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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: BWCA Food and Recipes :: First night meals
 
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Bwoods
12/29/2012 11:31PM
 
I have always do something with fresh meat and veggies on the first night. I have done Indian marinated chicken and pork kabobs with naan and a yogurt dipping sauce. I pre-marinated, vacuum sealed, and froze the meat chunks. The yogurt sauce was premixed in a small container, and the naan was vacuum sealed. It all worked well cooked over the fire but a bit messy loading up the skewers.

On a solo trip I did carmelized onions and mushrooms with baconage (sausage with bacon in it). I precooked the onions and mushrooms, then vacuum sealed and froze them. The sausage was frozen and vacuum sealed as well. Everything cooked up in a fry bake oven over the fire and then topped with some cheese.


 
jb in the wild
12/29/2012 11:57AM
 
Steak, baked potato, fried onions and green pepper a touch of garlic.
Now you know why I ballooned up to 280 lbs.


JB
 
billconner
12/29/2012 01:19PM
 
On the trips we take a "first night" meal that is unique from rest, steaks, hard rolls, and roasted corn on the cob. I use my collapsible bucket to soak corn all day except portages. No utensils or plates or much of anything required with steak in the hard roll. I have been considering brats from Zups as a slightly simpler alternative and because I've heard they are so good, but then I'd need fresh chopped onion.


 
msnature
02/04/2013 08:16PM
 
As good as those steaks may be on the first night my absolute favorite is putting Hebrew National hot dogs and chili in a foodsaver pouch, boil and eat with chopped onions and shredded cheddar on a fluffy soft hotdog bun - Heaven!
 
MGD
01/23/2013 07:25PM
 
On our last trip, we also did the steak and potatoes/onions routine, which was great.

Later in the trip, we did pizza. Bought a 3-pack of premade crusts (think Boboli) that included a small packet of sauce; brought along a small package of pepperoni (which doesn't need to be refrigerated); and a block of cheese, which we left in its wrapping and buried at the bottom of the food bag, so it was out of the sun.


When the time came, we simply put the sauce and pepperoni on the crusts, sliced the cheese thin and placed it on top, cooked it over the coals on the fire grate. It was very good, a nice break from fish every meal.


 
OldGreyGoose
01/26/2013 01:56PM
 
I wonder what an old Voyageur -- whose diet was pemmican, peas, beans, biscuits and salt pork -- would think of this thread? Naan, yogurt, fajitas, corn-on-the-cob? How far we have come. Or have we? --Goose
 
fitgers1
01/12/2013 02:54AM
 
Usually the first night is always rib eyes with sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers and mashed or baked potatoes. Bring the steaks frozen from home.

 
KevinL
12/29/2012 12:39PM
 

It's usually rib eyes for us the first night out. I marinate them at home and then vacuum seal them and wrap them in newspaper and throw them in the freezer.

I do like to take a piece of aluminum foil and spray it with pam at home then fold it up. Find it easier to cook on the fire grate this way.

 
rbevars
12/28/2012 10:44AM
 
So I am normally a freeze dried meal kinda guy for the majority of my trip. When the fishing is good I will add that to the menu. However, I read all these posts of elaborate meals eaten on the first night of the trip; steaks and pizza and all sorts of culinary fare. I usually push hard and go far on my first day in and would like to reward myself with a decent to exceptional meal.

What are your favorites that you bring in on your trip and how do you transport/cook them? I would love to hear your stories, recipes and ideas! Thanks!
 
Spartan2
12/28/2012 02:53PM
 
We have traditionally had steak and oranges for our first night meal. Big navel oranges, and nice boneless steaks. We buy the steaks either pre-frozen (you can get them at Zup's in Ely) or if we have the resources available we will wrap them and freeze them the night before, so that they are thawing during our first day. Frozen in plastic wrap, wrapped in paper, and packed in a Zip-Lock freezer bag in the food pack, or now we have a bear barrel. (We do not take a cooler of any kind.)





 
rbevars
12/28/2012 02:57PM
 
Thanks TB! That looks like the ONLY way to cap off the first night! Thanks for the link to the old thread as well!
 
TuscaroraBorealis
12/28/2012 12:02PM
 
Fresh meat of some sort....usually ribeyes. Supplemented with some variety of REAL potatoes (the wife insists on this) :) usually sliced up & cooked with onions then topped with cheese. Often a muffin cake for desert.


old thread
 
jeepgirl
01/01/2013 10:48AM
 
I like taking the Jack Daniel's pulled pork pouches. Freeze them and wrap them in news paper. We make the sweet potato cornbread from Cache Lake and put the pulled pork on top. With some grated cheddar cheese.
I have also made fajitas. Make the seasoned chicken and veggie mix at home. Vacuum seal it and freeze it. In camp we build a fire, and warm up the tortilla's on foil over the fire. Add the chicken mix and cheese. I bring a little tub of salsa as that's all we like with our fajitas. Oh and I bring a small bag of tortilla chips, extra salsa, and some tequila.
 
PompousPilot1
01/02/2013 10:38AM
 
quote TuscaroraBorealis: "Fresh meat of some sort....usually ribeyes. Supplemented with some variety of REAL potatoes (the wife insists on this) :) usually sliced up & cooked with onions then topped with cheese. Often a muffin cake for desert.



old thread "



That steak looks pretty damn good!
 
mrcanoe
02/07/2013 08:25PM
 

August 20 2008, Daria's Birthday and mine too. Her fiance cooked up Paella with saffron rice, veggies, shrimp, mussels, chorizo sausage and lagostinas. Delish.

 
buz
01/24/2013 08:43AM
 
We have done fajitas instead of the usual steak. Precook chicken/beef as you want at home, slice, freeze. Make up spice kit, put in baggie. Bring in fresh onions, peppers, slice up, saute, add meat and spices, done. Tortillas and whatever toppings you want, cheese, Taco Bell salsa packs, good eats. Simpler than the steak thing if you have a hard 1st day traveling. Steaks hard to beat thou.
 
overthehill
01/02/2013 07:48PM
 
My favorite is steak, shrimp, asparagus, mashed potatoes since Mr. Barley posted his picture a few years ago. (We subsituted shrimp for the lobster tails).
 
Chicagored
01/05/2013 11:24AM
 
For me, its always steaks, either venison or ribeye, with mashed potatoes and grilled onions. I marinate and freeze the steaks in advance and wrap them in newspaper and vacuum seal in a plastic bag. I also bring wine in a bag for the first nights dinner. All the first night stuff is usually in a separate box that we carry outside the packs and then burn after eating. Never had a problem with animals at portages.


I usually bring my own grill topper. In the bwca, I put it on the grates. In quetico, I use rocks to make it my cooking surface over the fire.
 
CrookedPaddler1
01/29/2013 08:55AM
 
Usually ribeyes on the first night!
 
Beaverjack
12/28/2012 11:19AM
 
If I take a dutch oven, I'll bring frozen chicken thighs. I make a mean mexican rice & Chicken dish, but you need dry wood for that. Good to have a backup.
 
luft
03/03/2013 03:30PM
 
quote Swampblaze10: "August 20 2008, Daria's Birthday and mine too. Her fiance cooked up Paella with saffron rice, veggies, shrimp, mussels, chorizo sausage and lagostinas. Delish.
---------
Omg...my hero, my mouth is watering...I hope they got married!! "



He sounds like a keeper!
 
SunCatcher
01/26/2013 06:00AM
 

Steak, Hashbrowns, and Blueberry Muffins in a Reflector Oven smothered in Honey.

SunCatcher


 
mr.barley
02/28/2013 10:10PM
 
quote overthehill: "My favorite is steak, shrimp, asparagus, mashed potatoes since Mr. Barley posted his picture a few years ago. (We subsituted shrimp for the lobster tails)."
 
sulley329
01/28/2013 06:33PM
 
New York Strip (vacuum packed and frozen)thawed on the way in, hashbrowns, and some fresh fish if we have them. We call it the Boundary Waters Surf and Turf.
 
Frenchy19
01/28/2013 05:25PM
 
Steak or souvlaki pork kabobs (with onion, red pepper, zucchini & red spuds).
 
Bdubguy
12/31/2012 10:01AM
 
Traditionally our first night meal in what we have called bush pasty. Meat, potatoes, carrots, onion, rutabagas, etc wrapped in tin foil. Made ahead of time and frozen. Easy and good....
 
moosewatcher
12/30/2012 04:55PM
 
We've been doing a pork loin. Wrap it in foil and turn every 8 minutes.
We've done real potatoes, mashed potatoes, etc., but now we find a nice prepared potato mix at the grocery stores. There are many options that are really good.
 
mrcanoe
02/28/2013 05:13PM
 
In 2011 I made Goat Roti for dinner.
 
Savage Voyageur
03/01/2013 09:06AM
 
For the first nights meal we go all in. Ribeye steaks and shrimp with fresh veggies.
 
Scout64
01/27/2013 02:40PM
 
New York Strip steaks (vacum packed and frozen; thawed out by the time we eat) Hashbrown potatoes, and this year raspberry cobbler. A great way to start a trip.
 
Swampblaze10
03/03/2013 09:35AM
 
August 20 2008, Daria's Birthday and mine too. Her fiance cooked up Paella with saffron rice, veggies, shrimp, mussels, chorizo sausage and lagostinas. Delish.
---------
Omg...my hero, my mouth is watering...I hope they got married!!
 
Corsair
03/02/2013 06:33PM
 



Can't beat it.



Frozen 3 days before, kept in the freezer at the outfitters, then thaws through the day.
 
mboehme
02/08/2013 09:03PM
 
Generally, on the first night we enjoy grilled steak and potatoes