Fruit Spread and the Mountain Man

Wednesday night = breakfast night at our house.  We've been doing this for awhile now and I'm always in search of new recipes that the whole family will enjoy.  This week I broke down and made my husband's absolute favorite campfire meal-Mountain Man breakfast.  It's not hard to make-just time consuming.  Consider that your warning.  And for my Little Bit Ruby I made pancakes with the most amazing fruit spread!  I could eat it plain with a big ole honkin' spoon.  Who needs the pancake? 

Fruit Spread:

8 oz cream cheese softened

1-2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 heaping spoonfuls strawberry jam

1 cup fresh strawberries cut up into smaller pieces

3/4 cup banana also cut up

1 cup frozen blueberries

With your electric mixer combine Cream cheese, vanilla and sugar.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Chill till ready to serve.  You can spread this on pancakes or waffles, serve as a fruit filled fruit dip, or great dip for cinnamon sugar chips.  The possibilities are endless.  Or you could be like me and just eat it plain with a spoon!  Num, num, num!!!

 Now onto the Mountain Man Breakfast that my cowboy of a husband loves so much.  This recipe is out of Camp Dutch Oven Cooking 101 From Backyard to Backwoods cookbook by Lodge.  This can either be made in a 12" dutch over over the campfire or in a large skillet on the stove top. 

2 lbs sausage

2 lbs frozen hash brown potatoes

8 eggs beaten

2 cups grated cheese

In a large 12 inch dutch oven over a full bed of hot coals, fry and crumble sausage.  Remove cooked sausage and drain on paper towels.  Using the sausage drippings in the pan, brown potatoes, and spread them evenly in bottom of camp oven.  Place cooked sausage over the potatoes.  Pour eggs over sausage layer.  Sprinkle top with cheese.  Cook with 8 coals underneath and 16 on top for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are cooked.

Note:  I find that this meal works best if I cook my sausage then set aside.  The hash browns seem to take quite a while to cook.  Once they are done I layer the other ingredients and cook until eggs are done. I must say, though it does take time to make-it is well worth it!  Very filling!