When we first started camping, I literally had no idea what to bring food wise. We fell into the trap of always buying cheesy hot dogs, burgers, and chips, every single time. After one summer of camping, I had enough hotdogs and burgers to last me for a very long time. I really didn’t know where to start, but I just knew I had to get creative. I found a treasure of camping food ideas on Pinterest. I made a board and decided to start trying some of those ideas out the following summer. It was exciting breaking out of the hotdog rut when camping!
I encourage you to do the same. Be willing to get creative and try new things. I want you to allow yourself grace in the process, because there will be times things just don’t turn out. I can tell you that there have been some foods that just did not taste great, foods that were burnt to a crisp, and foods that just didn’t turn out. There were times we forgot the salt and pepper. (Kind of important) But along the process, just like we did, you too will find some amazing campfire/camp stove foods. Today I want to share my favorites with you that I have discovered so far.
- Appetizer-Campfire Nachos. These are super easy. You just need a disposable aluminum pan to put them in. The basics you will need are tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Beyond that, you can bring whatever toppings you would like. I used diced bell peppers and some bacon bits. Then we brought some sour cream to dip them in. We put all the toppings on, then covered it with foil and placed it on the grate over the fire. We checked them every couple of minutes. They took about 10 minutes and tasted amazing with the wood smoked flavor.
- Breakfast-Bacon Cheese Hash. Buy some potatoes O’Brien. Then you can add shredded cheese and whatever meat you like. We used bacon, but you could also use canadian bacon, or sausage or add egg to it for your protein. You can make this over the campfire or over a camp stove. Whatever option you choose, this makes a delicious and easy breakfast that everyone can enjoy.
- Lunch-Sandwiches. We usually bring lunch meat and cheese and just do sandwiches. The reason-we don’t want to have to start a campfire mid-day or have to take out the camp stove.
- Dinner-Campfire Quesadillas. For these, the basics are tortillas, shredded cheese, and chicken or whatever meat you would like. We just shredded up a rotisserie chicken for ours the first time we did these. Another time we used fajita meat and bell peppers for the inside. If you choose the fajitas option, you just have to cook the fajita meat and peppers first. Then I just wrap the quesadillas in foil and put on the grate. Once they get melty-take the foil off and put them directly on the fire grate. This will crisp the outside up. They will have a delicious wood fired taste.
- Dessert-Kebleer Cookie S’Mores. For these the basics are your favorite Keebler cookies and marshmallows. We chose the fudge strips and thin mints. Then you roast your marshmallow and stick it between two cookies. They are absolutely delicious.
Now that you previewed a few of our favorites, I can’t wait for all the delicious foods and meals you will prepare camping. Keep getting creative and try new things. And of course, if you have a delicious campfire meal, please share in the comments. Happy campfire cooking. Happy adventurous wanderings!
