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- University of South Carolina
Laura Moss is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience writing about science, nature, culture, and the environment.
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Updated May 31, 2017
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__mnn__images__2011__06__main_12-885d7b3f659a4669b5e9ca9424d0c47c.jpg "Gourmet Backpacking Breakfast Recipes (1)")
If thoughts of instant coffee and soggy oatmeal make you want to crawl back into your sleeping bag, it's time to rethink the typical backpacking breakfast. Just because you're roughing it, doesn't mean you have to skip the French toast and eggs! With just a little bit of preparation, you can whip up scrumptious morning meals that you'll want to get out of the tent for.
1
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Campfire French Toast
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Whip up this tasty breakfast in minutes over a campfire or your camp stove.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 1
Campfire French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 bread slices
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- powdered sugar
- maple syrup
Mix egg and cinnamon in bowl and cover bread with mixture. Place bread in frying pan over campfire or camp stove and fry until golden brown. Top with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
2
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Blueberry Almond Quinoa
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You can make this nutritious dish a little greener by picking fresh berries along the trail.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 1
Blueberry Almond Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup cooked and dehydrated quinoa
- 2 tablespoons dried blueberries
- 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk
- 1 teaspoonsugar
- At home: Mix all the ingredients in a bag.
- On the trail: Add enough hot water to cover dry ingredients. Stir and then let sit for 5 minutes or until cereal is rehydrated.
Courtesy ofonepanwonders.com
3
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Backcountry Biscuits
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Add some excitement to your morning with this simple twist on your typical breakfast biscuit.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 3
Backcountry Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons dried blueberries
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup water
- Any additional ingredients: butter, jam, honey, etc.
- At home: Mix the dry ingredients together in a bag.
- On the trail: Find a tree limb about 3/4 inches in diameter and remove the bark from three inches of one end. Add water to your bag of dry ingredients and mix into stiff dough. Form the dough around the bark-less end of the stick to make a make a “biscuit” that’s about 3 inches long and an inch thick. Toast the dough over the campfire until golden brown. Carefully remove the biscuit from the limb and fill the cavity with honey, jam or anything other ingredient you like.
4
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Apricot Hazelnut Oatmeal
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Start your morning off right with this sweet oatmeal recipe that’s perfect for those chilly mountain mornings.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
Apricot Hazelnut Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 packet plain instant oatmeal
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk
- 3 dried apricots, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon hazelnuts, chopped
- At home: Combine everything in a locking plastic bag or container.
- On the trail: Add 2/3 cup of boiling water to oatmeal. (Add more water if you like a thinner cereal.)
Courtesy of onepanwonders.com
5
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Easy Omelet
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Think omelets are too complicated to make on the trail? Think again.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 1
Easy Omelet
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- Omelet toppings: cheese, chopped vegetables, spices, etc.
- At home: Chop vegetables and pack any toppings you’ll be adding to your omelet.
- On the trail: Crack eggs into locking plastic freezer bag and add any additional ingredients. Close bag and knead contents until thoroughly mixed. Carefully place bag into pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove from water, unzip bag, and slide omelet onto a plate.
6
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Snickerdoodle Coffee
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Become a backcountry barista with this simple and delectable coffee mix.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 1
Snickerdoodle Coffee Mix
Ingredients
- 1/2 sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered milk
- 1/4 cup powdered nondairy creamer
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee
- 1/4 teaspoonallspice
- 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
- At home: Combine all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
- On the trail: Add 3 tablespoons of mixture to 3/4 cup boiling water and stir.
Courtesy of onepanwonders.com
7
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Campfire Eggs
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It’s the simplicity of this breakfast that makes it such a treat.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 1
Campfire Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 2 eggs
- Dash salt and pepper
Cut the orange in half and eat the fruit, leaving two orange peel “bowls.” Crack one egg into each half of the orange and salt and pepper to taste. Carefully place the “bowls” on the edge of the campfire and cook for about 5 minutes, rotating the oranges with sticks as needed. Then eat your eggs right from the orange!
8
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Hobo Hashbrowns
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There’s nothing like hot, fresh hashbrowns to get your morning started off right.
5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 1
Hobo Hashbrowns Ingredients
- 1 potato
- 1/8 cup chopped onion
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- salt and pepper
- ketchup
Chop up potato and onion and place in center of tinfoil. Salt and pepper to taste and add rosemary. Wrap contents tightly in tinfoil and place on hot coals. Let cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes have softened. Add a little ketchup and dig in!
