Easy Recipes for Cooking When Camping

Our team pride themselves on finding the most tasty and unique recipes out there. With a little tweaking we have come up with tasty and easy recipes which you can do at the campsite. With a few utensils, some cooking equipment and a fire you can make meals for everyone! Take your cooking skills to the next step and prepare your meals at home, freeze them and then you have instant meals for camping so you don’t have to slave over a stove all day! If you want some perfect food for camping then read on and try your hand at some of these amazing recipes. From one pan cooking to meals on a skewer, we have thought of it all and we have tried and tested all of them so you can be guaranteed every single one will come out tasty and delicious.

Marshmallow and Strawberry Kebabs

If you have some heat leftover on your BBQ or campfire then get the kids helping with these healthy and sweet kebabs! Toast them up and drizzle with caramel or honey.

Ingredients:

• 20 marshmallow
• 16 strawberry  hulled
• ½ x 397g can Nestlé Carnation Caramel
• toasted hazelnuts or crumbled biscuits, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

Thread 4 long metal skewers with 5 marshmallows and 4 hulled strawberries each. Carefully hold over a campfire or gas stove, turning slowly, until the marshmallows are toasted. Stir a pinch of salt into caramel and drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with hazelnuts or biscuits, if you like. The marshmallows will be very hot, so allow to cool for a min or so before eating.

Cheesy Scrambled Egg Croissants

These make a great option for breakfast and they don’t work well just for camping but at home too.

Ingredients:

• 8 large egg – can be substituted with powdered eggs
• 100g grated cheddar
• a splash of milk – soya milk can be used
• small bunch chives, snipped
• 4 large croissant
  

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, cheddar, milk and some seasoning. Pour into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring continuously, until softly scrambled. Stir in chives, then split open croissants (warm them first if you have an oven) and put the scrambled eggs inside.

Cowboy Chicken and Bean Stew

This makes for a hearty dinner and can be classed as comfort food. Campsite friendly – everyone will love this unique dish!

Ingredients:

• drizzle of oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• 8 chicken portions (we used thighs and drumsticks), skin removed
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes with garlic
• 200g barbecue sauce (measure by filling half a 400g can if you don’t have scales)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano or mixed dried herbs
• 2 x 400g cans pinto beans
• grated cheddar  and tortilla chips, to serve (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish with a lid. Add the onion and bacon, and cook over a medium heat for 15 mins, until the onion is really soft and starting to brown, and the bacon is crisp. Push to the side of the pan, increase the heat and add the chicken pieces. Cook for a few mins until the meat is nicely browned, but don’t worry if it’s not evenly coloured. Add the paprika, tomatoes, along with half a can (200 ml) water, the barbecue sauce, herbs, a pinch of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Cover with a lid, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally.
2. Check that the chicken is tender – if not, cover again and cook for 15 mins more. Add the beans and simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins until the sauce is thickened. Serve in bowls topped with grated cheddar and tortilla chips, if you like.

Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

This easy, healthy supper is just the thing you will need after a day of hiking and biking in the woods. You can’t beat this simple one pan dish that takes minimal time and effort.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 carrot finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• few thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 200g chorizo diced
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
• 2 x 410g/14oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 400g bag spinach leaves, washed and drained

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, then gently fry the onion for 3-4 mins until it begins to soften. Stir in the carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves. Season, then cook for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, chorizo, cinnamon and smoked paprika. Gently fry until the vegetables soften and the chorizo starts to release its oils and crisp up.
2. Stir in the chickpeas, vinegar and 150 ml water, then bring to a simmer for 1-2 mins until the chickpeas have heated up. Add the spinach, then stir through the chickpeas until it wilts a little. Remove from the heat, season to taste, then serve warm with crusty bread.

Chicken and Ham Sandwich Pies

These are perfect to make at home and store in the cooler for a snack for the journey to the campsite or even for breakfast the next day. Easy and tasty you can’t go wrong when making these.

Ingredients:

• 2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
• 100g thick sliced ham, chopped
• 6 spring onions finely chopped
• 100g strong cheddar grated
• 3 tbsp full fat soft cheese
• 2 tsp English mustard
• 500g pack bread mix
• plain flour for dusting
• 1 egg beaten

Directions:

1. Make the filling by mixing the chicken, ham, spring onion, cheeses and mustard with some seasoning, stir well to combine, then pop in the fridge until later. You can do this up to a day ahead.
2. Make the bread mix following pack instructions. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, shape into balls then roll out on a floured surface into circles measuring 12cm across.
3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Grease 10 holes of a muffin tin. Put a dough circle into one of the holes, push in lightly, then fill with 2 tbsp of the filling mix. Gather the dough together with your fingers and pinch to create a little parcel that looks a bit like a big flower – don’t worry about totally sealing the dough as the filling will bubble through anyway, which makes the parcels look even better. Keep doing this until you have used all the dough and filling mix.
4. Brush the parcels with beaten egg and cook for 25-30 mins until golden and risen. Enjoy warm in the garden or leave to cool and transport in the tin to the campsite. Serve with a spoonful of your favourite chutney, if you like.

There You Have It…

There you have some great recipes for dinner, lunch and breakfast. Add different spices and vegetables depending on personal tastes and just get creative with cooking. You can even flip some pancakes at the campsite because you don’t have to worry about mess. Make it fun and tasty for everyone! Try to choose meals which need less prepping and can be done in one or two pots to make it easier for cooking and cleaning up afterwards.

If you want some more cooking techniques when camping then check out this video which is packed full of tips and tricks to help you get more out of your cooking facilities when camping.