Whether you are going camping with your family or friends, hot topics will include what food to take camping, how to keep your food cold and what camping meals to make!
Easy camping meals can be achieved if you plan your meals & prepare some ingredients prior to arriving at the campsite. Planning on what meals to take when camping is essential to ensuring you have a fun-filled camping trip, without stressing about everything that goes with what food to take & how to make it over a fire or gas stove.
If you are going camping with your family, this list of 10 easy camping meals will be perfect for your camping trip!
These 12 camping meals will include the following ideas;
- Breakfast ideas for camping trips
- Lunch ideas for camping trips
- Dinner ideas for camping trips
- Dessert ideas for camping trips
Breakfast Ideas for Camping
1. Pancakes (Refridgeration Free Option!)
Ingredients:
- Pre-made pancake mix from your local supermarket
- Water
- Butter
- Honey, golden syrup, fruit or any other desired pancake toppings!
How To Make:
- Just add water to the designated “maximum fill level” on the pancake mix jar
- Shake well to ensure dry & wet ingredients mix together to create a smooth consistency
- Grease your pan with either butter, oil or a stick-free spray.
- Pour pancake mixture into a pan on a medium heat & wait until bubbles start to form on the pancake mixture. Remember to flip the pancake!
- Ready when the pancake is a golden colour. Serve with butter, honey, golden syrup or fruit.
Cooking Gear Needed:
- Camping Stove
- Pan
- Spatula
2. Bacon & Egg Muffins
Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Bacon
- English Muffins
- Butter
- Barbeque/Tomato Sauce
- Cheese (Optional)
- Spinach Leaves (Optional)
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make:
- Heat your pan to a low to medium heat, ensuring you remember to grease it with butter, oil or stick-free spray.
- Make your eggs to your liking, whether that be sunny-side-up or scrambled, and your bacon either golden or crispy! Salt & pepper your eggs to your taste.
- Spread butter on your english muffin & place your favourite sauce on the base. Suggestions are barbeque or tomato sauce.
- Layer your chosen ingredience on the base of the english muffin. This may include spinach leaves, followed by the eggs, bacon & cheese on top!
- Place the other half of the english muffin on top of your layers & enjoy this effort-free breakfast!
Cooking Gear Needed:
- Camping Stove
- Pan
- Spatula
Plan & Prepare Tips:
Pre-make your scrambled eggs mixture prior to camping & store in an air tight jar.
Remember to store in the esky or camping fridge!
3. Oatmeal (Refridgeration-Free Option!)
Ingredients:
Enough for 2 people;
- 1 cup of oats
- 3 cups Water / Milk
- Honey, golden syrup, brown sugar or fruit!
How To Make:
- Heat pot or deep pan to a medium to high heat.
- Add 1 cup of oats & 3 cups of water or milk to the pot & bring to the boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to a low temperature so that the water is simmering.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for approximately 1 minute, or until it reaches a smooth consistency. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- Serve the oats with either honey, golden syrup, brown sugar or fruit.
Cooking Gear:
- Cooking stove
- Pot or deep pan
- Wooden spoon
Lunch Ideas for Camping
1. Easy Mince Wraps
Ingredients:
- Onions (diced into small pieces)
- Mince
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Cheese
- Sour cream
- Barbeque/Tomato Sauce
- Large wraps
- Butter/oil/stick-free spray
How To Make:
- Grease your pan with butter, olive oil or a stick-free spray. Heat your pan to a medium to high heat.
- Brown onions in a pan & add mince, mixing until cooked through & brown.
- Place wrap on a plate & spread on your desired sauce (sour cream, barbeque sauce or tomato sauce suggested).
- Layer lettuce, tomoto, mince & cheese in the centre of the wrap. Remember not to make it too full otherwise you’ll have trouble wrapping it!
- Bring the bottom of your wrap halfway up over the layers, and bring the left & right side of the wrap to the middle. This should create a little pocket so that you can eat your wrap without your ingredients falling out!
- Enjoy!
Cooking Gear:
- Cooking stove
- Pan
- Spatula/wooden spoon
- Sharp knife
Plan & Prepare Tips:
Remember to keep your mince, salad ingredients & sauces cold in an ice-filled esky or a camping fridge!
To save cutting the onions, tomato & lettuce at the campsite, you can cut these into small pieces before your camping trip & store in airtight containers.
You can even brown your onions & mince prior to your camping trip & either freeze, refridgerate or keep it cool in your esky until you are ready to make your wraps!
2. Chicken Schnitzel Burgers
Ingredients:
- Chicken schnitzels
- Burger bread buns
- Butter
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Cheese
- Mayonnaise
How To Make:
- Grease your pan with oil, butter or a stick-free spray & bring to a medium to high heat.
- Cook your chicken schnitzels for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through & golden.
- Spread butter & mayonnaise on your burger bread buns.
- Layer the lettuce, tomato, chicken schnitzel & cheese on your bun & enjoy your lunch!
Cooking Gear:
- Camping stove
- Pan
- Spatula
3. Easy Club Sandwich
Ingredients:
- Wholegrain or rye bread slices
- Shortcut bacon
- Lettuce
- Sliced turkey breast
- Sliced tomatoes
- May0nnaise
- Butter, olive oil or stick-free spray
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make:
- Grease the pan with butter, olive oil or a stick-free spray and bring to a medium heat.
- Lightly butter the bread slices & toast in the pan if desired (butter side down). Alternatively you can butter the slices & serve fresh, not toasted.
- Cook the bacon in the pan until golden or crispy (to your liking).
- Spread mayonnaise over the bread slices & layer some lettuce, tomoato & turkey slices.
- Spread a second layer of mayonnaise over the turkey slices & add a second layer of lettuce, tomato & bacon.
- Season well with salt & pepper & use toothpicks to secure the sandwich.
- Cut in half & enjoy your campside club sandwich!
Cooking Gear:
- Cooking stove
- Pan
- Spatula
Plan & Prepare Tips:
If you don’t have a camping stove or don’t want to cook anything for lunch, substitute the bacon with another slice of turkey breast!
Dinner Ideas for Camping
1. Easy Camping Nachos
Ingredients:
- Corn Chips
- Grated Cheese
- Jar of Salsa
- Toppings to your liking. Ideas include;
- Cooked mince
- Bolognese sauce
- Diced tomatoes
- Refried beans
- Diced onions
- Olives
- Capsicum
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
How To Make:
- Ensure that your campfire has got some coals that you can cook on. Option to place a grate on the fire for cooking, but not essential.
- If you would like to include mince on the corn chips, heat the pan to a medium to high heat & cook the mince until brown.
- Place the corn chips in a disposable aluminium tray. Layer the toppings over the corn chips (excluding sour cream & guacamole) & cover the top with foil.
- Place aluminium tray on the coals for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Add sour cream & guacamole before dishing up!
- NOTE: Option to add toppings on corn chips without placing the dish on the coals if you can’t make a campfire where you are camping. If making mince, you can melt the cheese on top of the mince once cooked.
Cooking Gear:
- Campfire coals
- Camping stove, pan, spatula (if making mince)
- Aluminium tray
2. Quick Sweet Chilli Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients:
- 500g Chicken (cut into small pieces)
- Optional vegetables for stir fry. Remember to chop into small pieces! Ideas include;
- Brocolli
- Carrot
- Capsicum
- Leafy greens
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Green Beans
- Garlic
- Pre-made stir fry vegetable packet!
- Sweet chilli sauce (1/2 cup)
- Fish Sauce/Soy Sauce (1/4 cups)
- Lime Juice (1tbs)
- Olive oil (1tbs)
- Butter or stick-free spray
How To Make:
- Grease pan with olive oil, butter or a stick-free spray & bring to a medium heat.
- Place chicken (cut into small pieces) into pan with 2tbs sweet chilli sauce & 1tb olive oil until cooked. Add additional olive oil if chicken starts to stick to the pan. Place chicken on a separate plate or bowl.
- Add olive oil, garlic and desired vegetables and cook until tender.
- Return the chicken to the pan with the vegetables, allowing it to simmer on a low heat. Add fish sauce, lime juice & remaining sweet chilli sauce.
- Stir fry for 1 minute or until heated through. Serve.
Cooking Gear:
- Cooking stove
- Pan
- Spatula
- Sharp Knife
Plan & Prepare Tips:
- You can chop your chicken & vegetables into smaller pieces prior to your camping trip & store in airtight containers.
- Remember to keep your chicken cool, whether that be in a camping fridge, or ice filled cooler.
3. Hassle-Free Mild Chicken & Vegetable Curry
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- Sweet potato
- Pumpkin
- Carrot
- Mild Chicken Curry spice
- Water or Cream
- Butter/olive oil/stick free spray
- Rice (Optional)
How To Make:
- Cut your chicken breasts & vegetables into small pieces (this allows it to cook faster).
- Grease your pan with butter/olive oil/stick free spray & bring your pan to a medium heat.
- Add chicken to the pan & increase the heat until it is halfway cooked through.
- Mix your mild chicken curry spice (slowcooker spices work well), with water or cream & add to pan.
- Add chopped vegetables to pan & ensure that there is enough water/cream in the pan for the chicken & vegetables to simmar in.
- Place pan on a low-medium heat to allow food to simmer until chicken is cooked through & vegetables are soft. Serve.
- Optional: This can also be served with rice if you would like to make rice at the campsite, or pre-make the rice before your camping trip.
Cooking Gear:
- Cooking Stove
- Deep pan or pot
- Spatula or wooden spoon
Plan & Prepare Tips:
Chicken & vegetables can be cut into small pieces prior to the camping trip to make the preparation of this meal easier.
If you would like to serve this meal with rice, it can also be pre-made & placed in an airtight container.
Dessert Ideas for Camping
1. Banana Boats
Ingredients:
- Bananas
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate Chips
How To Make:
- Slice an unpeeled banana lenghwise, making sure not to cut all the way through. You want to create a little pocket in the centre of the banana where you can fill it with all the yummy ingredients!
- Fill the middle of the banana where you sliced with marshmallows & chocolate chips.
- Wrap the banana tightly with foil.
- Place on the coals of the campfire away from flames for approximately 10 minutes or until marshmallows & chocolate have started melting.
- Enjoy your dessert!
Cooking Gear:
- Campfire (coals)
- Foil
- Knife
2. Campfire Cones
Ingredients:
- Ice-cream cones
- Mini marshmallows
- Chocolate chips
- Sliced strawberries
- Sliced bananas
- Peanut butter
How To Make:
- Place your choices of filling into the ice-cream cone, whether it be all of the yummy ingredients above, or just some of them.
- Wrap the cone tightly in foil & place over the campfire for a few minutes until the chocolate has melted.
- Enjoy your campfire cones!
Cooking Gear:
- Campfire coals
- Foil
3. Marshmallow & Strawberry Kebabs
Ingredients:
- Kebab Sticks
- Marshmallows
- Strawberries
- Tinned Caramel
- Crushed biscuits or hazelnuts
How To Make:
- Alternate the marshmallows & strawberries on a kebab stick until full.
- Hold over the campfire or gas stove until the marshmallows begin to soften & are slightly toasted.
- Drizzle with caramel & sprinkle with crushed biscuits or hazelnuts.
- Allow to cool slightly before eating this yummy dessert!
Cooking Gear:
- Campfire or gas camping stove