Amazing Make Ahead Recipes for Camping
When preparing to go camping it can be a tiring process. You wash, you fold, you pack and then you re-pack all the essentials such as clothing, sleeping bags, tents and of course snacks! You load up the car with toys for the kids, wine for the adults and you are totally exhausted before you have even began. You arrive at the campsite and then you have to put up the tent, set up the beds, unfold the chairs and light the barbeque and that is all before cooking dinner for everyone!
Camping doesn’t have to be tiring though and it can be fun and relaxing if you are well and truly prepared. Prepare most of your meals in advance and make life a whole lot easier by doing the hard work at home, leaving time so you can enjoy your holiday. All you need to do is simply prep, pack and then enjoy by the campfire while feeling the cool breeze and watching the kids play tennis at dusk!
Smoky Campfire Beans
This smoked bean recipe takes ten minutes to prep and a total cooking time of forty minutes and will provide you with six servings.
Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped, 1/4 cup fancy molasses, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 2 540-mL cans navy beans, drained and rinsed, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp canola oil.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Try this classic saucepan which is great for similar dishes. Link 1. Add oil, then onion. Cook until onion is soft, about 4 min. Stir in molasses, maple syrup, tomato paste, mustard, salt and paprika. Add beans and water. Boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until beans are brown and sauce is thickened, about 25 min. Keep in an airtight container and then just warm over the campfire or eat cold with warm bread toasted on the BBQ!
Mexican Chicken Scallopini Fajitas
Mexican Chicken Scallopini Fajitas
This is a favorite which the whole family will love and is super easy to make and prepare in advance. These are lovely to cook on the campfire and will provide and a healthy nutritional meal which will fill you up until breakfast! The prepping takes about thirty minutes and another additional hour and a half cooking time. The ingredients listed will serve four people so double up if you think you will need more.
Ingredients: 3 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp canola oil, 1 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 long wooden skewers, 4 chicken breasts, flattened, 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced, 4 small flour tortillas
Garnishes
1/4 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup grated old cheddar, 4 tsp sour cream, 1 lime, cut in 4 wedges
Combine lime juice with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oil, honey and salt in a large resealable bag. Add chicken. Massage bag until chicken is well coated. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Soak skewers in warm water for 20 min. Preheat barbecue to medium. Lay chicken on a cutting board. Divide pepper strips, placing on the edge of each scallopini. Starting with filling edge, roll up in jelly-roll fashion and thread two rolls onto each skewer. Oil grill. Barbecue chicken, lid closed, until springy when touched, 6 min per side. Meanwhile, grill tortillas 30 seconds per side. Lay one scallopini roll on each tortilla. Top with cilantro, cheddar and sour cream. Squeeze lime overtop. Wrap and slice in half.
To make preparation and cooking even easier then prepare the chicken up to the skewering process. Place it all in a resealable bag and then into the cooler. Wrap tortillas and garnishes in a separate bag in the cooler and then piece together at the camping site! Have a look at this portable camping chopping board which is an essential for any cook to have. Link 2.
One Pot Mac and Cheese
The following ingredients make for a serving of four people and overall this recipe takes about twenty minutes in total prep and cooking time.
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups skim milk, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 cups elbow macaroni, 3 cups finely grated old cheddar, 1/2 cup mascarpone, 2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Boil milk with water, butter and salt in a pot over medium. Add macaroni. Cook, stirring often, until macaroni is tender, 10 to 12 min. (It’s OK if it’s a little saucy.) Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar, mascarpone and mustard until cheese melts.
There are two variations to make this ahead of your camping trip. You can either combine the cheeses and mustard together…
There are two variations to make this ahead of your camping trip. You can either combine the cheeses and mustard together in a container and then add to the pasta when warming up over the campfire or you can prepare this and cook before you leave and make it a little more saucy. When you reheat it over the fire then just add a little water to stop it from burning. If you do decide to cook this and then store it make sure it is in a cooler and consume within a day of making it. This is a great recipe to make ahead and is one which everyone will love. It is warm, tasty, filling and a family favorite great for the whole year! Try this sweet and spicy mustard to your recipe for a little tang. Link 3.