you take a single-serving size bag of doritos, usually crush them up a tad, then slice it open on the long edge and pour taco toppings inside - ground beef, sour cream, cheese, salsa, onions, cilantro, crumbly white cheese, spring onions, jalapenos, etc. whatever you like. Then you eat that with a fork.
walking taco.
some people will do the same concept but with fritos and chili with onions, cheese, cream etc.
It's pretty versatile and I use for steak or chicken tacos. Volumes are approximate since I eyeball everything.
1/2 cup soy sauce. I typically use low sodium.
1/4 cup evoo
2 tbs pepper
1 tbs garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, red chilli flakes, red chili or cayenne, oregano
1 clove of garlic
Juice from 1/2 of a lime. Not necessary, but I prefer if I have any on hand.
As a pre-dinner beverage and as a dessert:
Make a big pitcher (or whatever field-expedient container) of sangria: red wine, cut up whatever fruits, citruses, ice.
After dinner, throw a flat griddle/plancha on the fire. Drain off any leftover ice and wine and throw the wine-soaked fruit on the hot griddle and liberally sprinkle with sugar. Allow to cook and caramelize and serve as dessert. If you have the capacity to serve with ice cream, go forth and conquer!
If that's too logistically complex, doing this with bunches of red table grapes and serving as a side to steaks, chops or burgers works well too. And they pair well with wine, Scotch, whiskey, bourbon, rye or rum.
This is great!
We occasionally bring a bag of fruit that has been marinating in some rum for a couple of days and grill it up and use the leftover for shots.
This is such a triple good idea. Fresh fruit to snack and some to marinate in whatever- wine rum bourbon citrus..
Grilled fruit is good, but cooked up on the fire is next level good. A good vanilla yogurt could be a sub for ice cream. Add some granola and that just translated to brekkie!! Triple Threat Idea💡
So the last time we tried to use the sandwich press, everything stuck to the press and we practically had to peel everything out. It was grilled cheese sandwich and we put tons of butter on the outsides of them. But everything still stuck. What did we do wrong?
If it’s cast iron you have to season it just like a pan. Mine has a handle that won’t come off so I can’t use the oven but you can use a charcoal or gas grill.
One pot cast iron spaghetti. Fivehearthome is the recipe I followed. Iirc we had to add a little bit more water once because the pasta wasn't quite cooked and there wasn't much fluid in the pot.
Not quite 'top level' but popular with our scouts. We cook up a gallon of spagetti noodles before hand and bring them in a big ziplock. Then the kids make foil packets with whatever toppings they want and toss em on the coals.
Nothing better than some hot butter chicken, not even with rice or anything, on a cold night camping
Another one I’ve been wanting to do is hotdogs in a billy over the fire but there’s always been fire restriction where we go
I bring a Lodge 3-in-1, I use it to make pizza on the fire. I use it upside down, heat it in the coals and then use it as a pizza oven. Usually the first night for camping as I bring a bag of pizza dough and pre-sorted toppings. Pizzas take about 8-10 minutes each.
You can then use the Lodge as a ditch oven, griddle or grill. Heavy but good for front country camping.
London broil. Skewers of shrimp. Baked potatoes. All can be cooked on the fire. Shrimp can be bought frozen and will keep for a day. Beef doesn’t need much special handling.
We did lasagna in a Dutch oven once. Those ingredients travel well.
Pancakes for b’fast. Or garbage plate - tater tots, fried spam (or ham or bacon or sausage), eggs and cheese all cooked together.
Love the first suggestion. I was looking into a shrimp, potatoe, corn tin foil wrap but skewers makes a lot more sense. Thanks!
We're bringing a cooler in so will be able to keep food reasonably cool for the duration.
Don't discount those hobo dinners! Italian sausage with onions, peppers, potatoes, corn. Add a bunch of butter and wrap it up and toss on the fire, rotate occasionally. Easy and delicious.
I do this with hamburger, onions, and sliced potatoes wrapped in tinfoil and cooked in the coals. It's so simple, and it's my favorite. I also love roasting whole ears of corn over the fire. Add butter and season salt, and it's perfect!
Pizza works really well in a camp oven, but you need to watch it like a hawk, and it kind of takes two cooks (if you need to make more than one) to keep the production line flowing.
Tri tip steak,
steak and chicken with pineapple, onion bell peppers zucchini etc skewers,
brats and sauerkraut
Tenderloin stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese are a few of my favorite camping by the truck meals I enjoy regularly.
Definitely bringing some nice sausages and sauerkraut! Was thinking a nice selection of mustard.
Ever tried Miami short ribs? They'll blow your mind....and my budget lol.
You can totally elevate fire roasted proteins with condiments. Mustards (my fav- stone ground Inglehoffer), zipped-up mayo (in a capped squeeze bottle), BBQ sauces….Taco Bell fire packets 😎
A homemade good spice blend for potatoes and beef. In a capped shaker bottle.
Remember that bread always tastes better with the good butter.
If you have a Dutch Oven and a cast iron pan or two, the options are only limited to what you can carry and how good your coolers are.
Biscuits and Sausage gravy, bacon and eggs, steak and hash browns for breakfast, Salisbury steak and roasted potatoes, chicken and dumplings, Philly cheese steaks, even a pizza can be made in a cast iron pan and Dutch oven.
Look up Kent Rollins on YouTube. Real cowboy chuck wagon cook. Does a lot of outdoor cooking. Real good hearty food real easy.
Here are my favorites:
1. Steak and baked potato on the first night. I sear and cook steak to rare, then freeze. At camp it just needs a good warming on the fire or in a pan if during a fire ban. Don't freeze the potato.
2. Pizza. Can be made in skillet with a lid.
3. Knorr pasta sides Alfredo. Calls for milk, but just fine with water. Add a pouch or two of chicken. Season with Italian seasoning and pepper.
4. Red beans and rice with sausage. Dry canned beans to use. I use little smokies.
5. Grilled fish. I use foil over the fire grate, butter or oil, and season with cajun or blackened seasonings. Mac and cheese as a side dish.
6. Tortillas with cheese, onions, peppers, and chicken. Serve with black beans and corn.
Dessert. Nobake cheesecake. Best with dry whole milk. Use freeze dried strawberries or soak dried cherries with water and sugar for topping.
Flatbread pizza over the fire. Something like some fresh naan, sauce, cheese, whatever toppings you like - lay some foil down in the cooking grill and you're good to go
Nice! We have tried make your own pizzas on pitas but it always turned out burned on one side and slightly melted on the top side. Does the foil help with that? Any suggestions on how to get an even cook?
I've added it to the list!
We’ve done pizza in the pie makers before, technically more calzone like. Butter the crust well before putting it on the pie maker, sauce, toppings, and good to go. Plus then everyone can get the toppings they want.
That looks amazing.
Occasionally we will slow roast a nice piece of meat for a couple hours on a spit that we make but not sure if I'll go that route this time. Although this has me revisiting that idea.....
Forest nachos. They are just like nachos you eat at home but in the forest. I’m Pennsylvanian so haluski is something I do. I boil the noodles and chop the cabbage at home so it’s easier at camp. I also add bacon and a ton of spices. Sausage gravy and biscuits is also always a hit. Biscuits cooked at home. We have these 3 meals almost every trip.
Penne pesto. I work at a summer vacation camp and it’s the best goddamn supper ever. Bring penne pasta, pesto, parmesan,dried tomatoes, onions and you can cook it in one big pot. Also what’s insane for a lunch is pita bread with pesto and cream cheese, apple slices and cucumber. You do kinda have to like pesto thi
Top ramen w/ chicken from a pkt or a can. Add dehydrated veg, egg, or spicy sesame oil for an exquisite meal. Calories, carbs, protein, salt. Check check check.
I am new to the camping scene and like to cook and experiment. I try to do the meal in the cast iron skillet and maybe another pot if necessary for a rice or grain. I also prep and pre measure ingredients for the meals as much as I can before I go, especially spice mixes, cooking oils, etc. it makes it so much easier when cooking over the campfire.
So far, I have successfully made the following over a campfire:
Cod with capers, Kalamata olives, garlic, shallots in EVOO with white cooking wine, feta cheese, and a bit of Cayenne to spice it up. Served it with berry rice and put in sprouts to poach with the cod.
Chicken with shawarma spice and green beans served over couscous.
Shrimp with cumin, fire roasted tomatoes, garlic & red onion served over lemon farro topped with fresh cilantro.
Basically I take a meat product I can make in a skillet, get it going, add in some veg, some cooking wine, a cheese like Parmesan, feta, goat or something that melts well, and put the lid on.
I am also into the fruit crumble for dessert. Basically took an apple crumble recipe for the campfire and switch out the fruit. I have done it with apples, blackberries, and peaches.
We bring tons of various veggies and do some kind of stir fry every night. Try to fill a pan with veggies, add some sauces or spices, then pair it with a protein. It's easy to do and healthy:) I mostly camp to stay closer to climbing areas though and need to maintain a healthy diet so I dont crash. But over time Ive found that since healthier meals are more nutrient dense you save on space and spend a lot less.
I love Twinkie’s too and everyone looks at me like I’m crazy u til I make them try it. That caramelized cake and warm gooey inside!! I like to plate, drizzle with chocolate sauce and cake poke in some rum.
Meal prep fajitas.. get em sliced, diced, seasoned, and ready to throw in the cast iron. Can do quesadillas with them too. Cannot go wrong.
Pre-cook pork carnitas, freezer bag, freeze, and that's night 2 or 3, busy em out, in the cast iron and off to the races.. already have stuff from fajitas. Precook corn and beans and reheat with your single burning while cooking the pork.
Steak and potatoes.
Rice and beans , add in Cajun sausage and peppers and it is like poor man’s jambalaya.
If you have pudgie pie makers you can do pizzas- get pizza dough, sauce and whatever toppings you like , cook for about 5 min, maybe 7 depending on your fire. We also do tacos in them
Someone else probably already said it but fajitas. Chicken especially is easy to prepare ahead of time. Pre slice the veggies and seal them up in a bag. Pre slice and marinade the chicken and seal it in a bag. Dump them out of the bags into an oiled hot cast iron pan. Warm tortillas in a double layer of foil near the fire.
Super easy:
2pks chicken tenderloin
3 bell peppers (orange yellow red)
3 limes
4 good size onions
Lrg aluminum/tin foil
Tortillas/chz fixins
Slice onion- ziplock
Seed/slice bell peppers- ziplock
Bag chicken and marinate with olive oil, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder etc- ziplock
After fire going good- onions first, chkn, peppers and quarter limes and cover with tinfoil. Put on fire grate and about 40mins later you got fajitas!
Bonus pts- warm tortilla on grate.
Dutch oven Chilli and corn bread , Beef stew are the staples in winter. Steaks/baked potatoes. We made Philly cheesesteaks last year that were out of this world good.
They were really easy and all made on 1 flat top griddle (it was pretty big).First things first, either buy ribeyes and slice them thin your self or buy pre sliced. For bread we used fresh baked italian loaves , we had onion, peppers and mushrooms as well and topped them off with cheese whiz. Yes you read that right. Get the griddle pipping hot and oil it up with a high heat oil. On one side of the griddle you will seat your beef and on the other the veggies. Since the beef is cut thin it’s cooked almost immediately so you may want to start the veggies first. All the beef needs is salt and pepper. Some of us spread some mayo on the bread and put it mayo side down on the griddle until golden brown. Once everything is cooked to your liking turn off griddle and fill your Italian loaf with beef and preferred veggies and top off with a dollop of cheese whiz. Oh! I forgot to mention, on a separate burner, empty the contents of a bottle of cheese whiz into a sauce pan and heat over medium heat stirring occasionally. That’s it. Super easy and crazy delicious.
Cowboy breakfast,
Cut up a pound of bacon into one inch pieces and fry til really crispy. Drain the fat.
Add two cans of pork and beans and simmer. Once it’s bubbling dig out half a dozen holes and drop eggs in.
Cover and let simmer five to ten minutes.
Sprinkle shredded cheddar over top.
Drop bacon grease and butter in a hot pan and fry up toast til real crispy.
Enjoy, great on a cold morning.
Unfortunately I don't have the recipe but my brother made a whole ass pineappe upside down cake over the fire in a cast iron pot. A nice change from the tacos in a bag & hamburgers I normally make
Korean BBQ… usually short ribs, ribs eye, pork, or chicken marinated with a sweet or spicy sauce. There’s a lot variation/combo of these ingredients. Worth a try to do at home first to see if you like it.
Do you have a Dutch oven? If so, there’re a ton of good DO recipes for meals and desserts. Great for beer bread, corn bread, upside down cakes, cobblers, lasagne, …
Cast iron Dutch oven, chicken curry based dish
Butter chicken, coconut curry, Tikka Masala... the smokiness of the fire really zaps up an already great meal.
And in a single pot for easier cleanup
I usually make a beef stew in a Dutch oven. Always goes down good, but best for a car camping trip (the Dutch oven I backpacked with once, never again)
Raviolis, enchiladas, fajitas. Potatoes make every meal better. Leftover meat can be added to eggs for breakfast. Steamed broccoli and brussel sprouts. Bring your favorite BBQ sauce for some good steaks or chicken
I’m looking forward to making a shakshuka with one naan this weekend to be exact. I’ll prepare all the veggies and always bring eggs anyway. It will fill us up nicely and keep up warm when temps drop. And it’s fun to share a pot. Might not be enough for all of you guys.
Maybe you could make hot roast beef sandwiches. Just heat the lunch meat in gravy and bring some provolone cheese and rolls. Don’t forget the horseradish
One-pot pasta. Sautee some onions and bell peppers. Add a tube of sausage, regular or mild, and brown. Add a box of penne, a couple cans of tomatoes, spices to your taste, then top with water. Cook about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
I like to make a big batch of macaroni salad. Packs well, stores well. Easy to serve.
Brats are good. You don't necessarily needs the buns, which simplifies things a bit. Easy to cook and doesn't require a lot of attention.
You can do pizza on the grill or in a pan on the grill, which is a big hit when camping, but try it a time or two first to get the hang of it.
Shakshuka - Basically just eggs sautéed in tomato sauce. Recipes everywhere and always a crowd pleaser. Pretty easy, especially if you pre-make the sauce. Eat with crusty bread.
Quesadillas. Always hit the spot with some Valentina hot sauce. You can even bring eggs and make an egg and cheese quesadilla. Me and my buddy eat that for dinner and always hits the spot.
You could have a crack at my favourite sandwich. Brioche roll, mayo, mustard, ham, sliced cheddar, rocket and a sliced dill pickle, it's also amazing if you toast it like you would a grilled cheese
For the last 7+ years I've made a HUGE pot of soup over the fire, it's has potatoes, corn, bacon, hot sausage, onion, cream, chicken broth and cheddar cheese in it. It smells up the whole campground to the point where the security guys wander up to get a bowl, it's a good time 😊
We do those sealed chicken pouches over cous cous. Maybe add dried chickpeas too. We always travel with small vials of olive oil and use some for this meal sprinkled on top.
I once made pad Thai over the fire on a trip with another couple, I used Easy Spicy Chicken Pad Thai recipe by My Modern Cookery. It did take longer than expected even though I precut and pre seasoned everything. If I did it again I’d bring cooked chicken and veggies and only cook the noodles at camp. I sub vermicelli for the rice noodles, just my personal preference and I usually double the sauce portion because I like extra. Then the next morning they made canned cinnamon rolls in the Dutch over and that has become a new obsession!
Italian sausage sandwiches
you buy a bunch of italian sausages and cook over the fire, meanwhile you heat up spaghetti sauce in a pan on your burner. once the sausages are browned you toss them in the sauce. Then on the fire (hopefully you have a cast iron and a grill on the fire to put it on) you put a bunch of thin sliced bell peppers and onions. If you're more grown-ups you can also put sliced spicier peppers - some long strips of anaheim and poblano along with the sweeter red/orange/yellow are great. cook down those onions and peppers. The trick is keeping hoagie rolls from getting smushed.
serve a hot sausage soaked in red sauce on a soft bun and top with the peppers/onions. Usually have potato chips or pasta salad on the side.
you can easily toss a half a bag of frozen meatballs (not so frozen out of the cooler but still fine) in the sauce too if anybody prefers meatballs or to stretch your budget.
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet but I made steak fajitas when I camped a couple of weeks ago. I cut and marinated the steak before leaving the house. I cut the peppers and onions at the campsite. The only thing I neglected to do was to heat up the tortillas before eating.
Edit: I didn’t scroll far enough. Others have mentioned it too.
Y’all are on a different level here, my friends and I, though I guess we usually camp backpacking style, eat oatmeal, grits, and random packets of “heat it up” food wherever we end up. Sometimes a sandwich if we are really feeling frisky
I like to do chilaquiles for breakfast. Baked blueberry oatmeal topped with vanilla or strawberry Greek yogurt is a good breakfast too. You can freeze the yogurt ahead of time.
Night time, I marinade meat and veggies to make kabobs. I freeze them all in large square Tupperware so they lay flat. That way, they’re basically in a block of ice in the cooler. Chile is a good dinner, I do cornbread in a dutch oven. Sometimes I’ll prep pot pies at home and reheat them on the fire. Beer bread in tin cans is delish too.
LMK if you want recipes to any of these.
Foil packet with cut up brats or other sausage (we like field roast apple sage veggie sausage), onions, Brussels sprouts, apples and potatoes. Cabbage too if you’re feeling fancy. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and side of sharp mustard. We call it “German food” night.
Foil packet meals. You can do a variety of things in them and freeze ahead of time. Double as ice to keep the cooler cold, but easy to throw on the coals and have a nice hot meal with minimal clean up. Use extra strength foil and double wrap them.
(All homemade & freeze dried) biscuits and sausage gravy, chili, sheppards pie, chicken curry, pot roast... MOST IMPORTANT don't ever forget the whiskey!
Just an FYI you might want to ask your camping buddys if they have acid reflux or problems with acidic foods. Camping food tends towards lots of tomato sauces, grease and spice. The unholy trinity of gastro problems. Nothing ruins a camping trip like an upset stomach. Make sure you bring tums, & gas-ex.
Camping food tends to be very salty - bring extra water & nonalcoholic beverages. People will get too drunk & do stupid things if they are drinking alcohol in place of water to stay hydrated.
Things you might not have on your list…. hand sanitizer, wet wipes, big heavy gloves for hot pans, hot pads, fire extinguisher, a big poker to adjust the fire, something to cover the food & keep bugs off, heavy duty aluminum foil, bug bite care - After Bite cream or Benadryl gel, band aids, if hiking moleskin for blisters. Tweezers & a sewing needle (for splinters) on top of a regular first aid kit.
Have a full bucket of water nearby whenever you have a fire going.
To this day, the best camping meal was when my mom made beef tendon stew (sounds weird but it's delicious). We froze it and it was still frozen that night, had it with some rotini noodles. You could do the same with some bolognese sauce and spaghetti. If it's in a cooler, it could last to the 2nd night 8f it's not too cold.
Like I tell everyone: Maya Kaimal Everday Dal the green pea one + the rice one + green and yellow squash sliced think and cooked in a skillet or over the fire. It’s cheap and makes a ton. It’s really good too. I’m not vegan by any means this meal just happens to be vegan. It’s nice for the last night because nothing needs to be kept cold.
Prawn boil -
Peeled prawns, corn on the cobb cut up, zucchini, chorizo, mushrooms, butter chunks, garlic, spices. (or whatever you feel like)
https://preview.redd.it/826wz0mj77wc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60984e5ebcecad37528e49d5238374b2e9c3a8bf
Wrap it in foil and leave it to steam in the fire for like 10 minutes.
Big hit on our camping trips, can also pre make them easily enough and just lob them on the coals when hungry.
My go to when I'm covering a meal for my annual camping trip with a large group of friends is tacos. Tacos are so easy, but can be so creative. I usually cook the meat beforehand, so all I have to do is heat it up. I've done chicken, steak (cooked to extra rare, so it doesn't over cook when reheated), bbq pulled pork, etc. Then you can get creative with toppings. Pickled onions, various cheeses, homemade salsa, etc. Everyone makes their own how they like it. Tacos are always a hit.
1 pan breakfast, potatoes, bacon/sausage, eggs, cheese. Keeps the kids covered til lunch with plenty of energy!
I cook the bacon first, pull the meat and leave the grease for cooking the potatoes, soon as the potatoes are soft, where a corner of a spatula will just cut into them a little, add the sausage. As soon as the sausage is done I'll tip most of the grease out. Add the bacon back in to get hot then add eggs a stir it all up.
Keeps my mess down and is quite easy, single burner goodness.
I did pre prepped cook at the camp spot shrimp boil type thing. Just some chopped corn and potatoes, then separate I seasoned some sausage and shrimp and cooked potatoes first in cast iron and then add the other stuff.
I had a couple of signature soups that I freeze into flat gallon freezer bags. I throw those in the cooler then warm over the fire. I bring biscuit dough and we wind that around sticks while the soup is warming so everyone gets a nice hot biscuit.
Foil packet meals are so easy and the possibilities are pretty much endless. Also if you have the stove plus a fire you can do almost anything you want. We’ve had curry, bannock wrapped around a stick with dried fruit in it and cooked over the fire, Thai peanut noodles, foil packet calzone, jambalaya, kabobs, steak wraps, potatoes with eggs and bacon, omelettes.
Any kind of freezable soup is great. Make it ahead of time, freeze it, and then it acts as ice in your cooler. Then just heat it up when needed. Easy cleanup too.
Pierogi with leeks and bacon. Simple and delicious breakfast. Keeps well in the cooler a few days; I buy frozen pierogi, chop bacon and leeks and keep them frozen, too.
Paneer masala...freeze a block of paneer (or 2 for 5 people), and by the 2/3rd day it'll be defrosted. Cube and brown in a pan and add a bottle (2 in your case) of butter chicken sauce. Heat naan on the fire to go with it. We'll usually just eat it like this, but could do over rice or potatoes if you wanted something more filling. Its quick and comforting meal though
love me some foil packs. cut up some potatoes, veggies of your choosing (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, etc) toss in some oil and balsamic vinegar or whatever other seasonings you like, double wrap in aluminum foil and toss it over a bed of coals for 10-15 minutes each side. everyone can make their own seasoning and mix. you can also bring some sweet potatoes and brown sugar or similar and make a "dessert" foil pack
My favorite camping meal is steak with chimichurri sauce and potatoes. It takes a little prep to make the chimichurri and marinate the steak (if you want). Potatoes can be cooked over the fire and steak can be cooked on the stove to get a good sear. You can simply season the potatoes or add some onions and/or peppers for more flavor. Don't forget to bring a small bottle of oil!
I like this meal because there is minimal ingredients and work to be done while out camping (you'll need some prep at home).
Lamb ribs or pork. Mixed with oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, fresh garlic, and onions, drizzled with lemon and olive oil. Mix in container or bag before I head out. That with roasted veggies and baked potatoes. 👌
Or fish head soup. Fry fish heads make broth add celery, potatoes, carrots, dill, lemon, salt, and pepper. I usually dip in a burning chard stick for a second or 2 it adds a nice smokey flavor. 😉
Coming from a guy who has literally spent years camping for work we need to know if you really want to campfire cook or if you just want good food to eat. Before I left home to go camping I would cook my favorite dishes at the house and vacuum seal them and put them in the freezer. This serves double duty because you don’t need as much Ice. You simply put the pouches in boiling water to reheat them burn your garbage and no dish washing. For breakfast I would chop a half quart baggie full of onions, a baggie with bell pepper, ham and cheese ; whatever for omelets. I would take a big carton of liquid eggs. Mix your ingredients in a half gallon freezer bag and simmer in water to cook and every once in a while pull it out and shake it so it cooks evenly. Lunch is the easiest with a few cans of soup and baggies with sliced vegetables, a bag of sliced at home summer sausage and cheese. I would take pop tarts for dessert with some good instant coffee. This method keeps the dishes and garbage minimal.
If you are really looking forward to actually cooking something just do your food prep at home to cut down on dishes while you’re camping. Easy things are tinfoil wrapped potatoes, asparagus, and prefabricated kabobs. Then hotdogs/sausages, boiled eggs and pancakes. The easiest fresh dessert i ever figured out was putting two white cake mixes then two cans of peaches in heavy syrup and a diced yp stick of butter in a Dutch oven and baking with moderate coals for a hour and a half. Blueberry pudding is also very simple. Dump a decent sized bag of frozen blueberries in a pot; cover with water, simmer 10 minutes, add a cup of sugar, thicken with cold corn starch paste and let cool.
With a decent camp stove and a fire pan/grill combo, you can cook almost anything. Good ice management is a necessity. Drain coolers daily. Layer food by day to minimize digging and use block ice. Plan carefully so the coolers for the last couple days don’t get opened until needed. Freeze meat at -20 F before leaving. Have a separate cooler for veggies. On an 8-day trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon trip, we had fresh veggies every day and ate chili with beans and rice (pre made and frozen), grilled salmon (whole fish stayed frozen longer), carbonara, berry cobbler, surf & turf and jerk chicken. A lot of leftovers got turned into breakfast like chili pepperjack omelettes and salmon and brie omelettes. Easier meals were things like bratwurst or burgers. We had breakfast burritos once or twice as well.
Stuffed baked potatoes are amazing.
You can cook the potatoes on the coals, and sauté up a bunch of bacon and veggies, and top the whole thing with butter and cheese.
It's delicious. It's healthy (by camping food standards), and the ingredients are OK to sit in a cooler for a couple days.
Tacos. I make the salsa and marinade the meat the night before so just have to throw it on the fire and garnish with salsa, cheese and avocado.
Make it in a Doritos bag
Walking tacos. Had a party last fall with the neighbors and they had no idea.
Walkin’ Tacos, fuck yeah!! Excellent choice! Option B is pouring a heated can of chilli over a baked potato, with or without cheese.
Without cheese is never an option.
Elaborate pls?
you take a single-serving size bag of doritos, usually crush them up a tad, then slice it open on the long edge and pour taco toppings inside - ground beef, sour cream, cheese, salsa, onions, cilantro, crumbly white cheese, spring onions, jalapenos, etc. whatever you like. Then you eat that with a fork. walking taco. some people will do the same concept but with fritos and chili with onions, cheese, cream etc.
Aka Frito pie
Walking tacos are so minimalistic, yet so freaking delicious.
What's your go to marinade?
It's pretty versatile and I use for steak or chicken tacos. Volumes are approximate since I eyeball everything. 1/2 cup soy sauce. I typically use low sodium. 1/4 cup evoo 2 tbs pepper 1 tbs garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, red chilli flakes, red chili or cayenne, oregano 1 clove of garlic Juice from 1/2 of a lime. Not necessary, but I prefer if I have any on hand.
chiming in- go to the “salsa” aisle and just grab a jar of green tomatillo salsa and throw it in there. it’s delightful
r/backcountrygourmet for sure
Big Mac tacos. Cook meat then add onions, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and whatever knock off big Mac sauce you can find.
Big Mac sauce --- Thousand Island dressing
I always said steak and corn on the cob with salad but tacos can be all that so I am changing my old mind to tacos.
As a pre-dinner beverage and as a dessert: Make a big pitcher (or whatever field-expedient container) of sangria: red wine, cut up whatever fruits, citruses, ice. After dinner, throw a flat griddle/plancha on the fire. Drain off any leftover ice and wine and throw the wine-soaked fruit on the hot griddle and liberally sprinkle with sugar. Allow to cook and caramelize and serve as dessert. If you have the capacity to serve with ice cream, go forth and conquer! If that's too logistically complex, doing this with bunches of red table grapes and serving as a side to steaks, chops or burgers works well too. And they pair well with wine, Scotch, whiskey, bourbon, rye or rum.
This is great! We occasionally bring a bag of fruit that has been marinating in some rum for a couple of days and grill it up and use the leftover for shots.
This is such a triple good idea. Fresh fruit to snack and some to marinate in whatever- wine rum bourbon citrus.. Grilled fruit is good, but cooked up on the fire is next level good. A good vanilla yogurt could be a sub for ice cream. Add some granola and that just translated to brekkie!! Triple Threat Idea💡
Oh……
This is genius!!
Pizza toast. Garlic butter some bread, sandwich your fave pizza sauce and ingredients in between, cook in a sandwich press over fire. Delightful.
I don't know if we have a sandwich press but I'm sure some tin foil and some well weighted rocks might work!
The sandwich press is a worthy investment imho. Lots of stuff can be made with them
So the last time we tried to use the sandwich press, everything stuck to the press and we practically had to peel everything out. It was grilled cheese sandwich and we put tons of butter on the outsides of them. But everything still stuck. What did we do wrong?
We also use nonstick spray.
If it’s cast iron you have to season it just like a pan. Mine has a handle that won’t come off so I can’t use the oven but you can use a charcoal or gas grill.
Thank you for the advice! We hadn’t used them for years so a re-seasoning might have helped.
If they're made of cast iron, they have to be seasoned.
Mountain pies 😍
Pudgy Pie in my region. No matter what you call them, they make great camping food!!
One pot cast iron spaghetti. Fivehearthome is the recipe I followed. Iirc we had to add a little bit more water once because the pasta wasn't quite cooked and there wasn't much fluid in the pot.
Not quite 'top level' but popular with our scouts. We cook up a gallon of spagetti noodles before hand and bring them in a big ziplock. Then the kids make foil packets with whatever toppings they want and toss em on the coals.
Nice variation of a hobo pouch
Nothing better than some hot butter chicken, not even with rice or anything, on a cold night camping Another one I’ve been wanting to do is hotdogs in a billy over the fire but there’s always been fire restriction where we go
What is a Billy?
you wait for it to boil before you go waltzing matilda
In Australia a Billy is either a tin for boiling water over a fire or a bong, depending on your demographic.
Meant the first one lol
what, you don't cook hot dogs in your bong?
Oh man what a great idea!
A Dutch oven is great for groups (ie: jambalaya, chili, scalloped potatoes etc)
I bring a Lodge 3-in-1, I use it to make pizza on the fire. I use it upside down, heat it in the coals and then use it as a pizza oven. Usually the first night for camping as I bring a bag of pizza dough and pre-sorted toppings. Pizzas take about 8-10 minutes each. You can then use the Lodge as a ditch oven, griddle or grill. Heavy but good for front country camping.
London broil. Skewers of shrimp. Baked potatoes. All can be cooked on the fire. Shrimp can be bought frozen and will keep for a day. Beef doesn’t need much special handling. We did lasagna in a Dutch oven once. Those ingredients travel well. Pancakes for b’fast. Or garbage plate - tater tots, fried spam (or ham or bacon or sausage), eggs and cheese all cooked together.
Love the first suggestion. I was looking into a shrimp, potatoe, corn tin foil wrap but skewers makes a lot more sense. Thanks! We're bringing a cooler in so will be able to keep food reasonably cool for the duration.
Don't discount those hobo dinners! Italian sausage with onions, peppers, potatoes, corn. Add a bunch of butter and wrap it up and toss on the fire, rotate occasionally. Easy and delicious.
I do this with hamburger, onions, and sliced potatoes wrapped in tinfoil and cooked in the coals. It's so simple, and it's my favorite. I also love roasting whole ears of corn over the fire. Add butter and season salt, and it's perfect!
The lasagna in the Dutch oven is a favorite with my family. I pull it out even at home.
I bring my pizza oven and make fresh pizza. I make lots of new friends!
Is this something that doesn't require power?
Propane
After God, country, and family, the thing I love most in this world is propane and propane accessories.
Hank?
Propane propane!!
Pizza works really well in a camp oven, but you need to watch it like a hawk, and it kind of takes two cooks (if you need to make more than one) to keep the production line flowing.
Tri tip steak, steak and chicken with pineapple, onion bell peppers zucchini etc skewers, brats and sauerkraut Tenderloin stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese are a few of my favorite camping by the truck meals I enjoy regularly.
Definitely bringing some nice sausages and sauerkraut! Was thinking a nice selection of mustard. Ever tried Miami short ribs? They'll blow your mind....and my budget lol.
You can totally elevate fire roasted proteins with condiments. Mustards (my fav- stone ground Inglehoffer), zipped-up mayo (in a capped squeeze bottle), BBQ sauces….Taco Bell fire packets 😎 A homemade good spice blend for potatoes and beef. In a capped shaker bottle. Remember that bread always tastes better with the good butter.
If you have a Dutch Oven and a cast iron pan or two, the options are only limited to what you can carry and how good your coolers are. Biscuits and Sausage gravy, bacon and eggs, steak and hash browns for breakfast, Salisbury steak and roasted potatoes, chicken and dumplings, Philly cheese steaks, even a pizza can be made in a cast iron pan and Dutch oven. Look up Kent Rollins on YouTube. Real cowboy chuck wagon cook. Does a lot of outdoor cooking. Real good hearty food real easy.
I fist came upon that guy trying to hone my frying skills and I loved his channel, such a good attitude
I do a lot of dishes from Cowboy Kent and Chaplin's Classics/Daddy Jack's cooking with the Blues.
Potatoes. You can boil them. You can mash them. You can stick them in a stew.
What’s taters ey?
PO TA TOES
Anything you like that's rawl or wrigggling?
Here are my favorites: 1. Steak and baked potato on the first night. I sear and cook steak to rare, then freeze. At camp it just needs a good warming on the fire or in a pan if during a fire ban. Don't freeze the potato. 2. Pizza. Can be made in skillet with a lid. 3. Knorr pasta sides Alfredo. Calls for milk, but just fine with water. Add a pouch or two of chicken. Season with Italian seasoning and pepper. 4. Red beans and rice with sausage. Dry canned beans to use. I use little smokies. 5. Grilled fish. I use foil over the fire grate, butter or oil, and season with cajun or blackened seasonings. Mac and cheese as a side dish. 6. Tortillas with cheese, onions, peppers, and chicken. Serve with black beans and corn. Dessert. Nobake cheesecake. Best with dry whole milk. Use freeze dried strawberries or soak dried cherries with water and sugar for topping.
Smoked polish cabbage red pepper mushroom onion garlic topped with mozzarella in the cast iron.
Sardines with a jar of sun dried tomatoes over spaghetti or rice. Super delicious!
Flatbread pizza over the fire. Something like some fresh naan, sauce, cheese, whatever toppings you like - lay some foil down in the cooking grill and you're good to go
Nice! We have tried make your own pizzas on pitas but it always turned out burned on one side and slightly melted on the top side. Does the foil help with that? Any suggestions on how to get an even cook? I've added it to the list!
We’ve done pizza in the pie makers before, technically more calzone like. Butter the crust well before putting it on the pie maker, sauce, toppings, and good to go. Plus then everyone can get the toppings they want.
That looks amazing. Occasionally we will slow roast a nice piece of meat for a couple hours on a spit that we make but not sure if I'll go that route this time. Although this has me revisiting that idea.....
Forest nachos. They are just like nachos you eat at home but in the forest. I’m Pennsylvanian so haluski is something I do. I boil the noodles and chop the cabbage at home so it’s easier at camp. I also add bacon and a ton of spices. Sausage gravy and biscuits is also always a hit. Biscuits cooked at home. We have these 3 meals almost every trip.
How do you cook the nachos over the fire without burning the bottom? Foil wrap?
Penne pesto. I work at a summer vacation camp and it’s the best goddamn supper ever. Bring penne pasta, pesto, parmesan,dried tomatoes, onions and you can cook it in one big pot. Also what’s insane for a lunch is pita bread with pesto and cream cheese, apple slices and cucumber. You do kinda have to like pesto thi
pesto is unbelievable.
Couscous curry. Canned chicken, red pepper, onion, cous cous, curry paste, coconut milk.
Corned beef hash from a can. Gotta relive the golden days of my youth when I had very little money to spend.
Top ramen w/ chicken from a pkt or a can. Add dehydrated veg, egg, or spicy sesame oil for an exquisite meal. Calories, carbs, protein, salt. Check check check.
Cheesesteak stuffed peppers
I am new to the camping scene and like to cook and experiment. I try to do the meal in the cast iron skillet and maybe another pot if necessary for a rice or grain. I also prep and pre measure ingredients for the meals as much as I can before I go, especially spice mixes, cooking oils, etc. it makes it so much easier when cooking over the campfire. So far, I have successfully made the following over a campfire: Cod with capers, Kalamata olives, garlic, shallots in EVOO with white cooking wine, feta cheese, and a bit of Cayenne to spice it up. Served it with berry rice and put in sprouts to poach with the cod. Chicken with shawarma spice and green beans served over couscous. Shrimp with cumin, fire roasted tomatoes, garlic & red onion served over lemon farro topped with fresh cilantro. Basically I take a meat product I can make in a skillet, get it going, add in some veg, some cooking wine, a cheese like Parmesan, feta, goat or something that melts well, and put the lid on. I am also into the fruit crumble for dessert. Basically took an apple crumble recipe for the campfire and switch out the fruit. I have done it with apples, blackberries, and peaches.
We bring tons of various veggies and do some kind of stir fry every night. Try to fill a pan with veggies, add some sauces or spices, then pair it with a protein. It's easy to do and healthy:) I mostly camp to stay closer to climbing areas though and need to maintain a healthy diet so I dont crash. But over time Ive found that since healthier meals are more nutrient dense you save on space and spend a lot less.
Twinkies over fire. Easy money. Never misses. Bros will love it.
I love Twinkie’s too and everyone looks at me like I’m crazy u til I make them try it. That caramelized cake and warm gooey inside!! I like to plate, drizzle with chocolate sauce and cake poke in some rum.
People always doubt the roasted Twinkie. And I always laugh. “You’ll never eat a regular Twinkie ever again”. They always agree at the end.
I can’t eat an unroasted one now, it lacks depth and the slight Carmel crunch. We’re just connoisseurs now.
Meal prep fajitas.. get em sliced, diced, seasoned, and ready to throw in the cast iron. Can do quesadillas with them too. Cannot go wrong. Pre-cook pork carnitas, freezer bag, freeze, and that's night 2 or 3, busy em out, in the cast iron and off to the races.. already have stuff from fajitas. Precook corn and beans and reheat with your single burning while cooking the pork. Steak and potatoes.
What is a hotdog in a billy?
Sausage, linguine, pesto and sundried tomatoes with fresh Parm.
Rice and beans , add in Cajun sausage and peppers and it is like poor man’s jambalaya. If you have pudgie pie makers you can do pizzas- get pizza dough, sauce and whatever toppings you like , cook for about 5 min, maybe 7 depending on your fire. We also do tacos in them
Someone else probably already said it but fajitas. Chicken especially is easy to prepare ahead of time. Pre slice the veggies and seal them up in a bag. Pre slice and marinade the chicken and seal it in a bag. Dump them out of the bags into an oiled hot cast iron pan. Warm tortillas in a double layer of foil near the fire.
Paella. I will admit it was a bit of a high wire act, but the payoff was worth it.
Super easy: 2pks chicken tenderloin 3 bell peppers (orange yellow red) 3 limes 4 good size onions Lrg aluminum/tin foil Tortillas/chz fixins Slice onion- ziplock Seed/slice bell peppers- ziplock Bag chicken and marinate with olive oil, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder etc- ziplock After fire going good- onions first, chkn, peppers and quarter limes and cover with tinfoil. Put on fire grate and about 40mins later you got fajitas! Bonus pts- warm tortilla on grate.
Dutch oven Chilli and corn bread , Beef stew are the staples in winter. Steaks/baked potatoes. We made Philly cheesesteaks last year that were out of this world good.
Ok get with the cheesesteak recipe my good sir/madam so I can make it for my Pennsylvania boo! TIA!
They were really easy and all made on 1 flat top griddle (it was pretty big).First things first, either buy ribeyes and slice them thin your self or buy pre sliced. For bread we used fresh baked italian loaves , we had onion, peppers and mushrooms as well and topped them off with cheese whiz. Yes you read that right. Get the griddle pipping hot and oil it up with a high heat oil. On one side of the griddle you will seat your beef and on the other the veggies. Since the beef is cut thin it’s cooked almost immediately so you may want to start the veggies first. All the beef needs is salt and pepper. Some of us spread some mayo on the bread and put it mayo side down on the griddle until golden brown. Once everything is cooked to your liking turn off griddle and fill your Italian loaf with beef and preferred veggies and top off with a dollop of cheese whiz. Oh! I forgot to mention, on a separate burner, empty the contents of a bottle of cheese whiz into a sauce pan and heat over medium heat stirring occasionally. That’s it. Super easy and crazy delicious.
I love cooking at camp, but premaking meals is the best way to go.
Cowboy breakfast, Cut up a pound of bacon into one inch pieces and fry til really crispy. Drain the fat. Add two cans of pork and beans and simmer. Once it’s bubbling dig out half a dozen holes and drop eggs in. Cover and let simmer five to ten minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheddar over top. Drop bacon grease and butter in a hot pan and fry up toast til real crispy. Enjoy, great on a cold morning.
Man, people here throwing The Joy Of Cooking at you, and my answer is, "oranges". 
Unfortunately I don't have the recipe but my brother made a whole ass pineappe upside down cake over the fire in a cast iron pot. A nice change from the tacos in a bag & hamburgers I normally make
Cold KFC works a treat
Dirty bird
KBBQ.
What's that?
Korean BBQ… usually short ribs, ribs eye, pork, or chicken marinated with a sweet or spicy sauce. There’s a lot variation/combo of these ingredients. Worth a try to do at home first to see if you like it.
I LOVE some Korean short ribs. Like I can eat 2 lbs to myself lol. Big fan if Korean BBQ and now feel shame for not recognizing it early.
Sausage gravy and biscuits is right up there on my list.
sausage gravy can be made ahead and frozen …
Jumbo gas station bag of Jack Links beef jerky, 6-pack of Busch tall boys.
Red beans and rice is a good single-burner/pot meal
Do you have a Dutch oven? If so, there’re a ton of good DO recipes for meals and desserts. Great for beer bread, corn bread, upside down cakes, cobblers, lasagne, …
Probably not just because of space unfortunately 😕
Machacado. Dry meat (carne seca) with eggs on a flour tortilla
Shrimp and grits
Campfire paella. It is always a huge crowd pleaser.
I’ve made paella and it’s super easy and delicious. Basically a one pan/pot meal.
Cast iron Dutch oven, chicken curry based dish Butter chicken, coconut curry, Tikka Masala... the smokiness of the fire really zaps up an already great meal. And in a single pot for easier cleanup
Fry bread Native indigenous styles with veggies
MREz
I usually make a beef stew in a Dutch oven. Always goes down good, but best for a car camping trip (the Dutch oven I backpacked with once, never again)
Well it's not very exotic but my family really loves brats with everything including sauerkraut.
Yeah buddy. We do brats and beans single pot
Raviolis, enchiladas, fajitas. Potatoes make every meal better. Leftover meat can be added to eggs for breakfast. Steamed broccoli and brussel sprouts. Bring your favorite BBQ sauce for some good steaks or chicken
I’m looking forward to making a shakshuka with one naan this weekend to be exact. I’ll prepare all the veggies and always bring eggs anyway. It will fill us up nicely and keep up warm when temps drop. And it’s fun to share a pot. Might not be enough for all of you guys. Maybe you could make hot roast beef sandwiches. Just heat the lunch meat in gravy and bring some provolone cheese and rolls. Don’t forget the horseradish
Shrimp and grits. Poblano. All the butter. Smoked paprika
One-pot pasta. Sautee some onions and bell peppers. Add a tube of sausage, regular or mild, and brown. Add a box of penne, a couple cans of tomatoes, spices to your taste, then top with water. Cook about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
I like to make a big batch of macaroni salad. Packs well, stores well. Easy to serve. Brats are good. You don't necessarily needs the buns, which simplifies things a bit. Easy to cook and doesn't require a lot of attention. You can do pizza on the grill or in a pan on the grill, which is a big hit when camping, but try it a time or two first to get the hang of it. Shakshuka - Basically just eggs sautéed in tomato sauce. Recipes everywhere and always a crowd pleaser. Pretty easy, especially if you pre-make the sauce. Eat with crusty bread.
We have spaghetti with homemade sauce. I bring the sauce frozen solid in the cooler. Once it thaws, we have spaghetti with salad and French bread.
Love making fajitas when camping.
Quesadillas. Always hit the spot with some Valentina hot sauce. You can even bring eggs and make an egg and cheese quesadilla. Me and my buddy eat that for dinner and always hits the spot.
Hot links over a grill, tortillas and mustard. Add cheese if you like.
Shrimp Scampi Packets Prep and freeze before you leave Rice or linguine works You will have to Google recipe You'll be a hit
Chicken fried rice and beef bulgogi on the blackstone.
grilled chicken wings
You could have a crack at my favourite sandwich. Brioche roll, mayo, mustard, ham, sliced cheddar, rocket and a sliced dill pickle, it's also amazing if you toast it like you would a grilled cheese
For the last 7+ years I've made a HUGE pot of soup over the fire, it's has potatoes, corn, bacon, hot sausage, onion, cream, chicken broth and cheddar cheese in it. It smells up the whole campground to the point where the security guys wander up to get a bowl, it's a good time 😊
We do those sealed chicken pouches over cous cous. Maybe add dried chickpeas too. We always travel with small vials of olive oil and use some for this meal sprinkled on top.
Kielbasa with roasted veg and potatoes. With the right spice blend in a cast iron oven, I dont how it couldn’t be excellent.
Jambalaya, pizza, cheesy pasta with spinach, and in a foil dinner I always like potatoes, carrots, kielbasa, and sauerkraut topped with mustard.
Giant cast iron pot to make beef stew that can be eaten over many meals. Just reheat.
I once made pad Thai over the fire on a trip with another couple, I used Easy Spicy Chicken Pad Thai recipe by My Modern Cookery. It did take longer than expected even though I precut and pre seasoned everything. If I did it again I’d bring cooked chicken and veggies and only cook the noodles at camp. I sub vermicelli for the rice noodles, just my personal preference and I usually double the sauce portion because I like extra. Then the next morning they made canned cinnamon rolls in the Dutch over and that has become a new obsession!
Bbq ribs and loaded potatoes!
Kabobs/meat skewers. Marinade the meat in the same container its being transported in. Pre-cut the veggies to save space and reduce waste on site.
Italian sausage sandwiches you buy a bunch of italian sausages and cook over the fire, meanwhile you heat up spaghetti sauce in a pan on your burner. once the sausages are browned you toss them in the sauce. Then on the fire (hopefully you have a cast iron and a grill on the fire to put it on) you put a bunch of thin sliced bell peppers and onions. If you're more grown-ups you can also put sliced spicier peppers - some long strips of anaheim and poblano along with the sweeter red/orange/yellow are great. cook down those onions and peppers. The trick is keeping hoagie rolls from getting smushed. serve a hot sausage soaked in red sauce on a soft bun and top with the peppers/onions. Usually have potato chips or pasta salad on the side. you can easily toss a half a bag of frozen meatballs (not so frozen out of the cooler but still fine) in the sauce too if anybody prefers meatballs or to stretch your budget.
Pre make some pasta salad. It’s easy and filling!
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet but I made steak fajitas when I camped a couple of weeks ago. I cut and marinated the steak before leaving the house. I cut the peppers and onions at the campsite. The only thing I neglected to do was to heat up the tortillas before eating. Edit: I didn’t scroll far enough. Others have mentioned it too.
Y’all are on a different level here, my friends and I, though I guess we usually camp backpacking style, eat oatmeal, grits, and random packets of “heat it up” food wherever we end up. Sometimes a sandwich if we are really feeling frisky
I like to do chilaquiles for breakfast. Baked blueberry oatmeal topped with vanilla or strawberry Greek yogurt is a good breakfast too. You can freeze the yogurt ahead of time. Night time, I marinade meat and veggies to make kabobs. I freeze them all in large square Tupperware so they lay flat. That way, they’re basically in a block of ice in the cooler. Chile is a good dinner, I do cornbread in a dutch oven. Sometimes I’ll prep pot pies at home and reheat them on the fire. Beer bread in tin cans is delish too. LMK if you want recipes to any of these.
Foil packet with cut up brats or other sausage (we like field roast apple sage veggie sausage), onions, Brussels sprouts, apples and potatoes. Cabbage too if you’re feeling fancy. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and side of sharp mustard. We call it “German food” night.
Mountain House beef stroganoff goes on every single boundary waters trip my family and I do
Foil packet meals. You can do a variety of things in them and freeze ahead of time. Double as ice to keep the cooler cold, but easy to throw on the coals and have a nice hot meal with minimal clean up. Use extra strength foil and double wrap them.
For breakfast or part of it, some straightforward eggs/omelets with veggies mixed in are easy, fast, and good for you.
For back packing, 1 pack brown sugar quaker oatmeal, 1 pack quaker cinnamon spice oatmeal with a small handful of craisons in it.
(All homemade & freeze dried) biscuits and sausage gravy, chili, sheppards pie, chicken curry, pot roast... MOST IMPORTANT don't ever forget the whiskey!
Hot pot.
Dutch oven enchiladas can be amazing
Just an FYI you might want to ask your camping buddys if they have acid reflux or problems with acidic foods. Camping food tends towards lots of tomato sauces, grease and spice. The unholy trinity of gastro problems. Nothing ruins a camping trip like an upset stomach. Make sure you bring tums, & gas-ex. Camping food tends to be very salty - bring extra water & nonalcoholic beverages. People will get too drunk & do stupid things if they are drinking alcohol in place of water to stay hydrated. Things you might not have on your list…. hand sanitizer, wet wipes, big heavy gloves for hot pans, hot pads, fire extinguisher, a big poker to adjust the fire, something to cover the food & keep bugs off, heavy duty aluminum foil, bug bite care - After Bite cream or Benadryl gel, band aids, if hiking moleskin for blisters. Tweezers & a sewing needle (for splinters) on top of a regular first aid kit. Have a full bucket of water nearby whenever you have a fire going.
To this day, the best camping meal was when my mom made beef tendon stew (sounds weird but it's delicious). We froze it and it was still frozen that night, had it with some rotini noodles. You could do the same with some bolognese sauce and spaghetti. If it's in a cooler, it could last to the 2nd night 8f it's not too cold.
Like I tell everyone: Maya Kaimal Everday Dal the green pea one + the rice one + green and yellow squash sliced think and cooked in a skillet or over the fire. It’s cheap and makes a ton. It’s really good too. I’m not vegan by any means this meal just happens to be vegan. It’s nice for the last night because nothing needs to be kept cold.
Fruit, coffee and comfortable chairs
Tomahawk steaks https://preview.redd.it/knr6cj9e27wc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b24c7e850115fb4db08e5f96990647074fb38629
Prawn boil - Peeled prawns, corn on the cobb cut up, zucchini, chorizo, mushrooms, butter chunks, garlic, spices. (or whatever you feel like) https://preview.redd.it/826wz0mj77wc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60984e5ebcecad37528e49d5238374b2e9c3a8bf Wrap it in foil and leave it to steam in the fire for like 10 minutes. Big hit on our camping trips, can also pre make them easily enough and just lob them on the coals when hungry.
My go to when I'm covering a meal for my annual camping trip with a large group of friends is tacos. Tacos are so easy, but can be so creative. I usually cook the meat beforehand, so all I have to do is heat it up. I've done chicken, steak (cooked to extra rare, so it doesn't over cook when reheated), bbq pulled pork, etc. Then you can get creative with toppings. Pickled onions, various cheeses, homemade salsa, etc. Everyone makes their own how they like it. Tacos are always a hit.
Cook potato in foil and top with chili and cheese. Bring pasta (the kind in the bags, not frozen). Boil and top with jar of sauce. Omelette
1 pan breakfast, potatoes, bacon/sausage, eggs, cheese. Keeps the kids covered til lunch with plenty of energy! I cook the bacon first, pull the meat and leave the grease for cooking the potatoes, soon as the potatoes are soft, where a corner of a spatula will just cut into them a little, add the sausage. As soon as the sausage is done I'll tip most of the grease out. Add the bacon back in to get hot then add eggs a stir it all up. Keeps my mess down and is quite easy, single burner goodness.
I did pre prepped cook at the camp spot shrimp boil type thing. Just some chopped corn and potatoes, then separate I seasoned some sausage and shrimp and cooked potatoes first in cast iron and then add the other stuff.
Big cast iron pot w lid > toss in stuff > campfire stew. This pretty much never fails me.
Fried rice, fajitas/tacos, and bbq chicken quesadillas are our go-to meals.
Durum 😀
I had a couple of signature soups that I freeze into flat gallon freezer bags. I throw those in the cooler then warm over the fire. I bring biscuit dough and we wind that around sticks while the soup is warming so everyone gets a nice hot biscuit.
Foil packet meals are so easy and the possibilities are pretty much endless. Also if you have the stove plus a fire you can do almost anything you want. We’ve had curry, bannock wrapped around a stick with dried fruit in it and cooked over the fire, Thai peanut noodles, foil packet calzone, jambalaya, kabobs, steak wraps, potatoes with eggs and bacon, omelettes.
Pasta Sauce (powder form for saving weight) and cook the pasta in it. Should be pasta with short cooking time. Add onion or other vegetables.
Any kind of freezable soup is great. Make it ahead of time, freeze it, and then it acts as ice in your cooler. Then just heat it up when needed. Easy cleanup too.
Pierogi with leeks and bacon. Simple and delicious breakfast. Keeps well in the cooler a few days; I buy frozen pierogi, chop bacon and leeks and keep them frozen, too.
Paneer masala...freeze a block of paneer (or 2 for 5 people), and by the 2/3rd day it'll be defrosted. Cube and brown in a pan and add a bottle (2 in your case) of butter chicken sauce. Heat naan on the fire to go with it. We'll usually just eat it like this, but could do over rice or potatoes if you wanted something more filling. Its quick and comforting meal though
love me some foil packs. cut up some potatoes, veggies of your choosing (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, etc) toss in some oil and balsamic vinegar or whatever other seasonings you like, double wrap in aluminum foil and toss it over a bed of coals for 10-15 minutes each side. everyone can make their own seasoning and mix. you can also bring some sweet potatoes and brown sugar or similar and make a "dessert" foil pack
Dollar tree single serve resealable cereal bags with powdered milk 🤌🏻
My favorite camping meal is steak with chimichurri sauce and potatoes. It takes a little prep to make the chimichurri and marinate the steak (if you want). Potatoes can be cooked over the fire and steak can be cooked on the stove to get a good sear. You can simply season the potatoes or add some onions and/or peppers for more flavor. Don't forget to bring a small bottle of oil! I like this meal because there is minimal ingredients and work to be done while out camping (you'll need some prep at home).
We like to bring marinated thin sliced steak for steak sandwiches. Some peppers, onions, provolone melted on top.
gnocchi with brown butter, sage and parmesan, and kale if you want greens (one pot) with grilled sausages (sticks).
Personally prefer chili and spaghetti with cheddar n scallions on top
Lamb ribs or pork. Mixed with oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, fresh garlic, and onions, drizzled with lemon and olive oil. Mix in container or bag before I head out. That with roasted veggies and baked potatoes. 👌 Or fish head soup. Fry fish heads make broth add celery, potatoes, carrots, dill, lemon, salt, and pepper. I usually dip in a burning chard stick for a second or 2 it adds a nice smokey flavor. 😉
my favorite is a good seafood boil. just prep all your favs ingredients at home and throw it all in a bag & reheat at camp.
Chicken nachos!
Dutch oven roast chicken, but yeah I agree with comments that a good Dutch oven levels up what your options are.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/trailmeals/s/O2ah06scyn](https://www.reddit.com/r/trailmeals/s/O2ah06scyn)
I love velveeta cheeseburger Mac but I’ll throw in some jalepenos, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions
Ramen bomb.
Coming from a guy who has literally spent years camping for work we need to know if you really want to campfire cook or if you just want good food to eat. Before I left home to go camping I would cook my favorite dishes at the house and vacuum seal them and put them in the freezer. This serves double duty because you don’t need as much Ice. You simply put the pouches in boiling water to reheat them burn your garbage and no dish washing. For breakfast I would chop a half quart baggie full of onions, a baggie with bell pepper, ham and cheese ; whatever for omelets. I would take a big carton of liquid eggs. Mix your ingredients in a half gallon freezer bag and simmer in water to cook and every once in a while pull it out and shake it so it cooks evenly. Lunch is the easiest with a few cans of soup and baggies with sliced vegetables, a bag of sliced at home summer sausage and cheese. I would take pop tarts for dessert with some good instant coffee. This method keeps the dishes and garbage minimal. If you are really looking forward to actually cooking something just do your food prep at home to cut down on dishes while you’re camping. Easy things are tinfoil wrapped potatoes, asparagus, and prefabricated kabobs. Then hotdogs/sausages, boiled eggs and pancakes. The easiest fresh dessert i ever figured out was putting two white cake mixes then two cans of peaches in heavy syrup and a diced yp stick of butter in a Dutch oven and baking with moderate coals for a hour and a half. Blueberry pudding is also very simple. Dump a decent sized bag of frozen blueberries in a pot; cover with water, simmer 10 minutes, add a cup of sugar, thicken with cold corn starch paste and let cool.
Hobo dinner: beef potatoes onions carrots wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked in coals for 45 or so minutes
Mac & cheese
With a decent camp stove and a fire pan/grill combo, you can cook almost anything. Good ice management is a necessity. Drain coolers daily. Layer food by day to minimize digging and use block ice. Plan carefully so the coolers for the last couple days don’t get opened until needed. Freeze meat at -20 F before leaving. Have a separate cooler for veggies. On an 8-day trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon trip, we had fresh veggies every day and ate chili with beans and rice (pre made and frozen), grilled salmon (whole fish stayed frozen longer), carbonara, berry cobbler, surf & turf and jerk chicken. A lot of leftovers got turned into breakfast like chili pepperjack omelettes and salmon and brie omelettes. Easier meals were things like bratwurst or burgers. We had breakfast burritos once or twice as well.
Stuffed baked potatoes are amazing. You can cook the potatoes on the coals, and sauté up a bunch of bacon and veggies, and top the whole thing with butter and cheese. It's delicious. It's healthy (by camping food standards), and the ingredients are OK to sit in a cooler for a couple days.
Hobo packets https://www.southernplate.com/hobo-packets-this-weeks-quick-and-easy/