Grilled scalloped potatoes

 

It was over 90 degrees when we pulled into campground registration at Gooseberry Falls State Park. The park employee was marveling over the then nearly unheard of temperature. That same temperature elsewhere feels icky at best, but there, the blazing sun was countered by a wondrously cooling lake breeze as we soaked up the sun sitting on rocks listening to the waves crash in after we’d pitched our tent. That was about 4 p.m.

By 5:30, the temperature started its dive. It was 55 and still dropping by the time we got our supper prepared on the camp stove. All I remember was it involved Betty Crocker scalloped potato mix in the interest of ease, and that we ate it in the car to avoid having the food – and us -- lose all heat before we could eat it.

After we shivered our way through dishes and wondered if it was too soon to go hide in our meager Target tent, one of us finally turned to the other and said, “You know, no one here knows us and they won’t know if we just bail and leave.” We quickly pulled up stakes and packed it in, driving to Two Harbors to stay in one of the tiny old-school motels that are still there along 61 as you get into town.

That was many, many moons ago. We have not camped in our tent since outside of a back yard, thus ending our vacation camping era. We had given it a good go over the years, but we realized that North Shore camping clearly called for something more than our $29.99 Target special and the sleeping bags that had gone with us to camp, and we weren’t willing to make the investment for something that we felt we should enjoy, but honestly didn’t. We were destined to be fair weather campers, and the weather and bugs were rarely fair. (Although I do vividly remember hearing our first loon call while we were ineptly attempting to set up our camp stove for the first time after pulling into Mille Lacs campground in a torrential downpour. We wondered who was around to laugh at us since we didn’t see any other foolhardy campers around at that point.)

I recently came across an HGTV video for camping hacks, one of which involved grilled scalloped potatoes aimed at campfire preparation. Flashbacks ensued.

Camp scalloped potatoes

Adapted from HGTV via YouTube video

Ingredients
Oil for greasing foil
2 pounds new potatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper and paprika

Method
Make two bowls with double sheets of foil, rolling up the edge to form a lip. Lightly oil bottom. Divide potatoes among bowls in overlapping layers. Drizzle cream over the top of each bowl. Sprinkle with shallots, garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Cover each bowl with another piece of tin foil, crimping edges to seal. Grill for 25 to 30 minutes.

Rating: These things are bliss, even when you just eat them in the comfort of your dining room after grilling outside. At a campground, they would be ambrosia. Nice little crispy potato bits on the bottom with crunchy Parmesan on top with creamy, dreamy potatoes in the middle.

Still not enough to make me take up camping again, but way better than the Betty Crocker mix. 

The drought has done a number on Gooseberry Falls this year. Here's a photo of it in its usual state. Well worth a visit, and thankfully camping is optional.