Original Camp Mix Seasoning

Addicted to CAMP MIX Seasonings

by Jim Therriault

Some years ago, my friends served oven-roasted vegetables as a side dish. I’d had roasted veggies before, but none like these. The flavor was fantastic. I had to know what their secret ingredient was. They were happy to share their simple recipe: vegetables, olive oil, and CAMP MIX. 

“CAMP MIX? Never heard of it. What is it?” I asked. They looked at me in disbelief and pointed to the bottle of it sitting right on the table in front of me. “Where have you been? We’ve been using CAMP MIX for years,” was their good-natured reply. 

That’s when the light went on for me. Everything they made always tasted better—even simple things like mashed potatoes. Luckily. They had a spare bottle and let me take it home. That was almost 15 years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. Needless to say, I’ve turned countless friends and family members on to CAMP MIX, too.

My favorite is still the Original CAMP MIX; however, the Spud Fixin’ and Lemon Pepper blends are equally at home in my kitchen. And when some sweetening is required, Honey-Cinnamon CAMP MIX sure beats plain old white sugar.

If you’re curious about how this line of seasonings ended up with the name CAMP MIX, the story goes like this . . .

Tom Trayer and his family have been avid campers for over 50 years. Prior to a trip in 1982, Tom decided to conserve space in his kitchen supply box by mixing the contents of various seasonings into one bottle. After setting up the camp kitchen, Tom informed his fellow campers that if they wanted any kind of seasoning, it was all in that one bottle.

By the end of that weekend, people were literally trying to steal the bottle to take it home. And, as often happens when Tom’s crew gets together, good-natured arguments ensued about what to call this new concoction. CAMP MIX ended up being the clear winner.

After giving his CAMP MIX away for years, Tom turned his homemade concoction into a full-time business. It only made sense to him that the label on the bottles of his original mix would have a drawing of his old camping tent along with his nickname (Tom stands 6 feet 7 inches tall). And that’s how “Too Tall Tom’s Original CAMP MIX” hit the market. 

Several hundred thousand bottles later, CAMP MIX continues to gain in popularity. Once people discover these amazing seasonings, they’re a hard habit to shake!

Buy CAMP MIX Seasonings now!

Potato Hobo Packs on the Grill With Camp Mix

by Paul Belliveau

When the heat comes in summer, we are grilling as much as possible—even for breakfast! And even when the weather isn't accommodating, we'll bring our umbrella to protect us while we're turning and checking on the food.

Potato Hobo Packs

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 medium Potatoes (sliced thin)
• Camp Mix (Original)
• Camp Mix (Spud Fixin' Mix)
• ½ stick butter (sliced into 9 pads)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (divided; an option if you like it extra garlicky) 
• nonstick aluminum foil (or use regular foil and coat well with a nonstick spray)

Directions

Wash the potatoes well under cool water. Peel them if you like, but I prefer to leave the skins on because I think this makes a nice presentation. Slice the potatoes thin, as this will allow them to cook faster and the bottom ones will get crispy. To make this an easy task, I use my mandolin set at 1/8".

Lay out one piece of nonstick aluminum foil. Start assembling the hobo pack by placing one-third of the slices on the nonstick aluminum foil, leaving about 1-1/2 to 2 inches of foil all around. Sprinkle the layer with Camp Mix and Spud Fixin' Mix.  If you’re adding garlic, now's the time to scatter 1 teaspoon on this layer, followed by three pads of butter on the top. 

Repeat for two more layers. (I try to place butter in different spots on each layer.)

Add a second sheet of aluminum foil to the top. It's the bottom layer that really gets sticky, and because nonstick foil can be expensive, I use regular aluminum foil for the top. Then seal all of the edges by folding the foil over itself twice.

Once you've sealed the pack, if there is a mound of potatoes in your hobo pack, now’s the time to flatten them out by pressing down gently to make an even layer. If you press too hard or too aggressively, the seams will bust out. After you've flattened them out, check the seams again and make sure that they are still well sealed. When I'm finished, my hobo pack is about 9x13 inches.

Place on a preheated grill over a medium flame for about 15 to 20 minutes. Every grill is different, so please check on them after 5 minutes to avoid turning them into charcoal chips. My grill has a temperature gauge that shows the inside temperature to be around 425 degrees. You'll need this high temp to get the bottoms crispy. If you don't want crispy bottoms, turn it down to 350–375 degrees.

Use a spatula instead of tongs to remove it (the tongs will break the foil). Unwrapped, the potatoes will keep warm for 10 minutes. Enjoy! (These are great reheated for the next day's lunch, too!)