With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we at Outward Bound wanted to add some excitement to the traditional Thanksgiving meal. For those adventurous spirits who want to get outside, why not invite your family and friends to a backcountry feast?

From location to recipes to practicing the principles of Leave No Trace, follow our Outward Bound Backcountry Thanksgiving Guide for a holiday you will never forget.

Divide and Conquer

One of the first steps to a backcountry Thanksgiving is to plan your menu. To do this, you must first figure out how many people will be attending and if they have any dietary restrictions. Once these details are figured out, the fun part begins. Depending on how many guests you have, split the menu up between the group and have each person in charge of cooking a specific dish. If your group is ready to join you on this outdoor adventure, they will no doubt be excited to show off their cooking skills in the wilderness. In addition, this will give each person a sense of purpose and accomplishment that will add to the holiday cheer. This is similar to a classic Outward Bound course, where students take turns cooking for the day; learning self-reliance, confidence and technical skills.

Create Your Outdoor Kitchen

Through the thousands of courses Outward Bound has embarked on, we know the importance of finding a good campsite. Whether your Thanksgiving dinner will be a daytime only event or an overnight camping trip, there are a few rules to follow when selecting a good location in the wilderness. For the purpose of cooking, the first step is to find a site that allows for campfires. Once you are in a fire-safe area, select the most level site possible. Watch out for anthills and bird’s nests, taking care not to disturb nature. Try to select a site at least 200 feet from water so to preserve the vegetation and allow for animals to get a drink without intimidation. If you are camping outdoors overnight, set up your kitchen at least 200 feet downwind from your sleeping area. If necessary, store food in bear canisters or up in bear hangs.

Pots and Pans and Forks and Things

Packing for backcountry cooking can be as simple as taking a single canister stove, to bringing an entire kitchen setup. On most Outward Bound courses, crews are able to make full meals for weeks on end with the simple setup of two Whisperlite stoves, pots, and pans. For the purpose of our backcountry Thanksgiving recipes, you will need the following:

• Dutch Oven
• Foil
• Utensils, plates, and bowls
• Meat thermometer
• Ability to make a campfire with good coals
• Wood
• Camp stove
• Fry pan
• 3-quart pot
• Cheesecloth
• Strainer (used for cleanup)

Backcountry Thanksgiving Recipes

Side Dishes:

Blanched Greens Salad with Lemon and Honey Dressing

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups kale leaves, without the stem
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 orange
• Salt for boiling water

Instructions:

1. Boil slightly salted water in a pot.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, whisk together the lemon juice and the honey in a bowl.
3. Once the water begins boiling, blanch the veggies in the water for no more than one minute. Drain well.
4. Put your blanched veggies in the bowl with the lemon juice and honey.
5. Zest the orange over the veggies.
6. Toss all the ingredients together and serve.

(recipe via campingroadtrip.com)

Pumpkin Hot Pot

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large pumpkin
• 1 bag of breadcrumbs
• 1 cup each of dried cranberries, raisins, and chopped walnuts
• 1 cup chopped apples or pears
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup orange juice

Instructions:

1. Cut the top off the pumpkin and scrape out the insides and seeds.
2. Throw in the rest of the ingredients. Put the top back on the pumpkin.
3. Wrap the outside of the pumpkin in aluminum foil and place it directly in the fire.
4. Stir occasionally and remove from fire when the pumpkin is soft enough to scoop out. Serve in bowls.

(recipe via wilderness.org)

Campfire Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1-2 tablespoons chipotles in adobo, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into fourths
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Wrap raw whole sweet potatoes in aluminum foil, and place them in your campfire, near the embers. Turn every 5 minutes until tender all the way through.
2. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, chipotles in adobo, and brown sugar. Mix together well.
3. Remove sweet potatoes from the fire and unwrap. Slice open longways and add one of the butter quarters to each sweet potato.
4. Add a quarter of the sour cream mixture to each sweet potato and mix in with the flesh. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(Recipe via www.dirtygourmet.com)

Quick Corn Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yields 1 (10.5 inch) round loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 2 tbsp honey or brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients
2. Add water, stirring just enough to moisten batter evenly
3. stir in honey or brown sugar
4. Pour the batter into a greased and flowered frying pan. Bake for about 20 minutes on the stove top. TIP: Rotate your pan 90 degrees every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.

(Recipe via Outward Bound Backcountry Cooking)

Dandelion Fritters

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yields 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup dried milk rehydrated to make 1 cup
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• Dandelion flowers
• Vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp egg powder rehydrated with equal amount of water
• Toppings: honey, maple syrup, sugar, or savory sauces like mustard

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, rehydrated milk and eggs in a bowl until smooth
2. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat
3. Dip flowers in batter and twirl until covered. Drop one by one into the skillet, flower side down, until the pan is filled with flowers. Cook until golden brown; flip flowers and brown on the other side.
4. Remove from pan and drain off extra oil on a paper towel
5. Dip in topping and enjoy!

(Recipe via Outward Bound Backcountry Cooking)

Stuffing Packets

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 box of stuffing
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine

Instructions:

1. Mix together box stuffing, water and butter
2. form mixture into six balls, place each ball on a sheet of tinfoil and wrap in a tent pack.
3. Place in fire to cook for 10-15 minutes
4. Remove from fire and serve!

Main Dish:

Option One: Campfire Turkey

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours (or one hour for every 4 lbs of turkey; adjust accordingly)
Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 12-14 lbs turkey
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Pre-cooked turkey stuffing

Instructions:

1. Prepare your fire pit. Dump enough coals to fill the fire pit in your campfire. Make sure the pit is big enough for the turkey, with an inch or two of breathing space.
2. Clean your turkey.
3. In a small bowl, mix rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper thoroughly. Rub this seasoning mix on the turkey.
4.  Rub the turkey’s skin with oil until its outside is completely coated.
5. Stuff the bird with your pre-cooked turkey stuffing.
6. Wrap the bird in cheesecloth, and then with three or four layers of aluminum foil.
7. Line the bottom of your fire pit two inches with coal. Make sure you fill the entire bottom.
8. Place the bird atop the coals, then dump the rest of the coals over the turkey until the bird is completely covered.

(recipe via campingroadtrip.com)

Option Two: Thanksgiving Dinner in a Dutch Oven 

Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pound(s) cooked sliced turkey, shredded
• 1 can cut green beans, drained
• 1/2 can whole baby carrots
• 2 jars turkey gravy
• 2 boxes cornbread stuffing
• 1/4 cup butter

Instructions:

1. Before leaving for camping, cook a small turkey and shred.
2. Butter the bottom and sides of the dutch oven. Pour green beans in first. Add carrots on top. Layer the shredded turkey on top of carrots and green beans. Pour gravy over the two layers. Mix cornbread stuffing according to package directions, add on top of the ingredients and press down to cover the layers in dutch oven. Cut any remaining butter into pats and place on top of stuffing mix.
3.  Place over hot coals and shovel some coals on top of the dutch oven. Allow to cook for 20 – 30 minutes until hot and bubbly and the stuffing has browned on top.

(recipe via 50Campfires.com)

Desserts:

Dutch Oven Pumpkin Pie

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50-55 minutes
Yields 12″ pie (when using a 12in dutch oven)

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 pats of butter (8 tablespoons)
• I package yellow cake mix

Instructions:

1. Line dutch oven with tin foil
2. Combine all ingredients minus the butter and cake mix in a large bowl. Pour into dutch oven.
3. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the mixture
4. Drop pats of butter on top
5.  Bake at 350F (6 charcoals under the bottom of dutch oven (Be sure they are in a circle on the outer edge) and 18 on top of dutch oven lid (around the entire edge of the lid) for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden.

(Recipe via KOA.com)

Campfire Apples

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 apples
• Raisins
• Nuts
• 6 pats of butter
• Cinnamon sugar

Instructions:

1. Cut out the core of each apple
2. Fill the space in each apple with 1 pat of butter, raisins, nuts, and cinnamon sugar
3. Wrap each apple individually in aluminum foil
4. Place apples on coals at the outer edge of the campfire, rotating occasionally. Let cook for 20-30 minutes
5. Unwrap and enjoy!

(recipe via wilderness.org)

Drinks:

Pima Pinole

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/c cup cornmeal
• 4 cups milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a skillet, stir cornmeal constantly over high heat until it browns
2. Remove from heat, add sugar and cinnamon
3. Slowly heat milk to a hot but drinkable temperature
4. Add a few tablespoons into milk (however much you desire) and enjoy!

(Recipe via the Colorado Outward Bound Columbine Cookbook)

Sweet Apple Cider

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 jug apple cider
• 1 orange peel
• 4-5 whole cloves
• 4-5 cinnamon sticks
• 4-6 tbsp sugar, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Place orange peel, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a cheesecloth tied in a knot.
2. Pour apple cider in a medium-sized pot and drop in the cheesecloth.
3. Bring to a low boil over the campfire or camp stove and reduce heat.
4. Stir in sugar to taste.
5. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to develop.
6. Carefully remove the cheesecloth and serve.

(Recipe via campinglife.com)

Clean First, Nap Later

After your Thanksgiving meal is over, the inevitable sleepiness will begin to set in. Before you succumb to your post-meal nap, follow these steps to ensure a proper cleanup:

1. Scrape all excess food into a plastic bag.
2. Once you’ve scraped your dishes as well as possible, add hot water to help loosen any resistant food particles.
3. Use your hands, sand, or gravel to scrub pots clean. TIP: Put a handful of small pebbles into the bottom of your pot with some water and slosh the mixture around for a few minutes. 
   

   Use pebbles to loosen food particles

4. Pour your wastewater through a strainer to catch remaining food particles. Make sure to catch the wastewater in another pot.
5. Discard of your wastewater safely. Ask local land mangers for best practices in the area.
6. Sterilize your dishes with boiling water and then leave them out to air dry.
7. Bag up your trash and leftover food, and pack it out.

Overall, remember to follow the seven basic principles of Leave No Trace:

Pro-Tip: After the clean up is done, set up a hammock for the best post-Thanksgiving nap ever.

Give Thanks

As you sit down for your meal in the wilderness, look around you. Go around the group and say what you are most thankful for in that moment. Whether it is spending time with your family and friends on this outdoor adventure, the perfectly cooked food that sits on your plate, or the sheer ability we have to explore the wilderness, remember to make the most out of the experience. Because just like an Outward Bound expedition, the memories of your backcountry Thanksgiving are sure to last a lifetime.

Do you have any backcountry recipes of your own? Leave them in the comments below!

To learn more about Outward Bound and the expeditions we offer, visit: www.outwardbound.org