Camp Skillet Breakfast Scramble with Sausage and Hash Browns
Freeze-dried eggs, dried potatoes, and shelf-stable sausage in one skillet. The casserole without the oven.
- calories
- 610
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 111
- protein
- 30 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 35 min
- water
- 700 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Campfire coals
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Shelf-stable summer sausage or dried pork sausage crumbles | 8 oz | venison sausage works the same |
|---|---|---|
| Dehydrated hash brown potatoes | 2 cups dry | the boxed shredded kind |
| Whole egg powder | 1 cup | about 12 eggs worth |
| Dried mushroom slices | 1/2 cup | |
| Dried diced onion | 3 tbsp | |
| Dried diced red bell pepper | 3 tbsp | |
| Powdered whole milk | 1/3 cup | |
| Hard cheese | 4 oz | cheddar, grated at home |
| Garlic powder | 1 1/2 tsp | |
| Salt | 1 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | |
| Oil | 2 tbsp |
Method
- Put the hash browns, mushrooms, onion, and pepper in the skillet with about 500 ml of boiling water. Let them sit off the heat for 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the mushrooms have gone limp.
- Drain off any standing water. Add the oil and set the skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning now and then, until the potatoes catch a little color, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Chop the sausage and stir it in. It is already cooked, so it only needs to warm through and crisp at the edges.
- In a bottle or cup, shake the egg powder and milk powder with 200 ml of water until smooth. Add the garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the eggs over the skillet and stir slowly. Keep the heat low. Pull it off when the eggs are just set and still glossy.
- Scatter the cheese on top, cover with a lid or foil for two minutes, and serve.
The original is an oven casserole with a dozen fresh eggs, a bag of frozen potatoes, and two and a half cups of milk. None of that travels. Egg powder and dried hash browns carry the same meal at a quarter of the weight, and powdered milk replaces the dairy that made the baked version set.
The order matters more than the ingredients. Potatoes get rehydrated and browned first because they take the longest and taste like paste otherwise. Eggs go in last over low heat, since powdered eggs turn rubbery faster than fresh ones do. The cheese melts under a lid off the heat, which is the closest you get to a browned casserole top without an oven.
Packing
Potatoes, mushrooms, onion, and pepper go in one bag. Egg powder, milk powder, and seasonings go in a second bag so the eggs stay dry until you mix them. Cheese and sausage ride in the cooler if you have one, but neither needs it for a weekend.
Variations
- No skillet: cook it as a slow scramble in a deep pot, adding the potatoes in stages so nothing scorches.
- Add a packet of hot sauce or a spoon of salsa powder to the egg mix.
- Wrap portions in tortillas for a breakfast burrito, though that drops the gluten-free tag.
https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-wild-game-recipes/wild-pig-breakfast-casserole