Camping Recipes For Base Camping
When my family and I go camping we use great camping recipes. At first this presented a challenge to me as I had never been camping before. I was used to my home kitchen.
How was I ever going to present them with the meals they had become used to on a two burner camp stove?
I quickly discovered that with a little preparation and forethought great meals can be served at your campsite.
My husband and son are very active swimming, hiking, backpacking through the wilderness and just walking around the camp grounds. So when they sit down at our camp table they bring with them big appetites.
They want warm food and lots of it. So my issue was two burners and very few pots and pans...
I learned very quickly that aluminum foil does keep food warm for a little while and keeps the bugs out.
PLANNING
I planned meals that required very few pots and pans like Beef Stew (one pot), BBQ Steak (baked potatoes and corn can be wrapped in foil cooked on the coals), Spaghetti and Meatballs and my favorite Sloppy Joes.
Pancakes and French toast make an easy breakfast if you bring along a griddle. I stack the food on a plate covered with foil and the food stays nice and warm.
We like Bisquik pancakes and I discovered that Target sells Bisquik in a small box which is great for camping. If you can't find the smaller boxes you can always pre-measure your ingredients into a zip lock baggie.
Nothing smells better in the morning than bacon frying in the pan at a campsite unless it is coffee brewing.
We like to get up and enjoy the early morning with coffee and some muffins.
You can prepare the muffins at home or try your hand at baking them in your Dutch oven.
I usually prepare some breakfast muffins and breads at home to take with us as well as bake some at the campsite.
My husband loves his Dutch oven so we prepare several meals with it. We have baked cakes, cooked Chicken and Dumplings, Beef Stew, meatloaf and pot roast in the Dutch oven. Every meal is a treat when you prepare properly.
PREPARATION
After I go shopping I prepare all the meats into meal portions so I don't have to do this at the campsite. If I have chicken I clean it and slice it at home (we like our chicken cutlets on the thinner side). I then package them up and put them into the freezer. I clean all the vegetables and fruit and get them ready to put in the ice chest.
KEEPING FOOD COLD
Ice chests come in various sizes and shapes. We take two ice chests with us in place of one large one. The chests are sized for our "smaller" family. We have one with meats and vegetables and the other for our drinks. They are both packed to the top!
I take the meat directly from our freezer and cover it with ice so it will defrost slowly. The only thing we need to purchase at the camp grounds will be additional ice depending upon the length of our stay.
Whichever way you go with a little preparation your meals can be made perfect too...