I’m not really an egg person. I like scrambled eggs and omelets, but usually with a lot of veggies and ketchup. But I would never eat a hard boiled egg. Or poached. Just not my thing. My husband likes all kinds of eggs. He loves Desert Eggs. And I just assumed that Desert Eggs were another “type” of egg dish. Then I found out they were a family recipe. And they were called Desert Eggs because his family growing up would eat them while camping in Arizona. Now we live in Arizona and they were the perfect meal to teach my scouts how to cook.
Perfect recipe for teaching Scouts to cook. Scout Recipe
The recipe is really easy. So easy the bear scouts were able to make them no problem. I packed up my supplies and headed to our church. I love putting some washi tape around my cooking utensils to know which ones are mine. Each boy was given a tortilla, bowl, egg, and whisk.
Desert Eggs
Ingredients
1 tortilla
2 eggs
Scramble your eggs in a bowl. I like to add a little water to make them fluffier (Thanks Mrs. Whittman, my singles living teacher! And some people thought that class wasn’t helpful) Spray your skillet with some Pam or use a little butter. Rip your tortilla into bite size pieces and throw in a skillet. Pour your scrambled egg mixture over your tortillas. Scramble and serve.
That’s it!
Some scouts would ask me if there eggs were cooked enough. I would ask them if they thought so. They were the ones eating them. The boys loved cooking outside and you could tell they felt so proud of making such a grown up dish. And the leaders were so excited for this recipe. Several said they were going to go home and make it for dinner. Feel free to add tomatoes, onions, or other veggies. You can top it with salsa or ketchup or just salt and pepper. My husband makes this all the time for breakfast. He loves it. ( I prefer my eggs in the tortilla, in a breakfast burrito) This is a great camping recipe because you get protein and some carbs.
Tips for Teaching Scouts How to Cook
Go over the safety rules first. We used a basic camping stove with propane. I showed them where they shouldn’t touch the stove. I instructed them how they can stir the eggs with one hand and use the other to steady the pan. I showed them how to use a hot pad for carrying the pan to their plate to dish it up. And we practiced saying “Hot plate!” before we moved our pan to the serving area. Then everyone knew to stand back. Only those working on the stove could be in the cooking area. The boys really loved yelling HOT Plate!
Also hand washing is necessary, while singing the ABC’s. And like with any other scouting activity we practice Leave No Trace. In this setting it meant each boy was responsible for washing his own dishes. Prep and cooking tools included. Our first rotation of boys weren’t really doing it right away and the leaders stepped in to take care of it. The following groups I told the leaders they were not allowed to do dishes. And the boys did great. Granted some of those dishes weren’t cleaned to my standards but they “did their best” like cub scouts are suppose to. Boys just need to be help responsible and given the opportunity to finish a task. I liked having a prep area, a cooking area, eating area, and a washing area. I loved seeing the boys learn a new skill and feel good about themselves.
I hope your family or scout troop enjoys this simple and yummy recipe. I loved learning the history behind this fun family recipe. Is there a favorite breakfast recipe that your family loves to make? Or a favorite scout or camping dish? Share below…
