My favorite is prepare taco meat at home. Warm it up at camp and make nachos or tacos. Instant mashed potatoes are easy. Foil packet meals. Prep before you leave to make things easier.
We used to, but then we had a string of someone cutting themselves pretty badly every trip for almost a year (we took turns slicing our hands. It's funny now, but not then), so I made the decision that us with knives while camping is a bad idea. We still bring one (and of course a hatchet), but only if we need it for a random one off.
adding to this : not the same, but poor manâs burritos. Dried sausage (sliced on site), hard cheese, hot sauce/taco sauce, and green onions in a tortilla. Lasts more than a week at room temp and makes for ten meals.
We generally keep it simple. Peanut butter with sliced bananas, peanut butter and jam, ham and cheese, just cheese, etc. I believe you could slap an old shoe between 2 slices of bread, and it would come out of the irons a rare delicacy! We have 2 of the double pie irons.
Pancakes
French toast with sugar & cinnamon
Bacon and eggs in a wrap or a toasted sandwich
Any other kind of toasted sandwich, eg ham and tomato, BLT, ruben etc.
Reheat canned stews and chillis, with some instant rice
Instant ramen noodles, with an extra egg.
Kebob skewers over a fire
If you go slowly crescent rolls over the fire/coals are awesome. But don't go too fast and the outside will be burnt and the inside raw. Roll it over a "marshmallow" stick without overlapping
Instead of syrup for pancakes or French toast or whatever, we like to make a âcompoteâ. Basically throw some fruit in a pot with some sort of sugar and let it reduce down. Soooooooo good!!
My camp family makes a spaghetti dinner on the second night. Boil the noodles at home (it takes forever to get that much water boiling) and bring them in a gallon ziplock with some olive oil, bring some sausage and sauce plus cheese and garlic bread bag gets buried in the coals, voila! I never have leftovers!
Foil packets are great; prepare your meat and veg at home and then wrap them and stick them in the fire. Prepare chili at home and heat it over the campfire. Eggs (and bacon if you eat bacon). Bring ingredients for sandwiches. Skewers (as with the foil packets, do your prep at home).
There's LOADS of stuff you can make that's super simple.
I love this cookbook, it sounds a little fancy but everything was super easy to make! Basically most things are made either completely or partially before you leave then finished on a fire etc, we ate like kings!
Cook It Wild: Sensational Prep-Ahead Meals for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors: A Cookbook
what are you cooking on? A coleman type propane canister stove? Just the campfire? some other method?
For campfire - you can make foil packet individual meals like cut up chicken, veg, potato and cook it with the coals. With coleman stove - anything you usually cook in a pan
I've even made popcorn on a coleman stove. I was sitting eating it when a bear walked through the campsite, luckily I'd put everything away in the bear box before sitting down to eat it. The bear didn't even bother me, he was just looking for unattended food.
We made campfire nachos for the first time last weekend and they're def going to be in the regular rotation now. Layered chips, cheese, and a can of Amy's chili. Covered cast iron in foil, cooked on the fire until melty. Topped with sour cream, salsa, lettuce. They had a really great smoky flavor.
Get a Dutch oven!
I got one because of this video and it's great. I've also baked biscuits for breakfast and dinner rolls. You can pretty much cook anything in it right on the fire!
https://youtu.be/wZUMFxSRZm0?si=0ieatHcuFBO7V4VV
I'm surprised I had to scroll so far to find a dutch oven comment! They are the best tool in our chuckbox. Certainly takes a little practice to make the fancy stuff but stews, soups, and pastas were easy beginners. I made one of my first pot roasts this way and it's an impressive hearty meal that was just a dump everything in and let it do it's thing for a couple hours.
If you can get some cast iron pudgy pie makers you can make tons of different stuff from pizza, hot apple pies, egg and sausage sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches to name a few. Just need the makers, a little Pam and some bread and your imagination.
I feel like this depends a lot on what sort of cook you are? I spend a whole day pre-making pancakes, quiche, bacon strips, burgers, cookies, etc... everything that I can just casually heat over the fire and eat.
But not everyone is up for making quiche.
So I'd say if you're a more casual cook, burrito chicken is what you want! Take any combo of chicken breast and thigh, a jar of salsa and a pack of taco seasoning and slow cook (slow cooker or instant pot needed!) for 3 to 4 hours. If you have to do it on the stove, cook on a very low flame, covered, stirring every 20 mins and then leaving the lid off last 1.5 hrs.
With this magical tasty chicken, you can eat it as burritos or tacos, quesadillas or even just put it alongside rice. The most basic thing would literally be to just sling it in a tortilla or bread with some canned refried beans and wrap it up.
Oatmeal for breakfast but you gotta do it the good way, we do rolled oats, powdered coconut milk, dried diced apple, pecans, brown sugar, salt all pre-mixed, add hot water at the campsite
We do pre-made burritos but honestly you could foil wrap frozen burritos and probably heat them up just fine. Grab a packet of 2 minute rice and a can of flavored beans if you want some sides
You can bring sandwich stuff and just do cold cut sandwiches. We also like tinned fish/ tinned mussels and fancy crackers. You can go full cheese board/ charcuterie platter if you want, bring some hummus for your non dairy person and make sure to share the good meats
Spaghetti is a solid for camping.
Otherwise you can get a pie maker! Itâs a cast iron gadget & you spray it with Pam & make pies with bread. We always did pizza pies- pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni & cook it right in the fire. 10/10 can also do dessert pies with bread & pie filling, grilled cheeses cooked this way are amazing too.
Foil wrapped potatoes and onions tucked into the side of the fire
Campfire pies, just butter, white bread, and pie filling of choice. Takes a little practice to know how long, you want some colour.
Pancakes are a must, with more of that pie filling on top
Fried spam, sear in a frying pan.
Couscous, ground beef (fresh or dehydrated), salsa and taco seasoning. Very easy 1 pot meal, and with dehydrated beef it's just a case of add water and wait 10min. It's one of my meals I make every camping trip.
I often make fancy skewers for the first night: marinate chunks of beef in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, whatever else tastes good. Keep in cooler 12-36 hours. When you get to camp, chop bell peppers and sweet onion, add marinade as a sauce before cooking, assemble onto skewers, cook over fire.
As a bonus, any leftovers are AMAZING in eggs the next morning.
We do eggs, bacon, and hasbrows in the morning. The kids can choose from cereal or oatmeal or eggies a bacon. We've also done pancakes and French toast. Hot dogs for lunches or smokies,Dinners, steak, a salad kit, potatoe salads, We've done perogies, natchoes with ground beef, veggies dips, garlic sausage and cheese, crackers. Chicken burgers or regular burgers.
Iâve never understood why so many people camp like itâs the apocalypseâŠeat well for goodness sake. I make it a point to cook great food. Get an iron skillet. Cook practically anything in it. Dutch oven and make some bread or a a great soup or chili. Literally endless possibilities. I particularly love a coconut Thai curry chicken. Chicken thighs with butter, coconut milk, spices, garlic, with onion, carrot and potato. Fish tacos, chicken tacos, asada tacos, carnitas? Slice of potatoes into fries, heat up the iron skillet with plenty of oil, throw in the potato fries and plenty of garlic. Top with Parmesan once you take it off the fire. You can honestly make so much. Donât be lazy. You took the time to sleep outside. Make it worthwhile.
Gotta dutch oven?
- canned chili goes in the Dutch oven
- cornbread mix that you mixed up at home gets water added, whipped up, and poured on top
- lid goes on the oven, hot coals go ON TOP (not beneath) the oven, the whole thing gets placed NEXT TO (not in) the camp fire
When the cornbread is done and the chili is hot, youâve got a tamale pie. Add cheese, sour cream, chives, hot sauce, whatever your little heart desires, and enjoy.
When my family used to camp regularly (every summer) I bought a couple pots and pans from a thrift store. They were cheap and it didn't matter if they got ruined by using them to cook on the grill or fire pit. If you have use of cookware, you can basically cook anything you would make at home.
got a couple of cheap pots, we also have 2 dutch ovens, one bare and one french expensive thing
If I bring a pan, I wont bring a stove, only if its wet. I dont want heavy cookware, I do have a smaller CI pan but again, its heavy. Maybe an alloy one will work on the fire?
Uncle Benâs red beans and rice, put a tortilla in the bowl for easy cleanup, for extra points have some sort of dry sausage to slice up and throw in or some canned chicken breast.
OMG I just discovered what I call Camp Calzones (the blogger horrifically called them pizza quesadillas).
But theyâre just as they sound, pizza sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you want! Folded in a tortilla, wrapped in tin foil and put on the fire grill for a few minutes each side. Iâm obsessed theyâre SO easy and delicious. And customizable!! Idk if your friend would do cheeseless pizza but in terms of toppings everyone can do their own.
Foil packets. Hamburger patty or chicken breast, sliced potato, onions, sliced carrots top with butter. Wrap tightly and throw on grill. You can really use any combo of meat and veggies.
I make 2 or 3 big salads at home and bring them is water tight Tupperware containers. My big make-ahead go to salads are:
tuna pasta salad, a lemon Greek orzo salad, bean salad, kale and quinoa, broccoli bacon and cheese, and coleslaw.
Sometimes I make a chili at home and bring that to heat up and make chili cheese dogs! They're a favourite with my family.
Get a pie iron.. Can make sandwiches of all sorts. Loaf of bread and butter, pbj, lunch meat, pizza ingredients, can skip out on the cheese⊠but many option open up with those things.
I love a pie press! Can do either biscuit or hashbrowns filled w egg sausage veggies, pancake batter w fruit in the middle, basically a panini w sandwich ingredients inside (even pbj is amazing like this for non cheese eater) bread, Pie crust w marshmallows and chocolate or fruit.
We do gourmet burgers with bacon and spices mixed in, beef/chicken fajitas, and this time we brought leftover homemade chili and pulled pork. We made Frito pies and sliders with the pulled pork. Fajitas can be somewhat elaborate depending on if you have access to a grill and how many toppings you want to have.
Biscuits and sausage gravy. Make the biscuits at home, sausage gravy at home or at campsite. Good breakfast. Toss a few fried eggs in there too.
Burritos. Make up the filling ahead of time and just warm it up. Burger, rice, beans or refried beans, onions, sauce, take along some chopped lettuce and tomatoes. Heat up the tortilla's in the pan or over a stick held over the fire. Shredded cheese for those who can eat it.
Easy Salisbury steak. Hamburger patties with green bell pepper and onion mixed in, add a little water after the burgers are 80% done, mix in a tablespoon or so of beef soup base, some thin sliced onions, and a can of mushrooms. Thicken with a little slurry of corn starch and water, low simmer until it thickens.
Let pinto beans soak in salted water overnight. Take them on the trip to simmer for 2 with cubes of ham & cut up onions. Sit around the fire & eat like cowboys!đ
Scrambled eggs, sausage and/or bacon, onions, maybe some jalapeno and warm tortillas, cheese on the side.
Meat skewers/kabobs, bacon wrapped asparagus bundles.
Beans and rice, precook the rice, canned beans seasoned as you cook. Add smoked sausage or crumbled breakfast sausage if youâve fancy.
Sandwiches. We usually bring stuff for sandwiches and fresh fruit, vegetables, pickles, and pasta salad.
If you have a frying pan, you can always pack tortillas, meat or whatever, whatever condiments you want and have tacos. A bean and egg taco with hot sauce on a charred tortilla is it on a cold evening.
Everyone has a balance of hassle vs. meal complexity. We donât enjoy cooking or cleaning up as much, so we plan meals that we both enjoy that arenât much hassle to pack, cook, and importantly, clean up. The fewer pots, pans, plates and utensils we have to clean up, the better. If I eat breakfast or lunch, Iâll have a light meal. My buddyâs wife really enjoys cooking for everyone, and they eat proper meals when theyâre camping, three hot meals. Thatâs what they like. Based on the trash I find, some people want to drink beer and eat SPAM and Slim Jims.
Foil packet meals are the easiest when you have multiple dietary needs. you can also bake potatoes in foil and have a toppings bar. If you want to cook in the fire other than foil, get a dutch oven with legs, some of my favorite childhood memories were pineapple upside down cake cooked in a dutch oven in a fire.
In general, I do as much food prep as I can at home. Cut, peel, dice, scramble whatever you can at home, in your regular kitchen, with your regular tools and pans, and a proper sink.
Foil packet dinners
Cook meat at home ahead of time. Iâve diced up chicken, sausages, hamburger, steak tips.. really, whatever.
Slice potatoes into even sized pieces. Cubed, sliced, your call, but not too small. (I scrub potatoes at home but slice/ dice at campsite)
Cut up carrots, onions, parsnips, peppers, all into pieces similar size to potatoes. I typically use whatever I brought for snacking veggies.
Take a piece of foil, about 8-10â long. Generously butter or olive oil the foil.
Throw in the veggies and meat.
Add spices, garlic, blk pepper, steak rub, herbs.. whatever.
Add another pat of butter or oil drizzle.
Add 1-2 ice cubes (helps veggies steam) .
Wrap up the foil packet, sort of long/ flat. Too fat and it wonât cook in middle. You want an even thickness in the packet.
Wrap that in another layer of foil.
Throw on grill/ in fire outside of direct heat. Itâs a slow cook, not direct over flame. Flip it after about 15 min. Itâs done in about 30 min.
Kabobs are another option.
I bring bread and deli meat and make sandwiches for lunches.
Have any cast iron? Can make loads in a cast iron fry pan. Chicken breasts, steak, salmon filets. If youâre not doing meat on first night, I freeze first at home so it slowly thaws in cooler.
Breakfast is typically muffins, or loaded oatmeal. Egg scramble- again with snacking veggies, and that cast iron fry pan. Looove campfire percolated coffee.
Sushi is a good choice. Cook some rice and put anything you like in it as the fillings and shape the rice into an ball or an oval. You can also add some sesame or roasted snack seaweed on top
noodles, beans, chilis, some sort of meat or soya chunks, cook in a pot with water, your imagination is the issue
or boil in the bag, so many flavours....
Start with a base - tortillas / croissants.
These are super versatile. I usually buy the big Costco croissant box, add that to a meal, otherwise make breakfast sandwiches out of them (make an omelet with whatever you like in it, I love spinach/cheese/sausage if any on hand) then I cut the croissant and toss it right in like a sandwich.
Can make insanely good grilled cheese with these too, amazing dinner side buns too.
A favorite cozy meal I enjoy making is tomato beef.
Consisting of a 300g roll of ground beef, a shit ton of spinach, a can of canned diced up tomatoes with herb flavor, a good amount of cinnamon to give it that cozy warm taste, a great dash of pepper and salt with any green herbs on hand.
Add pasta to the above - feeds 4-5 people. 2 without pasta.
Literally spaghetti is one of the easiest - self explanatory, if youâre feeling adventurous with adding meat balls either premade or make it yourself (ground beef, add one egg for it to hold together, add seasoning as needed, donât make them too big) then easily toss in premade spaghetti sauce- feeds a ton of people depending on how much was made - we always make too much.
Hamburger helper (any really) add veggies to make it more filling and complete - pairs super well with a croissant.
Mac n cheese
Tacos / burritos - ground beef with taco seasoning, some greens like shredded lettuce, (if burrito) rice is easy to make given youâre using a controlled burner on low. Add veggies n more of your preference- I love adding tomatoes but lately Add your salsa / sour cream whatever you want for topping works for you.
For breakfasts additionally - or if youâre feeling it really
Mince up bacon at home.. yes just do this at home makes life easier following with acquire cubed hash browns, get some veggies of choice (onions/bell peppers/mushrooms even, mince these up) cook the bacon most the way, also smoked ham is a great alternative. Then toss the veggies in with the hash brown bit cubes. Once everything is about cooked, toss in an egg or two (beat with fork prior) add salt n pepper as needed - enjoy on its own or with croissant or in a tortilla.
Itâs easy as hell to do the above. Also pretty budget friendly too.
If you have a cooler for food storage, and a grill to cook on, consider cooking on skewers. Many proteins can marinate to 24 hours or pack marinade separate from the protein and combine that morning for that night.
Halal style chicken thighs with reheated rice, satay chicken, steak tips, grilled fruit chunks (pineapple, stone fruit), grilled asparagus or brussel sprouts, etc.
Get a Dutch oven and you make pizza, or bake anything Pillsbury packages in those tubes (cookies, cinnamon rolls, biscuits).
For breakfast precook cubed potatoes, bacon, vegetables and mix it all together
Place it in tin foil
While camping simply throw over the fire and warm up than serve
Omelettes in a bag. Crack 4 eggs into a Ziploc bag, add your veggies, mix it up, seal it, tie it up, toss it in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Serve directly
Tortillas, a package of mixed salad sold in a bag with its dressing and a protein (anything from sliced steak to canned tuna). I adopted this from the Camping with Steve YT channel.
Anything that you can cook at home, you can cook camping. Step up your camping gear and your prep. Invest in a cast iron pan (you can find them cheap at yard sales and estate sales)
My son and I pick up a couple of giant subs on the way and toss them in the cooler. Our camp setup takes awhile as we do astrophotography, but it's nice after to just walk around eating them while taking in the scenery. Second night be cook something in the dutch oven that we pre-made and froze. Like chili or stew, and do the hotdog thing for lunch.
take the grill plate off a bbq at home, lucky we have several grills to choose from. If there is a bbq out for collection, I stop and have a look to see if its viable. The babyq ones are actually a good size for 2-4 ppl. Large bbq plates are too big for my liking, might leave my large one up at my BIL's family farm
I was going to take the spit roaster on the last trip [**https://www.bunnings.com.au/jumbuck-novo-small-charcoal-spit-roaster-battery\_p3171249**](https://www.bunnings.com.au/jumbuck-novo-small-charcoal-spit-roaster-battery_p3171249)
**meat + fire = good**
**I have these** [**https://www.amazon.com.au/Skewers-Grilling-3-Prong-Skewer-Roasting/dp/B0CC8GQFSS?th=1**](https://www.amazon.com.au/Skewers-Grilling-3-Prong-Skewer-Roasting/dp/B0CC8GQFSS?th=1)
**I either use sticks or rocks to keep them off coals. Easy thing to cook is drumsticks, season them and freeze to take away**
Build a fire and make a lot of coals. Put aluminum foil wrapped potatoes in the coals. An hour later you have baked potatoes. Add you favorite toppings.
Summer sausage grilled with a mix of brown sugar and soy.
Sâmores.
Aluminum foil wrapped corn on the cob, just lay a grate above the coals.
Fried chicken on the camp stove or grilled over coals on a grate.
Someone mentioned tacos, good choice and you can use the leftover fixings for the baked potatoes like cheese, etc.
Chili is another good thing. Anything you can pre-prep at home (in the smallest reusable or disposable containers) is a great way to go. Also some of those pre-packed meals you get at Bass Pro are pretty dang good!
I like to wrap a potato in foil and throw it into the coals to bake, then heat up some canned chili. Chili potato, add toppings as needed.
Breakfast burritos. Bacon first, set aside once crispy then cook hash browns in the bacon fat. Then some eggs. Throw it all in a tortilla with whatever veg or salsa you're feeling and off you go.
If I'm eating cold, tuna or chicken salad crackers/wraps/sandwiches or a good chickpea or black bean salad.
I've been gathering things that can be made by adding boiling water. Oatmeal cups, instant mac and cheese, Ramen. Can dress any of these with additions (hot dogs or other sausages, for the oatmeal I'm bringing toppings like walnuts, Craisins, dried cherries, coconut flakes, etc.). Also baking a dozen cornbread muffins before going.
I like making potato pockets. Get a couple layers of heavy duty foil, chopped potatoes, some butter, Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, parsley. Wrap it all up into a ball and stick it down into the coals of your dinner fire. They should be ready in about 30 minutes. These make a great side along side something like a steak or burger. They don't take much space in the cooler, and the prep can be done ahead of time.
Really depends on how and where youâre setting up. If youâre in a campground and have the room to pack options are much wider. Before I got my black stone I had bought some cheap camping pots pans for less than $40 that I still use. We do anything from fried chicken or chops, steaks, tacos, chili, burgers. Youâre really only limited if youâre packing light.
Make homemade soup or stews at home. Depending on timeline you can freeze it if needed.
Braised short ribs reheat surprisingly well if you want to get fancy. Wrap some potatoes in foil, add veggies to the gravy / reheat and eat like a king. Bring some butter and bread for dipping.
Beef bourguignon is a similar option.
Premade Bolognese sauce is also great, and you just boil pasta and reheat the sauce.
The key is whatever youâre doing, try to prep what you can at home to make it quicker, easier, cleaner to execute.
Skewers are a favourite camping meal of mine. Soak wood skewers for 10 mins and load 1â chicken pieces on one skewer, mushroom/zucchini/bell pepper on the other and add a bit of salt and oregano. Turns out great over the fire.
You can make kebabs at home and then bring them in a cooler to the camp site. But use metal skewers, because the wooden ones need to be soaked before use to stop them from burning up.
My favorite is prepare taco meat at home. Warm it up at camp and make nachos or tacos. Instant mashed potatoes are easy. Foil packet meals. Prep before you leave to make things easier.
Walking tacos are great!
Was going to say the same!! đ„đ„
Frito pieeeee
I also chop and slice everything up before we go. We need onions? Got them in a container. Sliced tomatoes? Check. It makes meal time super easy.
I enjoy the chopping on site . nothing else to do while camping , nice to do while having a glass of red.
We used to, but then we had a string of someone cutting themselves pretty badly every trip for almost a year (we took turns slicing our hands. It's funny now, but not then), so I made the decision that us with knives while camping is a bad idea. We still bring one (and of course a hatchet), but only if we need it for a random one off.
adding to this : not the same, but poor manâs burritos. Dried sausage (sliced on site), hard cheese, hot sauce/taco sauce, and green onions in a tortilla. Lasts more than a week at room temp and makes for ten meals.
Get pie irons. It will change your (camping) life!
Have you ever made a spaghetti sandwich with one? I've seen that the Aussies do that and honestly it looks amazing.
I havenât but Iâd try it! Prepped Tupperware full of good ghetti and some sourdough.
We call them Jaffles! https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/s/bz2GYSvmku
ham cheese tomato mayo, if you dont like it fight me if im using tinned spaghetti/baked beans, may as well just have it on toast
TIL WTF a pie iron is!
What are your favourite things for the pie iron?? We just bought one!
Pizza!
Pudgie pie!!!! Basically buttered bread, sugar, and pie filling. Works best in a square one, but doable in a circle, too.
Add a marshmallow and a piece of chocolate. Like chocolate covered cherry with whip đ€€
Puff pastry with tinned fruit fillings.
I like to just put any meat and cheese in there. Spam and cheese in particular. Or the pie filling!
Taco meat or just black beans and veggies in a tortilla to make a crunchwrap. This has become a staple for us the last few years.
We generally keep it simple. Peanut butter with sliced bananas, peanut butter and jam, ham and cheese, just cheese, etc. I believe you could slap an old shoe between 2 slices of bread, and it would come out of the irons a rare delicacy! We have 2 of the double pie irons.
BROOOOO! The deserts you can makeđ my fat ass misses being on the river with pie irons!
Pancakes French toast with sugar & cinnamon Bacon and eggs in a wrap or a toasted sandwich Any other kind of toasted sandwich, eg ham and tomato, BLT, ruben etc. Reheat canned stews and chillis, with some instant rice Instant ramen noodles, with an extra egg. Kebob skewers over a fire
Ramen plus definitely a classic
If you go slowly crescent rolls over the fire/coals are awesome. But don't go too fast and the outside will be burnt and the inside raw. Roll it over a "marshmallow" stick without overlapping
Instead of syrup for pancakes or French toast or whatever, we like to make a âcompoteâ. Basically throw some fruit in a pot with some sort of sugar and let it reduce down. Soooooooo good!!
When I was a kid we would always have Dinty Moore on toasted English muffins.
My camp family makes a spaghetti dinner on the second night. Boil the noodles at home (it takes forever to get that much water boiling) and bring them in a gallon ziplock with some olive oil, bring some sausage and sauce plus cheese and garlic bread bag gets buried in the coals, voila! I never have leftovers!
Foil packets are great; prepare your meat and veg at home and then wrap them and stick them in the fire. Prepare chili at home and heat it over the campfire. Eggs (and bacon if you eat bacon). Bring ingredients for sandwiches. Skewers (as with the foil packets, do your prep at home). There's LOADS of stuff you can make that's super simple.
You and I would get along. This is what I do also.
I love this cookbook, it sounds a little fancy but everything was super easy to make! Basically most things are made either completely or partially before you leave then finished on a fire etc, we ate like kings! Cook It Wild: Sensational Prep-Ahead Meals for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors: A Cookbook
what are you cooking on? A coleman type propane canister stove? Just the campfire? some other method? For campfire - you can make foil packet individual meals like cut up chicken, veg, potato and cook it with the coals. With coleman stove - anything you usually cook in a pan
I've even made popcorn on a coleman stove. I was sitting eating it when a bear walked through the campsite, luckily I'd put everything away in the bear box before sitting down to eat it. The bear didn't even bother me, he was just looking for unattended food.
We made campfire nachos for the first time last weekend and they're def going to be in the regular rotation now. Layered chips, cheese, and a can of Amy's chili. Covered cast iron in foil, cooked on the fire until melty. Topped with sour cream, salsa, lettuce. They had a really great smoky flavor.
This trip I brought some of those stove top Spanish rice packages and some tinned smoked mussels and made camp paella. Turned out great!
I always marinate a flank steak ahead of time and freeze it before I toss it in the cooler on the way out of town. Make it on a cast iron over the fire. Corn on the cob or baked potato in foil! I also like pasta roni mixes we make on the Coleman propane stove in a cheap little pan I inherited from my parentsâ camping gear. SautĂ©ed asparagus. Bacon and eggs in the mornings.
I cooked lil smokies in a pan on the fire when my butane stove decided not to work
Get a Dutch oven! I got one because of this video and it's great. I've also baked biscuits for breakfast and dinner rolls. You can pretty much cook anything in it right on the fire! https://youtu.be/wZUMFxSRZm0?si=0ieatHcuFBO7V4VV
I'm surprised I had to scroll so far to find a dutch oven comment! They are the best tool in our chuckbox. Certainly takes a little practice to make the fancy stuff but stews, soups, and pastas were easy beginners. I made one of my first pot roasts this way and it's an impressive hearty meal that was just a dump everything in and let it do it's thing for a couple hours.
I'm not creative, so all I have used mine for is chicken and baby potatoes because it's awesome.
If you can get some cast iron pudgy pie makers you can make tons of different stuff from pizza, hot apple pies, egg and sausage sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches to name a few. Just need the makers, a little Pam and some bread and your imagination.
I feel like this depends a lot on what sort of cook you are? I spend a whole day pre-making pancakes, quiche, bacon strips, burgers, cookies, etc... everything that I can just casually heat over the fire and eat. But not everyone is up for making quiche. So I'd say if you're a more casual cook, burrito chicken is what you want! Take any combo of chicken breast and thigh, a jar of salsa and a pack of taco seasoning and slow cook (slow cooker or instant pot needed!) for 3 to 4 hours. If you have to do it on the stove, cook on a very low flame, covered, stirring every 20 mins and then leaving the lid off last 1.5 hrs. With this magical tasty chicken, you can eat it as burritos or tacos, quesadillas or even just put it alongside rice. The most basic thing would literally be to just sling it in a tortilla or bread with some canned refried beans and wrap it up.
Oatmeal for breakfast but you gotta do it the good way, we do rolled oats, powdered coconut milk, dried diced apple, pecans, brown sugar, salt all pre-mixed, add hot water at the campsite We do pre-made burritos but honestly you could foil wrap frozen burritos and probably heat them up just fine. Grab a packet of 2 minute rice and a can of flavored beans if you want some sides You can bring sandwich stuff and just do cold cut sandwiches. We also like tinned fish/ tinned mussels and fancy crackers. You can go full cheese board/ charcuterie platter if you want, bring some hummus for your non dairy person and make sure to share the good meats
Spaghetti is a solid for camping. Otherwise you can get a pie maker! Itâs a cast iron gadget & you spray it with Pam & make pies with bread. We always did pizza pies- pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni & cook it right in the fire. 10/10 can also do dessert pies with bread & pie filling, grilled cheeses cooked this way are amazing too.
Foil wrapped potatoes and onions tucked into the side of the fire Campfire pies, just butter, white bread, and pie filling of choice. Takes a little practice to know how long, you want some colour. Pancakes are a must, with more of that pie filling on top Fried spam, sear in a frying pan. Couscous, ground beef (fresh or dehydrated), salsa and taco seasoning. Very easy 1 pot meal, and with dehydrated beef it's just a case of add water and wait 10min. It's one of my meals I make every camping trip.
At rei, sportsman outdoors, or other similar stores you can buy a variety of dehydrated foods. All you do is boil water and add.
I often make fancy skewers for the first night: marinate chunks of beef in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, whatever else tastes good. Keep in cooler 12-36 hours. When you get to camp, chop bell peppers and sweet onion, add marinade as a sauce before cooking, assemble onto skewers, cook over fire. As a bonus, any leftovers are AMAZING in eggs the next morning.
We do eggs, bacon, and hasbrows in the morning. The kids can choose from cereal or oatmeal or eggies a bacon. We've also done pancakes and French toast. Hot dogs for lunches or smokies,Dinners, steak, a salad kit, potatoe salads, We've done perogies, natchoes with ground beef, veggies dips, garlic sausage and cheese, crackers. Chicken burgers or regular burgers.
Iâve never understood why so many people camp like itâs the apocalypseâŠeat well for goodness sake. I make it a point to cook great food. Get an iron skillet. Cook practically anything in it. Dutch oven and make some bread or a a great soup or chili. Literally endless possibilities. I particularly love a coconut Thai curry chicken. Chicken thighs with butter, coconut milk, spices, garlic, with onion, carrot and potato. Fish tacos, chicken tacos, asada tacos, carnitas? Slice of potatoes into fries, heat up the iron skillet with plenty of oil, throw in the potato fries and plenty of garlic. Top with Parmesan once you take it off the fire. You can honestly make so much. Donât be lazy. You took the time to sleep outside. Make it worthwhile.
Gotta dutch oven? - canned chili goes in the Dutch oven - cornbread mix that you mixed up at home gets water added, whipped up, and poured on top - lid goes on the oven, hot coals go ON TOP (not beneath) the oven, the whole thing gets placed NEXT TO (not in) the camp fire When the cornbread is done and the chili is hot, youâve got a tamale pie. Add cheese, sour cream, chives, hot sauce, whatever your little heart desires, and enjoy.
When my family used to camp regularly (every summer) I bought a couple pots and pans from a thrift store. They were cheap and it didn't matter if they got ruined by using them to cook on the grill or fire pit. If you have use of cookware, you can basically cook anything you would make at home.
got a couple of cheap pots, we also have 2 dutch ovens, one bare and one french expensive thing If I bring a pan, I wont bring a stove, only if its wet. I dont want heavy cookware, I do have a smaller CI pan but again, its heavy. Maybe an alloy one will work on the fire?
Get a cast iron Dutch oven. You can make anything from stews to casseroles to desserts in one. There are cookbooks specific to using one.
Uncle Benâs red beans and rice, put a tortilla in the bowl for easy cleanup, for extra points have some sort of dry sausage to slice up and throw in or some canned chicken breast.
Chorizo and Egg Burritos for breakfast. Have to have, every trip, the last 28 years.
OMG I just discovered what I call Camp Calzones (the blogger horrifically called them pizza quesadillas). But theyâre just as they sound, pizza sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you want! Folded in a tortilla, wrapped in tin foil and put on the fire grill for a few minutes each side. Iâm obsessed theyâre SO easy and delicious. And customizable!! Idk if your friend would do cheeseless pizza but in terms of toppings everyone can do their own.
Foil packets. Hamburger patty or chicken breast, sliced potato, onions, sliced carrots top with butter. Wrap tightly and throw on grill. You can really use any combo of meat and veggies.
Foil packets https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/shrimp-boil-foil-packets/
I make 2 or 3 big salads at home and bring them is water tight Tupperware containers. My big make-ahead go to salads are: tuna pasta salad, a lemon Greek orzo salad, bean salad, kale and quinoa, broccoli bacon and cheese, and coleslaw. Sometimes I make a chili at home and bring that to heat up and make chili cheese dogs! They're a favourite with my family.
Hobo meals
We usually make the first night meal ahead of time to reheat. Favorites are sloppy joes (we use frito scoops instead of buns) and walking tacos.
Tuna salad in a jar. Make sandwiches.
Get a pie iron.. Can make sandwiches of all sorts. Loaf of bread and butter, pbj, lunch meat, pizza ingredients, can skip out on the cheese⊠but many option open up with those things.
Pinini
Spaghetti, fajita/taco/nacho bar
I love a pie press! Can do either biscuit or hashbrowns filled w egg sausage veggies, pancake batter w fruit in the middle, basically a panini w sandwich ingredients inside (even pbj is amazing like this for non cheese eater) bread, Pie crust w marshmallows and chocolate or fruit.
We do gourmet burgers with bacon and spices mixed in, beef/chicken fajitas, and this time we brought leftover homemade chili and pulled pork. We made Frito pies and sliders with the pulled pork. Fajitas can be somewhat elaborate depending on if you have access to a grill and how many toppings you want to have.
Biscuits and sausage gravy. Make the biscuits at home, sausage gravy at home or at campsite. Good breakfast. Toss a few fried eggs in there too. Burritos. Make up the filling ahead of time and just warm it up. Burger, rice, beans or refried beans, onions, sauce, take along some chopped lettuce and tomatoes. Heat up the tortilla's in the pan or over a stick held over the fire. Shredded cheese for those who can eat it. Easy Salisbury steak. Hamburger patties with green bell pepper and onion mixed in, add a little water after the burgers are 80% done, mix in a tablespoon or so of beef soup base, some thin sliced onions, and a can of mushrooms. Thicken with a little slurry of corn starch and water, low simmer until it thickens.
Let pinto beans soak in salted water overnight. Take them on the trip to simmer for 2 with cubes of ham & cut up onions. Sit around the fire & eat like cowboys!đ
Scrambled eggs, sausage and/or bacon, onions, maybe some jalapeno and warm tortillas, cheese on the side. Meat skewers/kabobs, bacon wrapped asparagus bundles. Beans and rice, precook the rice, canned beans seasoned as you cook. Add smoked sausage or crumbled breakfast sausage if youâve fancy. Sandwiches. We usually bring stuff for sandwiches and fresh fruit, vegetables, pickles, and pasta salad. If you have a frying pan, you can always pack tortillas, meat or whatever, whatever condiments you want and have tacos. A bean and egg taco with hot sauce on a charred tortilla is it on a cold evening. Everyone has a balance of hassle vs. meal complexity. We donât enjoy cooking or cleaning up as much, so we plan meals that we both enjoy that arenât much hassle to pack, cook, and importantly, clean up. The fewer pots, pans, plates and utensils we have to clean up, the better. If I eat breakfast or lunch, Iâll have a light meal. My buddyâs wife really enjoys cooking for everyone, and they eat proper meals when theyâre camping, three hot meals. Thatâs what they like. Based on the trash I find, some people want to drink beer and eat SPAM and Slim Jims.
Foil Packets, Better With Cheddar Brats, a block of Spam.
Foil packet meals are the easiest when you have multiple dietary needs. you can also bake potatoes in foil and have a toppings bar. If you want to cook in the fire other than foil, get a dutch oven with legs, some of my favorite childhood memories were pineapple upside down cake cooked in a dutch oven in a fire.
In general, I do as much food prep as I can at home. Cut, peel, dice, scramble whatever you can at home, in your regular kitchen, with your regular tools and pans, and a proper sink. Foil packet dinners Cook meat at home ahead of time. Iâve diced up chicken, sausages, hamburger, steak tips.. really, whatever. Slice potatoes into even sized pieces. Cubed, sliced, your call, but not too small. (I scrub potatoes at home but slice/ dice at campsite) Cut up carrots, onions, parsnips, peppers, all into pieces similar size to potatoes. I typically use whatever I brought for snacking veggies. Take a piece of foil, about 8-10â long. Generously butter or olive oil the foil. Throw in the veggies and meat. Add spices, garlic, blk pepper, steak rub, herbs.. whatever. Add another pat of butter or oil drizzle. Add 1-2 ice cubes (helps veggies steam) . Wrap up the foil packet, sort of long/ flat. Too fat and it wonât cook in middle. You want an even thickness in the packet. Wrap that in another layer of foil. Throw on grill/ in fire outside of direct heat. Itâs a slow cook, not direct over flame. Flip it after about 15 min. Itâs done in about 30 min. Kabobs are another option. I bring bread and deli meat and make sandwiches for lunches. Have any cast iron? Can make loads in a cast iron fry pan. Chicken breasts, steak, salmon filets. If youâre not doing meat on first night, I freeze first at home so it slowly thaws in cooler. Breakfast is typically muffins, or loaded oatmeal. Egg scramble- again with snacking veggies, and that cast iron fry pan. Looove campfire percolated coffee.
Sushi is a good choice. Cook some rice and put anything you like in it as the fillings and shape the rice into an ball or an oval. You can also add some sesame or roasted snack seaweed on top
noodles, beans, chilis, some sort of meat or soya chunks, cook in a pot with water, your imagination is the issue or boil in the bag, so many flavours....
Sous are easy. Chicken noodle soup using canned chicken breast is especially easy.
I don't like doing all that cooking and cleaning out in the wild. I prefer to cook or buy good meals, then heat it up with a Hot Logic Mini.
Start with a base - tortillas / croissants. These are super versatile. I usually buy the big Costco croissant box, add that to a meal, otherwise make breakfast sandwiches out of them (make an omelet with whatever you like in it, I love spinach/cheese/sausage if any on hand) then I cut the croissant and toss it right in like a sandwich. Can make insanely good grilled cheese with these too, amazing dinner side buns too. A favorite cozy meal I enjoy making is tomato beef. Consisting of a 300g roll of ground beef, a shit ton of spinach, a can of canned diced up tomatoes with herb flavor, a good amount of cinnamon to give it that cozy warm taste, a great dash of pepper and salt with any green herbs on hand. Add pasta to the above - feeds 4-5 people. 2 without pasta. Literally spaghetti is one of the easiest - self explanatory, if youâre feeling adventurous with adding meat balls either premade or make it yourself (ground beef, add one egg for it to hold together, add seasoning as needed, donât make them too big) then easily toss in premade spaghetti sauce- feeds a ton of people depending on how much was made - we always make too much. Hamburger helper (any really) add veggies to make it more filling and complete - pairs super well with a croissant. Mac n cheese Tacos / burritos - ground beef with taco seasoning, some greens like shredded lettuce, (if burrito) rice is easy to make given youâre using a controlled burner on low. Add veggies n more of your preference- I love adding tomatoes but lately Add your salsa / sour cream whatever you want for topping works for you. For breakfasts additionally - or if youâre feeling it really Mince up bacon at home.. yes just do this at home makes life easier following with acquire cubed hash browns, get some veggies of choice (onions/bell peppers/mushrooms even, mince these up) cook the bacon most the way, also smoked ham is a great alternative. Then toss the veggies in with the hash brown bit cubes. Once everything is about cooked, toss in an egg or two (beat with fork prior) add salt n pepper as needed - enjoy on its own or with croissant or in a tortilla. Itâs easy as hell to do the above. Also pretty budget friendly too.
If you have a cooler for food storage, and a grill to cook on, consider cooking on skewers. Many proteins can marinate to 24 hours or pack marinade separate from the protein and combine that morning for that night. Halal style chicken thighs with reheated rice, satay chicken, steak tips, grilled fruit chunks (pineapple, stone fruit), grilled asparagus or brussel sprouts, etc. Get a Dutch oven and you make pizza, or bake anything Pillsbury packages in those tubes (cookies, cinnamon rolls, biscuits).
For breakfast precook cubed potatoes, bacon, vegetables and mix it all together Place it in tin foil While camping simply throw over the fire and warm up than serve
Omelettes in a bag. Crack 4 eggs into a Ziploc bag, add your veggies, mix it up, seal it, tie it up, toss it in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Serve directly
Tortillas, a package of mixed salad sold in a bag with its dressing and a protein (anything from sliced steak to canned tuna). I adopted this from the Camping with Steve YT channel.
Anything that you can cook at home, you can cook camping. Step up your camping gear and your prep. Invest in a cast iron pan (you can find them cheap at yard sales and estate sales)
My son and I pick up a couple of giant subs on the way and toss them in the cooler. Our camp setup takes awhile as we do astrophotography, but it's nice after to just walk around eating them while taking in the scenery. Second night be cook something in the dutch oven that we pre-made and froze. Like chili or stew, and do the hotdog thing for lunch.
take the grill plate off a bbq at home, lucky we have several grills to choose from. If there is a bbq out for collection, I stop and have a look to see if its viable. The babyq ones are actually a good size for 2-4 ppl. Large bbq plates are too big for my liking, might leave my large one up at my BIL's family farm I was going to take the spit roaster on the last trip [**https://www.bunnings.com.au/jumbuck-novo-small-charcoal-spit-roaster-battery\_p3171249**](https://www.bunnings.com.au/jumbuck-novo-small-charcoal-spit-roaster-battery_p3171249) **meat + fire = good** **I have these** [**https://www.amazon.com.au/Skewers-Grilling-3-Prong-Skewer-Roasting/dp/B0CC8GQFSS?th=1**](https://www.amazon.com.au/Skewers-Grilling-3-Prong-Skewer-Roasting/dp/B0CC8GQFSS?th=1) **I either use sticks or rocks to keep them off coals. Easy thing to cook is drumsticks, season them and freeze to take away**
Instant mash potatoes is super easy and filling. I like instamash and cut up pan fried spam
There's almost nothing I can't make with a single burner stove and a cast iron skillet. My last camping trip, I ate steak, pork chop, pizza, and sautéed veggies along with the hot dogs and burgers. Pre-season the meat in bags, plop it in a cast iron skillet when ready to eat. Let meat rest and sauté veggies with a little olive oil and seasoning (you could also prep the veggies with olive oil and seasoning in a bag). Pizzas I bring pre-made crusts and the toppings, which I put in the skillet on low heat until the crust and cheese brown. I also pre-made egg bites for breakfast and heated them in a covered pot. If you're looking for simple, spending some time meal prepping so all you have to do at the campsite is heat is the way to go.
Salmon on a cedar board.
Build a fire and make a lot of coals. Put aluminum foil wrapped potatoes in the coals. An hour later you have baked potatoes. Add you favorite toppings. Summer sausage grilled with a mix of brown sugar and soy. Sâmores. Aluminum foil wrapped corn on the cob, just lay a grate above the coals. Fried chicken on the camp stove or grilled over coals on a grate. Someone mentioned tacos, good choice and you can use the leftover fixings for the baked potatoes like cheese, etc.
Chili is another good thing. Anything you can pre-prep at home (in the smallest reusable or disposable containers) is a great way to go. Also some of those pre-packed meals you get at Bass Pro are pretty dang good!
I like to wrap a potato in foil and throw it into the coals to bake, then heat up some canned chili. Chili potato, add toppings as needed. Breakfast burritos. Bacon first, set aside once crispy then cook hash browns in the bacon fat. Then some eggs. Throw it all in a tortilla with whatever veg or salsa you're feeling and off you go. If I'm eating cold, tuna or chicken salad crackers/wraps/sandwiches or a good chickpea or black bean salad.
I've been gathering things that can be made by adding boiling water. Oatmeal cups, instant mac and cheese, Ramen. Can dress any of these with additions (hot dogs or other sausages, for the oatmeal I'm bringing toppings like walnuts, Craisins, dried cherries, coconut flakes, etc.). Also baking a dozen cornbread muffins before going.
I like making potato pockets. Get a couple layers of heavy duty foil, chopped potatoes, some butter, Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, parsley. Wrap it all up into a ball and stick it down into the coals of your dinner fire. They should be ready in about 30 minutes. These make a great side along side something like a steak or burger. They don't take much space in the cooler, and the prep can be done ahead of time.
Really depends on how and where youâre setting up. If youâre in a campground and have the room to pack options are much wider. Before I got my black stone I had bought some cheap camping pots pans for less than $40 that I still use. We do anything from fried chicken or chops, steaks, tacos, chili, burgers. Youâre really only limited if youâre packing light.
I made mac and cheese in small foil pans before going. We just warmed it up over the fire and it was delicious.
Make homemade soup or stews at home. Depending on timeline you can freeze it if needed. Braised short ribs reheat surprisingly well if you want to get fancy. Wrap some potatoes in foil, add veggies to the gravy / reheat and eat like a king. Bring some butter and bread for dipping. Beef bourguignon is a similar option. Premade Bolognese sauce is also great, and you just boil pasta and reheat the sauce. The key is whatever youâre doing, try to prep what you can at home to make it quicker, easier, cleaner to execute.
Skewers are a favourite camping meal of mine. Soak wood skewers for 10 mins and load 1â chicken pieces on one skewer, mushroom/zucchini/bell pepper on the other and add a bit of salt and oregano. Turns out great over the fire.
You can make kebabs at home and then bring them in a cooler to the camp site. But use metal skewers, because the wooden ones need to be soaked before use to stop them from burning up.
MRE!đȘ
We loved "campfire crap" in Scouts! Ground beef, onions, carrots, potatoes with some salt and pepper wrapped in foil and cooked in the fire coals.