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Easy camp dinner

Cook burgers tonight. Act like the leftovers were a brilliant plan. This is the camp dinner that does double duty: grill extra prime rib burgers for lunch or dinner, then turn the leftovers into Salisbury steak the next day with almost zero effort. Not fancy, just fabulous and shockingly easy.

Prep: 5 minutes · Burgers: 15 minutes · Crockpot: 2 to 3 hours on low · Serves: 4, with leftovers

The Story Behind This Meal

Let’s talk about last meals. Not because anyone here is headed anywhere dramatic, but because everyone should know their order, just in case. Mine, first place, no contest: chicken fried chicken with white gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and a house salad with ranch from Texas Roadhouse. I get it every single time we go, and every single time it is perfect. You don’t have to be a prisoner to have a last meal, but if I ever found myself in that situation, I would not hesitate to request that chicken.

Second place is hamburger steak. Yes, the thing with gravy. It’s my official backup death row meal, and the best part is that it travels. Texas Roadhouse does not fit in a cooler. This does.

Here’s how it works at camp. We grill pre-made prime rib burgers at room temperature from Sam’s Club with Dale’s seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic on a hot portable grill, using a decent set of grill tools so nobody is flipping patties with a stick. We pile them on brioche, and we have been loving the brioche. Everything gets prepped and plated on a folding table, because balancing a burger tray on your knees is a character-building exercise I decline to participate in.

Then comes the smart part. We cook extra. The next day those leftover burgers go into the crockpot with a jar of brown gravy, and by dinner it’s Salisbury steak. No new recipe, no new mess, and everyone thinks you worked on it all day. If your site has no power, a good set of pots and pans on the camp stove does the same job in about 20 minutes. Serve it with mashed potatoes (my favorite) and canned green beans, and honestly, it’s close to the Texas Roadhouse experience. Close. Don’t push it.

What You’ll Need

• 8 pre-made prime rib burger patties from Sam’s Club. Cook extra. Future you says thanks.
• Dale’s seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic
• Brioche buns for burger night. We are not animals.
• Brown gravy, about 2 jars. A jar is easy, and it needs no water, which is handy when water is limited at your site.
• Canned green beans or peas. A vegetable has been included. You’re welcome.
• Rice-A-Roni, a flavored noodle box or mashed potatoes. (Mashed potatoes. My fav.)

Night 1: Burger Night

1. Season both sides with Dale’s, salt, pepper and garlic. Be generous. Nobody ever said “too tasty.”
2. Grill to 160°F inside. This is a campsite, not a steakhouse. No pink.
3. Toast the brioche on the grill. It takes about a minute and makes you look like you know things.
4. Eat burgers. Pretend you’re done. You’re not.
5. Cook 4 extra patties. Cool them and get them in the cooler within 2 hours.

Night 2: Salisbury Steak (The Lazy Encore)

1. Dump the leftover cooked burgers into the crockpot. Yes, just dump them. That’s the technique.
2. Pour the brown gravy over the top. Don’t stir like you’re mad at it.
3. Cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours until bubbling hot (165°F). The patties get fork-tender. Magic.
4. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles, with green beans or peas on the side.

Comfort is part of the adventure. Love it, don’t rough it!