Grilling over the open campfire is a rich tradition. Maybe it’s a combination of how the wood brings out food’s natural flavor and the ambiance of being outdoors that makes cooking over a fire so much fun.

Whether camping with the family, hunting with friends or simply achieving that wood-grilled flavor at home, campfire cooking is delicious and a lot easier than you might think.

“Camping is a popular activity that many people enjoy all year long,” said Tom Benzschawel, an expert on outdoor cooking and creator of the Grate Mate Outdoors, Quad Pod campfire grill.

“Whether you’re camping for the evening with family, on a hunting adventure with friends, or on a week-long scoutinb trip earning a survival badge, cooking over a campfire is a fun experience that can produce great results,” Benzschawel said.

This first thing to keep in mind is that cooking over a fire is different than using a traditional stove. Make sure to pack forks and knives as needed along with kitchen supplies such as tinfoil and resealable plastic baggies.

It’s also a good idea to bring extra butter and oil, along with salt and pepper because these ingredients can be used for cooking most items.

Planning your meals will save you time and money when it comes to camping. Depending on the type of tools you have for cooking over a fire, you can cook simple items like hotdogs or more complex items like pizza.

So what is the best way to cook over a campfire? Metal pokers might work for marshmallows, but are very limited when it comes to cooking a whole meal. Tripods are convenient, but they can get messy and are unstable.

Therefore, it’s best to use a grill made especially for this type of cooking such as the Quad Pod – a collapsible metal grill that can be placed over a fire for cooking many types of food.

The four metal legs keep the grill stable and the adjustable grate is designed to provide complete control of cooking temperatures. The accompanying side table allows you to keep items, such as a kettle of coffee or ears of corn warm while you cook other food.

When cooking over a campfire it’s fun to be creative, but remember you are cooking over an open flame so be careful to closely monitor food to make sure it is thoroughly cooked.

And don’t forget, you can use your grill over a bonfire pit at home to get the flavor of the outdoors any time of year. Ask for the Quad Pod by name at any local outdoor retail store.

If you need some ideas to get started cooking over an open flame, use the following recipes.

Camper’s tinfoil dinner

1 roll tinfoil

1 potato cubed

2 carrots chopped

1 small onion chopped

Favorite meat

Take a 12-inch piece of tinfoil and lay on the table. Place potatoes, carrots, onion and the your choice of meat on the tinfoil. Add a small amount of butter or oil to help the ingredients cook and prevent sticking.

Cover with another piece of tinfoil and wrap into a small package. Place foil on the grill, flipping every ten minutes. Check progress after 20 minutes to see if meat and vegetables are thoroughly cooked.

Chicago-style pizza

Pizza crust mix

1 small stick of pepperoni, sliced thin

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

8 mozzarella slices

1 small onion, chopped

1 small can mushrooms, drained

1 small can black olives, pitted and halved

Pepper and oregano to taste

Mix pizza crust mix as directed on package. Pat out dough to 12-inch circle and place on grill. Add remaining ingredients. Cover top of pizza with a large piece of tinfoil. Bake until base is golden and insides are cooked. Allow extra time for thicker crusts.