Food is something you should never forget to pack along with your camping gears. Although you can bring raw ingredients to cook while you are camping, you can also pre-make some of your homemade recipes to bring with you on your trip. This will allow you to still enjoy some home cooked meals even during camping.
In this article, you can find 20 easy and fool-proof make ahead camping meals that you should definitely try out!
In case you want to pack something quick and easy to eat on the go, check out this ultimate camping food list!
Quick Grab and Go
#1 Breakfast Sandwich
A premade breakfast sandwich at home is one of the easiest meal that you can prepare before going camping. You can make a variety of breakfast sandwiches the night before you leave. You can make anything from bacon sandwich, sausage sandwich, ham sandwich, cheese sandwich, to a vegetarian lunch and store it inside the cooler. Breakfast sandwiches can also be reheated when you are at camp.
#2 Camping Burritos
Burritos are an excellent food choice for a meal at any time of the day and you can also make it at home prior to your camping trip. Sauté all your favorite burrito fillings in a pan and wrap it all up. Pre-made burritos are best when covered with aluminum foil to keep individual pieces which will also allow you to quickly heat it at camp by dropping it into the fire.
#3 Omelette in a Bag
Cooking during camping can be made easier if you have every ingredient for a meal ready and pre-packed. Packing eggs in a zip lock bag along with vegetables, herbs, meat, or tofu will give you a pre-made omelet recipe you can cook while camping. You can just boil some water in a camp fire and drop the omelet bag in and you can now have a tasty treat to go with your bread.
#4 Salad to Go
Some vegetables can last for days even when not frozen and stored at room temperature. This means you can basically make your favorite salad ahead of your camping trip and enjoy a healthy meal by the campfire. Although you can freeze it inside the cooler if you are bringing one, avoid putting your dressing into the vegetables to prevent it from wilting.
#5 French Toast
Although French toast is a little uncommon as camping food, they can still be good. There are French toast recipes that you can prepare to bring with you on a camping trip. You can take slices of bread and double wrap it using a parchment paper and aluminum foil to toast in in a campfire and give it a crisp bottom.
Snacks
#6 PBJ Sandwich
The classic peanut butter and jam (PBJ) sandwich you usually make at home can also be pre-made to bring with you on your camping trip. There will be no need to pack a container of peanut butter and jam with you when you can already make a ready-made version at home to put in the cooler. You can also easily heat it on the fire when wrapped in aluminum foil.
#7 Homemade Biscuits
If you have a tasty homemade biscuit recipe then there is no problem in making it one of the essentials to pack when you go camping. Cookies are easy to make and is an excellent choice for a camping snack whenever you are hungry and dipping it in milk or hot cocoa can also be a great camping breakfast choice.
Biscuits can also be stored in airtight containers in room temperature so you don’t have to worry about spoilage even through days of camping.
#8 Homemade Granola Bars
Granola bars can also be a great snack when camping as it is full of protein and vitamins. Although you can buy granola bars in supermarkets, you can also make your own using your own favorite ingredients from various grains and dried fruits. Having a handy homemade granola bar with you while camping can be a great energy source.
Main Courses
#9 Quesadillas
When you are at home and thinking of dinner, you can just as easily go to a Mexican fast food restaurant. However, when you go camping, you can bring the Mexican food with you. You can make some quesadilla at home before you go camping. It is also packed with lots of protein with the beans and the cheese which make it a healthy and nutritious camping food.
#10 Mac and Cheese
There are absolutely no reason for you to skip your all-time favorite mac and cheese just because you are leaving home to go on a camping trip. Macaroni and cheese can be a great camping meal that you can make ahead of time and store in tins or pie plates inside the cooler until you have to cook it. Bring some extra shredded cheese and put it on top of the macaroni when reheating to give it that cheesy goodness.
#11 Baked Mashed Potatoes
When you think of making mashed potato in a campfire, that’s not really a good camping experience. However, you can still enjoy that tasty mashed potato if you make it ahead of your camping trip. Make mashed taters from scratch before you go camping and they can still stay just as delicious and creamy when reheated.
#12 Foil-Wrapped Chicken
Ready-made camping food can still be healthy and full of nutrients. Bring some of your homemade meal with you on your camping trip by packing cooked chicken in red potatoes and some seasoning such as lemon, herbs, and mustard. Each chicken can be packed individually in aluminum foils to make it easier to reheat.
#13 Frozen Black Beans and Chicken in Corn Salsa
Frozen meal such as the black beans and corn salsa chicken can be an ideal camping food to take with you. It can be mixed to be a ready-to-go recipe which you can make ahead of time in a slow cooker and freeze after. You can quickly toss it into the cooler when you go camping and heat it up for your camping meal.
#14 Shrimp Foil Packets
When you pack a food list while you are planning a camping trip, it doesn’t have to revolve around beans, grains and sandwiches. Although they are usually good and basic camping food, some seafood such as shrimp cab makes a good camping food too. Boil some shrimp and pack it in aluminum foil then store it in your cooler to easily heat it up at your campfire.
#15 Beef Stew
If you have a favorite recipe for a beef stew at home, you can surely add this to your long list of ideal food to bring with you during a camping trip. Cook your favorite beef stew and place it in a plastic container and throw it into your freezer to slowly thaw during the day.
You can also store the beef stew inside a large ziplock bag after cooking, throw it in the freezer then heat it up at camp.
#16 Lentil Chili
A very tasty bowl of hot chili is ideal for meals in front of the campfire during cold mornings or evenings. You can make your own version of pre-made chili or use two kinds of beans or sweet potatoes to make a meat-free chili. You can also choose to have a vegan-friendly chili when you leave out all the dairy toppings for your camping trip.
Yummy Desserts
#17 Skillet Cornbread
A freshly baked cornbread is always good a meal at any time of the day. It is also easy to make and can even be cooked using only a deep skillet. You can bring a homemade skillet cornbread with you on your camping trip and eat it with a bowl of your own hot chili to have a mean camping dinner. You can also slice and slather it with some butter or jam for a quick camping breakfast.
#18 Skillet Peach Bake
Make a homemade peach bake by using only a deep skillet ahead of your camping trip to bring a hearty meal with you. Sear in some fresh peaches and pour some batter into it and the freeze everything including the pan itself. You can take this skillet peach bake with you on a camping trip easily and you can just place the pan directly on the campfire to reheat.
#19 Yogurt Parfait
An ideal camping breakfast can be a combination of yogurt, some granola and fresh fruit slices or some layers of jam or preserve. By doing this, you can make at home ahead of your camping trip.
This pre-made yogurt parfait can be stored inside a mason jar and kept in your cooler to last for about three to four days. To maintain the parfait from getting soggy, layer the fruit slices in between the granola and yogurt.
#20 Apple Crisps
A camping meal is not complete when you don’t have a sweet and tasty dessert afterwards. Just because you are outside and camping, it doesn’t mean that you can no longer work your appetite through a delicious dessert. Make some apple crisps before you go camping and wrap it in aluminum foil to bring a little camping dessert with you.
Campfire meals can be excellent just like a meal you prepare at home especially when you plan it ahead of time. Pre-made camping meals will allow you to bring your everyday home cooked meal during your camping trip. This will surely ease your hunger and let you enjoy camping outdoors.
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