Jackson Hole Thanksgiving: 5 Recipes to Cook Around the Campfire

If you’re planning a Jackson Hole Thanksgiving, why not skip the kitchen chaos and take the feast outdoors? The Tetons make a great backdrop, and a campfire is good for more than just hot dogs. Plus, all your crazy relatives won't know where to find you if you're in the wilderness! So if you're willing to ditch the dining room table this year, here’s how to turn holiday staples into campfire legends.

Dutch Oven Turkey Pot Pie

Serves 4–6

• 3 cups cooked turkey (shredded or chopped)
  
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken or mushroom soup
  
• ½ cup milk
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough or 1 pre-made pie crust
  
• 2 tablespoons butter (optional, for extra crisping)
  

How to make it:

1. Grease your Dutch oven lightly.
   
2. Stir together turkey, veggies, soup, milk, and seasonings.
   
3. Spread biscuit dough evenly over the top (or lay on the pie crust).
   
4. Dot with butter if you’re fancy.
   
5. Cover the Dutch oven, place it over medium campfire coals, and put 8–10 coals on the lid.
   
6. Bake about 30–40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and bubbling around the edges.
   

Grilled Turkey Tenderloin

Serves 4

• 1 pound turkey tenderloin
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or rosemary)
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  

How to make it:

1. Whisk together olive oil, Dijon, honey, herbs, salt, and pepper.
   
2. Coat the turkey in the marinade and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight in a cooler).
   
3. Grill over medium heat for about 6–7 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until internal temp hits 165°F.
   
4. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
   
5. Serve with foil-roasted veggies or a scoop of those smoky mashed potatoes.
   

Dutch Oven Stuffing

Serves 6–8

• 1 loaf crusty bread, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
  
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 3 celery stalks, diced
  
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon dried sage or thyme
  

How to make it:

1. Melt butter in your Dutch oven over the fire.
   
2. Sauté onion and celery until soft and fragrant, about 5–7 minutes.
   
3. Stir in the bread, coating it evenly in the butter.
   
4. Pour in broth a little at a time until the mixture is moistened but not soggy.
   
5. Add seasonings, stir well, then cover with the lid.
   
6. Set the Dutch oven over medium coals and place 6–8 coals on the lid. Bake about 25–30 minutes, until the top is crisp and the bottom smells like Thanksgiving.
   

Campfire Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4–6

• 2 pounds potatoes (russet or Yukon gold), peeled and cubed
  
• 4 tablespoons butter
  
• ¼ to ½ cup milk or cream (depending on how rustic you want them)
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Optional: ½ cup shredded cheese or a dollop of cream cheese
  

How to make it:

1. Boil potatoes in a pot of salted water over the fire until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes.
   
2. Drain well, then mash directly in the pot.
   
3. Stir in butter, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth.
   
4. Add cheese if you want extra campfire indulgence.
   
5. Keep warm near the edge of the fire until serving.
   

Pumpkin Cobbler

Serves 6–8

• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
  
• 3 eggs
  
• ¾ cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  
• 1 box yellow cake mix
  
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, cut into cubes
  

How to make it:

1. In a bowl (or straight in the Dutch oven if you’re lazy, which is valid), whisk pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and spice until smooth.
   
2. Pour into a greased Dutch oven.
   
3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top.
   
4. Scatter butter cubes across the surface.
   
5. Cover with the lid, set over a ring of coals, and put 10–12 coals on the lid.
   
6. Bake about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the middle is set.
   

Mmm, yum. What are you having for Thanksgiving this year? Are you considering taking it outdoors? Let us know in the comments!

This post is brought to you by Flat Creek Inn.

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Ryan Kunz is a copywriter and freelance writer who writes on a variety of topics, including media, the outdoors, and whatever else strikes his fancy. He has never been a big fan of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, because he feels each item is a mediocre representative of its category. Like, whose favorite meat is turkey? Why not pork or beef? And mashed potatoes are my fifth favorite way to eat potatoes. Why not just bake them?