Skip the Hot Dogs! 5 Delicious Recipes to Cook on Your Next Camping Trip
1. Campfire Breakfast Skillet
Start your day off right with a hearty and delicious campfire breakfast skillet. This one-pan recipe is easy to prepare and will give you and your group the fuel you need for a day of outdoor adventures. To make this satisfying meal, you'll need:
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- 1 diced onion
- 1 diced bell pepper
- 4 cups frozen hash browns
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Begin by cooking the sausage in a large cast-iron skillet over the campfire. Once browned, add the onion and bell pepper, cooking until softened. Next, add the hash browns and cook until crispy. Create wells in the hash brown mixture and crack the eggs into them. Cover the skillet and cook until the eggs are cooked how you like. Sprinkle cheese over the top, cover again until melted, and season with salt and pepper.
This hearty breakfast skillet is perfect for feeding a hungry crowd and you can easily customize it with your favorite ingredients. Try adding diced tomatoes, jalapeños, or different types of cheese to switch it up.
2. Foil Packet Garlic Herb Salmon
Upgrade your campfire cooking game with this easy-to-prepare salmon dish that looks (and tastes) impressive. Foil packet cooking is perfect for camping, as it doesn’t need much cleanup and you can cook it in individual portions. Here's what you'll need:
- 4 salmon fillets
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
To prepare, create four foil packets by laying out squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place a salmon fillet in the center of each foil square. Top each fillet with 1 tablespoon of butter, minced garlic, lemon slices, and fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil over the salmon, sealing the edges tightly to create a packet.
Place the foil packets on a grill grate over the campfire and cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Carefully open the packets (watch out for steam!) and serve with your favorite campfire sides like grilled vegetables or corn on the cob.
3. Dutch Oven or One Pot Campfire Chili
Nothing beats a warm bowl of hearty chili on a cool camping night. This Dutch oven campfire chili is easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time to make dinner time even easier. Here's what you'll need:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 diced onion
- 2 cans kidney beans, drained
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
In your camping Dutch oven, brown the ground beef and onion over the campfire. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover the Dutch oven and let the chili simmer for about 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. It will become more flavorful the longer you let it cook!
Serve your campfire chili with cornbread, shredded cheese, and sour cream for an even more comforting and satisfying meal. This recipe can easily be doubled for larger groups or to have leftovers for the next day.
And if you're going on a longer camping trip or don't feel like bringing a dutch oven with you, a sturdy pot should do the trick.
4. Grilled Campfire Pizza
Who says pizza isn’t a camping food? This grilled campfire pizza is a fun and customizable meal that everyone will love, even the pickiest eaters. Here's what you'll need:
- Pre-made pizza dough (or make your own ahead of time)
- Pizza sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Your favorite toppings (pepperoni, vegetables, etc.)
- Olive oil
Prepare your campfire grill grate and brush it with olive oil. Stretch out individual portions of pizza dough and place them directly on the grill grate. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is lightly charred. Flip the dough and quickly add sauce, cheese, and toppings to the grilled side. Cover the grill (or use a large pot lid) and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bottom is crispy.
This campfire pizza is perfect for everyone because you can customize it to everyone's personal tastes. Set up a toppings bar and let campers create their own unique pizzas for a fun, delicious, and easy dinner experience.
5. Campfire Banana Boats
End your dinner under the stars on a sweet note with these easy and delicious banana boats. Here's what you'll need:
- Bananas (one per person)
- Chocolate chips
- Mini marshmallows
- Optional: peanut butter, crushed graham crackers, or other toppings
To make banana boats, slice a banana lengthwise through the peel, being careful not to cut all the way through. Gently open the banana and stuff it with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Wrap the stuffed banana in foil and place it on the edge of your campfire for about 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate and marshmallows are melted.
Carefully unwrap the foil (it will be hot!) and enjoy your gooey, chocolatey banana boat with a spoon. For added flavor and crunch, try topping with crushed graham crackers or a drizzle of peanut butter. The perfect sweet treat to enjoy outdoors!