With summer always comes camping trips, but staying in the great outdoors means cooking without the convenience of kitchen appliances. The next time you embark on a camping expedition, try some of these genius food hacks that may just change your mind about roughing it.
Eggs in a Bottle
Transporting eggs from the fridge to the cooler to the car to the campsite, it’s practically a given you’ll break a few along the way. To prevent this, as well as save some space, break your eggs ahead of time, scramble them up and pour into a plastic water bottle. At the campsite, simply pour them into the pan and get ready for scrumptious scrambled eggs!
Paper Bag Bacon
Here’s a great way to treat campers to bacon and eggs for breakfast, with no frying pans or plates to clean up afterwards. Simply line the bottom of a paper bag with a few strips of bacon to create a fatty “bacon nest” then crack in a few eggs. Fold the bag over, attach it to the end of a stick and roast over hot coals for about 7 to 10 minutes. Eat right out of the bag — but be careful it doesn’t wind up all over your lap!
Simple One-Pot Campfire Power Breakfast
You’ve probably got a full day of camping activities planned, so your body is going to need some fuel to get through the day. That’s where this one-pot power breakfast comes in – combining protein, veggies and unbeatable flavours to create a day-starting meal that’s as easy to make as it is delicious.
Campfire Muffins in Orange Peels
Whip up a batch of muffin batter and bring it with you in a plastic container, along with a bag of oranges. Halve the oranges and scoop out the fruit (use in a fruit salad, or for freshly squeezed orange juice), hanging on to the halved orange peels. Pour the muffin batter into the orange peels and bake on a grill over a campfire, then sit back and enjoy fresh-baked muffins that will make you the envy of the campground.
Healthy Grilled French Toast Foil Packets
Whether it’s a make-ahead breakfast or midnight snack, this twist on French toast is worth gathering firewood. We suggest using a shelf-stable milk as a camp-friendly ingredient you don’t have to refrigerate.
Campfire Nachos
Don’t forget to pack that always versatile cast-iron skillet for your weekend away so you can make these loaded campfire nachos. This crowd-pleasing one-pot campfire recipe is prepared and served in the skillet, making cleanup a snap.
Bannock
Bannock is a tasty bread that is made even better when cooked over an open flame. Consider making a loaf in your cast-iron pan, or for added fun, wrap the dough around a stick and enjoy bread cooked right in the fire. Fresh bread, no oven required.
Get the recipe for Bannock
One Cup Coffee Bags
Feel like starting the day with a fresh cup of java, but aren’t keen on lugging a coffeemaker to the campsite? Here’s the solution: fill a coffee filter with a scoop of ground coffee, and tie it tightly with some dental floss. You now have a teabag-style “coffee bag” perfect for making a single cup — just add hot water and voilà!
Crescent Rolls on a Stick
Looking for something easy, fun and downright delicious to add panache to your next camping trip? Grab a canister of crescent roll dough from the grocery store and take it with you. Wrap the dough around a stick and roast over the fire. For a more meal-worthy treat, skewer a hot dog on the stick first, then wrap with dough and roast away! We’ve also rounded up 30 one-pot campfire recipes for more dinner inspiration.
Seasoning in Straws
When cooking over a campfire, you don’t want food to taste bland, but you also don’t want to pack up the contents of your entire spice drawer. The solution is to pour small amounts of the seasonings you’ll be using into plastic straws, and seal up each end by heating with a lighter. Label with a Sharpie, and you’re ready to whip up some tasty campfire cuisine.
Tin Foil Hotdogs
Prepare to unwrap tin-foil packets of heaven. Stuff hot dogs with string cheese, wrap them in bacon and cook them in foil packets right on the campfire. Don’t forget to rotate to ensure the dogs are cooked through, the cheese is melted and the bacon gets crisp. Unwrap and enjoy!
Baileys-Dipped Toasted Marshmallows
Roasting marshmallows is a time-honoured campfire tradition, but here’s a way to add some grown-up elegance. Simply toast your marshmallow as per usual, and then dip into a cup of Baileys Irish Cream (or any other creamy liqueur) for a gooey, grown-up treat.
Healthy Grilled Shrimp Fajita Foil Pack
When packing for your camping trip, don’t forget the tin foil so you can make this campfire fajita recipe with plump and juicy shrimp, onion and peppers. Serve it family style and let everyone pick their own tortillas and toppings.
Camping Sangria
Cocktails and camping can be a wonderful combination (in moderation, of course) and you can’t go wrong by mixing up a batch of camp-worthy sangria ahead of time, storing it in Mason jars and unveiling it at the campsite. Feel free to use your own choice of fruit and adult beverage to put your own stamp on it.
Fennel-Stuffed Fish in Foil
When it comes to campground cooking, using aluminum foil is an ideal way to ensure cleanup is a breeze. The distinctive aroma of fennel in this recipe is sure to get appetites going — and the finished product will cement your reputation as a gourmand, no matter your surroundings.
Campfire Quesadillas
Take this Tex-Mex favourite out of the kitchen and onto the campfire for a rustic twist with all the cheesy goodness you’d expect from a quesadilla. Everyone will have their own individual foil packets filled with their favourite ingredients.
Make a Fancy Main in One Pot
When camping, you want to use as few pots and pans as possible. This genius chicken dish makes things simple by using only a single pot, ensuring campfire cleanup will be supremely simplified. Since cooking over a campfire or camp stove won’t allow the precision called for in the recipe, slice into one of the chicken pieces before serving to ensure it’s cooked all the way through.