Make Ahead Camping Meals: 45 Camping Recipes for Every Meal (2024)

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Make Ahead Camping Meals: 45 Camping Recipes for Every Meal (14)

Going camping this summer? Camping is so much fun. It’s the perfect activity to do with your little ones, while enjoying the outdoors and learning about nature. One of the more stressful things about camping? Getting all your meals planned and prepped! Without proper preparation, you may be stuck eating granola bars and potato chips all week long. Don’t fret – we’ve got the solution! We’ve rounded up 45 make ahead camping meals to ensure no one goes hungry on your camping trip! All it takes is a little prep and you’re on your way to being fed and satisfied.

6 Camping Meal Prep Tips

1. Eggs in a Water Bottle
Eggs are one of the best foods to whip up over your portable griddle. However, making sure they get to the campsite in one piece is a whole other story. Since eggs have to be transported in a cooler, it’s pretty much a given that some will break. Instead, break your eggs ahead of time, scramble them and pour them in a water bottle. This will also save space in your cooler for other things!

2. Chop and Bag Your Veggies
Most veggies will stay good for a while in a cooler. Chop up your favourite easy-to-eat veggies, from carrots to celery to peppers, so you have them to snack on. Fill up plastic baggies with veggies for a healthy, easy snack your whole family can enjoy.

3. Pancakes on the Go
Pancakes are a great camping breakfast! Pre-make your pancake mix, place it in a plastic bag and store it in your cooler. When you’re ready to use it, snip off a corner and let it out onto the griddle when it’s hot and ready! You can add in extras like berries, bananas or chocolate chips once it’s on the griddle.

4. Tin Foil for Quick Clean Up
Tin foil is a lifesaver when it comes to campfire cooking. It’s ideal for recipes that use fish, meat or veggies! Not only does tin foil ensure a scrumptious aroma of your meal when it’s cooked over the campfire, it also makes cleanup a complete breeze!

5. Campfire Pizzas
There’s nothing better than a smoky campfire pizza. Cooking pizza over fire adds incredible flavour, and it’s easy to prep everything you need beforehand! Make the pizza dough and sauce at home, and chop up any vegetables and meats you’ll want to top your pizza with. Keep everything in the cooler to keep it fresh!

6. Cook Your Meals at Home
The best way to prep for a camping trip is making most of your meals at home. Recipes like muffins, biscuits, burritos, salads, casseroles and chilis are all delicious meals and snacks you can make ahead of time, pack with you and keep in the cooler. Check out our favourite make ahead meals below!

15 Make Ahead Camping Meals for Breakfast

1. Campfire Orange Cinnamon Rolls | Oleander and Palm
2. Healthy Grilled French Toast Foil Packets | Food Network
3. Summer Fruit Crisp | Brit + Co.
4. Banana Bread | All Recipes
5. Camping Breakfast Burritos | Taste & Tell
6. Breakfast Hobo Packs with Hash Brown Potatoes, Sausage and Scallions | Epicurious
7. Loaded Breakfast Biscuits | The Salty Marshmallow
8. Campfire Huevos Rancheros | Today’s Parent
9. Campfire French Toast | This Lil Piglet
10. Breakfast Eggs in Foil Bowls | Taste of Home
11. Cornmeal Griddle Pancake Mix | Chez Us
12. Muffin Tin Quiches with Smoked Cheddar and Potato | Eating Well
13. Vegan Potato Cakes with Carrot and Rice | Little Sunny Kitchen
14. Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole | Sally’s Baking Addiction
15. Muesli Scones | Elana’s Pantry

15 Make Ahead Camping Meals for Lunch

1. Cheesy Bacon Hotdogs | Food Network
2. Pineapple Pork Shish Kebabs | Brit + Co.
3. Campground Paella | Today’s Parent
4. 4-Ingredient Pizza Pockets | Happy Money Saver
5. Grilled Mexican Street Corn | Fresh Off the Grid
6. Camping Quesadillas | Cupcake Diaries
7. Easy Meatball Subs | Happy Money Saver
8. Foil Pack French Dip Sandwiches | Chelsea’s Messy Apron
9. Barbecue Black Bean Tacos | Brit + Co.
10. Foil Packet Nachos | Happy Money Saver
11. Easy Summer Pasta Salad | Two Peas and Their Pod
12. BBQ Chicken Foil Packets | The Family Freezer
13. Chilli Lime Steak Fajitas | Diethood
14. Bacon Ranch Chicken Foil Packets | Dinner at the Zoo
15. Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwich Rolls | Christina’s Cucina

15 Make Ahead Camping Meals for Dinner

1. Steak Fajita Foil Packets | Happy Money Saver
2. Campfire Paella | Zestuous
3. Easy Campfire Pizza | Food Network
4. Whole Wheat Pasta with Goat Cheese and Tomato | Cookin’ Canuck
5. Big Batch Pressure Cooked Vegetarian Chilli | Brit + Co.
6. Mexican Chicken Scallopini Fajitas | Today’s Parent
7. One-Pot Campfire Mac and Cheese | Food Network
8. Pineapple Chicken Kebabs | Fresh Off the Grid
9. Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken | Camping for Foodies
10. Shrimp Foil Packets with Zucchini | Recipes From a Pantry
11. Pesto Pork Chop and Summer Vegetable Foil Dinner | Good Life Eats
12. Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers | Spicy Southern Kitchen
13. Southwest Couscous Salad | Savory Tooth
14. Turkey Taco Macaroni | Taste of Home
15. Naan Pizza | Create Kids Club

Ready to pack your bags for a camping trip? Try out these camping recipes and you’ll be set for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

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Kate

Kate is a freelance writer with a background in fashion, beauty and wellness. When she’s not trying out new recipes, taking a hot yoga class, or curled up with a good book, you can find her blogging about lifestyle tips and entrepreneurialism at Layered Indulgence.

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Make Ahead Camping Meals: 45 Camping Recipes for Every Meal (2024)

FAQs

What foods to premake for camping? ›

Make-ahead camping recipes
  • On-the-run breakfast bars. A star rating of 4.6 out of 5. ...
  • One-pan smoky beans & sausage meatballs. A star rating of 4.8 out of 5. ...
  • Pesto pasta salad. ...
  • Welsh rarebit muffins. ...
  • Chickpea, chorizo & spinach stew. ...
  • Veggie rainbow picnic pie. ...
  • Next level quiche Lorraine. ...
  • Spanish spinach omelette.

What are the best camping meals? ›

Best Camping Dinner Ideas
  • Sausage and Tortellini Soup. ...
  • Dutch Oven Red Beans and Rice. ...
  • Chipotle Grilled Chicken Tacos. ...
  • Chicken Pineapple Kabobs. ...
  • One Pot Chili Mac. ...
  • Cilantro & Lime Grilled Chicken Tacos. ...
  • Tzatziki Chicken Skewers. ...
  • Shrimp Boil Foil Packets.
May 28, 2022

What is the best long life food for camping? ›

Protein
  • processed salami-type meat products, jerky.
  • eggs (fresh, unwashed, home-laid eggs last longest)
  • Tinned (or pre-cooked and dehydrated) Chickpeas, Lentils, Kidney Beans, etc.
  • Single-serve tins or sachets of tuna or other fish.
  • Tinned meats, e.g. braised steak in single serve packs.
  • nuts and seeds.
  • protein powders.
Feb 13, 2022

What are the best food options during a camp? ›

Best camping foods
  • Tinned fruit. ...
  • Chickpeas. ...
  • Ready-made meals. ...
  • Cereal. ...
  • Tuna. ...
  • Soup. ...
  • Hot chocolate. ...
  • Pasta sauces & salad dressings. Bring a homemade jar of sauce or a salad dressing to upgrade simple meals to the next level.

What food to take camping without cooking and fridge? ›

Non-Refrigerated Dinner Options
  • Instant noodles.
  • Dry yeast.
  • Dry lentils with beans.
  • Spices (e.g., salt, pepper, sugar, cinnamon).
  • Pasta with premade sauce.
  • Campfire nachos.
  • Chicken tortillas.
  • Ramen.

How to meal prep for a camping trip? ›

How to prep food for camping
  1. Frozen food is perfect for camping, and it'll keep your cooler colder longer, so you always have a place to keep food and drinks cold.
  2. Chop and pre-prep food and meals at home before you head out. ...
  3. Wrap food in foil to cook on the grill or over hot coals.
Jun 5, 2023

What food should I bring for 3 days camping? ›

Here are some great camping snack ideas that pack and transport well:
  • Trail mix.
  • Chips with dip or salsa.
  • Peanut butter filled pretzels.
  • Sliced fruit or vegetables.
  • Granola bars.
  • Hummus.
  • Popcorn.
  • Olives.
Feb 23, 2023

What is the most popular campfire food? ›

Campfire Recipes: Breakfast
  • Bacon and Eggs From A Paper Bag. This hearty combo tastes even better in the woods than it does at the diner. ...
  • Cinnamon Granola-Stuffed Pears. ...
  • Potato Pancakes. ...
  • Warm Apple Crescents. ...
  • Lemon-Herb Trout. ...
  • Pepperoni Pizza Logs. ...
  • Gnocchi with Sage. ...
  • No-Dishes-Needed Chorizo and Couscous Dolmas.
Feb 27, 2024

How do you feed a lot of people camping? ›

Camping Dinner Ideas for Large Groups
  1. Burgers or Hotdogs. Fast to cook and affordable in large quantities, juicy burgers and hotdogs are camping staples for good reason. ...
  2. Skewers. If your group loves nights around the campfire, a skewer dinner is a perfect way to end the day. ...
  3. Chili. ...
  4. Spaghetti. ...
  5. Hobo Packs.

What is the only food that has an unlimited shelf life? ›

Salt // Forever

Since it's a mineral, salt essentially has an infinite shelf life, and because our body needs it, that makes it a critical commodity. So if you keep your salt in an air-tight container, you could probably pass it down to your grandchildren.

What is the longest lasting prepper food? ›

Soft grains include things like oats, rye, and quinoa. They are stable for about 8 years on average, but this can be increased to 20 years in ideal conditions. Hard grains include buckwheat, corn, flax, mullet, wheat, and more. These grains can last from 12 years to 30 or more!

What do people cook on when camping? ›

The main item you'll need is a camping stove. There are two main types of camping stoves: two-burner propane stoves and canister backpacking stoves. When car camping, I prefer the classic two-burner stoves. Two burners give me more room to cook and the larger surface area is better for bigger pots and fry pans.

What food do US soldiers eat in camp? ›

Now, US soldiers are fed a variety of MREs — they get more than 24 meal choices. The meal kits usually cover either a full meal or a day's worth of eating, and they come with utensils, a flameless heating tool, and drinks. Their options include chili beans, chicken noodles, or spaghetti bolognese.

What food should I pack for camping? ›

Top 20 Foods to Take on Your Camping Trip
  • Bread. As the basis of so many easy meals, bread is a must for any camping trip. ...
  • Tortillas. Just like bread, tortillas are versatile and can be the foundation of handheld meals. ...
  • Sausage. Sausage is the ultimate campfire meat. ...
  • Cheese. ...
  • Nut Butter. ...
  • Crackers. ...
  • Lunchmeat. ...
  • Beef Jerky.

What food is good for primitive camping? ›

Ideal camping foods are non-perishable, nutritious, and easy to prepare. Think nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and whole-grain crackers for snacks. Dehydrated meals are also great for longer trips, as they're lightweight and only require water.

How do you keep food fresh on a camping trip? ›

Freeze Food for Consuming Later

If you are camping for several days or more you can extend the life of your food and keep your cooler cold longer by freezing food that will not be used quickly. You can also allow for more time for adventuring by preparing meals at home and then freezing them to store in your cooler.

What food is good for camping in cold weather? ›

High energy foods such as cheese, butter, nuts, peanut butter, and quick burning sugary foods like chocolate, candy and granola help the body stay active and generate heat throughout the day.

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