Pita Pan Pizzas on the Grate
Pita rounds, canned sauce, canned mushrooms, and shredded mozzarella cooked over the fire.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 6.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 51
- protein
- 16 g
- serves
- 6, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 8 min
- total time
- 13 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Whole wheat pita rounds | 6 | pocket or flatbread style both work |
|---|---|---|
| Canned tomato sauce | 8 oz | one small can, no fridge needed until opened |
| Canned mushroom stems and pieces | 4 oz | drain well or the pita goes soggy |
| Green bell pepper | 1 | keeps a week without a cooler |
| Shredded mozzarella | 8 oz | cooler item, the only one |
Method
- Open and drain the mushrooms. Chop the bell pepper into thin strips.
- Lay each pita on a square of foil, dull side up. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce, leaving a border.
- Scatter about 1.5 oz of mozzarella on each, then mushrooms and pepper.
- Fold the foil into a loose tent over the top so the cheese does not touch it.
- Set the packets on a grate over coals, not flame. Five to eight minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the pita is firm.
- Pull one open to check. If the bottom is still soft, give it two more minutes off to the side.
This started as a cheap indoor dinner built in a toaster oven, which is not a thing that exists in camp. The fix is foil and a grate. Direct radiant heat from an oven melts cheese from above; over coals you only have heat from below, so the foil tent traps enough of it to finish the top while the bottom crisps.
Drain the mushrooms hard. Canned mushrooms carry a lot of liquid and pita has no structure to spare. Everything here except the cheese is shelf-stable, so if you are out longer than the cooler lasts, drop the mozzarella and lean on oil and salami instead.
Packing
Pita, the two cans, and the pepper travel in a dry box. Cheese is the only cooler item. Bring pre-cut foil squares so nobody is wrestling a roll in the wind.
Variations
- A packet of pepperoni or salami keeps unrefrigerated and adds real protein.
- No fire: build them in a covered skillet over a stove on low, lid on, until the cheese goes.
- Swap the sauce for pesto in a squeeze tube and skip the can entirely.
https://morefood.org/fast-food-at-home-pizza-takeout