Best dishes to make for family camping

Camping out with your family is one of the most memorable activities that you can do. Not only is it an excellent time to bond and reconnect, but it is also a time to unplug and reset your mind. But while fishing, hiking, and reading are all great camp activities, you cannot leave out one of the best family bonding activities: cooking.

Cooking over the campfire is different than cooking in your own kitchen and it is more delicious than your standard take out. If you are just starting out with camp cooking or just looking for something different to try out, here are some fun family dishes for you.

BBQ Chicken Foil Packs

These delicious dinners are filling and will not weigh down your stomach, which is just what you want when you are out camping. With only five ingredients, this Pillsbury dish makes four servings. Instead of baking it in the oven as the standard recipe calls for, there is a camping alternative.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups barbecue sauce
• 2 cups pineapple tidbits
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 diced small red onion
• 4 sheets of aluminum foil

1. Mix the chicken and barbecue sauce together in a bowl until all of the pieces are coated.
2. Divide the chicken evenly between the four sheets of foil.
3. Sprinkle the pineapple, pepper, and onion evenly between the foil sheets.
4. Fold the foil sheets together by pulling to sides to meet each other, but not too tightly. You want air to be able to move through it. Close the other sides of the packs.
5. Place the packs either directly onto embers or onto a grill over the fire. After 10 minutes, flip the packets over and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. The chicken’s juices should be clear, meaning it is fully cooked.

Foil Wrapped Hot Dogs

What campout is complete without hot dogs? But if you are looking for something a little different, try out these tasty camping hot dogs.

Ingredients:

Pack of Hot Dogs (for however many people you are cooking for)

A can of crescent roll dough (or two cans depending on how many hot dogs you are making)

Aluminum foil

1. Pierce your hot dogs with a stick or skewer, pushing it in enough that the hot dog is going to stay there.
2. Open the can of dough and unroll it. Using the pre-cut triangles, wrap each hot dog.
3. Wrap the prepared hot dogs with aluminum foil.
4. Put your skewers over your campfire for about 15 minutes.
5. Unwrap the foil and eat up!

English Muffin Pizzas

While these guys are easy to make at home in your kitchen, they are also a fun treat to make over the campfire.

Ingredients:

Package of English muffins

Jar of pizza sauce

Bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

Whatever you usually like on pizza

Aluminum foil

1. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over each muffin.
2. Top with cheese and other toppings.
3. If your fire has a grill, cover it with foil and put the muffins directly onto it and cook until the cheese has melted. If your campfire does not have a grill, you can loosely wrap the muffins, careful to keep the cheese from touching the foil, and cook them on the fire’s embers.

Lumberjack Breakfast

For the cool mornings of a campout, it is important to have a hearty breakfast. If you are a sausage lover, this is an excellent recipe for you to try out. Kids especially like this recipe because they can put whatever they like into their breakfast pack and can help make them as well.

Ingredients:

• Breakfast sausage
• Bag of frozen hash browns
• Eggs
• Cheese (cheddar, Swiss, or pepper jack would all work well)
• Vegetables you like (diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc)
• Cooking Spray
• Aluminum foil

1. Spray the aluminum sheets.
2. Put the sausages on the foil. Meat should be on the bottom to ensure it cooks all the way.
3. Sprinkle the hash browns over the top of the sausages.
4. Crack an egg or two over the hash browns.
5. Top with cheese and vegetables.
6. Wrap up packet and place on the fire for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sausage is completely cooked. Do not wrap the packet too tightly or the cheese will stick to it.

Potato Boats

For another delicious and hearty breakfast idea, potato boats are always a hit with kids. It is easier if you can bake your potatoes before you go camping to save yourself time. Otherwise, you should cook the potatoes over the campfire the night before so you can turn them into breakfast boats in the morning. These can also be eaten as a dinner if you would prefer.

Ingredients:

• Baked potatoes
• Bacon
• Ham slices
• Slices of cheese (any kind that melts would work)
• Butter
• Sour cream
• Chives or green onions
• Aluminum foil
• Cooking spray

1. Slice your baked potatoes into 1-inch pieces, careful to not slice all the way through and place on top of sprayed foil.
2. Between each of the slices, put the bacon, ham, and cheese slices.
3. Top with bits of butter across the whole potato.
4. Wrap the potatoes into packets.
5. Place packets onto the campfire for about 25 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked and cheese has melted.
6. Unwrap the packets and top with sour cream and chives. Then eat it up!

With a little bit of planning, you can have delicious meals that your family will never forget at your next campout. The best part of cooking individual packets is that everyone can have the ingredients that they prefer, giving kids more power over the food and letting them have a little bit of fun. Remember to cook all meats thoroughly to ensure that no one gets sick from the food on your camping trip. Otherwise, have fun with it and enjoy!

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