5 Quick and Tasty Camp Iron Recipes

You may have seen a camping pie iron at a store or a neighbor’s campsite and thought, “Man, they really love grilled cheese sandwiches!”. Or maybe that was just me the first time I saw one.  I was curious enough to research them, and I’m glad I did! I was surprised by how much you can cook in a camp iron cooker.

Think of it like a miniaturized cast-iron pan. The two halves come apart at the hinge, so you could easily cook an egg, chopped-up meat, a burger, veggies, etc. in one half of the pie iron. You can be as fancy or as simple as you want! They also happen to be super affordable (here is the one we use from Coghlan). 

This handy little cooker changed the way we cook around camp. Our boys love making their own creations with these, so camp cooking has become a family affair. They are easy to use, easy to clean, and versatile in what they can do. Read on for tips on using a camp iron cooker along with some of our favorite camp iron recipes.

Tips

When choosing and using a camp iron cooker, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Material: Cast Iron vs. Aluminum

Camp cookers generally come in either cast iron or aluminum. While clean-up is easier and seasoning is not required with the non-stick finish of the aluminum cooker, I highly recommend a cast-iron cooker. Cast iron is super durable, can withstand high heat better than aluminum, and makes everything taste better.

Single or Double Cooker

We have a single and a double camp iron cooker. When our boys want to make their own food creations, we have them use the single cookers since they are lighter and easier to handle. When we want to speed things up and cook more food at once, we use the double cooker.

Pre-Season

As with all cast iron, you’ll want to season it before use. This helps prolong the life of your cooker and makes cleaning up easier. Check out this post for easy step-by-step instructions for seasoning a camp iron.

Use Butter

Butter tends to work better than cooking spray as a non-stick barrier. I found this out the hard way when multiple sandwiches got stuck to the camp iron, forcing me to scrape them off and resulting in a very mutilated grilled cheese. Butter coats better, making it easy to remove the sandwich after cooking. I have also heard that coconut oil works well, though it is generally messier.

Check Often to Prevent Burning

When first starting the cooking process, I generally check the camp iron cooker after 2-3 minutes. If the outsides of whatever I’m cooking are already turning darker brown, the cooker may be in a spot that’s too hot. If the food is lightly brown or not browning at all, I’ll leave it on for 2-3 more minutes before checking again or flipping to cook the other side.

Safety First

These irons are SUPER HOT when taken off the fire. I recommend having potholders to lay them on and open them up. I have burned myself multiple times while trying to unlatch them! Also, set some boundaries with your kiddos, especially if they prefer to use them solo or tend to be over-excited about eating.

Washing

Cast Iron is not meant to be shiny and spotless. To preserve the seasoning, you’ll want to avoid soap and wire brushes if possible. Instead, use warm water and a scrubbing sponge to remove cooking residue. Salt can also be used as a safe abrasive to scrub away tough residue. Then rinse and dry COMPLETELY before storing to avoid rust. Check out this article for more information on caring for cast iron.

Recipes

These 5 recipes are our go-to for almost every camping trip. They are ridiculously easy, fast, and don’t require pre-prep. Both of our boys are in the “easy food I can make myself” phase, and these recipes fit that requirement perfectly. I’ve included some approximate cook times, but the actual time will depend on the temperature of your fire and preference for crispiness (I prefer well-done while my husband prefers “just warm enough”). You’ll also notice that I don’t include precise measurements. That’s because I eyeball everything, just be sure not to overfill the pie iron. It should be easy to close with no ingredients oozing out before cooking.

Grilled Cheese

You can’t go wrong with a classic! I actually prefer my grilled cheese made in a camping iron (though, I prefer just about any food when made while immersed in nature!). You can make a camp iron grilled cheese as easy or complicated as you like. My boys prefer the old-school way (which I have listed below), but feel free to throw in any extra ingredients you want!

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Bread of choice (I recommend choosing a bread that fits nicely into the camp iron or cutting it to size)
• Sliced cheese of choice (we generally stick with American cheese, but cheddar, gruyere, and pepper jack are also tasty)
• Optional: Mayonnaise (if you haven’t tried it, you should!)
• Optional: Extra ingredients such as veggies, bacon, etc.

Make It:

1. Spread butter on the inside of both halves of the camp iron. You can use cooking spray or other nonstick spread, but butter works best for us.
2. Butter a piece of bread and stick it in the camp iron, butter side down (you can try it without the extra layer of butter, but we have found the extra butter helps it slide out easily).
3. Spread mayo on the bread (optional, but delicious) and add cheese and other optional ingredients.
4. Place the second piece of bread on top and butter the outside.
5. Close the camp iron and secure it with the clip. Remove any bread crusts that are sticking out of the cooker.
6. Place the camp iron over campfire or grill and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Flip the camp iron over and cook an additional 3-5 or so minutes. Carefully check the sandwich by unclipping the camp iron and checking for the preferred level of doneness.
7. Once finished, place the camp iron on a flat surface and carefully open it to remove the sandwich with tongs or a fork. Enjoy, but be careful, insides will be HOT!

Panini (Hot) Sandwich

If you’re looking to amp up your grilled cheese or prefer a hot, meaty sandwich instead, a panini is a good option. It will cook the same as a grilled cheese, with heartier ingredients. Here are some ingredient combinations that we have loved in the past:

Ingredients:

• For all Sandwiches: Butter and bread of choice
• Hot Ham and Cheese: Sourdough bread, sliced deli ham, shredded triple cheddar cheese
• Pastrami and Swiss: Wheat or Rye Bread, sliced pastrami, sliced Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and mustard
• Peanut Butter (or Nutella) and Banana: White or wheat bread, peanut butter or Nutella spread, sliced bananas

Make It:

1. Spread butter on the inside of both halves of the camp iron. You can use cooking spray or other nonstick spread, but butter works best for us.
2. Butter a piece of bread and stick it in the camp iron, butter side down (you can try it without the extra layer of butter, but we have found the extra butter helps it slide out easily).
3. Add ingredients of choice. Be careful not to overstuff or the middle ingredients may not fully heat up while the outside may burn.
4. Place the second piece of bread on top and butter the outside.
5. Close the camp iron and secure it with the clip. Remove any bread crusts that are sticking out of the cooker.
6. Place the camp iron over campfire or grill and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Flip the camp iron over and cook an additional 3-5 or so minutes. Carefully check the sandwich by unclipping the camp iron and checking for the preferred level of doneness.
7. Once finished, place the camp iron on a flat surface and carefully open it to remove the sandwich with tongs or a fork. Enjoy, but be careful, insides will be HOT!

Quesadillas

This camping-style quesadilla is a favorite for my youngest (he's 5 years old) and easy enough that he can prepare it himself (under mom or dad's watchful eyes).

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Tortillas (I prefer plain old white, but we have also used wheat and corn)
• Shredded Cheese (we generally stick with Monterey Jack, but white cheddar, mozzarella, and Mexican blend also work well)
• Optional: Pre-cooked or canned meat such as chicken or beef. Leftovers work well here!
• Optional Add-ons: Hot sauce (like chipotle Tabasco) or veggies
• Optional Sides: Salsa, sour cream, or guacamole

Make It:

1. Spread butter on the inside of both halves of the camp iron. You can use cooking spray or other nonstick spread, but butter works best for us.
2. Lay a tortilla across the cooker with an even amount of tortilla hanging off the right and left and a larger amount hanging over the top part of the cooker. This makes folding easier once the ingredients are added.
3. Add shredded cheese followed by any other ingredients you want. Top it off with more shredded cheese.
4. Flip the bottom of the tortilla up over the ingredients followed by the two sides. Then fold the top portion of the tortilla over everything.
5. Hold the folded quesadilla pocket in place with a utensil (like a fork or knife) and carefully close the camp cooker (removing the utensil before locking, of course).
6. Place the camp iron over the campfire or grill and cook for about 3-5 minutes (check for desired crispiness). Flip the camp iron over and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Carefully check the quesadilla by unclipping the camp iron and checking for the preferred doneness.
7. Once finished, place the camp iron on a flat surface, carefully open, and remove the quesadilla with tongs or a fork. Enjoy, but be careful, insides will be HOT

Pizza Pockets

Who says you can’t have pizza night while camping? And no, it doesn’t require calling it in to get it delivered to your campsite. We love creating a little assembly line with ingredients and camp irons laid out in a row so everyone can make their own pizza pocket. My kiddos call it “campsite pizza night”, and they are super easy to make!

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Tortillas (we generally go this route to cut down on the supplies we need to bring) OR pre-made pizza dough
• Pizza sauce
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Other preferred ingredients: We generally bring pepperoni, olives, and pre-cut bell peppers.

Make It:

1. Spread butter on the inside of both halves of the camp iron. You can use cooking spray or other nonstick spread, but butter works best for us.
2. If using tortillas: Lay a tortilla across the cooker with an even amount of tortilla hanging off the right and left and a larger amount hanging over the top part of the cooker. This makes folding easier once the ingredients are added.
3. If using pizza dough: stretch a square piece of dough and press it into the pie iron, working it to the edges of the cooker.
4. Add a few spoonful’s of pizza sauce and spread it around the tortilla/dough. Top it with the shredded cheese and any other ingredients you choose.
5. If using a tortilla: Flip the bottom of the tortilla up over the ingredients followed by the two sides. Then fold the top portion of the tortilla over everything. If using pizza dough: top the ingredients with a second square of pizza dough.
6. Hold the folded tortilla pizza pocket in place with a utensil (like a fork or knife) and carefully close the camp cooker (removing the utensil before locking, of course).
7. Place the camp iron over the campfire or grill and cook for about 3-5 minutes (check for desired crispiness). Flip the camp iron over and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Carefully check the pizza pocket by unclipping the camp iron and checking for the preferred doneness.
8. Once finished, place the camp iron on a flat surface, carefully open, and remove the pizza pocket with tongs or a fork. Enjoy, but be careful, insides will be HOT!

Pie

Pie while camping? You bet! This take on pie is easy, quick, and oh-so delicious. We like to switch up the flavors each time to see which ones we like the best.

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Dough of choice. I generally use Pillsbury Flaky Layers Biscuits since they separate easily into thin layers. Puff pasty dough also works well.
• Canned Pie Filling. Choose any flavor you like! We have tried and loved pumpkin, strawberry, and cherry filling.
• Optional: Cut up marshmallows to add some extra sweetness (you don’t need much or it will ooze out the sides!)
• Optional: Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top after cooking.

Make It:

1. Spread butter on the inside of both halves of the camp iron. You can use cooking spray or other nonstick spread, but butter works best for us.
2. Add a THIN layer of your dough of choice. Since the dough rises, it will ooze out the sides if you add too much! I have made this mistake… it’s not pretty!
3. Add 3-4 spoonfuls (about ½ a cup) of pie filling and top with optional marshmallows or other desired ingredients. Cover with another thin layer of dough.
4. Close the camp iron and secure it with the clip. Place the camp iron over the campfire or grill and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Flip the camp iron over and cook an additional 3-5 or so minutes. Carefully check the pie by unclipping the camp iron and checking for preferred doneness.
5. Once finished, place the camp iron on a flat surface and carefully open and remove the pie with tongs or a fork.
6. Top with optional ingredients such as cinnamon sugar and enjoy! Be careful, the inside will be HOT!

Looking for more camping recipe ideas? Check out our post on easy and delicious fall-themed camping meals.

Rebecca is a transplant Coloradoan living in Virginia with her husband (Derek) and their two boys. She’s a teacher turned freelance writer/ homeschool mom working towards exploring as much of the east coast as possible before the next move takes her family elsewhere. You can follow her family hiking, kayaking, SUPing, geocaching, camping, and all things outdoor adventuring on Instagram @frazzlednaturemom