Chuck Wagon: The History of America’s First Food Truck

The Western breakfast ritual showing why chuck wagon cooking still matters

Long before food trucks, early American chuck wagons fed hungry cowboys on the open prairies during cattle drives. Chuck wagon cooks, AKA cookies, rely on simple ingredients to guide their menus and fire to power their ovens. Today, chuck wagon cook-offs help preserve cattle drive trail days and ensure the authentic reproduction of these mobile kitchens. Pigeon Forge’s Chuck Wagon Cookoff includes cash prizes and awards in various food categories, including meat, potatoes, bread, beans and desse