Cooking with Cheese at the Campfire

Whether you’re camping in a tent on the beach or a cabin in the woods, you’ll be enjoying the warm glow of a toasty campfire.  More than just a hot spot to snuggle, campfires are made for cooking!  Cooking over a campfire is something that can intimidate some folks, but rest assured there is nothing to fear.  We have compiled some of our favorite recipes for all you campfire cooks out there.  Get ready to set your tastebuds ablaze with these campfire favorites with a cheesy twist!  You’ll need your grill grate, a couple cast iron pans or a skillet, steel tongs and grill gloves.  Always play it safe while cooking over an open fire.

 

Bring Minnesota with You!

 

No matter where you are, you can always keep Minnesota with you through food.  One way is to cook the infamous Jucy Lucy.  The Jucy (or Juicy) Lucy is a burger style unique to Minnesota.  It was created in South Minneapolis, but there has been a longtime dispute whether it started at Matt’s Bar or the 5-8 Club.  We don’t pick a side in this heated debate, but we do honor the Minneapolis-born burger by cooking it on a campfire.  Though any of the Caves of Faribault cheeses will work, the OG Jucy Lucy is known for an oozy, molten hot, orange center so we use our Fini Cheddar.  The burger itself is super simple.  For each 6-8oz burger, you will make two patties.  Each patty will be about ¼ inch thick in size and stuffed between them will be about 1 oz of cheese.  Make sure you are tightly sealing the two patties together so the cheese in between is nice and snug!  Then grill to your preferred doneness.  Warning: take the advice of both Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club and let the burger rest at least a couple minutes before biting into it.  No need to burn your tongue out there in the wilderness.

 

 

Hot Diggity Dog(s)!

 

Nothing is easier than grilling up some hotdogs over a campfire.  Just because you are cooking outside does not mean you have to skimp on the toppings.  In fact, we encourage you to go bold!  One of our favorites is a celery slaw and Blue cheese combo.  Bon Appétit has an amazing recipe for Celery Slaw.  With only five ingredients, this slaw can be made on site or prepared ahead of time.  All you have to do is grill up a dog, pop it on a bun, top with the celery slaw and then finish with some crumbled AmaBlu.  Easy peasy!

 

 

Comfort Classics     

 

A warm campfire is cozy and comforting, and we think the food you eat around it should be just as cozy and comforting.  Enter Campfire Mac & Cheese.  We love this recipe from Nellie Bellie!  We used Fini, St. Mary’s Gouda and then subbed in Jeffs’ Select for the Parm in the recipe.  We also added 1-2 tbs of mustard powder because, why not?  In the last couple minutes of cooking, we suggest crumbling up some potato chips or pretzels you may have on hand for a delicious crunchy bite in this decadently creamy dish.  This definitely is something that should be made prior to departing for your campsite since clean-up and prep time can be time consuming, but you can warm it up over the campfire when you’re hungry! 

 

 

Save the Best for Last

 

No camping trip would be complete without s’mores.  The time-honored tradition of roasting marshmallows on a fire and then smashing them between graham crackers and chocolate is a must for any camper!  But, we like to get a little fancy here at Caves of Faribault.  We suggest jazzing these up just a bit with…hear us out…Blue cheese!  We all know Blue cheese and dark chocolate are a winning combo, so we suggest adding some crumbled Felix, our natural-rind Blue cheese.  Put the chocolate on one side of the melty marshmallow and the Blue cheese on the other and smash together with honey graham crackers.  Want to get even fancier?  Buy some high-end marshmallows like the North Mallows from Minnesota.  Using the caramel-flavored mallow will definitely level up this dessert!  Blue cheese for dessert not your thing?  No worries!  Sub in some thinly shaved Jeffs’ Select Gouda for an extra-caramely flavor!

 

We hope we’ve persuaded you to pack up the RV and head for your favorite camping spot to get cooking with cheese over the campfire!