Campfire Pizza

Pizza is something that most people wouldn't think of for a backpacking trip but i've done some experimentation with it and have found that it can be done a few ways and is not a major hassle, and can taste great. Pizza is one of those things that I can really begin to crave when I'm away trips, and i think you can impress some friends with this backcountry rendition.

For my Version i picked up already made personal sized pizza crusts, a marinara spice packet that uses tomato paste and water to make a sauce, and went with mozzerella, mushrooms, and spinach as my toppings. (Note that this recipe needs a campfire to cook it so plan accordingly, and don't disregard campfire bans please!)

Ingredients (for three pizzas)
One package of Crusts (3)
1 packet of pasta sauce spices (I found near tomato sauces in jars at the store)
1 small can of Tomato Paste (spoon out into a quart ziplock bag at home)
1 cup of water
1 small can of mushrooms (drained and put in a small ziplock at home)
Two handfuls of spinach (placed in a ziplock)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
2 two foot rectangles of Aluminum Foil


To begin this I make a normal campfire at my site for the night and make sure its a decent size so I can get some hot coals going. After I do that I make the sauce; first open the quart ziplock that already contains the tomato paste, then add the spice packet. Now you will need to add the water (I went ahead and added less water then directions on the spice packet called for because i didn't want the sauce to be runny), so just add water slowly till you achieve the desired consistency, seal it, then shake and squish the bag up to mix everything really good.

Next Pull out your two Aluminum Foil Pieces, and put your Crusts on top (shiny side facing down). Top the pizza with the sauce, then cheese and toppings. Now wrap the aluminum up around the pizzas but don't press down on top of the foil, try to leave some gap between the top of the cheese and the foil.

Now spread out hot coals from your fire with a stick into a flat layer that can fit all of the pizzas. Place two sticks flat below each pizza so air can flow underneath and keep the coals alive and hot. Additionally I also try to circle the pizzas with logs or sticks that are still burning to achieve more heat. The Pizza is going to take about 5-10 minutes to cook this way, just keep peeking into the Aluminum foil until you see that the cheese is gooey, then remove carefully with some sticks, and dig in!

Backpacker Magazine's Trail Chef made pizza with her own dough and in a pan, this could be an alternative recipe if you can't have a fire. Check it out here.