Camping Meals Made Easy
Every new camper has the thought of good home cooked camping food cross his mind as he pulls through the drive through for a quick dinner. Yes, too many campers go to the age-old solution of fast food, it’s what’s for dinner. This is because they don’t always know where to turn to for easy camping recipes.
Wonder no more! The solution is here. I will take you step by step through some of the old camping classics that take little to no time at all to prepare and enjoy while sitting around a campfire. Some of these recipes will include camping chili and breakfast foods including pancakes in a bag, which is a hit with kids! Yes, even those who don’t know how to cook can enjoy making their own camping meals under an open sky.
This is an old family camping favorite for my crew. But be sure that you have a pot with a closable lid for storage in case there is any left over. All this one takes is some ground beef, tomato sauce, and anything else that you ant in your chili. (Because, in my opinion, chili is a personal preference, and not something to be duplicated.) You will want to remember your two spices that are a must in this dish: chili powder and ground cumin.
Set your pot over the fire, ground your meat, and start adding those ingredients. By the end of it, you will have a delicious pot of chili that is ready to warm any one on those cold camping nights.
I think this one speaks for itself, but it is always great to have sandwich fixings on hand when you camp. Sandwiches are great to stick in a backpack if you decide to go hiking or fishing. Just be sure that you have enough of everyone’s favorites to dish it out fast and with very little clean up.
This is a fun breakfast that the kids can handle mixing for you. Before you leave for your camping trip you crack open your eggs into a liquid tight plastic bag. Make sure it is enough eggs for everyone in the family. You put it in your cooler until you are ready to make breakfast.
In the bag you add whatever seasoning or extras you like: salt and pepper, onions, green peppers, etc. After it has all been added, hand the bag to the kids to squash the eggs into a gooey mush. Pour the mixture into the pan and cook away.
This is a great favorite for kids because they get to do the “hard” part, mixing. Before you leave for your camping trip (possibly even the night before), all you have to do is put all of the dry ingredients in a liquid tight plastic bag and make sure that you have enough of the liquid ingredients on the camp out for when it’s time to make the meal.
When you are ready to make the pancakes, you put your liquid ingredients in the bag, seal it up, and hand it over to the kids to start mixing it up for you. When it’s all mixed, you’re ready to cook up your pancakes and enjoy a warm breakfast with the rising sun.
It’s always easier for the cook of the camp out if you have premade salads ready to dish out and serve. You can go about this two different ways. You could either prepare them yourself the night before you leave, or you could go to the grocery store and buy the premade salads with no prep time to you at all.
Try to have fresh produce cut before leaving home to cut back on your food preparation time and extra dishwashing. Seal all food and garbage before going to bed. If you are in a bear free area, you can keep your food in your car. Otherwise, it needs to be tied up in a tree a ways off from your campsite. The most important thing to remember is to have fun and relax as you enjoy the great outdoors.
