Field Meals: Menu 4

A meal served field-side serves more than the purpose of eating for energy and nourishment.  It is the one break in their 12 to 14 hour day that requires the crew to stretch and stand, balance a plate, converse with each other face to face versus through a static-y radio and breathe in some fresh air.

Meal 4: BBQ Chicken, Party Potatoes, Salad, Strawberry-filled Cupcakes

Grilled Thighs & Drumsticks (from Taste of Home)

You can make a mess of these.  Grill some today.  Freeze others in the marinade for another day.  And drumsticks are choice in the field because they are easy to hold.

Party Potatoes (from my mom)

• 2 bags of frozen hash browns (pick Potatoes O’Brien with onions & peppers or just add your own later)
• 8 oz sour cream
• 12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup butter

Melt butter and sour cream in a small saucepan. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl.  Add butter sour cream mix.  Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.  This also works as a great make-ahead side.

Salad

Add tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, onions and whatever else you can find in a large bowl.  Add lettuce.  Toss and serve with a choice of dressing.

Strawberry-Filled Cupcakes

After creating my nephew’s birthday cake, I had leftover cake mix and frosting.  With strawberries needing to be used as well, I thought I’d try my hand at a filled cupcake.  It wasn’t that hard!

Bake cupcakes from a boxed cake mix.  Let cool completely.

For strawberry filling, I used this Duncan Hines recipe as a guide.

To fill cupcakes, carefully cut the center from the cupcake without hitting the bottom of the cake.  Fill.  Trim the extra cake from what you cut out and replace the top.  Frost.  Enjoy!