/r/Camping Spring 2022 Cooking & Recipe Thread

If you plan on taking a cooler/coolbox you can use frozen water bottles instead of the ice blocks. As the bottles start to defrost you can just drink the water in them. Not exactly a recipe so if it needs removed from this thread, please just remove it.

Walking tacos !!

A lot of people here (if not everyone) probably knows what it is but it’s my favorite camping meal so I thought I’d share.

-cook protein of choice -crush and open a bag of chips (doritos or fritos work best) -add protein to chip bag along with any other desired toppings (lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, etc)

Also, orange blueberry muffins !!

it’s so simple but the BEST camping treat I’ve ever had.

-cut an orange in half and hollow it out (can be done before leaving for the trip; also save the inside for snacking) -mix up a box of blueberry muffin mix and pour it into half the orange -double wrap in tinfoil and throw it onto the fire for about 8-10 minutes

I suggest ditching the can of blueberries that come in the box and using fresh ones if possible.

Campfire Baked Apples

Cut an apple in half and scoop out the core. Put the apple back together, wrap it in foil, and set on the coals until soft. Remove from the fire, remove aluminum foil, and drizzle in caramel sauce.

Note: The original recipe I’d seen called for putting a caramel candy inside, but they just didn’t melt for me. That said, tweak this to your heart’s content. Raisins, oats, granola, brown sugar....the possibilities are endless.

Before we head out we make a pot of chili, a pot of refried beans, and a pot of pea soup. We freeze each of them in a freezer bag in the pot we plan on reheating them in so they are disc shaped. Then we use them as ice for the first few days. When they begin to thaw we heat them up in the pan and eat them. It has worked out really great for us.

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Yea and not a recipe. I figure recipes for these can be easily found online according to your dietary desires.

Cuz I love one pan/pot meals for camps:

Campfire breakfast (sheep herders breakfast)

3/4 lbs bacon, chopped 1 white onion, chopped 1 pack shredded hash browns, thawed a bit 6-8 large eggs Salt, pepper 1 cup shredded cheese (You can halve this for a smaller portion)

1. Get a large cast iron (with a lid), cook the bacon and onion and drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the drippings in the pan for cooking.

2. Add shredded hash browns in, let them brown on the bottom (about 10 mins depending on how hot your fire is). Turn potatoes.

3. With a spoon, make 6-8 wells for your eggs, breaking an egg into each. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Cook covered, until eggs are set and potatoes are softened. Remove pan. Sprinkle with cheese on top and let stand until melted.

Pancake mix pre-mixed into water bottles and a griddle for the bbq or fire and you have yourself some Campcakes! 😂🤤

We have done Campfire nachos. I cook the taco meat at home and bring enough shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sour cream and cheese to put on top. I'll also bring a little guacamole, salsa, and some queso. Layer your nachos in an aluminum foil casserole dish (the ones small enough where it can be a plate for each person). Cover it in a bunch of foil and place it right onto the coals for about 15-20mins or until you hear the cheese bubbling. Add cold toppings after.

Pro tip: consider HOW you will get it out of the fire. We didn't consider this our first time doing it and had to use sticks. It was like using giant chopsticks lmao

You can do just about anything you'd need to with a well seasoned cast iron wok. Grill meats, tofu, and veggies on the side, make sauces, soups, or oatmeal in the base, or just flat out do a stir fry. Just make sure it's wide enough to accomodate your needs. Definitely takes out the need to do a lot of dishes.

I also like preparing individual, single-portioned meals beforehand in mason jars. We end up producing little to no trash on our usual wilderness sites, which is fantastic for the leave no trace mentality . Also keeps things from getting soggy in the cooler and keeps everything sealed away from ants and curious critters. Don't even bother washing them; just seal them back up and wash them all when we get home. Not to mention it makes snacking and grazing incredibly simple.

These obviously work best with larger setups/coolers and isn't exactly ideal for backpacking, but it's saved me so many hours of not having to cook or clean when all I really wanna do is have a beer, jump in the creek, and chill out.

I have a meal I always cook for our first 1 or 2 nights of any camping trip so we have something easy and fast after setting up camp. The day we leave I roast some diced potatoes (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and blackened seasoning), chop up onions and poblano peppers, and cook either diced chicken or ground turkey breast. Let it all cool, put it in a ziploc bag and into the cooler it goes. At the campsite I just have to heat it up (I do it in a pan on our Coleman stove) and then we eat it with tortillas.

Here are 2 of our favorite single skillet meals... We pre-blend the spices and put them in a baggie for easy cooking.

Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet

https://www.budgetbytes.com/cajun-sausage-and-rice-skillet/

- 14 oz. Andouille sausage* ($3.99)

- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)

- 1 bell pepper ($0.89)

- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)

- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)

- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)

- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)

- 1/4 tsp onion powder ($0.02)

- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)

- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.01)

- 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.00)

- 1 cup long grain white rice ($0.62)

- 1.5 cups chicken broth ($0.20)

- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.20)

Slice the sausage into ¼-½ inch thick slices. Add the sausage and cooking oil to a deep skillet or Dutch oven and sauté over medium heat until the sausage is well browned. Don't worry if the sausage begins to brown on the bottom of the skillet. That's extra flavor that will cook into the rice later.

While the sausage is cooking, dice the bell pepper. Once the sausage is browned, add the bell pepper to the skillet and continue to sauté for about one more minute.

Add the spices (smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and black pepper) to the skillet with the sausage and bell pepper and continue to sauté for one minute more to toast the spices.

Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), rice, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine and dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.

Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come to a full boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let the skillet simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and let it rest, with the lid on, for an additional 5 minutes.

After the skillet has rested, remove the lid, and fold the sausage and rice to redistribute the rice and sausage throughout. Top with sliced green onions and serve!

TACO SKILLET

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 whole green bell pepper

- 1 whole small onion

- 1 tbsp chili powder

- 1 tbsp cumin

- Salt

- 1/2 lb ground beef

- 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

- 15 oz can pinto beans

- 1 package Mexican cheese mix

- 2 cloves minced garlic

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Warm your skillet and add oil until it’s warm, then saute onion and bell pepper for 3-5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute then add the cumin, chili powder, and salt.

Once fragrant, add the pound of ground beef to the skillet and cook until brown all the way through—about five minutes.

Stir in diced tomatoes and beans and let sit until warmed thoroughly. Finally, add the cheese and let sit until it melts.

We make sooooo many grilled sandwiches in those cast iron pie cookers. Grilled cheese (of course), grilled pb and j, grilled mozz/pesto/to or roasted red pepper. Egg in a basket works well in there too.

I usually parboil potatoes before we go for fried potatoes, but sometimes I just do baked potatoes. Poke a couple holes, smear then with olive oil and sea salt, wrap in foil and throw down right on the coals. Always do extra because I forget and some get too black!

Pizza on tortillas on the griddle.

I wish I was more ambitious, but that's about as fancy as it gets.

My go to camping meal is the Ramen Bomb. Feeds 2-3 adults. Cost: around $1.50-$2 Ingredients: 2 packs of ramen noodles 1 pack of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes Directions: 1) Make both packs of ramen as you normally would, don’t strain water 2) Mix seasoning packets and instant mashed potatoes 3) Enjoy

Seriously it’s so good and provides plenty of carbs for the adventure ahead. Give it a try!

Looking for recs on meal-prepping food (anyone pre-prep Bfast Burritos?!) - going on a bike trip next weekend and car camping, looking to keep it easy :D

I have a simple pizza recipe I use when I go camping. 1. Large cast iron pan w/ lid. 2. Fresh dough. I get mine from pizzaria 3. Pizza sauce 4. Mozzarella cheese 5. Pepperoni 6. Do not butter pan, but spread dough evenly across pan. 7. Add sauce, cheese, pepperoni, cover with lid. 8. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 min. Pizza is done when bottom is brown.

Not a recipe, but helpful for my Ribeye and other food: put a slab of dry ice in the bottom of your cooler and then cover with chip ice to keep the cooler cold for at least 4 days!

WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH DRY ICE WITH YOUR BARE SKIN

You can cook bacon and pilsbury crescent rolls on a marshmallow stick for fun food in the morning! Bonus: everyone cooks for themselves lol

I am beginning to plan our trip for a few festivals this year. Of course, you'd go bankrupt if you lived off festival food for the whole time and likely come away with something nasty.

So our camp has 5-6 people and while I'm sure we will have to use some festival food, my plan is to keep a coolbox and cooking amenities to keep things going.

So far my plans are:

- Porridge pots that just take boiling water. Probably those Oat Burst things

- Easy snacks like trek bars, nature valleys, absolutely bringing fruit like easy peel oranges and bananas

- I'm going to pre-cook a bunch of gluten free pasta meals and put it in the coolbox to reheat later. I figure a camping-gaz stove with a good enough pot will reheat it well enough (no electric available at all)

- Tesco do some decent chilled soups, another one for the coolbox.

- Everyone's favourite, supernoodles. Not mine, I'm gluten intolerant, but to each their own.

- I was considering an army of rolls and a couple dozen eggs so I could do some really awful looking but does the job egg rolls. Basically dump 4-5 eggs in, smoosh them all up, throw a bit in a bread roll, job done. Ketchup optional.

- Add bacon and vegetarian bacon onto that list, but not totally sure how I'll make that work.

- It's not eco-friendly but I have found using disposable cardboard cups for coffee and tea is an absolutely necessary thing to do. I have previously brought collapsible and camping cups and canteens and despite having bought at least 30 of the things over the years, they have never ever come home again.

My biggest thing at the moment is coolbox in that I don't own one. I'm currently investigating what options I can go for. Of course, everyone's go-to first concern is booze, but I'm one of those rarities and couldn't give a monkeys about booze.

What an amazing resource! I’m going through these recipes to prep for a 3 month road trip with a toddler and baby!

Dutch oven dinner

Slice one sweet potato in 1 inch thick slices

Layer on bottom of oven

Layer 2lbs boneless chicken breasts or thighs

Can of biscuits layered on top of chicken.

Bake in fire until biscuits are done

Iron Skillet Cheeseburger Mac - we use our iron skillet over a campfire cooking grate. 1. Brown 1lb. ground meat of your choice and a chopped onion (Italian sausage is great too) Drain/spoon off fat if needed. 2. Add 1lb. Elbow macaroni, 1 carton chicken stock, 1 cup of heavy cream, a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce or A-1. Cook until noodles are tender. No need to drain. 3. Throw in add ins such as rotel, veggies, or pre-cooked bacon if you want. 4. Add 1lb. Cheese of choice. Velveeta works well. For cheddar, take the skillet off the heat for a few minutes first or it will be too hot and the cheese will be grainy. Fold it in, let melt. 5. Enjoy with crusty bread! Spread it with a nice ground mustard for an extra burger-y taste.

This makes a LOT. It’s an easy recipe to cut in half. Just keep the noodle/cheese/meat ratios even.

Ribeye (or any thick steak) with Asparagus and Broccoli:

I went on a weekend trip last week and took my 12" cast iron pan and an 8" cast iron dutch oven. I brought a 1 lb (about 1.5" thick) ribeye (just enough for two people without a huge appetite, I'd bring another or larger steak if you're planning this to be your big meal for the day), a gallon baggie of pre-washed and cut asparagus (trim the brown parts at the base of the stock), a store bought bag of broccoli florets, salt, pepper, and a pre-made herb butter which turned out amazing. I'll preface with: I was burning pine which burnt very hot and left little to no coals, it would be preferable to control the heat with coals (especially with the dutch oven) to open flame but, on a camping trip, sometimes you just have to improvise with what you've got. Obviously, this meal requires a cooler to keep the food cold until ready to cook, some utensils (tongs, large spoon, etc.) and some form of pans, so NOT a backpacking or ultralite meal. But, if you're camping at a site or out of your car / truck and have the room to pack this stuff, it was awesome to try! Also, make sure to bring grilling gloves or some sort of hot pad to hold the cast iron with, it will be HOT!

Pre-made herb butter (totally necessary!):
- take a full stick of butter and let it soften in a bowl. While it softens, mince 2 cloves of garlic, chop the green stocks of 3 green onions / scallions, finely chop about a TBSP each of dried rosemary and thyme (or fresh if you have it) "leaves" and mash all these ingredients into the softened butter with a fork to mix. Shape the butter in some plastic wrap into a stick, or however you want and then freeze to reharden for about an hour, then put it back in the fridge.

Ribeye:
- I cooked over an open campfire (our site had a grate over the fire pit), so put the pan over the fire to pre-heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the steak and leave covered on a cutting board or plate. I ended up trimming some thicker fat off the ribeye and tossed a few pieces in the pan to test that it was hot enough (should sizzle and crisp like bacon when hot enough) and oil the pan with a little beef fat. Once hot enough, sear for about 3 minutes on each side of the steak to get a good brown crust (or until your desired crust developes) and then throw in the whole stick of herb butter and let it melt and start to brown. It's good to take the pan off the heat before burning the butter, and then return as needed to keep it hot. Depending on how you like your steak, you can probably just take it off the heat and let the residual heat in the pan continue to keep the butter hot. Tilt the pan and use a long handled spoon to baste the melted herb butter over the steak to cook to desired doneness. Let the steak REST on a plate for about 5 minutes (seriously, don't just start carving into it!)

Asparagus & Broccoli:
- Over the same fire, I oiled the bottom of my cast iron dutch oven while the pan was pre-heating, cut the asparagus to fit inside the dutch oven, and tossed it in once the oven was hot with some halved broccoli florets, some salt and pepper, and minced garlic. I also ended up using some of the herb butter as it melted in the big pan to add extra flavor (probably just save about a TBSP for the dutch oven to add when tender). Put the lid on the dutch oven and then stir frequently enough to prevent burning. Once the asparagus gets tender, you can take it off the heat, add the butter, and the heat in the cast iron will continue cooking the veggies while you baste the steak. Continue stirring the veggies occasionally as the cast iron can still burn them right after you take it off the fire. Put it back over the fire once your steak is resting to brown and crisp some of the edges of the broccoli if you want.

I would like to include my favorite camping cookbooks…

The Campout, Feast By Firelight, and Campfire Cuisine

I have a few others that I haven’t tested enough to recommend yet.

One pan meals! Never do campfires. Too many forest fires and restrictions half the time. Take veggies and fruit that last-blueberries over strawberries, carrots over broccoli, etc.

Love the precooked lentils from Trader Joe’s. Add in veggies and protein of choice in skillet-I do onion, garlic, carrots and any leftover or precooked protein-usually chicken-done.

I make a tomato sauce ahead and freeze-love to add in tiny bit of anchovies and a protein-cook pasta-done.

Quesadillas so easy-leftovers and mushrooms a fav. Whole meal.

Precook as much as possible-chili of course, even enchiladas work warmed up on foil in a pan.

Jarred pesto sauce w pasta, sautéed bell peppers, precooked chicken-done. Heading out Friday, I better get cooking!

Also, Andrew Skurka

https://andrewskurka.com/tag/backpacking-meal-recipes/

Campsite Kabobs:
Get a few small peppers, onions, zucchini, or other vegetables, along with a nice thin cut steak like a skirt steak. Cut everything into big bite-sized chunks, and give everything a coating of light olive oil and your favorite seasoning blend, or just salt and pepper. This can be done in advance at home and everything stored in a ziplock bag before heading out.

Build a fire and let it burn to coals, and set up a cooking area using a small grill. Using bamboo or metal skewers (metal chopsticks also work) make kabobs out of the chopped pieces, using one type of food per skewer (this allows better control while cooking).

Grill to your liking over the small grill, and move to a plate to cool. While cooling, boil a little water and make an instant couscous to round out the meal. Serve with mint tea and you've got a delicious Mideastern mixed grill meal!

Any advice for single campers? I took a cooler and did ok last time but felt i didn't plan well.

We did a Chinese/Asian food night a few weeks ago at the campground, turned out awesome!! Tried out Crab Rangoon and they were delicious https://youtu.be/uc9H0nAQMss

Heading on a kayaking camping trip in a few weeks. My partner is pescatarian and gluten free. Any food recommendations would be appreciated.

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I've used the packets of veggie indian stuff before and they are great and tasty. But any other ones available or recommended are appreciated.

I made cheese corn with nachos on a car camping trip and they were amazing, super easy to make! Great way to put melted cheese on nachos without having an oven to bake them in. Easy cleanup as well.

Ingredients needed: - canned corn - shredded cheese (e.g. Mexican blend or whatever cheese you like) - butter - tortilla chips - salsa (bought from the store) - guacamole (bought from store)

You’ll also need aluminum foil. Take 2 sheets (or fold a big one in half), fill it with corn, butter, cheese, and fold it up into a sealed pouch. Cook the foil pouch until cheese has all melted (takes around 10 minutes; don’t open the pouch until you can hear it bubbling a bit inside.) Open pouch and stir to make cheese evenly distributed. Add more cheese if you want. Now use tortilla chips to dip in salsa, guacamole, and scoop some cheese corn.

How do you store your MSI whisperlite when backpacking?

What sized pot would I need to get to put it in?

Just got back from a little solo trip. Tested out castiron jaffle maker. Pesto, baked beans, roast pumpkin + garlic from last nights dinner, salt & pepper with some mixed herbs inside 🤯. Holy shit it was good.

Has anyone got any simple, vegetarian Dutch oven recipes? I’ve just got one and would love to practice at home before taking it out camping.

I would appreciate some ideas on how to improve my very simple cooking situation.

I just tested out my new car camp cooking setup last night (Eureka! SPRK+ Plus Portable camp stove + Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set).

My issue is that the pot is so narrow it can rest just BARELY stable. because it rests on the very inside of the pot holder where it starts sloping down.

Is there some kind of accessory that I can use to support my cook pot more securely so I don't have to risk injury to boil water?

I do hobo meals on every camping trip. Easy to prep at home. Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil. If you're going to cook directly on the coals/fire as opposed to a grill put a leaf of cabbage on the bottom to prevent burning. Cut up potatoes and put them on top of the cabbage. Add baby carrots. Add your protein on top (I prefer a hamburger patty, tried chicken once and it seemed too wet). Season as desired. Fold the foil sheet into a pouch by bringing the ends together and folding them, then fold in the sides to seal the pouch. Simply place the pouch (cabbage side down) on the coast in the fire and let cook for approximately 15 minutes depending on your protein.

I tend to double wrap the pouch with an additional piece of foil as I've had one too many instances of tearing the foil when trying to get it out of the coals with tongs.

How do you store your MSI whisperlite when backpacking?

What sized pot would I need to get to put it in?

Just got a Ranger solo stove for car camping. My 14" wok fits perfectly on it. Anyone tried cooking over the stove and have some tips? I'm thinking about making yakisoba.

Made some Greek Chicken Gyros on cast iron over the campfire in beautiful BC 🇨🇦 https://youtu.be/5Z2npvU17cA