Our family has been camping since our girls were tiny- it’s one of our favorite inexpensive activities in the summer and fall and it has been so fun to see the girls fall in love with the great outdoors as much as my husband and I do. I love everything about camping- sipping coffee (or a good whiskey) by the fire, going on long walks around the campsite, laying by the lake, going on night walks to stargaze… but what I might love even more than all of those things is camp cooking! I have so much fun coming up with fun, unique ideas to cook over the campfire and on the camp stove.
One of the best parts of camp cooking, I think- is not just enjoying the meal fireside, but how little equipment you truly need for a delicious meal.
Whether you’re a make-ahead and re-heat camper or a cook-it-all-over-the-fire camper, here are some of our family’s favorite camping meals:
Make-ahead meals:
Taco Meat– this is so easy to make ahead and reheat on the camp stove! We love making tacos or ‘walking tacos’ (an old girl scout recipe) in a bag of chips!
Shredded Chicken- use for tacos or to make campfire enchiladas
Marinated meat (steak or chicken) is perfect for cooking over the fire (as skewers), in foil (keep separate if it’s raw) or on a griddle!
Pre-made foil packets- the sky is the limit! We love sausage and vegetables, chicken (pre-cooked) or black beans, corn and rice, and fajita-style (you can also make chicken or steak fajitas on a griddle!)
Pasta- pre-cook (don’t forget to season!) and store in ziploc bags with a little drizzle of olive oil to keep from sticking. Serve with meat sauce or meatballs- which brings me to…
Meatballs pre-cook, reheat and serve on toasted sub rolls or over pasta with sauce and parmesan cheese
Baked Mac and Cheese- make ahead and re-heat over the fire with foil over top.
Monkey Bread (use cinnamon rolls or biscuits and cinnamon sugar!)
Fruit crumble (easy to make ahead and reheat)
Banana boats (banana split in half- keep it in the peel; topped with chocolate chips, marshmallows and your favorite toppings, wrapped in foil and cooked over the coats to melt)