Dangling hot dogs or marshmallows in the fire is fun, but have you ever had a pudgy pie?
These simple creations use white bread or pre-made pie dough for the crust. You’ll need a pie iron, which is a tool consisting of two interlocking concave, cast-iron plates at the end of two long handles. (The original maker of pie irons is Rome Industries, which is now based in Madison and has been producing them since 1964.)
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The pudgy pie possibilities are endless. A grilled cheese sandwich? A toasted PB&J? Wheat or rye bread instead of white? Pizza fixings or canned pie fillings?
Season the pie iron at home before use, like any cast-iron pan. Then, at your campfire, lightly oil the inside. Stack in bread or dough – or mashed potatoes, if you don’t mind using a fork – add the filling with space around the edges for the two sides of bread/dough to meet, then top with the second slice. Close and lock the iron and place it in the fire until the bread toasts and the filling heats; for bread, 2 minutes per side is a good guideline. (It’s OK to peek!) Pop them onto a plate when done. Be careful as the filling may get quite hot!
Possible Pudgies:
Breakfast: Pre-cooked sausage patties, an egg and slice of cheese in white or sourdough bread
Apple Pie: Canned apple pie filling in cinnamon-raisin bread
Pizza: Sauce and a slice of mozzarella, along with some of your favorite toppings – pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, olives, onions, etc. – in white bread.
Pudgy Reuben: Corned beef, sauer-kraut, thousand island dressing and a slice of Swiss in caraway rye bread.
Chicken Pot Pudgy Pie: Cooked and diced chicken breast, mixed canned vegetables and cream of chicken soup between two pieces of crescent roll dough.
Pudgy Burrito: Using tortillas instead of bread, add refried beans, cooked taco meat, olive slices and shredded cheddar, with salsa and sour cream on the side. (Go low and slow with the heat on this one!)
