Pizza Mountain Pies

Crispy, buttery bread, gooey cheese and punchy pizza toppings ooze from old-fashioned pizza mountain pies. This classic camping recipe is all about simplicity and speed. Load up ordinary sandwich bread with toppings, close it between the hot iron plates of a sandwich iron and set it into an open fire. Before you can sing “Kumbaya,” the pie is hot, golden brown and ready to eat. It’s perfect after a day on the trail, but you can just as easily cook a mountain pie on your kitchen stove.

What is a mountain pie?

Mountain pies go by many names, including “pudgy pie,” “campfire pie” and “hobo pie.” No matter what you call them, you’ll find that they resemble grilled sandwiches more than pies. The name might come from the tool used to cook them, a classic, no-frills gadget called a pie iron. It’s a bit like a waffle iron, made from hinged plates of cast iron attached to a long handle. Press bread between the plates, clamp them tight and hold them over a fire (or even an ordinary stovetop), and the hot iron grills the bread and turns the fillings into molten deliciousness. You can fill mountain pies and pudgy pie recipes with almost anything, from plain ham and cheese to dessert-leaning ingredients like chocolate.

Ingredients for Pizza Mountain Pies

• Butter: Spreading the outsides of the bread with butter encourages a crispy golden brown crust.
• White bread: Use store-bought or homemade sandwich bread. Crusty breads can be too tough for this recipe.
• Pizza sauce: A tasty store-bought pizza sauce makes for a quick sandwich, but you could use homemade pizza sauce instead.
• Shredded mozzarella cheese: Mozzarella cheese melts quickly. Grate cheese from the block for the best results, but bagged shredded cheese is probably easier around the campfire.
• Pepperoni: Savory, rich pepperoni makes a hearty sandwich filling.
• Green pepper: Chopped green pepper adds texture and a pop of color to the sandwich.

Directions

Step 1: Butter the bread

Spread the butter evenly across the bread slices.

Step 2: Layer the fillings

Place one slice of bread in a sandwich iron, buttered side down. Spread it with the pizza sauce, then sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons cheese, pepperoni and, if desired, green pepper. Top it with the remaining cheese and bread slice, buttered side up. Close the iron.

Step 3: Cook

Cook the iron over a hot campfire until the sandwich is golden brown and the cheese melts, turning occasionally, about three to six minutes. Serve hot.

Pizza Mountain Pies Variations

• Scale up: Increase the quantities in the recipe to make as many sandwiches as you like.
• Take it indoors: No campfire required. You can cook these sandwiches in a panini press or a George Foreman grill, or you can heat the pie iron over the stovetop.
• Change the toppings: This recipe is infinitely customizable, and can be made with any pizza toppings you like. Peppers of any color, mushrooms, onions, garlic, bacon, sausage, pineapple, ham … you get the picture. Just make sure that the toppings are chopped small so they fit between the layers of bread without bulging.
• Switch the sauce: Pesto or white sauce would be delicious replacements for tomato sauce.
• Get spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or pizza seasoning mix to the sauce.

How to Store Pizza Mountain Pies

Pizza pudgy pie is best eaten hot and fresh out of the iron. However, like pizza, it makes very decent leftovers. Store any extras in the refrigerator, wrapped in foil, for three to four days. If you don’t have access to a fridge, wrap them tightly and keep them in a cool place for up to a day.

How do you reheat pizza mountain pies?

We like to reheat pizza mountain pies on the stovetop so the outsides get crispy again. Simply heat a cast-iron skillet, add a dot of butter and cook the sandwich until it’s hot and crisp, a couple minutes per side.

Pizza Mountain Pies Tips

How do you make pizza mountain pies inside?

Mountainside camping isn’t strictly required to make pizza mountain pies. You can easily make them inside by recreating the hot press of the sandwich iron. If you have a panini maker, simply use it to heat the pies. You can also heat a cast-iron pie iron on most stovetops, including gas and electric ones. Let the iron get hot, load it up with the bread and fillings, and cook the sandwich, turning halfway. Or just call them pizza grilled cheese and make them in a hot skillet.

What can you serve with pizza mountain pies?

If you’re in the great outdoors, pair pizza pudgy pies with other campfire foods, such as foil potatoes. You can even whip up a tasty berry cobbler over the fire. Of course, when dining at a campsite, it’s often easiest to stick with fresh foods that you don’t need to cook, like sliced veggies and fruit.

If you’re making a pudgy pie at home, the easy, speedy sandwiches call for easy side dishes, like stir-fried zucchini or sauteed garlic mushrooms. Serve them with a bowl of tomato soup for dunking. A fresh green salad is another good option; we especially like Caesar salad alongside anything pizza.