CAMPING SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Conventional cooking method: To make these at home, cook them over a gas burner. Hold the press directly over a medium-high flame and cook for 2 minutes, turning multiple times. The heat is more concentrated, so they cook faster than over a campfire.
• You'll need: Campfire, sandwich presses, foil-wrapped bricks
• Prep-Ahead Tip: Set the sandwich presses over the fire to heat up as you prepare the sandwiches so they're nice and hot when you're ready for some toasting action.
• Camping Sandwich Combos:
• Make other pressed sandwiches by stuffing a variety of camping leftovers into the sandwich, such as pulled pork with BBQ sauce; shredded smoked chicken and sliced green chiles; steak and peppers from fajitas; or ground turkey with Jack cheese, fire-roasted tomato salsa, and black beans.
• For a breakfast sandwich, try diced roasted potatoes and crumbled chorizo with shredded Cheddar and scrambled eggs.
• You can make dessert camping sandwiches as well. Slice them or serve whole: sauteed peaches and sweetened ricotta; peanut butter and strawberries; sliced apples and caramel sauce; roasted pineapple, bananas, and honey; chocolate chunks, marshmallows, and graham cracker crumbs; sliced ripe banana, brown sugar, and Nutella.
• Camping sandwiches can be prepared ahead of time and made in either square or circular presses-both work fine. Depending on your make and model, adjust the filling amounts so the sandwiches are full but not too full (or they'll ooze while being toasted). The fillings can vary, and it's a good way to utilize leftover chili, mac-n- cheese, and other ingredients when camping.
• For circular sandwiches, punch out the bread into 4-inch circles or the size of your sandwich press.
• Prepare a campfire with wood and wait until the flames die down and the coals glow red with white ash. Place a grilling rack so that it sits just above the coals. Place the presses on the grill so they heat up.
• Assemble each sandwich with the desired fillings, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Remove the presses from the hot grill, open, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place a sandwich in each press (it will sizzle-this preheating helps it form a nice crispy crust) and close tightly. Place on the grill and cook for 1 or 2 minutes per side. You can check the sandwich as it cooks by opening the press and checking the color-it should be golden brown and crispy on both sides when done. (Depending on how hot your coals are, you can also place the press directly on coals to make it cook faster-just keep an eye on it!) Be sure to use room temperature (versus cold) ingredients in the filling-otherwise lower the flame and toast the sandwich for a longer amount of time to sufficiently warm the filling.