Easy Camping Meals

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1. CAMPFIRE QUESO

Ingredients: Ground beef, taco seasoning, green chili peppers or fresh jalapeno, cubed cheese

Seasoned the ground beef with taco seasoning, subbed the canned jalapeño with green chili peppers, and added the fresh jalapeño at the end after the cheese was melted. Place on an aluminum tray, cover with foil and cook over a fire ring grill Serve with tortilla chips and flour tortillas.

TIP: Pre-make at home so it’s ready to go on the fire when you get to your campsite

2. BEER CHEESE FONDUE

Ingredients:1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 1 cup beer 1 clove garlic

Dipper ideas: chunks of bread, broccoli, cauliflower, sausage (such as kielbasa), and small potatoes.

In a medium bowl, toss shredded cheeses with cornstarch. Set aside. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub your cast iron skillet with the cut side of both pieces of garlic. Combine beer and mustard in the skillet and bring to a boil. Add handfuls of the cheese mixture, stirring to combine. When cheese is melted and the fondue comes together, remove from heat. Eat right away with dippers.

TIP: Blanch or steam broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes, or cook them in foil pouches on the campfire. Cut sausages into chunks and brown them in your cast iron skillet.

3. FOIL PACKETS

Chicken- 3 chicken breast, bell peppers, onion, seasonings of your choice, butter.

Kielbasa or Sausage- 1 pack of sausage, bell peppers, onion, butter, potatoes, and seasoning of your choice.

Fish- Tilipa or salmon, bell peppers, onion, lemon, butter, and seasonings of your choice.

Seasoning ideas: taco, ranch, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, chives, salt and pepper

Add-on ideas: can of beans like black beans, corn, rice (pouch of store-bought cooked rice)m shredded cheese, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

Depending on the meat you are cooking, cook for 30 to 45 minutes over hot camping coals or a fire ring grill. Use heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Southwest Chicken Foil Packey by Amanda Outside

4. QUESADILLAS

Ingredients: Flour tortillas, the meat of your choice, beans, rice, cheese.

Meat Ideas: ground turkey, ground beef, or make it vegan by using TVP (texturized vegetable protein), shrimp, and ham.

TIP: Use a castiron skillet for an amazing crisp. To make ahead, cook the meat at home, and chopped any toppings that you like such the tomato, onions, or green onions.

5. BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Ingredients: Flour tortillas, eggs, cheese, diced potatoes, ground sausage, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Cooked the sausage and set it aside. In the same pan, cook the potatoes. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and the seasonings. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the eggs and cook until you reached your desired egg consistency. To assemble, put some of the egg and potatoes on the flour tortillas, and top with cheese.

TIP: Make it ahead by cooking the filling at home and assembling it at your campsite. You can also premake the burritos and wrap them in foil individually. Warm them up on a frying pan or cast-iron skillet.

6. GRILLED MEATS

Ingredients: New York Steak (bone-in), Porkchops, Chicken- any meat of your choice. Seasonings like steak seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and teriyaki sauce.

Grill your meats until the desired doneness over camping coals.

TIP: Serve with a pouch of potato flakes (the just add water kind) for an easy mashed potato side. Other easy sides include canned beans and veggies. You can also bring a pouch of cooked and seasoned rice like the Loma Linda Rice.

Here we are grilling New York Steaks. We just used a steak seasoning that we got from Aldi.

7. MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN CHILI

Ingredients:1 yellow or white onion, diced 3-4 pcs of chicken breast 3 tbsp taco seasoning, 1 can of black beans, drained 1 can of chili beans (do not drain) 2 cans of Rotel or any diced tomatoes with green chilies or spices. 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained or 1 1 1/2 can of frozen corn, 1 1/2 cup of chicken broth/stock.

FULL RECIPE (step by step)--> Instant Pot Chicken Chili

Combine all the ingredients into your pot. Close the lid and make sure the valve is sealed. Set your instant pot to soup mode and cook for 10 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes and shred the chicken. You can shred the chicken right inside the pot using forks or take the chicken out and shred it using a mixer. If shredding separately on a plate or bowl, put the shredded chicken back into the pot and mix the chili.

I made this chili a day before our camping trip and froze it in a Ziploc. Defrost the chili a few hours before warming it up.

I serve this chicken chili with Cheddar Jalapeno Bread and a salad.

8. MAKE-AHEAD TACO SALAD

Ingredients: ground beef or turkey, taco seasoning, black beans or pinto beans, corn, lettuce, tortilla, salad dressing like ranch

Optional: avocado or guacamole, salsa, sour cream, diced tomato, green onions.

Cook a day before the camping trip and freeze in a Ziploc block of preferred. Brown your ground meat and drain if there's excess fat. Bring the meat back to the pan and add your taco seasoning, add a little water (according to your taco seasoning package direction). Add the beans and corn.

To serve: In a bowl, add the taco meat, top with shredded lettuce, tortilla chips, salad dressing, and top with your optional toppings.

9. MAKE-AHEAD SUB

Ingredients: a bag of frozen cooked meatballs, a jar of marinara sauce, sub rolls, parmesan cheese.

You can either make this ahead and put it in a freezer Ziploc bag or container, or cook it at the campsite!

10. CHARCUTERIE STYLE MEAL

Depending on what time or meal you wanted, you can use these ideas as a starting point"

Breakfast Charcuterie- Bagel, cream cheese, hard-boiled eggs, fruits. See this breackfats charcuterie post: Simple Breakfast Charcuterie

Lunch or Dinner: Ham or deli meats, naan bread or any bread, veggies like carrots and cucumber, cheese, fruits, crackers, dried fruits.

TIP: You can pre-cut all the veggies and fruits at home.

KITCHEN TOOLS I LOVE TO BRING WHILE CAMPING...

Cast-iron Skillet

French press coffee