Pie Iron questions...

[doug hodder]

There are a number of them available, but have many of you used them on a regular camping basis? I'm wondering about the sandwich type and making some single serve apple pies in them, got cooking tips?

As a side note, the other day at the thrift store there was one that appeared to be made for some sort of a dough type thing. Long like a hot dog, but had a scalloped edge between the 2 pockets like it would take a dough and seal it as it cooked. I was thinking, perfect for a "pigs in a blanket" thing. You'd have to pre-cook the dogs however...at least if you wanted them really hot. I'd think it'd burn the dough before it cooked the dog. Any experience with "pigs in a blanket" out there? thanks in advance. Doug

[Steve_Cox]

There are a number of them available, but have many of you used them on a regular camping basis? I'm wondering about the sandwich type and making some single serve apple pies in them, got cooking tips?

As a side note, the other day at the thrift store there was one that appeared to be made for some sort of a dough type thing. Long like a hot dog, but had a scalloped edge between the 2 pockets like it would take a dough and seal it as it cooked. I was thinking, perfect for a "pigs in a blanket" thing. You'd have to pre-cook the dogs however...at least if you wanted them really hot. I'd think it'd burn the dough before it cooked the dog. Any experience with "pigs in a blanket" out there? thanks in advance. Doug

When I was a kid, we had a couple of the round aluminum pie irons We used white bread and it would pinch the crust off when you closed it.. to make what looked like a flying saucer. A couple of recipes my mom came up with were pretty simple. One was just a peanut butter and jelly one. The other had a filling of cooked ground beef and onions mixed with a little mustard. This was about 1959 and she called them "Spacy burgers"

[doug hodder]

Thanks Steve....I love it...the early years of the "space race" and Mom figured out a way to make them special....Doug

[WarPony]

I have two pie irons....... one round and one square. I remember using the round one when I was camping with my Dad at a church campout when I was about 10 or 11. We used cherry pie filling inside. Buttered two pieces of bread, put the pie filling inside, clamped down the irons and then pinched off the crust.


Yummy yums.............

Jeff

[doug hodder]

I'm gonna get one....try some croissant dough in it with some filling...might make a thin Calzone....or with some apple filling, cinnamon and icing...a morning treat...Doug

[apratt]

Doug, check this site out. http://www.chuckwagondiner.com/pieiron.html

[Nitetimes]

We used to use those all the time when I was growing up. A little practice and you can eat very well with a couple of them around!!

[doug hodder]

thanks everyone! ..I'll try some of those recipes Art! Now to get one...and like Coleman lanterns...double, single, round, square, hot dog shaped yada yada yada....this kinda stuff is never ending.... Next stop....Sputnik Pockets! 5-4-3-2-1 blast off! Doug

[apratt]

Hey Doug, here is another site with recipes and different size and shapes of pie irons. http://www.pieiron.com/designs.htm Have fun.

[Grumpeyyy]

Hey Doug

We use them all the time when we are camping. realy enjoy making breakfast in them.
First fry up your bacon then when its almost cooked you add your eggs and cook them with the bacon then when they are about done add 2 slices of bread and toast it all together. Makes for a great breakfast sandwitch. :

When my kids were younger we used to take the pie irons on overnite canoe trips and do alot of our cooking in them.

We also found that if you cut the legs off of an old pair of blue jeans and sew up thw ankle hole it makes a great bag to carry your pie irons in and its cheap.


Buy one and enjoy making your own culinary delites.


Enjoy
Gene {grumpeyyy}

[Kurt (Indiana)]

I'm gonna get one....try some croissant dough in it with some filling...might make a thin Calzone....or with some apple filling, cinnamon and icing...a morning treat...Doug

That's what I like to do also. Calzone in Indiana is considered a "foreign object" but they sure taste good.

I have several irons for sandwiches including a panini, dual sausage and a hamburger iron. The burger iron has slots in the faces to drain out the grease but it could work for sandwiches also.

We had a "gourmet dinner group" party last fall where we made some great (fancy) grilled cheeze and creamy tomato basil soup. After dinner we all made pie iron deserts. Fruit pies, etc. Everyone had fun over the fire pit in the back yard.

These are sometimes called "hobo pies" which fit well with the "anti-reccession" theme of the dinner (soup line) concept.

A lot of people have never enjoyed "fire pies" but this group is now convinced.

[Gaelen]

Doug--my pie irons (one rectangle or 'double', one basic square) were new discoveries last summer. I had a lot of fun with them, both at home on the grill and the couple times I got to camp.

I usually camp alone, so when I was planning a minimal kitchen for one little trip I took, I decided (brace yourself for the sacrilege...) to leave nearly all of my cooking equipment at home. I packed my propane stove for emergencies, but mostly cooked over a grid on the fire ring with a 2 qt saucepot and my two pie irons (and a good spatula, chef's knife and a sharpening stone.) The double-rectangle pie iron can be used, open, as a pair of small skillets with really long handles--one for the bacon, one for the eggs. Or one for the steak, one for the onions and mushrooms or other veggies. Or put together for an awesome BLT with a couple slices of swiss cheese. Or ... you get the idea!

They worked out great--I also used some aluminum foil to make packets to cook in--very fast and (relatively) light kitchen for something that included cast iron anything!

At a group campout (the dog show with friends) I loaded both with buttered cinnamon graham crackers, marshmallows and Hershey's bars for assembly line s'mores--quite a hit, but they need a light touch or the graham crackers will burn. Don't make your first batch (like I did) in the dark...

When I'm using them clamped together and not as small skillets, I've used good old crescent roll dough, pizza dough, basic biscuit dough, and regular slices of the bread of your choice (rosemary olive or parmesan cheese bread--mmmm!) to make sandwiches--and I usually butter the side of the bread that's going to meet the iron. I've stuffed the crescent dough with fresh berries...mmmm! And the best use I can think of for marshmallow fluff is with good peanut butter stuffed between biscuit dough in a pie iron...melty and a really sweet treat after dinner.

I keep being drawn to the waffle one every time I'm in Bass Pro Shops--but for now, I think I might be at my cast iron/pie iron limit.

[doug hodder]

I haven't found any at the thrift stores and with the snow/weather here, it's not good garage sailing right now. The local hardware store....oldest one west of the Mississippi, had the Panini pan and the waffle maker, mfg by Rome. For just going out and buying one, Cabelas seems to have the best price on them, from what I've found. Wally World had a cheapie aluminum one...for 9.88, but there wasn't much quality to it in my opinion. I'd like a cast iron one. I may bite the bullet and get one from Cabelas. Thanks all for the recipe ideas...makes the gears turn. Anyone use the brat cooker? Doug

[Kurt (Indiana)]

Anyone use the brat cooker? Doug

Doug, I have a "triple" Brat cooker pie iron made by Rome #1905. It does a great job but three brats are a lot to eat (in a hurry) unless you're cooking for more than one person.

[Micro469]

I've got one of these in the basement. Had it for years, never used it. Really don't know what to use it for. When closed, it doesn't look like there is much room in there....







It's made out of aluminium...