Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. You have been fasting all night long and now need to Break the Fast. If you skip breakfast, your body systems will be slow to turn on and stay full of energy.
I recently went to a fishing camp. The reports were about how this camp had such wonderful food in a remote setting. We were all excited for some new and old favorite ways to Break our Fasts, so we had plenty of fishing energy.
Every morning the breakfast was the same. Scrambled eggs and sausage or eggs. When we boated into the camp, I noticed 90 dozen eggs stacked in the back of the transport boat. Now I know why. They did have some bags of oatmeal and dry cereal but… It wasn’t as bad as I am writing but close.
My favorite Breakfast afield, camping, and at home is Biscuits and Gravy. This is easy to make and is so filling. Start with a pound of sausage. Use what you like or have. Dice some onions into the sausage just because. I add some Old Bay seasoning to the mix. Once the sausage is browned, add a shot glass of maple syrup. Now add 2 cups of milk and stir/whisk in a quarter cup of flour. Add a dash of nutmeg. If you enjoy spicier gravy, add some hot sauce. The sweetness of the syrup will help to tone down anything too hot. Make it as thick or thin as you like.
For the biscuits you can use bread, Bisquick drop biscuits, or make your own from scratch. English Muffins will do in a pinch, but you need a knife to cut them. You can tear the bread or muffins into pieces. To warm them up, put them in a meatal dish covered in foil atop the wood stove or.
Sausage gravy also is great on chops, meatloaf, or other dinners. If you are truly lazy, Libby’s makes Sausage Gravy in a can. It’s a bit slim on the sausage so fry sausage up and dump in the can of gravy. All of this can be made ahead of time and frozen or stored in plastic bags. You can leave the premade gravy in a sealed bag and heat in boiling water. Now you have water for dishes or washing also.
As a past Camp Cook, here is what I prepared for my hungry guests.
Biscuits and Gravy So easy and good. Extra biscuits can be used for jelly or apple butter. Make the biscuits in a Dutch Oven for best results. You can also make them ahead and heat them up on the grill. Have some Hot Sauce on the side for the spice lovers. I also add Nutmeg to my gravy.
French Toast You can use whatever bread you have. Hot dog or hamburger rolls, Melba Toast, or heels and leftovers. Soak them in a bath of eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Tasty and popular. Have syrup, jelly, honey, powdered sugar, or… on hand.
Omelets 2 hot pans can make omelets, cooked to order, in a hurry. Have everything on display and ready to load. Hot sauce or ketchup on the side.
Breakfast Sandwiches/ Burritos Bagels, English Muffins, Toast, or tortilla wraps are the perfect platform.
Quiche Yes, they will eat Quiche if you call it a Breakfast Casserole.
Eggs and… I make eggs to order. 2 pans on a Coleman work well. Take liquid eggs for egg washes, scrambled eggs. Hole eggs need to be packed properly, so they stay intact. Try cutting a hole in a slice of bread, where you can dump the raw egg. Now the fried egg is perfectly shaped and has toast attached.
Pastries Prepackage the ingredients. Cinnamon buns, coffee cake, and donut holes are fast and easy. Dutch Ovens are easy and wonderful for baking or frying.
Drinks Cowboy coffee is a must. Black is best but some powdered creamer and sugar will be available. I also offer honey. Tea is just boiled water, so I have some tea bags on hand. Juices are fine. I try to have juice powders or extracts that I can make afield. Adding some wild mint kicks them up a notch. Canned juices are easy. The big cans are cheap and durable. The cleaned can, can be used for many other camp needs. Tomato or Vegetable juices have other uses for making sauces and drinks.
Fish Fileted trout and eggs are tasty and fun. Do the prep ahead of time and it does not take long. Corn Muffins with honey on top add to the meal.
Be Creative at a hunting camp, Liver and Onions may be a breakfast request. Look for what’s available in the wild. Adding wild spices, fruits, and tubers can be a way to extend the pantry. Berries, wild plums, apples, and … can make great toppings.
Breakfast Sides Bacon, sausage, Scrapple, and potatoes will do the trick. I prefer sausage that I can form into a patty, the size that I need for a sandwich, to throw into the gravy, or use as a garnish. Bacon can be precooked and just heated or crumbled. Shredded cheese, in a few variations, add flavor. You can take small blocks of cheese to shred. This takes up less space.
If you have never tried Scrapple, check it out! Easy to fry and delicious. Great on a sandwich. Oatmeal packs and dried cereal can be on hand for those non adventurous eaters.
Presentation is key. The better it looks, the happier the campers. It does not take much to look decent. We are visual feeders. Ask the campers what they prefer and have it ready for them.
Cooking Breakfast is fun and easy.
Montana Grant
