A few years ago, posts about Blackstone Griddles started popping up in RV communities across the internet. People were giving rave reviews for this new piece of camping gear. I was personally ready to discount it as just another trendy purchase—that is, until my husband came home with one. It quickly became one of our favorite ways to cook meals, both at home and at the campground. Now a mainstay of all our camp cooking, the Blackstone particularly shines at breakfast since we can cook all the traditional favorites—pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and french toast—at the same time.
What is a Blackstone Griddle?
The Blackstone is a propane griddle with a flat cooktop made out of cold-rolled steel. It’s very similar to cast iron cookware in that it must be seasoned with oil prior to cooking and properly cleaned and stored in order to prevent rust.
Why are Blackstones so Popular with RVers?
Blackstone griddles combine the capabilities of a grill and a campstove into one piece of cooking gear. The manufacturer raves that you can “cook everything you can on a grill, and thousands of things you can’t.” This is a huge selling point for our family. I also love that we can make pancakes, bacon, and eggs on one cooktop without having to wash any pans—a big bonus especially when dry camping.
What’s the Best Blackstone Size for an RVer?
Blackstone Griddles come in a variety of sizes, but the 17-inch or 22-inch tabletop griddles are the most popular with RVers. The 17-inch is perfect for one or two people; the 22-inch is better for a family of three or more. The tabletop griddles can be used along with one-pound propane canisters, or you can purchase an adapter and hook up to your RV’s propane quick connect valve.
Breakfast on the Blackstone
At this point we are masters of breakfast basics on the Blackstone. Even my 11-year-old son can quickly whip up a heaping platter of French toast with a side of bacon. But we are always looking to up our game, so I reached out to Nate Lippy, recipe developer and head chef at Blackstone Products, and asked him for some of his favorite breakfast dishes along with some additional pro tips from an expert. Here are five delicious ways he recommends starting your day at the campground.
S’mores Pancakes
Chef Nate’s Pro Tip:
“The magic of pancakes is all about the prep. Get your condiments and toppings ready before you start your first pancake, so as soon as they come off the griddle, they can be served and enjoyed piping hot.”
Ingredients:
- Pancake mix
- Graham crackers
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Mini or small marshmallows
- Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- Chocolate syrup
- Caramel syrup
Directions:
- Preheat griddle to medium or medium-low heat. Heat settings will vary depending on the size and number of burners on your griddle. A general rule of thumb is that pancakes cook best with a griddle surface that is hotter than 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix pancake batter per manufacturer’s instructions. Add marshmallows, chocolate chips, cinnamon, brown sugar, and crumbled graham crackers to taste. Add enough ingredients to assure a s’mores surprise in each bite, but make sure batter maintains its somewhat runny consistency.
- Spray griddle top with your favorite nonstick cooking spray.
- Use a ladle to drop batter onto the hot griddle top.
- Use a thin spatula to check the bottom side of the pancake. Flip the pancake when the bottom side is golden brown.
- Allow the other side of the pancake to cook until golden brown.
- Place a cooking or cookie sheet on the empty side of the griddle
- Remove the pancakes from the griddle top and place on the elevated cooking/cookie sheet while you are making more pancakes.
- If the pancakes are thick, I suggest allowing them to sit on the cooking/cookie sheet for a few minutes until the insides of the pancakes are completely cooked and not runny.
- Remove cooked pancakes.
- Garnish with marshmallows, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, graham crackers, and a dusting of cinnamon.
- Enjoy your fabulous s’mores pancakes!
Nathan’s Breakfast Sandwich
Chef Nate’s Pro Tip:
“Breakfast sandwiches are like a blank canvas for flavor. I’m partial to maple sausage, so I usually start there, but everything is customizable—bread, cheese, protein. The possibilities are endless. My best tip would be to time your cooking so that each guest has hot food right off the griddle. Cold breakfast sandwiches are the absolute worst.”
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of bacon
- 4 maple sausage patties
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 eggs
- Blackstone Breakfast Blend Seasoning
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 potato rolls, sliced
Directions:
- Heat your Blackstone to medium-high heat and cook your bacon and sausage patties.
- Move a bit of the bacon fat over and cook your eggs in the bacon fat sunny side up. Add a bit of Blackstone Breakfast Seasoning.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. Using a whisk, mix evenly and reserve for later.
- Once your sausage and bacon are fully cooked, stack the bacon on top of the sausage and add a piece of American cheese over the top to melt.
- Toast your potato rolls and add some of the sauce to the bottom piece of bread, then add the sausage, bacon, and cheese.
- Once your eggs are cooked the way you like, place them on the top of your sandwich and finish with the top bun.
Crepes
Chef Nate’s Pro Tip:
“Crepes need a little TLC, so my best tip would be to practice patience. Go ahead and assume that your first one or two crepes will end up in the garbage. It takes a gentle dowel move to get the crepes thin and smooth, so practice goes a long way.”
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 cup of flour
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
Directions
- Whisk the eggs. Whisk in milk and water.
- Whisk in the flour a little at a time.
- Add the melted butter last and mix until everything is combined.
- Set griddle to medium low heat and spread a light layer of oil evenly over the surface.
- Once up to temp, use a ladle to pour batter onto the griddle and use a crepe spreader (found in Blackstone’s crepe kit) to spread the batter out into a large circle.
- Cook until the edges start to lift from the griddle surface, then flip them over.
Corn and Jalepeño Griddle Cakes
Chef Nate’s Pro Tip:
“Griddle cake is really another word for pancake, and the terms are often used interchangeably, so don’t get confused. We usually say griddle cakes when making puffier versions with heartier flours like cornmeal or buckwheat.”
Ingredients
- 2 cups of fresh or frozen and defrosted yellow corn (about 3 ears of corn)
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup of thinly sliced green onions (about 5)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra for cooking
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
Toppings
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Salsa verde
- Green onions
Directions
- Pulse 1 cup of the corn kernels in a food processor until roughly chopped, just a few seconds. Add to a large bowl along with the rest of the corn kernels, jalapeño, green onions, eggs, cheddar, and olive oil. Stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add to the corn mixture and stir gently to combine.
- Heat your griddle to medium-high heat. Add a small amount of olive oil to coat. Scoop the corn batter, 1/4 cup at a time, onto the griddle. It should be somewhat thick, and you should not need to flatten or spread it. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream, salsa verde, and additional green onions.
Whole Wheat Breakfast Burritos
Chef Nate’s Pro Tip:
“Breakfast Burritos are so versatile and the perfect camping breakfast in my opinion. You can make them ahead of time and wrap them in tinfoil to heat on demand. If you are making breakfast burritos ahead of time, be sure not to use any wet ingredients like salsa or sauces. These will make the tortilla soggy and unpleasant if not eaten right away. Instead, pack those separately and add to the burritos just before serving.”
Ingredients
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 16 oz of turkey sausage
- 12 egg whites
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or Colby-Jack)
- 10 whole wheat tortillas, 10-inch size
Directions
- Heat your griddle to high heat and cover the surface evenly with olive oil.
- Combine diced peppers and onion together and cook on half your griddle.
- Add turkey sausage to the other half and chop into crumbles.
- After approximately 10 minutes (when sausage starts to turn brown), combine sausage with peppers and onions and set to one side of your griddle on low heat.
- Decrease heat on the open half of your griddle to medium.
- Combine egg whites and cheese and slowly pour onto the open half of your griddle.
- Stir the eggs occasionally to cook evenly.
- When the eggs near desired doneness, combine with sausage and pepper and onion mixture on your griddle and stir to combine.
- Cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes until eggs reach desired doneness.
- Serve approximately 1/2 cup of egg, sausage, and vegetable mixture rolled up in 10-inch whole wheat tortillas.
You can find even more delicious Blackstone breakfast recipes here. And make sure to tag @togorv to show us your best campground cooking pictures!
