What you’ll need:

• 1 (10 oz) package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 oz) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ cup of mayonnaise
• 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To prepare:

1. Mix all ingredients and spread in a 10-inch Dutch oven
2. Cover with lid, place on campfire, and bake until heated through and slightly browned (pro tip: to brown the top, take hot coals and place on lid)
3. Serve with sliced French baguette and/or crackers

Thanksgiving Recipe Sides: Campfire Dutch Oven Bread

What you’ll need:

• 3 ¼ cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups warm water

To prepare:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix or knead into a soft dough
2. Place into a greased metal bowl and let rise for about an hour in a warm place
3. After it’s risen, flatten the dough a bit and form into a ball
4. Cover the dough with a greased piece of plastic wrap
5. Preheat the Dutch oven for 30 minutes over coals
6. Cut slashes into dough ball, coat Dutch oven with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, and place dough in Dutch oven on a piece of parchment paper
7. Rotate Dutch oven and lid ¼ turn every 15 minutes, adjusting coals
8. Bread is done when it reaches 200 degrees F

Thanksgiving Recipe Sides: Campfire Stuffing

What you’ll need:

• ½  lbs. of sweet sausage
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup diced celery (about 1 bunch)
• ½ cup sage, chopped
• 2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 14 oz bags of dried bread stuffing
• 1 ½ cups of chicken stock
• Salt and pepper

To prepare:

1. Preheat Dutch oven, then add sweet sausage and mix to cook
2. Add onion and cook until soft
3. Add garlic, celery, sage, thyme, and 8 tablespoons of butter
4. Cook for a few minutes, and then add dried bread stuffing, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Mix well and top with 4 tablespoons of butter
5. Cover Dutch oven and keep close to hot coals, turning every 15 minutes to cook evenly
6. When it’s crispy and crunchy on the top and sides (45 min to an hour), it’s done

Thanksgiving Recipe Sides: Truffle Mac ‘N Cheese

What you’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ lbs. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced ½-inch
• ½ lbs. cremini  mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced ½-inch
• 3 tablespoons cream sherry
• Kosher salt
• 1 lbs. pasta
• 3 oz. white truffle butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart whole milk, scalded
• 12 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated (about 4 cups)
• 8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 ½ – 3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 ½ cups fresh white breadcrumbs

To prepare:

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan
2. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes until tender
3. Add sherry, saute until absorbed, and set aside
4. Boil large pot of water, add splash of olive oil, pinch of salt, and pasta. Cook for 6-8 minutes until al dente. Drain well
5. Melt truffle butter in large (4-quart) saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring with whisk
6. Mix in hot milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with wooden spoon until white sauce is creamy
7. Take off heat and add Gruyere, cheddar, 1 ½ tablespoons of salt, pepper, and nutmeg
8. Combine pasta, sauce, and mushrooms in large bowl and pour into Dutch oven. Sprinkle breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley over top
9. Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes until sauce is bubbly and crumbs are golden brown

Thanksgiving Recipe Sides: Sweet Potato Kebabs with Maple Glaze

What you’ll need:

• 16 medium-sized sweet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 8 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

To prepare:

1. Slice potatoes into ½-inch thick rounds, tossing the ends
2. Thread the slices sideways onto metal skewers
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Mix in maple syrup and nutmeg, cooking until smooth. Set aside
4. Lightly brush each sweet potato slice on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
5. Grill potato skewers on campfire for approx. 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Brush with brown sugar glaze during the last 2 minutes of grilling

Thanksgiving Recipe Dessert: Campfire Skillet Cookie

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup milk chocolate chunks
• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

To prepare:

1. Add butter to a medium-sized skillet and place on the campfire, stirring butter begins to bubble
2. Add the sugar and brown sugar, continuing to stir until smooth and glossy
3. Take your skillet off the campfire and chill for 10-15 minutes, otherwise your eggs will scramble (as we learned the hard way)
4. Add eggs and vanilla and stir well
5. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt
6. Mix in chocolate
7. Place the lid onto the skillet and put it back onto campfire
8. Check the cookie as infrequently as possible until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center (the inside will still be gooey)
9. Remove skillet from fire and let cool and set before cutting individual pieces

We squeezed together on picnic tables covered in flowers, pumpkins, and pickles to feast on our dishes, almost all of which, as amateur camping chefs, turned out deliciously. Under the birch trees, we toasted to Getaway and to what we’re thankful for: tiny cabins in the woods, nature, and each other.

Have a simpler holiday. Take a few days with yourself or with loved ones this holiday season in a tiny cabin nestled in nature.