Hubby and I went camping for 2 nights this week. We actually fell in love with Colorado while our kids were little and we took many Colorado camping trips. I grew up camping with my family as a kid, and Brian became a backpacker while living on the East coast and backpacked through many of the east coast mountains. Brian’s still trying to talk me into “backpacking”. He should be happy I’m not always a 5 star resort girl and will still camp in a tent and sleeping bag (with an air mattress, of course). Dry camping’s ok for a few days, but that’s about as roughing it as I’ll go, after a few days I’m in dire need of a shower!
We went to a little campground called Cottonwood Lake Campground not far from Buena Vista, Colorado. It was beautiful there, and we had a deer mosey through our campsite while we were eating dinner our first night. Cold at night, of course, since we were at 10,000 feet in elevation, but beautiful during the day.
Our family all love camping, and especially the camp food. My hubby always wants me to be simple… cereal, instant oatmeal, hot dogs on a stick, but must always have “pudgy pies”.
Know what pudgy pies are? They are a family favorite, and we NEVER go camping without having pudgy pies. They’re really just sandwiches cooked over hot coals. They’re made with metal “sandwich plates on a long metal rod with wooden handles”. Not sure if that’s the official name for them or not, but my family have been calling them that since I was a kid growing up, and our kids have called them that, and now our grandkids will too. You can make any type of “pies” out them with your favorite canned or homemade pie filling (we use canned to keep it simple). Our favorites are blueberry, apple, and as of recent, caramel apple. Growing up we used to make pizza pies out of them.
Here’s how to make them:
Fruit Pudgy Pies: You heavily grease the insides of the sandwich plates with non stick cooking spray so your “pies” don’t stick. Take 2 pieces of good white bread (no holes in the bread is important so the filling doesn’t leak through), butter the outside of the bread and sprinkle sugar on the buttered side. Place one of the buttered pieces of bread, buttered side down, on one of the sandwich plates. Spread about 1-2 Tablespoons of pie filling over the piece of bread on the sandwich plate, and top with the remaining piece of bread, buttered side up, then cover with the other sandwich plate. Place over hot coals (charcoal or wood), and cook about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove to paper plate and allow to cool a couple minutes before eating; that’s the hard part…. waiting, if you don’t wait you burn your tongue, can’t tell you how many taste buds I’ve burned off in my impatience.
Variations of Pudgy Pies:
Pizza Pudgy Pies: Butter the outside of your bread with butter only. Spread the insides of the bread with pizza sauce, line with any pizza toppings you like, such as pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, peppers, onions, ham, pineapple tidbits, and mozzarella cheese.
Grilled Cheese Pudgy Pies: Easy, just like grilled cheese at home, butter the outside of your bread with butter only. Add cheese and “toast” over the hot coals.
S’More Pudgy Pies: Butter the outside of your bread and sprinkle with sugar. Spread inside of bread with Nutella, line with mini marshmallows, sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.
You can be creative and think of your own filling. These are a MUST HAVE every time we go camping.
You can find more Pudgy Pie recipes and can order pudgy pie makers at http://www.pudgypies.com/.
Want more of Rocky Mountain Lodge & Cabins’ recipes? Check out our recipe page at our website at https://www.rockymountainlodge.com/recipes.htm
