Cook Like You Do At Home...On Your Next Campout

Hot Dogs, Ketchup, Hot Dog Buns and a stick... is this your grocery list and supply list all in one for your typical family camping trip? C'mon guys and gals! Live a little! There is no reason why you and your family can't eat good on your next family adventure and make the trip as well as the meals memorable.

With a little planning and thought put in, you can ensure you hear cheers and not growning at dinner time.

With the right gear anyone can prepare similar, if not better meals then you typically make at home. So lets start with the gear for a typical family campout:

A Coleman 2 Burner Stove
Single Fry Pan or Cast Iron Pan
Small/Medium Sauce Pan with Strainer lid
One Large Pot
Utensils 
Cutting Board 
1 Good Knife

Not a lot of gear, right? With these simple kitchen items you can make all of the following dishes described and pictured below. Don't be afraid to eat good during your camping trip. And, with help from the kids and family cooking and even cleaning up can be a quick and fun experience for everyone.

I have a "chuckbox" also known in Boy Scout circles as a "patrol box" to store all of the above items in as well as other camping supplies and cook from. Check out this Facebook video for more on the design and layout. 

Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic

Fresh Carrots and Broccoli for Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Marinated and Grilled Chicken w/ Peppers and Onions

Day 1

Breakfast:

​Sausage and Scrambled Eggs

Lunch:

Sandwiches, Fruit and Snacks

Dinner:

​Brats, Hot Dogs, Rice Pilaf and Beans

Day 2

Boiled Scrambled Egg Omelettes in Ziploc Bags with Bacon  

​Sandwiches, Fruit and Snacks

Bacon Cheese Burgers with grilled red onion (cooked on the fire) 
with Fresh Green Beans with Garlic and Bacon and Foil Pack Potatoes 

Day 3

Oatmeal and fresh fruit

​Sandwiches, Fruit and Snacks

Marinated Chicken w/ Grilled Veggies (peppers and onions) Carrots and Italian Pasta Salad with Broccoli  ​

Day 4 

​Oatmeal or Granola Bars and fresh fruit

​Sandwiches, Fruit and Snacks

Spaghetti w/ Italian Sausage 

A few tips to help you on a multiple day trip:

• Before the trip freeze the meat that you will be using later in the week - this will keep it the rest of the items in your cooler cold and keep your meat from going bad as well.
• Use vegetables for multiple meals i.e. peppers and onions for omelettes in the am and then the remainder for grilled veggies or toppings for burgers for dinner.
• To save time cut up your vegetables and other items needed for meals into ziploc bags or containers and mark them for what meal they are for. This save on food prep time and ensures less waste. 
• Pre-cook certain meats for such dishes as spaghetti or dutch oven dishes, this saves on time and the amount of dishes necessary during your trip.
• Maintain two coolers - one for meats and the other for veggies, fruit etc to ensure you don't contaminate your other food stores from meat defrosting.
  
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I hope these tips and meal options help inspire you to cook a little better on your next family camping trip. If you have recipes you love to make while camping send them to us... We would love to feature them! 

Need help planning your menu? Download the Hiking Forward Family Camping Menu Planner.

Keep Hiking Forward!

Scott