Everyone knows the most critical element of a successful camping trip is delicious and plentiful food. Let Fab Foods help you put together a camping meal plan with these simple tips that will help make this your best campout yet.
Get a plan
First, figure out how many meals you will need to plan for. Make a list of the number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners that you will need.
Prep it
The key is to prepare as much as you can ahead of time. Chicken, beef kabobs and fish can be frozen in marinade in sealed bags – the frozen food will also help keep your cooler cold. Just defrost as needed and prepare. Also, prepared salads without mayo are great to freeze and take along.
Canned foods, such as chili and baked beans, work well in the outdoors, since they don’t need refrigeration. Hold these for later in your stay, since they don’t need to be refrigerated.
Tools of the trade
You will need a big cooler, a saucepan and grilling tools. If you will be cooking on a fire pit, bring a grate, like the kind for a kettle barbecue.
Also, don’t forget a grilling mitt!
Recipe ideas
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal – Instant oatmeal is easy to prepare over a fire in a saucepan.
- Fresh Fruit – Bananas, apples, berries … these are all great for camping
- Dry cereal – Take a box of hearty cereal (Shredded Wheat!) and eat it dry with some fruit
Lunch:
- PBJ – Bread and peanut butter don’t need to be refrigerated, and the jam can just chill in the cooler.
- Veggies and hummus – Easy to transport veggies like carrots, celery and peppers can be prepped ahead.
- Hot dogs – Freeze them before you go.
- Baked potatoes on the barbecue with beans and corn – Wrap the potatoes in foil and cook over the grill or fire pit. Then, split them open and mixthe potato with black beans and corn. It’s also good with salsa and cheddar cheese.
Dinner:
- Spicy Tropical Marinated Chicken – Prepare the chicken and marinade and place in a resealable bag and freeze
- Burgers – Form the patties at home, and then freeze them. Separate the patties with waxed paper
- Cool Potluck Pasta Salad – Make this ahead, and then dig in for an easy side dish while you are roughing it