Wilderness Food - Hungry Man Breakfast.
'Onepot' hearty wilderness breakfast.

We love a good solid breakfast, especially when we are out in nature.
It’s so nice to fuel up well so you have energy for a new day and exciting experiences.

With the 'Hungry Man Breakfast', you have a good and hearty wilderness meal that sits nicely in your stomach and that (almost) everyone likes.

Unfortunately, we can’t take credit for the recipe.
It is said to come from a cookbook published by a forestry museum in the USA.
It makes sense that this wilderness food recipe comes from hardworking lumberjacks, as it provides a solid base, gives energy for many hours, and tastes great.

We first had it with some friends a few years ago and have since made it ourselves many times.
Hungry Man Breakfast really does it all: it tastes good, is easy to make, you can bring the ingredients with you, and it’s filling!
Perfect breakfast for, for example, a shelter trip or any overnight stay outdoors.
Of course, it weighs a bit to bring a dutch oven or cast iron pot on a trip, so it’s not ideal for very long hikes where the pack needs to be ultra-light.

Recipe for Hungry Man Breakfast - 2 people
This wilderness breakfast is best made in a dutch oven or cast iron pot with a lid.

250 - 300 g bacon, diced.
1 onion (diced or thinly sliced)
1 bell pepper (diced or thinly sliced)
1 pack mushrooms (or other edible mushrooms), cleaned and sliced (alternatively 1 jar of mushrooms - drained)
1 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
5 - 6 potatoes (medium diced)
5 large eggs.
1 bag shredded cheddar.
salt & pepper (optional paprika)

This dish is best made in a dutch oven or cast iron pot with a lid.
The reason is that you want heat from all sides, just like in your oven at home, so you get that delicious mix of crispy potatoes with melted cheese on top when your wilderness meal is done.
You shouldn’t have too high heat under the pot, but plenty of heat on the lid.

Here’s how to do it:

1: First, get a good fire going that burns down to embers.

2: Place your dutch oven or cast iron pot in the embers and add your diced bacon so it can start releasing fat to cook in.

3: Before the bacon is fully cooked, add your mushrooms and bell pepper so they can get some color.

4: Add chopped onion and garlic, let it cook until the onions are translucent without browning too much. It’s important to stir regularly so nothing burns.

5: Add diced potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Be cautious with salt since the bacon is already salty. You can always add more salt and pepper to taste near the end.

6: Now let the dish cook covered (with embers on the lid of your dutch oven) until the potatoes are tender. The time varies depending on the size of your potato pieces. Check with a knife or fork regularly.
To prevent burning, stir occasionally, making sure to get down to the bottom of the pot.

7: When the potatoes are tender, add the beaten eggs. Stir a few times to mix well. Your Hungry Man Breakfast should now cook covered for about 5 minutes until the eggs are set.

8: Stir the whole dish well one last time and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Put the lid back on (with embers on top) and let the cheese melt and brown slightly, which only takes a few minutes.

Serve the dish with ketchup and optionally bread, and a good cup of campfire coffee.

If you want to make it a bit extra delicious, you can top your Hungry Man Breakfast with some edible wild herbs. I especially like garlic mustard (not recommended for small children) or wild sand mustard, but only your imagination and taste buds set the limits.

Enjoy your meal!


You might also want to read more about edible wild herbs & plants in these books:

Edible Wild Plants
Vorherres Kitchen Garden

If you want to share your favorite wilderness food with us, please send us an email or give us a call. We’d love to post it on the blog here so everyone can enjoy it 😋