Camp Meal Ideas
These recipes hold a special place in my heart. I’ve prepared them in the dark, after arriving late and behind schedule to camp. I’ve shared them on the porch with friends and family after Hurricane Helene left us without power or water for weeks. I remember enjoying meals like this after long days of hiking with my dad—sunburned and sore, but with hearts full from the adventure. There's nothing tastier than the food you eat while camping!
These meals are designed to be quick and easy to make and even easier to clean up. Don't forget to check out my tips and tricks to make cooking and cleaning even easier!
Tips & Tricks
Plan & Prep
I like to portion out dishes like chili and Brunswick stew ahead of time into freezable containers, freeze them, and let them thaw in my cooler. When it's time to make dinner, all I have to do is heat the pre-prepared meal in a pot and top it with some cheese or tortilla chips. It makes for an easy clean up too with only one pot to wash.
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I also like to chop vegetables like onions and peppers at home so they are ready to cook. Take it a step further and go ahead and sauté the veggies you plan on cooking ahead of time.
Foil is Your Friend
You can toss a foil packet filled with yummy potatoes right on a campfire or in a skillet to heat up. Eat it right from the foil packet or portion it onto paper plates.
Paper is Primo
Get some paper plates made from recycled materials to cut down on the amount of dishes you'll need to wash. They can go right in the fire when your done!
Leave the Burgers Behind
Burgers seem like a great meal to have while camping, but I find them to be too bulky in my cooler. They require lots of condiments and accoutrements that end up taking up a lot of space. If you just can't pass them up, remember to save some condiment packets the next time you get them with your takeout so you have more room in your cooler.
Cooler Efficiency is Key
How you pack your cooler can really make a difference in your camping experience. I like to use a wire cabinet shelf to keep important items above the ice. No one wants to eat wet soggy cheese, and you definitely don't want ground beef spill into the watery ice. Keep your beverages and frozen meals that you plan on eating later during your stay on the bottom level, nestled in the ice, and place everything else on top, taking care to keep delicate and dry items on the very top. Frozen meals can "thaw" towards the top of your cooler. Keep uncooked meats in airtight containers so they don't leak into the ice.
Container Questions?
In the recipes I post on this site, I mention freezer containers or take out containers A LOT, I really like using a certain type, mainly because you can often get them for free with any take out food you might order, and they stack really neatly in a freezer or cooler. You can also reuse them, label them with permanent marker and wipe it off to relabel later. If you aren't the type to collect used take out containers, you can find them in most grocery stores or online. I also like them because they portion almost perfectly for two meals, which takes the guess work out of figuring out how much food to bring.
