If you’re planning a weekend camping trip and want to avoid the stress of putting together a menu and ingredient list, we’ve done it for you. Based on several popular meals prepared by our guides in Idaho, we put together a complete camping meal plan, including two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners for four people. If you like to eat well, this menu shouldn’t disappoint. Enjoy!
Camping Meal Plan – Day 1: Appetizer, Dinner & Dessert
Appetizer | Fresh Salsa & Chips
Ingredients:
6 medium tomatoes
1 tsp. minced garlic (2-3 cloves of garlic)
⅓ cup cilantro
1 jalapeño
⅓ cup diced red onions (about half an onion)
1 lime
½ tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
Pepper
1 bag tortilla chips
Directions:
1) Chop tomatoes, cilantro and onion into small dime-sized pieces and combine in a large mixing bowl. If the mixture looks too soupy, drain some of the extra liquid before adding lime.
3) Remove seeds from the jalapeño and finely dice. Or, keep seeds to give the salsa more heat. Mince the garlic. Add to bowl.
4) Add salt. Cut lime in half and use your hands to squeeze the juice into the salsa. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste.
5) Serve with tortilla chips.
Pro tip: Make the salsa earlier in the day so it has time to develop its flavors.
Dinner | Chicken Fajitas & Spanish Rice Pilaf
Ingredients:
1 package fajita-size flour tortillas
1 pound rotisserie chicken
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
½ yellow pepper
½ yellow onion
½ package fajita seasoning mix (or more to taste)
4 ounces shredded monterey jack cheese
For the pilaf:
1 box Organic Spanish Rice Pilaf Mix
(or similar)
1 tbs. butter (or olive oil)
Directions:
1) Follow directions for Spanish rice pilaf mix. For the brand above, add 2 ¾ cup water and 1 tablespoon of butter/olive oil to a sauce pan and bring to just to a boil. Stir in grains and seasoning packet. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
2) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add sliced onion and bell peppers. Cook veggies approximately 5 minutes, or until they are tender, but still slightly crisp.
3) While the veggies cook, tear the chicken into pieces. Then add chicken to the skillet and reheat until warmed through. Add Fajita seasoning and saute everything together until seasoning is fully incorporated.
4) On a separate skillet, warm tortillas prior to serving.
5) Add chicken and veggies to tortillas and top with cheese as desired.
Dessert | S’mores
Ingredients:
1 bag jumbo marshmallows
1 box graham cracker variety pack (plain, cinnamon & chocolate)
2 Hershey bars or your favorite chocolate (Caramel-filled Ghirardelli squares, anyone?!?)
You know the drill. Toast, smoosh, eat. No directions needed. But if you want to take your s’mores games to the next level, check out these over-the-top s’mores ideas for some inspiration. Guaranteed, you’ll never eat s’mores the same way again.
Camping Meal Plan – Day 2: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Dessert
Breakfast | Huckleberry Pancakes with Peaches & Sausage
Ingredients:
1 package of pancake mix*
1 cup huckleberries (or other berry)
1 package sausage links
2 peaches
1 stick of butter
1 bottle maple syrup
*Some pancake mixes may call for milk, the brand here uses water
Directions:
1) Thinly slice peaches.
2) Follow pancake directions according to brand. Whisk pancake mix and water (or milk). Batter will be slightly lumpy.
2) Use a measuring cup or similar to scoop batter and pour onto skillet as individual pancakes. Then, add berries by hand to each individual pancake (if you add berries to the batter, you’ll have purple pancakes, which your kids might love!). Cook pancakes approximately 1 minute per side, or until golden brown, flipping only once.
3) As you make pancakes, heat sausage links on a skillet on medium high heat until heated through and brown.
4) Top pancakes with peaches, butter, syrup and serve with sausages.
Lunch | Salami & Hummus Pitas with Chips and Fruit
Ingredients:
1 10 oz. container hummus of your choice
1 package sliced salami
1 tomato
1 avocado
¼ red onion
½ pound sliced cheese
1 bunch green leaf lettuce (use remaining for Turkey Pesto Wraps)
1 package pitas or bread of your choice
1 bag of chips
½ watermelon
Optional:
Mayo
Mustard
Directions:
1) Thinly slice veggies to fit well into pitas, and arrange on a plate or cutting board with cheese and salami. Remove several pieces of lettuce from the head of lettuce and add to plate.
2) Open pita, spread hummus on one (or two!) sides, add salami and veggies to your liking.
3) Serve with chips and watermelon.
Appetizer | Sundried Tomato Goat Cheese Pate on Toasted French Bread
Ingredients:
1 4 oz. package of goat cheese
¼ jar sun-dried tomatoes
⅓ tsp. fresh thyme
1 loaf french bread
Directions:
1) Chop sundried tomatoes. Then remove thyme leaves from stem, and roughly chop.
2) In a medium bowl, add chopped sundried tomatoes, thyme and goat cheese. Combine until smooth.
3) Lightly toast the french bread in a pan on your camp stove or wrap in foil and place on grill or campfire grate.
4) Spread goat cheese pate on top of toasted bread.
Dinner | Grilled Steak with Montreal Rub, Seasoned Red Potatoes & Strawberry Kale Salad
Ingredients:
For salad & potatoes:
5 ounces baby kale
¼ pound of strawberries
3-4 radishes
¼ cup Salad Topper (or create your own topper by combining dried cranberries, dry roasted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds)
1 bottle Annie’s Natural Lemon & Chive Dressing
For potatoes:
1 ½ pounds red potatoes
¼ cup fresh parsley
2-3 cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
For steaks:
4 steaks
2 ½ tbs. Montreal Steak Rub (if you prefer to make the rub from scratch, check out this recipe)
½ yellow onion
¼ pound fresh mushrooms
1 tbs. butter or olive oil
Optional:
1 bottle A-1 Steak Sauce
Directions:
Before getting started, add charcoal to grill and light to prep coals for steak.
Potatoes
1) Place a pot of water on stove, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
2) As the water heats up, chop potatoes into even sized pieces.
3) Add the potatoes to water and boil until tender but not mushy (about 15 minutes).
4) Strain potatoes, place back in pot and season to your liking (butter, salt, pepper, garlic, fresh parsley, etc.)
Pro tip: If you have a cast iron skillet, you can also sauté the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they’re browned and crispy. Cover with a lid to help the potatoes cook through completely.
Salad
1) As the potatoes cook, prep the salad. Thinly slice radishes and strawberries.
2) Put kale in bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on top and massage for 5 minutes (this will help make it tender).
3) Add dressing to kale and mix well until the kale has been fully covered by dressing and set aside (let sit for at least 15 minutes, but longer makes it even better).
4) Before serving, add strawberries, radishes and salad topper to salad and lightly mix.
Steak
1) Liberally sprinkle rub over one side of the steak and massage in with your fingers. Repeat on the second side. Consider doing this prior to packaging steak up for the trip – thicker cuts of steak will benefit from the rub being on for longer than 24 hours.
2) Thinly slice onions and mushrooms.
3) Add 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil to a skillet and sauté mushrooms and onions until they are soft and slightly browned.
4) Grill steak to your liking and top with onions and mushrooms for serving.
Dessert | Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside-down Cake
Ingredients:
2 boxes of yellow cake mix
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water (or milk for denser cake)
3 eggs
½ stick of butter
¾ cup brown sugar
1 20-oz can of pineapple rings
1 jar maraschino cherries
Directions:
If you have some time, and love cooking while you’re camping, this classic Dutch oven dessert is the best finale to a camping meal. Here are step-by-step directions for Dutch oven Pineapple Upside-down Cake.
Camping Meal Plan – Day 3: Breakfast & Lunch
Breakfast | Breakfast Burritos with Fruit
Ingredients:
1 russet potato
½ yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
½ pound ground turkey
1 ¾ cups Egg Beaters (or substitute with 7 eggs)
4 ounces shredded monterey jack cheese
½ package burrito-size flour tortillas (8-10 tortillas, save remaining for Turkey Pesto Wraps)
1 jar salsa (or use leftovers from salsa appetizer)
½ watermelon
Directions:
1) Prep veggies. Chop the potato, green pepper and onion.
2) Add ground turkey to a skillet and cook on medium high heat until browned. Set aside.
3) Add chopped veggies to the skillet used for the ground turkey and saute until the veggies are tender but not mushy.
4) As the veggies are cooking, slice or cube leftover watermelon.
5) Add ground turkey back into the skillet, then add Egg Beaters and heat until cooked.
6) In a separate skillet, sprinkle cheese on tortillas and individually warm before serving.
7) Serve with watermelon.
Lunch | Turkey Pesto Wraps with Baby Carrots and Hummus
Ingredients:
½ pound of deli turkey slices
¼ package whipped cream cheese
⅛ jar pesto
8 slices pre-cooked bacon
1 bunch of green leaf lettuce
¼ red onion sliced
½ package burrito-size flour tortillas
½ tomato
1 bag of baby carrots
1 container of hummus (leftover from Salami & Hummus lunch)
Directions:
1) Prepare pesto spread. Combine whipped cream cheese and pesto.
2) Thinly slice tomato and onion, and arrange on a plate or cutting board with sliced turkey and bacon. Remove several pieces of lettuce from the head of lettuce and add to plate.
3) Assemble sandwiches. Smear the pesto spread on half of a tortilla and add other ingredients to your liking. Serve with baby carrots, leftover hummus and any remaining fruit.
Now that you have your camping meal plan all sorted out, it’s time to pack your cooler. Not sure how to make it all fit? Check out our video on how to pack a cooler for camping.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME OF THE LINKS ABOVE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS, AND OARS WILL EARN A SMALL COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE AFTER CLICKING THROUGH THE LINK.
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