When I said it was the summer of "COOK IT WITH FIRE!" I really wasn't kidding. If there is a way to throw food on a fire and declare it dinner, I've done it. Twice.
I bought a tool that has aided greatly in my mission:
A pie iron. I bought it on Amazon, but I've also seen them at REI and a few other places.
You guys. YOU GUYS. Is there anything that can't be slapped between two slices of bread and cooked over a fire? I think not! So far this summer I've tried peanut butter and jelly (ZOMG! SO GOOD!), sliced apples with cinnamon, various (faux) meats and cheeses, pretty much every vegetable I've gotten my hands on, and everything in between.
My absolute favorite has to be Pierogi Sandwiches.
It started with mashed potatoes, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese, but we've meandered from that path a bit as the summer has gone on. It really just comes down to whatever we have in the fridge at the time. Here's the variation we threw together tonight.
Pierogi Sandwiches
Mashed Potatoes
Cheese (we used pepper jack--OH, YES, WE DID)
Bacon (of course we used Morningstar faux bacon, but whatever)
2 slices bread
Butter (technically I cheated and used Country Crock because it spreads better)
Start a fire (Or light up the grill, plug in a sandwich press, or get out a skillet--frankly it doesn't matter. The pie iron seals the edges and gives you a nice "I cooked with fire!" taste, but the basic idea would work no matter how you cook it.). Butter one side of each of the slices of bread.
Turn the first slice butter side down and top it with a couple of tablespoons of mashed potatoes, some bacon, and slices of cheese. (The butter is there to keep the sandwich from sticking. Think grilled cheese.)
Slap the other slice of bread on top with the butter facing upward.
Then COOK IT WITH FIRE! I stuck it inside the pie iron and put it in the fire for about 5 minutes.
Perfection.
Now I'm dying to see what would happen if I stuck banana slices, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in between some bread and put it in the pie iron. Magic, right?
Gosh, I love fire.