Camp Cooking: Camp Stove Shepherd's Pie

A lot of people have been asking me how we eat when we're working in the back country. Well despite what you may think, our diet does not just consist of freeze dry and jet boil (thank god!) nor do we depend only on our hunter-gatherer skills (which are, unfortunate, at best).

So rather than document my eventual self-poisoning from dicey mushroom foraging, I thought I'd share some of the recipes that I come up with over the summer.

I have three rules: one, the ingredients must be light in weight and as compact as possible (remember that 10 km hike in?), the recipe must use at most two pots, and must be made using either a stove top or a bbq (yay for no oven!).

First, a disclaimer: I am not under the false impression that this is back country food. We are working with much more than a jet boil and have access to propane stove tops and cast iron pan. That being said, these recipes can be easily used for front country camp cooking that is quick and delicious.

So without further adieu: Camp Stove Shepherd's Pie

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Camp Stove Shepherd's Pie

Cooktime: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp minced garlic (I use Derlea pre-minced and was pleasantly surprised)

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup water

500 g package of ground beef

2 packages of Instant Mash Potatoes (I know, gasp, but it is so much lighter than carrying potatoes and suprisingly delicious)

2 cups frozen mix vegetable

2 tbsp steak spice (we bought the Coghlans Multi Grill Spice from Surplus Herby's and it is a life-saver!)

1 egg

Sriracha to taste.

Let's Get Cooking

1. With a cast-iron pan or other camping pan on medium on propane stove or carefully over the fire, add 1 tbsp of canola oil and add the garlic. Cook for 5 seconds, then add 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add ground beef and break up around the pan - add more water if need be. Cook 7-10 minute or until it is no longer pink.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the mash potatoes according to directions. I used Betty Crocker which called for butter and cream but, because we're in the middle of no where and cream is the last thing that I'm packing in 10 kms, I just used water and canola oil and it was still pretty yummy. Once prepared, set aside.

4. Once ground beef/tomato mix has cooked, add your steak spice, sriracha, frozen vegetables and mix through. Remove from heat and add one egg (this is a good trick that I learned to thicken sauces without having to drag in flour and risk that exploding in your bag). Mix thoroughly and replace back on the heat.

5. Once vegetables are defrosted and mixture is saucey but not dry, remove from stove top and spread mash potatoes over top.

6. Cover cast-iron pan with foil or lid, turn heat down to low, and let cook dutch-oven style for 10 minutes (keep a close eye and ear on this - if you're hearing that dry popping sound, turn down the heat or remove for a few seconds)

7. After 10 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes - this is a super important step with any casserole style recipe as it gives the pie time to cool and form together. This is usually the step that people forget to do and always end up with a big mushy pile of pie. Once rested, dish up and enjoy this little (or big!) piece of comfort in the bush mhmmmm.

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