Campfire hash

When papa makes his world-famous campfire hash, he expects those who call him papa to eat it. Maybe next time!

Faced with leftovers in the ice chest, I made a quick hash in a cast iron skillet over the campfire this morning. Leftover cottage fried potatoes, diced chicken and broccoli with three eggs made for a great breakfast.

Hash is quick. And it makes leftovers go away. I recommend planning one hash day for a week-long camping trip.

To prepare, chop or grind equal portions of meat, potatoes and onions. The traditional approach is to run the meat and vegetables through a meat grinder. I prefer to serve a more chunky hash.

Heat a medium-sized cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of oil (or bacon grease from the morning bacon) to the skillet. Add the hash ingredients to the skillet.

Brown the hash, turning with a spatula after several minutes. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Let the hash cook at least 10 to 15 minutes or until it's crisp and cooked through.

To cook eggs, remove the skillet from the fire. Make a shallow depression for each egg. Hold the skillet level and carefully crack an egg into each depression. Cover with a lid, return skillet to the fire and cook until the eggs are cooked to the desired doneness.

Have plenty of hot sauce on hand. While the grandchildren may not like it, campfire hash is one of those dishes that cries out for hot sauce. Three or four varieties will satisfy the tastes of any large group.

And don't forget the most American of all hash toppings -- tomato catsup. A little catsup will encourage the grandchildren to eat it next time!