I promised last year that I would provide a follow-up post on my
camping gear list on how to feed your family while living in the woods for a few days without having to eat hot dogs for every meal. Food cooked over a campfire after you've been outside all day is some of the best tasting food in the world!
For those of you who are completely new to camping (it's okay if you are! welcome!), there are usually a few things you can expect if you're paying for a campsite at a car camping campground. There is usually a camp store where you can buy ice to replenish the supply in your cooler. You will also be able to buy firewood at this store; most campgrounds actually require you to buy it there instead of hauling it in - if you haul it in from another location it could have non-native bugs in it that could contaminate the local woods. You will be given a firepit at your campground, usually with a grill grating.
You will also have access to a cold water spigot where you can wash your dishes, but it's not the same as a sink. If you need hot water, you're going to have to boil it. There's no drying rack to stick the clean dishes. My goal is always to create as few dishes as possible. I always try and prep as much as I can ahead of time, and pack things in disposable containers so I don't have to scrub pots. I prefer bagging food in ziplocks instead of tupperware where possible so I can just throw the bag away.
Before leaving home, I like to cook our food, wrap it in foil and freeze it. Or, if it's a whole casserole, cook it in one of those disposable aluminum tins and cover it with foil. When we're ready to leave, I pack it (still frozen) in our cooler along with some ice and the other items I'd like to keep cool.
Once at the campsite, build a fire and then put down the grate and throw the foil-wrapped goods over the top. Turn them every once in a while to ensure even heating, and after about 20-30 minutes the food will be nice and warm and (hopefully!) not too burned. If it does burn a little on the outside, that's okay, the rest of it usually tastes even better. Check the food on occasion by opening a little corner of the foil. You can just cover it back up and throw it back on if it's still cold. I'd recommend getting a nice
pot grabber or grill tongs so you don't burn yourself.
Some of our favorites have been
lasagna and
twice baked potatoes. Twice baked potatoes are awesome for breakfast too. Also awesome for breakfast are
cinnamon rolls. While I haven't tried it (yet!) I'm guessing
baked oatmeal would be delicious. These are all items I would make ahead of time and freeze.
You can also prep some foil packets ahead of time that shouldn't be frozen, just kept cool. These would be ideal for the first night, because you do probably want the lasagna etc to be defrosted by the time you cook it. You can cut some veggies like squash, zucchini, or broccoli, top it with fish or chicken, add a little italian dressing to the top, or sliced lemons and some seasoning. I have added raw potatoes to these packets, and had a hard time getting them to cook through. I think if I'd cooked them ahead of time it would work well. Rice cooked ahead of time freezes well, and can be easily reheated in a foil packet. If you're making the twice baked potatoes, I like to round out the meal with some steamed broccoli in a foil packet. Just add the broccoli, a little water and some salt and the broccoli steams nicely in the packet.
So far I've only done the foil-wrapped method because cleanup couldn't be easier, and there is a lot of variety with this method. You can also bring a cast iron dutch oven or skillet and cook all kinds of things in it. The cast iron is thick enough that it can go directly in the fire on that handy grate they've given you. I haven't tried it, but am hoping to venture into this world this season. I may
buy this book just to help get me started, but I'm pretty sure it's as simple as buying a
cast iron griddle and throwing some steaks on it, or chicken and peppers and onions for fajitas. This is a lot less messy than bringing a grill with you.
For lunch we usually just do sandwiches. Remember that you don't need to refrigerate many cheeses. Buy the Cabot sharp hunter's cheese and it's fine in the woods for a few days. It gets a little greasy on the outside, but is safe to eat. Bagels pack well (no smushed bread), and so do apples.
May the odds of you eating healthy, interesting, delicious food while camping be ever in your favor!
