Alright, winter. We need to have a serious talk. I want you to know it was great having you here in December and January. You really do make the holidays more fun! Then February came and went, then March, and now it’s April.

And. You. Are. Still. Here.
Why?

Thanks a lot, “Winter Storm Dan!”

I think winter is laughing as I get more and more stir crazy.

Well, here’s to dreaming that spring is right around the corner. With that, I bring you another compilation post, a.k.a. things I cannot do or make right now because of the weather but really want to. This time, camping food! Some of these I’ve tried while others are things that sound tasty.I’m a big fan of “grab and go” style meals after a long day of hiking. For camping meals, I suppose that’s more of a “grab and chuck it in the fire” style meal. Sometimes it’s fun to do some actual cooking with the trusty cast iron pan, but that requires utensils and cleanup. Plus you can never be sure what kind of facilities/water source you will have access to.

Breakfast — Tried and Tested — Breakfast Burritos

These have been my go to camping breakfast before a long day of hiking for a few years now. They are packed full of protein to keep you going until lunch and you can add any other ingredients that will make you happy in the morning. Plus there isn’t a lot to prepare on site with these, you make them at home and throw them directly on the coals when you are ready.

This recipe is great. I like to add cumin to the scrambled eggs and usually mix in some peppers and onions too.

The thought of those slow moving camping mornings is making me happy right now. Drinking freshly percolated coffee with burritos on the coals, reading a book by the fire while you wait for the day to warm up enough to start hiking. *Sigh*

Breakfast — New and Noteworthy —
Ham, Egg, and Cheese Bread Bowls

I haven’t tried these but they look like they could be a winner. They aren’t as ready to go as the burritos since they require some light assembly on site. You could make them ahead of time, but like the article states, you run the risk of egg seeping into the bread, especially if you are going to jostle them around in the cooler. (Although, similar to the burritos, you could make them ahead with scrambled eggs instead and even fit some veggies in too…)

Lunch — New and Noteworthy —
Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

All camping lunches are “new and noteworthy” to me since I don’t normally have lunch when camping. A typical camping day consists of a large breakfast, hiking snacks, post-hiking snacks, dinner, and sometimes after dinner snacks. (Snack life!) This year, I might need to switch that up though if my younger nieces and nephew join us for a day. Hungry kids = cranky kids. Full kids = happy adults.

I’ve actually had this exact same recipe before, but baked in an oven. It was fantastic and I hope it translates well to a campfire.

Lunch — New and Noteworthy — Pizza Bread

This seems like a fun and engaging, yet easy recipe to make with kids. (Again, assuming the reason I’m having lunch is because kids are around.) You could use smaller bread so everyone could make their own pizza with their own ingredients.

Dinner — Tried and Tested — Steak, Veggie, and Pineapple Kebabs

Kebabs are always a great option. They can be individualized for every person at the campfire, most of the prepping can be done ahead of time, everyone can participate in both the prep and the cooking, plus cleanup is simple!

I usually like to keep the ingredients confined to their own kebabs for cooking, dump them on a plate, and serve them family style. Typically, I have meat kebabs, veggie kebabs, and pineapple kebabs. That way everything can cook at it’s own pace without feeling rushed by it’s faster cooking neighbors. (Looking at you, pineapple.) I like to cut everything at home and get the meat marinating from the time I leave home until they are ready to go on the fire. The biggest downside to these is the assembly of raw, marinated meat on skewers. (Messy!) Make sure you have access to hand washing before taking this on.

Dinner — New and Noteworthy —
Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

Shrimp is one of my favorite proteins. It’s so lean and works well with most types of cuisine. In this case, I admit, I’m skeptical of putting all those ingredients together to cook. Shrimp cooks so quickly while potatoes and corn on the cob do not. I also have some concerns over leaving raw shrimp mixed with the veggies in the cooler, so I would probably make these right before cooking, possibly even with the shrimp in it’s own packet, but I can see the possibilities here!

Snacks — Tried and Tested — Campfire Nachos

Who doesn’t love nachos? They are a simple, versatile food with the power to bring people together. I’ve made campfire nachos before to varying degrees of success. I’ve even turned them in to a dip by cooking the ingredients without the chips. I like this method, as it builds layer upon layer. Make sure your pan isn’t too hot or the chips on the bottom will burn (been there before.)

Snacks — New and Noteworthy — Loaded Fries

Calories don’t count if you eat them outside, right? Not the healthiest of snacks, but a good option for later in the night (especially after a few campfire beers.) This seems like another recipe you can easily personalize and make to your liking. Personally, I would swap the American cheese for something else and maybe add chili (chili cheese fries.) Again, I can see a lot of potential in this dish.

Dessert — New and Noteworthy — Campfire Apple Crisp

While desserts aren’t necessities, sometimes they are a nice way to end the day. Especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion (like my birthday camping trip in July.)

I actually tried (and failed) to make something similar to this before. It was a berry cobbler with a brown sugar crust on top. Long story short, the castiron pan was WAY too hot, the berries insta-boiled and immediately soaked the crust down into the hot, berry depths. We were left with something like a smoky berry goo. This looks much more appetizing and I would be willing to give it a go again.

Dessert — New and Noteworthy — Rolo Stuffed Bananas

Yes, please! Banana, chocolate, caramel, and marshmallows. Sold.

Shout out to all my borrowed recipes!

All of these are on the Hiking Hungry Pinterest camping recipe board too.

Breakfast Burrito — Ham, Egg & Cheese Bread Bowls — Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches — Pizza Bread — Steak Kabobs — Shrimp Boil Foil Packets — Campfire Nachos — Campfire Apple Crisp — Rolo Stuffed Bananas —

Happy eating!