Behold the great outdoors! Camping is one of the most fun things to do all-year round. What a better way to spend a day with family and friends, communing with the outdoors, and just taking a break from life, far from all the distractions. But one thing that concerns most campers, especially beginners, is the food. You would think that camping food is far from delicious. Totally wrong! That’s why we dedicated hours conjuring up the best and easy camping food recipes for beginners. Bid goodbye to freeze-dried foods!
Camping food can be tasty, delicious, and easy to make. We’re sure you’re thinking how messy and hard it is to prepare coals for cooking then doing the actual cooking in a small stove with little cookwares. Well, a little effort won’t kill anybody! If you want to be with nature, you have to sacrifice comfort. After all, camp cooking is a fun experience too.
Without further ado, let’s discover the best and easy camping recipes you should definitely try on your next outdoor adventure.
5 Easy Camping Recipes for Beginners
Pancakes
Breakfast isn’t breakfast without pancakes. Everyone, young and old, loves pancakes so you apparently can’t miss this food while camping.
The trick is to prepare the batter mix before setting out. Here’s how to do it:
What You’ll Need:
- 4 ½ cups flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup non-fat dry milk
- 3 tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup shortening
Procedure:
Step 1. For the batter, pour the flour, baking powder, salt, dry milk, and shortening all together in a blender. Blend until there are no distinct ingredients.
Step 2. Pour the contents of the blender in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Set aside. This batter will last for up to 6 weeks.
Step 3. In a bowl, whisk one egg with one cup water. Again, put this mixture into a bag or leakproof container. Freeze both batter and egg mixture overnight.
Learn how it’s done in the video clip below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k93lPiJAdl0
Based on experience, it’s best to just use a Ziplock bag for storage as you can simply pour the mixture into the batter’s bag and shake it.
Also, you may cut one of the pointed corners of the bag to have a dispenser for perfectly formed pancakes. Throw in some maple syrup to energize you for the winding trail ahead!
Sandwiches
Sandwiches seem to be the easiest camping food to prepare because they’re pre-made, or you can just grab your favorite spread and a loaf of bread. If you want a little thrill, try making an egg sandwich at home.
We trust that you know very well how to make an egg sandwich so we won’t provide a recipe for it anymore. Freeze them overnight then wrap it in foil instead of plastic so you can reheat it in a camping grill.
Wrap each sandwich individually so anyone can just grab and grill even if they wake up at different times. Grilling sandwiches won’t take long to get warm so make sure you don’t wander too far.
Campurrito (Camping burrito)
Campurrito is another fantastic camping food. It can be a main meal or a snack. Who doesn’t love burritos anyway? Know how to prepare and cook this recipe below.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 lb sausage/ chopped ham/ other chopped meats
- 6 medium potatoes, chopped
- 16 eggs
- 3 clove garlic, minced
- 4 green onion, chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 to 9 tortilla shells
- Salt and pepper
- Tin foil
- Salsa/hot sauce
Procedure:
Step 1. Boil chopped potatoes until soft enough, not mushy. Set aside.
Step 2. Whisk eggs in a separate pan and cook over low heat until soft.
Step 3. In a skillet, saute onions and garlic until fragrant. Add the boiled potatoes and sausage. Heat through until the sausage is cooked evenly.
Step 4. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients – potatoes, sausage, scrambled eggs, salt, pepper, and cheese. Mix well.
Step 5. Place portions of the mixture into each tortilla shell. Wrap each shell in a tin foil then freeze.
Same with the sandwiches, simply grill the wrapped tortilla shells in the camping grill or firepit before eating. Serve warm and enjoy!
Pizza log
Nothing beats a fresh, piping hot, cheesy pizza after a full, tiring day outdoors. It’s unconventional to bring a box of pizza to camp, so we’re not going to do that.
Instead, we’ll make our own finger-licking pizza logs that are a breeze to prepare and cook.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 can pizza dough
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 10 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Toppings of choice (shredded chicken, sausage, pepperoni, ground beef, etc.)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- Parsley (optional)
Procedure:
Step 1. Roll out pizza dough into a triangle.
Step 2. Slather pizza sauce over the dough. Leave at least ½ inch border along the edges.
Step 3. Distribute mozzarella cheese evenly on top of the sauce.
Step 4. Add toppings of choice. Do not overstuff the pizza; one to two toppings will do.
Step 5. Roll the pizza dough into a log, as you do with cinnamon rolls. Upon reaching the ends, pinch it to tuck them in.
Step 6. Wrap in a thick foil. Freeze.
Step 7. Before placing the pizza log into a firepit or grill, unwrap it then cut a few slits on top to help vent out the steam.
Step 8. Wrap it again tightly in the same foil then cook for about 15 minutes each side.
Easy, right? Now you can enjoy pizza at camp!
Chili Dutch Oven
Eat your heart out with the spicy and smoky chili that pairs well with bread or as is for a hearty dinner. It’s spicy, it’s warm, and it’s the perfect comfort food for your tired bones.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 lb sausage/ground beef
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black pepper, ground
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 can pinto beans, rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Procedure:
Step 1. Brown meat in a Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat.
Step 2. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and black pepper into the Dutch oven. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes while stirring constantly.
Step 3. Pour the tomato sauce then add the beans and seasonings – cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder, and sugar. Cook through until the sauce boils.
Step 4. Reduce heat after boiling. Cover with the lid then simmer for 1 to 1 and a half hours while stirring occasionally.
Step 5. Top the dish with shredded cheese. Serve with bread and enjoy!
This recipe makes about ten servings so you can guarantee that everyone gets a fair, generous share.
But wait, Dutch oven recipes are best cooked with coals because these fire starters offer even heating all throughout. Know the basics of using coals for Dutch ovens in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-210MIz8g80
Final Thoughts
There you have it folks! The best and easiest camping recipes for beginners. Those five recipes are all you need for an energizing day at camp. Their flavors and combinations will surely be loved by anyone from all ages.
Hey, camper! Do you still remember your first camp-cooked food? We’re sure you have other recipe suggestions that you’ve tried and loved. Let’s talk about it in the comments section below. Don’t forget to share this post. Cheers!
Author Bio: I am Nora D.King – a contributor of RainyAdventures.com. I am a nature lover. I believe that it is important for people to connect with nature’s gift of the great outdoors. I also write for several websites that focus on traveling and backpacking. I’ve also ghosted for other famous personalities who are known to be active in exploring nature and survival enthusiasts.