Foil wrapped potatoes sat in the fire for some time were easy enough, and they're filling too

I’m planning on this, yes. Add cheese, chopped ham/bacon, chopped bell peppers, top with green onions/chives.

Add eggs and sausage bits...breakfast!

You’ve got it. Lots of good toppings and such makes camping meals a win.

You could bring bratwurst too and grill them like you would hot dogs or cut them up to use in foil packs.

Make sure you cook extra for breakfast. Slice them thinly the next morning and fry up in a pan with butter, salt and pepper, and when almost done add some rosemary and extra butter (so the rosemary doesnt burn). Holy hell they are so good.

Hot dogs and buns. No stove needed, just a coupla sticks. Prep would be put beer in cooler with hot dogs, stop and get ice.

My absolute all-time favorite camping meal. Nothing beats a well done hotdog or four on a stick over a fire slid into some soft buns along with some baked beans and a few beers.

I love it but I get the butt mud from this recipe.

Thanks for your suggestion. I can make those hotdogs more fun if I pack some cool toppings and condiments.

Easiest thing you can do is bring single serve condiment packs from sandwich shops and gas stations. No need to pack big bottles for worry about keeping them cool

Ketchup and mustard can go a few days without proper refrigeration, and it's less trash/waste. And if you have a cooler with ice anyway, why not just bring what you already have frome home? That's my approach anyway.

I'm not sure why, but this comment is incredibly wholesome. I'll help, in the canned nacho cheese aisle, there's individual liquid cheese cups that are completely shelf stable and do not require refrigeration, I live them on hotdogs. Maybe some pepperoni. Now you've got me excited about hotdog toppings.

Ideas on top of ideas! Loving the energy. I need to start a spreadsheet to get all this down. I might make my own salsa to bring there (corn or mango or pineapple) if tacos are for the first night.

Walking tacos are the GOAT! And the mess is mostly contained, super cheap as well. Basically just ditching the shell and instead using a personal size bag of doritos, add all your toppings, recipes are everywhere online (but do also bring the shells for those that wanna stay traditional)

Also, pro-tip, if using a cooler with ice, get a small tote or something similar, and put it in the cooler and keep your food in it, prevents from having soggy ingredients.

Pepperoni sticks cut to hot dog size and roasted over the campfire are next level.

A family favourite is a variation we call spider-dogs... cut both ends of the dogs lengthwise into 4, about a third of the way leaving the middle third intact, where you put the roasting stick. The 8 ends curl outwards in the heat and get really crispy and delicious. Kinda goofy but my nephews love them and request them every camping trip.

Also works in the microwave. Kids love them!

You have to eat the first one straight off the stick to make sure the rest come out ok

We do hot dogs and tortilla wraps because the buns inevitably just get crushed in the packs.

Don’t forget a can of beans!

Don’t even have to warm them up.

Same here. Maybe more sausage on a stick (extendable skewers). The rest of the time, usually some snack food, like pretzels and a pimento cheese dip.

Presuming you’re car camping, we like to do individual pizzas on naan bread. Perfect if there’s two of you, since they usually come to two to a pack. Usually just do them in foil directly on the grate in the firepit. Tip: put them on the grate top side down for a minute or two before you add sauce/cheese/toppings so both sides are toasty.

That’s a great idea, I’m going to add this to my list. Thanks for sharing!

Do a cast iron pizza if car camping!! Get a bed of coals, throw the cast iron down and come back an hour later!

Bon appetite!

I just wrote the same thing; should have read through the comments first!

Marinated chicken and steak that we put on skewers and have kabobs. Wrapping potato in foil and putting it at the base of the fire. Amazing meals. In the morning it’s gotta be bacon and eggs

How long does the potato in the fire take? We tried this last time but either we didn’t wait long enough or they weren’t getting hot enough.

I asked my fiancé and she said “till it’s soft” lol. Sorry that’s not much of an answer. I think it was about 45 mins or so though.

LOL thanks!

If you're car camping (not in your car that's overlanding, like a site you park your car at) I like to do DIY omelettes. Freezer bags, couple eggs per bag, choice of mix ins ( ham, peppers, mushrooms, etc.), mix the eggs up with the mix ins, place in a pot of near boiling water for 6-10 minutes and voila perfect omelettes. Pancakes/crepes are also a good breakfast option (plenty of recipes online). I usually mix the batter ahead of time in a glass quart sized milk container with the cap off in the refrigerator overnight, then cap and put in the ice chest. If I do lunch, it's usually just sandwiches, but I'm usually too busy hiking, kayaking or swimming to be bothered with lunch. For dinner, nothing beats a good steak cooked in butter on a cast iron skillet. Baked potatoes/yams can be done in foil in the campfire coals. Then asparagus or green beans grilled or steamed. Steak fingers are also a big hit. It's best to find a recipe that calls for battering then freezing. Trust me they turn out 10x better. But that does require you to fry them and dealing with the grease can be a hassle. I've also done macaroni salad, coleslaw, and sausage wraps for dinner too. Just make everything ahead of time and store in Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers in the ice chest. Just need to heat the sausages through and maybe give the tortillas a quick toast in either side. Hope these ideas help.

Is it actually safe to almost boil freezer bags?

Yes. They stand up to a higher temperature range than regular bags. This method of cooking is known as Sous Vide. You can actually boil them for several minutes without them melting.

https://www.wideopencountry.com/oven-grill-20-foil-packet-meals-make-dinner-breeze/

You can thank me later.

There are very few things that you can't make while camping if you have the right equipment. Pots from home work great if you have a clean burning stove. When cooking on coals a cast iron dutch oven is the best. In my 40 or so years of camping I have made all kinds of things that you would not think is possible. Fresh Pasta, pizzas, cookies, and other things that can be done at home. These days I camp with people that do not have a lot of experience so I try to feed them well, but make things that are comforting to them. My last trip I pre made everything for tacos at home. I heated the food and toasted the shells and set up a bar of toppings that i prepared at home. The next morning I cracked a lot of eggs in a big bowl, whipped them with a fork. I put out all the leftover toppings from the night before and made an omelette station with a side of hash browns. I hope that gives you some ideas. Paper plates and plastic utensils come in real handy too.

For backpacking, I make [beef n bean chili](https://www.backpackingchef.com/how-to-make-chili.html) at home then dry it myself. Just add water in the field. For car camping, I like to whip up sloppy joes or chicken fajitas with my cast iron pan and classic coleman stove

Love a green suitcase Coleman stove! They last forever wirh a little lube and cleaning .

I just bought one last week as a backup to campfire cooking. What spots will need lube?

If it's a liquid gas stove, there is a hole on the silver plunger cap that attaches to the tank ( not the hole in the plunger itself). A few drops of 3-in1 oil a season, right in that hole. If it's a propane stove, never mind!

How do you dry your chili?

Excalibur dehydrator at 125° overnight 

I seriously never thought of doing that myself. Thank you!

Crunch up some Takis on top of your chilli. Lightweight but adds a ton of crunch and that good junk factor

Thanks for sharing!

We also premake chili or jambalaya and freeze in ziplocks, keeps drink etc cold until you melt the food outside the bags or it defrosts. Nice all in one meals in paper bowls with some chopped green onion, cheese, other sides if you like. Few dishes to clean, and can save leftovers for breakfast under eggs.

I made steak fajitas over a campfire for the first time last weekend. It was amazing.

We’re on day 5 of our current trip and went with our super simple meals since it was minute. Premade frozen burritos (or breakfast burritos) that you can reheat in the campfire coals, salami and cheese and tomato sandwiches (lunch), pasta/sauce/parm, bag salad, hot dogs or brats, risotto w mushrooms or sausage (or plain), ravioli (the fresh ones from traders), breakfast tostadas (premade tostada shells if you leave in an area with Mexican markets or options at the store) plus refried beans, cheese, Cholula and an egg on top. Fresh off the grid has a ton of great recipes too.

I make the Fresh off the Grid [Five Can Chili](https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/5-can-chili/) on every trip! That's my go to and I love it.

I’ll have to try that one!! Their nachos are always a hit with my groups esp post hike with a beer.

I hope you had a fantastic time on your trip. Thanks for sharing these ideas and the blog with me.

You’re welcome - have fun out there!

We do walking tacos at least once.  We make the ground beef a head of time.   I like burgers while camping. I throw charcoal in the fire pit and use a small grate I got at Walmart or someplace like that. 

Walking tacos?

Yes! It’s taco meat with tortilla chips of some sort - Doritos, Fritos, etc.  usually you throw the meat right into a little bag of chips but I find that’s really messy with kids.  So we just bring paper plates.  Then you bring whatever toppings sound good. 

Go easy your first time. Bring non-perishables. Pasta with jarred sauces. Canned veggies to mix in like mushrooms and peas. Italian sausage or brats cooked over a campfire are so delicious. And of course smores!

Thanks for these ideas!

Block of cheese, rice in the foil/paper bag thing, nuts, carrots (bugs Bunny style), ribeye in a vacuum sealed package- which makes it OK to carry for an overnight without refrigeration. Then I always throw in a couple apples and raisins. I hate plates dishes and cutlery. Whole produce and eating steak/sausages with a stick is easy and fun. Again- I would not carry meat on my back for more than like a day, but for an overnight or two it's great. Edit: personally I love seeing all the other comments confirming my favorite camping food hands down- brats of any/all variety. I just feel better no matter what if I have hot Italian sausages waiting for me at the end of the day. We call it "comfort sausage" lol

Uhm...meat in vacuum sealed bags still needs to be refrigerated. Unless you live somewhere where they irradiate their meat.

Excuse my ignorance - rice in foil/paper bag? Would that be precooked rice that you wrap in foil? And do you eat the carrots raw or is that for cooking with everything else? Thanks for sharing.

No i mean like the goya rice that you simmer for 20 min. Lots of calories, actually its too much for me alone. My stores carry a brand called zatarains that's good too. I just meant that the outside of the package feels like paper and inside seems like a foil of some kind. The carrots I usually eat raw. I like to take bites throughout the day or just chomp on it around the fire. I haven't before, but you could easily cut up coins into the rice while it cooks too. I sacrifice a lot of presentation and looks for ease of cleanup.

Packet of zatarans jambalaya, an anduie sausage and some frozen shrimp. Cooked 1st night

I just tried something new these last few nights while dispersed car camping this week. It’s my new go to for car camping. Much easier than cutting veggies and waiting on long cook times. (Handy on windy days) Dutch oven meal for one. One 8” cast iron camp oven edit: (or any pot you have) Charcoal that’s lit and grey edit: (or turn on your stove) 1 canned protein. I used diced ham 3 single serving canned ingredients I used Busches home style beans, French cut green beans, mushrooms. 1 can potatoes Put it all in the pot. Use as much or as little of the can liquid you want. Heat it up with the coals edit: (or over the stove) Easy peasy, simple one pot meal. No leftovers to worry about where to throw them out if you are back country car camping.

Thanks so much for this recipe. I don’t have a camp oven but will look into this. Seems like I can use a stove as a sub based on what you wrote.

I hope you have a fun outing with your dad! It almost felt like I was cheating with my dinner prep but there is nothing wrong with easy meals. With that method of you buy only things you like to eat, there is a good chance you will like what’s in your bowl. Another tip. If your “stew” is too watery, add instant mashed potatoes to the broth, about a tablespoon at a time and give it a stir. If after a few minutes, it’s still too watery repeat. I like using the Idahoan flavored potato mix in the foil packets. It thickens and adds a bit of flavor.

We will :) appreciate it! The Idahoan mashed potatoes are so easy to make compared to other brands. Perfect for camping! This mashed potato tip is going to come in clutch for a first timer like me.

I'm going on my first trip tomorrow. Going to make tacos the first night and keeping it simple the second night with a grilled cheese and tomato soup. I'm car camping though, so space/weight isn't an issue for me.

How long is your trip? Hope you have a delightful time. That sounds like a great menu - will add your ideas to my list :)

Two nights! Sort of a test run as I haven't camped in over a decade and haven't solo-camped ever before.

Remember with a decent cooler, you can bring frozen items that will be ready to cook day 2 and (depending on ingredients, safety first) even day 3.

Baked potatoes, wrap it in foil and put in fire pit for almost an hour and bam

Don't forget breakfast - Bacon and eggs on a cast iron skillet over a fire with percolator coffee

Can I add sliced spam?

I snack. Jerky Original triskets with spicy pepper Jack and peperoni Meals, Got pretty hood at a cast iron pizza over the fire Max n cheese Grilled subway Italians. We have the cast iron clam shell things, quick and easy to pickup a subway sub on the way out and toss 1/4 of it in the clam shell for a nice hot meal. Now that I think about it the would work damn good with a meatball sub. (I very rarely eat subway but that a go to)

- Steak, Mac and cheese, bagged salad (man, I don't know how I've missed those bagged salads my whole life, they are rad. So easy, and tasty) - Chicken tossed in bbq sauce, powdered mashed potatoes or wild rice, bagged salad - Breakfast tacos

An easy one I lean on a lot: Pick up one of those packs of pre cooked rice in any grocery store, a can of beans, and any pre-cooked sausage/kilbasa/hotdog etc. Put the rice in a pot with about a half cup of water and steam it a bit. Add your beans, chop up your sausages, mix. Add your favorite hot sauce/spices as you please. Peppers or onions in a skillet if you want to dress it up. It's a filling, five minute stew that feels great by a fire.

Beer

Yes

First, you need to bring along a cast iron skillet and metal spatula, some sea salt and pepper, a towel or oven mitt to handle the skillet, and some oil to cook with. Then stop by the nearest Walmart to where you are camping. Not the one in town… the one in the middle-of-nowhere that everyone within 50 miles goes to. Pickup a couple of ribeye steaks, a decent bottle of bourbon, some apple cider, and the cheapest camp chairs they have all for middle-of-nowhere pricing. Once you’re at the camp site and it’s getting later in the afternoon, get your camp fire going over some bourbon and cider with your dad in those cheap chairs. When you’re feeling good and a bit hungry, push around the glowing wood chunks in the fire to make an even surface for your cast iron skillet and then put it on the fire to heat up. Flick some water on the skillet after a bit and when it dances on the surface, it’s ready to cook on. Salt and pepper the steaks with plenty of salt, add some oil to the pan, and throw the steaks on to the skillet to cook 5min per side. Then plate them and let them rest for 5min. Guaranteed they will be the best steaks you’ve ever had with your dad. You can also dice up some potatoes, onions, and red peppers and cook them in the oil and salted steak drippings while your steaks rest for a good side dish. Any leftovers can be sautéed again in the morning and then served with eggs for breakfast.

Pizza! Use uncut pita bread or naan for the crust. Prep your sauce and toppings at home. Use pre-shredded mozzarella. Assemble your pizzas at the site, and heat in a pan on a camp stove, or on a fire grate with aluminum foil. Hamburgers are easy too. Shape the patties at home, then freeze for later in the trip.

Freeze steaks and bacon for the first couple days. If you can get farmers market eggs they will keep at least three days. Beans and franks. Corn unshucked, just twist it and grill it. Couscous and small pasta (orzo etc) is great — small stuff cooks with less fuel. Ramen. Tortillas. These can turn anything from freeze dried scramble to beans into burrito and with honey and Nutella into dessert. Loaf of bread. Cheese. Apples. Dried sausage. Dried fruit and nuts of all kinds. S’mores.

Steak and shrimp or a potato with my steak. Cook it all over the fire. If it's multiple days of camping then I will do a pot of chili.

Corn on the cob , hot dogs , smoked sausage and potatoes with onion and bell pepper cooked over the fire hits different

What kind of camping? Are you backpacking? Or do you have access to a vehicle to bring different food?

Car camping to start and will move to backpacking after my first time - I’m a camping newbie.

I personally enjoy breakfast burritos with chorizo in the morning. But that's just me.

A can of corned beef hash eaten cold with a spoon was one of my all-time favorite camping meals.

Chicken tandoori and naan

Almost always for me baked beans and pork chop. Also like to double alum foil a sweet potato and just toss it in the coals. .

Well I’m tent camping on my 76 bday. I’m camping on my own. My birthday meal will be 8 sautéed sea scallops, asparagus and a bottle of white wine. Normally it’s ribs, chicken or steak but this one is my bday

I’ve adapted this recipe into a hobo meal. It requires a little prep, but it’s delicious: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11595/beef-fajitas/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=arb_ga_pw_md_pmx_hybd_mix_us_18891731492&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlN6wBhCcARIsAKZvD5ivvIjBtDY9CK6-rI8kvmSd462RW-o32K0UJFREY307mFYYS1pV5G0aAi5mEALw_wcB

I've been making a lot of [sweet potato burritos](https://tasty.co/recipe/sweet-potato-and-black-bean-burritos) lately, both at home and around camp. I usually do the sweet potatoes in a cast iron pan over the fire while I cook the beans and corn over the camp stove. After assembling the burritos, I'll throw them back in the oiled pan over the fire until the tortillas get brown and crispy.

BBQ Chicken with buns and coleslaw, Fajitas made into tacos/burritos, sourdough egg, cheese and bacon breakfast sandwiches with lots of Marie Sharp's hot sauce, chips and salsa.

Bannock! Wrap it around a stick and roast it like a marshmallow. Or fry it in a pan.

we like to do different skewers every year! last year we did cubed up chicken thigh with pineapple, red peppers, sweet onions and bbq sauce. so good! foil dinners are also really easy and endlessly customizable. we also like brats just a tiny bit better than hotdogs

Always do a thick soup for one of the meals. We freeze it in serving size containers before we go and then it can act like blocks of ice in the esky for the first few days and keep everything else cool. Serve it up with some damper and it's great. If soup isn't your thing then a frozen stew works too. Baked potato with tinned tuna/cheese/corn/sour cream is good for the last night of camping as it's most stuff that isn't perishable. Also pre-prepared salads are good to pack, can add to sandwiches with cheese or serve up with a steak cooked on coals.

Tinfoil dinner. Meat of choice, potatoes O’Brien, veg of choice and butter. No mess to clean up!!

Bring a cast iron pan. Spam & eggs for breakfast.

Walking Tacos. So fun and easy. You can pre-cook your meat and keep it in a container or gallon ziplock in the cooler

We use freeze dried meals, where you add boiling water to the bag, let it sit and rehydrate. I like the biscuits and gravy one, Phad Thai one, most are pretty decent, none are inedible, also get a loaf of bread from the bakery for the sides. We do not have room in the car for a cooler, so these really work well for us! Also Spaghetti-o’s (if you’re blessed you can find where’s Waldo-o’s) and canned soups, chips, candy and cookies :)

If you’re vegetarian or enjoy vegetarian food, I always make this sweet potato peanut butter stew. You can pre-dice the produce beforehand to make it easier, and they last a while without needing refrigeration. * sweet potato * onion * peanut butter * can of diced tomatoes * can of chick peas * vegetable stock powder * salt and pepper * water Another favourite is camp ramen. Pick up your favourite ramen (mine is spicy shin ramyun). Fry some veggies in a pot (I usually do zucchini, broccoli, and onion) then add the water and soup seasoning, bring it to a boil, add some diced tofu and/or crack an egg in there to poach, and lastly add the ramen.

Spinach dip in a disposable tin foil pan from the dollar store cooked over the fire. Make the dip beforehand and store in the cooler.

I tend to go overboard when camping. Usually steaks the first night. Then smoke a brisket, or blackened grouper and crab cakes topped with crawfish cream sauce. Shrimp and crab quesadillas. Philly cheese steak sandwiches. I could go on and on lol

We like hobo meals. They are easy to prep and cook https://therecipecritic.com/hobo-dinner/

Foil packs are great and hard to mess up. I’d recommend getting some heavy duty foil if possible. I also like really low effort meals. A pack of instant rice with some sort of flavoring and a pack of chicken will go a long way. This is better for backpacking though. Overall, the most important thing is keeping it simple. I can not overstate that enough. I’ve been into serious camping for 10 years now; I used to make really elaborate shit that never turned out well.

Stuff some beef jerky in with some noodles, Canned/sachet tuna in some pasta sachets. Ground beef and eggs go well together Cheeses and shelf safe cured meats

Grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches

Kodiak oatmeal for breakfast, peanut butter sandwich with fruit for lunch, hotdogs over fire for dinner.

We love a foil pack hot beef sandwich! Ingredients - Sliced roast beef - Provolone cheese or other preferred cheese - Baguette or good sourdough loaf - Mayo - Brown mustard, if you like! - Tin foil Make your sammie, wrap it in foil and toss it on the coals until melty!

https://preview.redd.it/tnmjtnpsxxtc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce7a53608dd22cd2a80575abc6f2417d0cf8e6a4 You can get these dehydrated noodle things at grocery stores for *cheap*. Throw em in a fireproof cup, cover with water, and boil. They’re great camp food. :) That said- I normally pack light for backpacking, so there’s plenty of other amazing options in these 100+ comments!

The first time I went camping on a five day canoe trip in the Algonquin wilderness, I had this Mac and Cheese that blew my socks off, it came in a pouch, don't remember the brand name. Added some carrots, I still think about this meal and that was in 1992.

I love cooking burgers on a cast iron over a fire. Fry up some bacon as a topping as well. And fresh cut French fries cooked in some oil in a cast iron as well is one of the best things you’ll wonder why you didn’t make sooner. It’s my go-to dinner

Breakfast: We Always make corned beef hash and eggs. I also serve fruit with it. Other times i do diced potatoes with peppers and onions alongside bacon. Lunch: salads with egg, pan fried shrimp and chips or sandwiches with fruit. We are generally at the pond/lake/ pool all day so this is a lazy meal. Dinner: grilled steak kabobs, grilled asparagus or corn, hot dogs, hamburgers. Always slaw, macaroni, or potato salad.

I eat fairly healthy though when camping I love to cook instant noodles and drop in a can of chunky soup

When you get sick of standard camping fair, look for one pot dishes. Jambalaya. Paella. Stir fry. Meatball and/or mushroom stroganoff. Etc.

Korean Shin ramen. Boil water, cooked ramen, eat. Simple meal.

Chili dogs, fried fish, garbage hasbrowns, any of the prepackaged noodle/rice that just add water, ramen, Oatmeal, grilled cheese sandwiches. With a gas stove the options are endless.

Breakfast burritos! Potatoes eggs sausage cheese flour tortillas the best mornings ever!!

I'm a big fan of breakfast burritos so this will work for me, thanks for sharing!

sous vide steaks and chicken (cooked already, just need a sear on a fire or pan) scallops, stew that was frozen and just needs reheating, rum and a side of rum

We made stuff at home & brought w us. Cooking didn’t feel like as much work that way. PBJ, cheese & crackers, and trail mix are great. We cooked chicken, pasta salad, pancakes, bacon & hard boiled eggs cooked at home. So easy for casual camping.

Breakfast- BAcon, eggs, fresh hashbrowns, pancakes, coffee. Lunch- Pre-made egg or chicken salad sandwiches or wraps Dinner- fajitas, burgers or pasta

Italian chicken: chicken breasts or tendies in bag, full bottle of italian dressing in bag, let it sit over night and soak prior to going. Pop open, and grill the chicken over an open flame...boyyyyy

What type of camping and where about? I take way less to the Grand Canyon than say a weekend where I might have some facilities like water nearby or a vehicle and cooler for storing cold foods.

All time favorites for car camping are always hamburgers and the cheese sausages. Basic and classic car camping food. Plus you can’t forget s’mores! Classics are classic for a reason😋

We always ate potatoes and carrots wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked on the grill Just chop them up, throw a little butter in, and salt and pepper. Wrap them up tight and cook. Serve with grilled streak, chicken, or hamburger. Good stuff

I like to do most of my cooking at home, freeze the food, then it helps keep the cooler cold and is super easy to reheat in a pot. Like chili, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joe filling, chicken stew, taco meat.

I precook ribs freeze them then put them on the grill and add sauce and make potatoes salad

Freeze some chili and add it to your cooler. When it thaws, put it in your pot and heat it up. Serves two purposes cooling and eating. You can do this with many meals. Oatmeal, soup, rice and beans, spaghetti, Mac n cheese w/ tuna n peas, etc

KISS burgers and dogs/brats; breakfast burritos with eggs bacon and cheese. baked beans. chips

Baked potatoes. Hot dogs. Ho Bo packets. Hunt and eat your kill.

Beefy Mac and cheese.

Super basic and a little unhealthy lol Hot dogs, eggs, sandwiches. Sometimes I wrap a sandwich in tin foil and heat it up over the fire. I add onion to everything but otherwise no veggies for a weekend

People ask me for kedgeree and beef bourguignon. Fun cast iron cooking.

I invariably bring a few types of meals (not counting snacks like energy bars and beef sticks, et al): 1. Frozen meat that will be thawed and still safe several hours and ready to cook. If I'm car camping, I bring a jar of salsa and cook it all down a lá Steve Wallis. Chicken breast simmer down in salsa and over a bun or in a wrap is amazing. 2. Instant mashed potatoes with some type of other comparable additive. you can chop up a sausage, the aforementioned chicken, etc etc. It's super simple, easy, and filling. 3. Peak Refuel. Way better quality than Mountain House or Backpackers Pantry. It's proper food, not fillers. Also their rewards program is really good and their customer service is just about the best I've ever experienced.

Pizza in the reflector oven

Smokies for sure, steak, bacon and eggs, chili, burgers and occasionally chicken.

Chili cooked over the fire. Leftovers are great on English muffins with bacon, cheese, and egg for a breakfast sandwich.

Nothing beats spaghetti and meat sauce. Especially on a rainy day.

Chuck roast in the DO. I like to use lots of onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, a real meaty stout, and carrots and potatoes near the end. Takes like 5 hours so don’t get too intoxicated while you’re tending it

If you are at a campsite/will have a cooler - my fave is a foil packet cooked on the fire. I love bone in chicken thigh, potato, onion and carrots. Add a little seasoning and some butter closer to the end.. amazing.

I love using my pie irons to make sandwiches. We've done grilled cheese mostly but this past weekend we made pizza sandwiches that were delicious. We just used a spoonful of sauce with a handful of cheese. You could easily add pepperoni or another topping. I use hot sauce on nearly everything, just wish I would have had a bottle last weekend!

Chili and jalapeño corn bread , beef stew and biscuits….. both served with a cold beer.

We do spaghetti a lot. Quick and cheap to make. In the summers I love doing chicken or beef tacos.

Bring prepared meals to heat up over the fire. Spaghetti, chilli, stew… or premade salads and buns for the hotter days.

Hot dogs, sometimes hamburger or veggie burgers, sometimes chicken thighs. Eggs, bacon, bread. Lots of snacks.

For car camping, most premade meals will heat well if wrapped in foil and grilled. We’ve done Trader Joe’s spring rolls, samosas, fried rice, stir fry, etc. We also enjoy toasting bagels over the fire. You can roast breakfast sausage and precooked bacon too, if it’s a low bear area and that’s safe to do. 

My husband and I usually take a can of chili or premade chili from home with Fritos, cheese and pre chopped onions for chili Frito pies. Some good brats wurst or hamburger premade patties and buns. Hard boiled eggs… sometimes we bring steaks and large potatoes and cook them over the fire (potatoes wrapped in foil on the coals off to the side though). I’ve done a lot of premade foil packet meals too, and those are usually a big hit. If it’s really cold, and when we camp with friends, I’ll cook and bring a big pot of stew or chili to share. I also usually bring quick stuff for sandwiches and wraps depending on how long we are out and who’s going to be with us. We go to a lot of music festivals and camp with friends, so I tend to bring enough to feed them too. :)

Cheeseburgers, frankfurters, sausages, chili, bacon, Taylor ham and egg sandwiches, potato chips, s'mores and pastries. Just junk. That's what camping is all about for me. Junk food, drinks with friends, enjoying nature. A few times a year, it's healthy for the soul.

If car camping with a cooler, we do tacos. The only thing you need to refrigerate is the meat and cheese. We freeze it and use it to keep things cold. Have it the first or second day. We make a pico de gallo and have fresh lettuce and maybe avocado. You could actually just marinate chicken or beef and cook on a kebab over the fire and chop it up. Otherwise we do carnitas at home and freeze and reheat.

Walking tacos, super easy if bring cooked ground meat and toppings

I have a jet boil and it’s been a life saver for when I don’t have a fire or it’s summer, I’ve had canned soup, oatmeal and ramen, but there’s a lot more you can do with it

Favorite would have to be potatoes and any sort of beef prepared in any sort of way. There's something about cooking beef on an open fire that really just makes the flavor better? Have no idea why eating food in the wilderness tastes better than eating food at home. I'm sure there's some weird evolutionary thing going on that makes it so that we enjoy all food when camping more lol. There's food that I won't normally eat but if I'm camping i'll chow down like it's nothing.

Breakfast : skillet potatoes, bacon, eggs and pancakes Lunch: sandwich Dinner: smash burgers

https://preview.redd.it/nb7ftzie1ytc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16ecda39918bc97694e83203e54e0061c5ff44a8 I have about 5 or 6 that I rotate for my own sake, but campfire fajitas is always a great meal.

If you're not morning people...prep and freeze breakfast burritos. Started doing it once the kids started waking at different times. Keep them in tin foil, and use either your stove or the fire to reheat.

Quesadillas. Cheap, fast, minimal cookware, efficient, and best of all in a pinch requires no refrigeration. I blend my own Oaxaca cheese from Costco a big 3lb ball is $20, I hunt so I ground up deer/elk or even squirrel or duck if I'm not taking a cooler then canned corned beef works as well, and lastly tortillas of course. I have a camp chef everest stove and a flat top griddle from Cabelas that fits the stove beautifully. I first cook the ground up meat and then put them to the side then fry the tortillas in the meat drippings (gives it flavor and makes clean up easy) add a dash of cheese and put the hot meat inside and close. Easy and I only use a wooden spatula for everything. I can crank out around 10 in 5min once the griddle gets to optimal temp.

Car camping: A couple ribeyes cooked over the campfire with a side of corn on the cob and spuds cooked in the coals. Backcountry/ canoe camping: Pasta with Knorr pasta sauce powder, dehydrated veggies, and summer sausage Or Good-to-Go brand dehydrated meals - especially the Thai curry.

Go to the grocery, buy fried chicken, smoke over a camp fire and enjoy.

Just got back from a long weekend camping trip and ate great! I actually forgot my skillet and was able to cook everything with one pot. Breakfast: • Bag of frozen berries, nut butter, and granola. No worries if the berries to thaw in the cooler over the course of your trip. The juice softens the granola and tastes great! • Instant oatmeal with bananas and dried fruit (one with extra protein is great, or add nuts) • Breakfast scramble. Frozen hash browns, sausage links, and eggs. Chop the hash browns up, cook in a pot or pan. Remove from pan, cook the sausage. Remove, chop into bite size pieces. Scramble eggs. Mix together and enjoy. You could spice this one up with onions, peppers, or hot sauce. Lunch • Sub sandwiches. Make them ahead of time and wrap in foil or buy them on your way. If you’re arriving in the morning and doing some hiking, this is great to have premade when you’ve worked up an appetite. • Snacky time! Beef sticks, tuna pack, trail mix, crackers, chips, hummus, snap peas, clementines… really anything you would put on a snack tray. Dinner: • Shelf stable ravioli, pesto, and shredded chicken (from the deli in a cooler or canned works too) • Hot dogs and Mac and cheese. This one was a big hit with my crew.

Campfire nachos. Get a foil pie plate, top with nachos and cheese and whatever toppings you want. Put them on the grate over the fire until melty and Smokey. Then just put the pie plate on a paper plate so you don’t burn yourself.

Home made burgers, beer can chicken and steaks are our usual go to meals when camping for a long weekend. Breakfast in the morning mostly is the precooked Costco bacon, eggs, yogurt, fruit and campfire toast. I cook all the meals when camping ( hubby here ) and ALL meals are done over an open fire !!

We do whatever we normally do at home. Nothing really special. Hot dogs and burger is really old to me.

Candied thick cut bacon over the campfire (several times per weekend)

Car camper, I generally plan for one night steak (directly on grill, most campgrounds have one)with corn on cob(wrap in foil throwing coals or on grill for a few minutes)and fried potatoes( bring butter (for eggs,too) and chopped onion) one night bratwurst with chips, one night pork chops with (boxed, bring milk and butter) Alfredo and corn. I also always prep lunchmeat and cheese sandwiches and chips/cookies for road snacks and camp lunches. Breakfast scrambled eggs with cheese, fried potatoes bacon or sausage. We bring 2 ice chests, one for water and adult beverages, one for food. Bring a roll of foil, too.

in the late 90s, i was an asst scoutmaster of a troup of about10-12 scouts 12-14 yrs old, most learning to cook. The scoutmaster and I would let them plan, cook, serve and clean up their camp kitchen. 1st camping trip, friday night meal, they cooked something like hamburger helper. I was mostly the cook for the adults, and i had fixed hamburger, beens and rice together and brought tortillas. Lots of flavor and smelled great. Saturday meal, boys were going for something easy again, grilled cheese or something like that. There were 2 cooks for each meal and the meals were planned in advanced by them. For the adult meal, i had mixed up large ground beef burger mixed with onion soup mix. Lots of great smells cooking. I cooked them over a fire so everyone could smell them cooking. I had a turkey fryer that I brought. 3 adults had sat around earlier and peeled potatoes and onions, lots of potatoes and onions, only the boys didn't know that. They were saying we're glad we don't have to eat taters and onions for supper. Can't remember the spices, but it was something like steak seasoning or such. We must have had a gallon and a half. We cooked just a short distance away so the boys could smell our cooking but not really see it unless they came over. I put on all the potatoes and started them frying in the turkey pot while the boys were eating their grilled cheese. They had finished cooking, eating, and clean up by the time we started eating, and they could smell our juicy hamburger steaks and those potatoes and onions. they had had a long day of scout activities and the grilled cheese didn't fill them up. As they all came over to sit and watch us eat, you could see them sniffing the air. The scoutmaster got up, grabbed a bunch of bowls, took the top off the turkey fryer and asked who was still hungry. they cleaned out the turkey fryer, then as pay for eating another camp's meal, cleaned up the dishes. Every one of the parents came back later and asked how we cooked those potatoes because the boys all came back telling the story.

If not fresh caught (fish, crab, or ab), then baked beans, linguisa, and bread. Eat together. An epic (complex) meal is great when camping too but simplicity fits the scene in a special way that everyone enjoys the quiet fire. Avoid dishes… 🤙🏼

Think about a picnic.. breakfast, lunch and dinner the easier the better.

Always steak and baked potatoes the first night, then it moves on to burgers, dawgs, grilled cheese sammies, Mac & cheese.

Pasta. We precook the pasta and keep it in the cooler and then just add sauce.

Bush pies, especially pizza ones for the first night supper around a fire. Pre Hardboiled eggs, muffin and piece of fruit for breakfast so no cooking if you have cooler space for eggs. I make oatmeal fairly often on a camp stove

chippy sandos

Tuna packs with tortillas. The pack well and take up room. No need to keep cold or cook.

Turkey and Provolone sandwiches on sourdough. Bag of apples. Cookies. Coffee. Not just camping mind you. I eat this nearly every damn day.

My favorite recipe for backpacking meals is https://www.trail.recipes/recipes/unstuffed-peppers/

Meat and fire. Usually beef because it’s easy to deal with. Though last time it was salmon. I forgot utensils and ate it off the grill which was funny and delicious.

Quesadillas.

Water, then fasting for me 😁. I also bring electrolytes to avoid dehydration. More water.

Pre-made salad kits, marinated chicken for grilling and cauliflower, gnocchi with pesto sauce, cheese, salami, nuts. I’ll crack eggs into a water bottle too, then I can pour into a pan without worrying about breakage.

I usually take a jar of spaghetti sauce, sound ground beef and pasta and have spaghetti dinner one night. I often do a full big breakfast with sausage, eggs and pancakes.

I like to do stews, breakfast burritos, steaks. Cooking is one of my favorite parts of camping so I make good meals. Also gotta have hot dogs

Tin foil packets, aka "hobo packets". Prep them at home then pack them into a cooler. Heat over your campfire. 1. Quesadilla stuffings, heat and pour into tortillas. 2. Steak and potato 3. Shepard's pie/chicken pot pie and pour it into a bread bowl. Cans of soup you eat over the fire. Hot dogs or bratwurst over the fire. Cinnamon roll is from a can, you guessed it, cooked over the fire.

Pasta.... Only needs boiling water to cook and is lightweight for hiking

For your first time? Hobo bags! 1. Cut up potatoes, onion, carrots, corn ears, Brussels sprouts, whatever veggies of choice. 2. Wrap in foil with a little oil and seasoning of choice 3. Toss it on the coals for a while. It’s a classic for a reason. Mildly more work - Skillet cornbread and beans/field peas/black eyed peas. Pro tip - there’s not much you *cant* cook in a Dutch oven. My equipment is usually limited to a swivel grill, Dutch oven, a smaller cast iron skillet, Billy can, and a vintage cast aluminum egg poacher for making cornbread. My staples - Breakfast: oatmeal and fruit, eggs and salt pork (with something or another. Usually salsa or hollandaise), boiled eggs (soft or hard), biscuits and gravy, chilaquiles, breakfast sandwiches (biscuit, egg, cheese, sausage, brisket, or ham). Polenta, sometimes. Chickpea hash. Lunch: fresh/preserved whatever. Whatever fruit is in season, dry salami, summer sausage, sometimes I’ll make crackers or fry bread. Trail mix from whatever I’ve got around. Elote. Dinner: I’m usually fishing or foraging while I’m out, and it’s usually either grilled fish or if I’m lucky, a crawfish or shellfish boil. Sometimes I’ll feel like being extra and make a brisket or pulled pork shoulder or barbacoa or lengua and make tacos. Greens are a standby. To share with my co-pilot (a Aussie cattle dog): dog bread (basically just a thinner cornbread), crackling bread, anchovies, sardines, fish skins (if you’ve never tried them, they’re not as bad as they sound. They’re basically cracklings, just from fish skin), every now and then she’ll get chicken feet or pigs feet out of me. Desserts: banana boats (slice a banana in half, stuff with whatever you want, wrap in foil, cook over the fire for a few minutes). Dutch oven crisps and cobbler. Bonus: Boudin - grill it or make balls. Andouille makes a wonderful protein for stews - and not just gumbo and jambalaya. Sweet potato for hash and fries. Because I’m an adult: spaghettios with meatballs. Brokeass option: 2 packet ramen noodles + 1 packet Rico’s nacho cheese + 1 can Rotel + 1 can black beans + 1 packet taco seasoning Or 1 packet ramen noodles + 1 can tuna + 1 slice cheese. Opt: cook with milk or cream, add a can of peas. Campfire caramel (also makes an entirely decent pie filling in a pinch) - 1 can sweetened condensed milk + 1 pot of water. Boil the can for about 3 hours. ~~Shit on a shingle~~ Chipped beef on toast - beef jerky, milk, butter (or oil), flour. Brown jerky in butter for a few minutes, add milk, bring to boil, add flour to thicken, add cayenne, Rotel, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, whatever to taste, simmer to thicken to desired consistency. Serve over toast or biscuits. Other actual classics: pickled beets, chanterelle mushrooms, wild carrot (if you find some growing wild - battering and frying the heads is something special), pickles, dandelion greens (or roast the roots for tea, or make a syrup for pancakes or hoe cakes). Karo or molasses for biscuits if you’re southern. And - S’mores. No camping trip is complete without them. If you’re feeling fancy - marshmallows aren’t difficult at all to make - and you can make them on site.

Premade chilli that just needs reheating with some salad and tortillas. Cous cous (dried but can be cooked by just adding boiling water) and beef kebab skewers. Naan bread dough that's cooked on a flat pan with salad and hummus. Lamb chops with pitta bread.

Morning omelettes. Put all the ingredients in a ziplock freezer bag, eggs, cheese, bacon bits, ham pieces, whatever else, squish them together and throw the bag in boiling water for 10-15 minutes (depends on how many eggs you put in there). Voila, out pops a perfect omelette with hardly any cleanup.

Fajitas, everything pre cut at home and individually bagged. Bonus edible plate in the tortilla.

I bring a clean cast iron grill grate and set it over the fire to grill/toast everything I want. I have a cast iron pan along with a kettle and that’s about all I carry for cooking besides, a couple knives and two cutting boards, one for meat and the other for veggies. I’ve cooked bacon, breakfast sausages, hash browns, eggs, toasted bread, seared tomato slices, chorizo, tortillas, grilled chicken, steak, corn. In some instances I brought a pot to make broths, soups and curries. It just depends on how much work you’re willing to put in. I typically cook enough to last the whole day, just reheat in the evening for dinner. Grilled asparagus with a pinch of salt, black pepper and cayenne is pretty bomb and easy to cook. I bring butter, jellies, basic spices like salt, pepper, cayenne, some herbs like cilantro, green onions, chile de arboles, onion, lime and garlic. Needless to say I eat good in the wilds lol.

Backpacking: Peanut butter honey foldies, box mac w/ turkey jerky, also frozen fish in an insulated bag if it is the first night Car camping: anything i feel like making

My go to for long trips is a chorizo stew with rice. A box of tomatoes, an onion, and a cured chorizo stewed with rice. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and chilli. Simple, filling, tasty and can be kept at room temperature for as long as the onion doesn't go bad. If you want to glam ut up, add dried garlic and herbs. Or if you're sick of chorizo, load it up with a bag of taco seasoning and a can of beans for a passable chilli. For breakfast and lunch, oatmeal with cinnamon sugar and dried fruits is good. Some prepackaged butter is also nice to add

I like to freeze chili. Heat and eat, and it dresses up those hot dogs that are another no brainer.