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Boiled Omelets

For no good reason, I hate doing dishes when I’m camping. Well, to be honest, I hate doing them when I’m home, too. But since I go camping to relax, it’s usually cereal or rolls or something else cold to start the day.

That all changed at a Cub Scout campout a few years ago, when I learned how to cook an omelet with no cleanup required: Just boil it in a Ziploc bag. Yes, I know, I was late to the boiled omelet party. But for those who are even later than me, it’s amazingly simple.

Start by bringing a kettle of water to a boil over the campfire or cook stove. If you’re in a hurry, bring your turkey fryer. While you’re waiting, crack eggs into a freezer bag, seal the bag and scramble the eggs. Open it back up and add whatever ingredients you like in your omelet: bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, onions, green peppers … you name it. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, mix it up, toss it in the boiling water and watch it float as it cooks.

The great thing about this recipe is not only can everyone get their omelet made-to-order, you can cook them all at once, as long as you have a pot big enough.

Eric Fowler/NEBRASKAland Magazine
Eric Fowler/NEBRASKAland Magazine

How long it takes to cook your omelet will vary. One egg and a little cheese, something you might get a finicky Cub Scout to eat, could be done in 5 minutes. Add four or five eggs and the works like I do and it might take 10 or 15 minutes. Use tongs or a gloved hand to grab the edge of the bag and pull it out. I don’t like runny eggs, so when it’s firm, it’s done. If you want to double check, open the bag and cut through the center of the eggs to test it. When it is ready, cut the bag open and dump the contents on a paper plate, eat it with a plastic fork and wash it down with a plastic cup of milk or juice. When you’re finished, toss it all in the trash and go fishing. Because like I said, I hate doing dishes. Especially when there is dinner to catch.

About eric fowler

Nebraskaland Regional Editor Eric Fowler was born in Hastings, graduated from Ogallala High School in 1988 and completed his Bachelor’s at Chadron State College in 1993. After six years as a writer and photographer with newspapers in Chadron and Scottsbluff, he joined the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 1998 as Publications Editor and has been a member of the NEBRASKAland staff since 2001. Fowler spends as much time as he can in Outdoor Nebraska. When he’s not photographing wildlife, landscapes or people enjoying the state’s outdoor resources for the magazine, he’s enjoying them himself while hunting, fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking or camping with family, including his wife and son, and friends.

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