In our opinion, the glorious pie iron is a campfire culinary staple, as crucial to your outdoor kitchen kit as cast iron skillets and dutch ovens and marshmallow sticks.
What’s a pie iron? Essentially, it’s an analog sandwich press designed for use over a campfire. Typically available in hinged square, round and double-sized, rectangular metal press shapes, they have long handles finished with wood to keep hands cool and safely away from the cooking end.
Everything from pocket sandwiches and breads to stuffed French toast and sweet and savoury hand pies are fair game for this little gadget, but they are ideally designed for beautifully toasted and melty grilled cheese sandwiches. The heat from the fire mixed with the woodsmoke enhances and elevates the flavour in these tasty pockets—one of the best (and easiest) ways to experience and experiment with local cheeses and seasonal ingredients.
To get you started on your pie iron journey, here are a few great Ontario-inspired ingredient combos to pack on your next trip to a provincial park or your backyard fire pit. Simply butter both outsides of your preferred bread, build your sandwich inside the pie iron, close firmly and cook over your campfire. Be sure to keep your iron away from direct flame and turn your iron often to avoid burning!