Top 3 Favorite Camping Meals

Camping or hiking doesn’t necessarily mean your tummy has to be roughing it, too. You can be outside, be active, and STILL have a delicious meal, and there are so many options beyond nuts, berries, granola bars, and sliced bread. In fact, camping snacks can be some of the tastiest, and most satisfying. Nothing like a smoky tortilla with melted cheese and freshly cooked vegetables or pesto, spinach, and olives over bowtie pasta after a long day of hiking. Even your old college friends, the classic Ramen noodle packets, can come in handy to make a delicious, protein-filled and camping-efficient meal. Here are 3 recipe options to help you become as adventurous in your camp-cooking as you are with your outdoor expeditions, depending on your trip.

1) If you are planning on car camping, try out this tasty pasta dish, inspired by our friends at DirtyGourmet:

Pesto Pasta, 6 Servings

– 3/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts

– 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

– 1/2 cup olive oil

– 10 ounces spinach

– 1/3 cup water

– salt and pepper to taste

– 1 pound bowtie pasta

– 12 ounce jar kalamata olives

What you’ll need: a knife, a cutting board, a food processor, a large pot, and a strainer.

We would recommend doing some of the prep work at home first. Combine your nuts, tomatoes, oil, and water in a food processor. Then throw it in a Tupperware container and bring it on the road. Once you’re at your campground, all you have to do is boil a pot of water over your campfire, cook your pasta as directed, and pour your premade sauce over your steaming noodles. Add in the olives and spinach, and voila!

Make it quicker: If you’re not the type to have a food processor at home, no worries! Throw in the nuts, tomatoes, spinach, and olives in a saucepan with a pre-made marinara sauce instead. Pack it up in your tupperware container, and you’re good to go.

2) Going backpacking? No worries, we have a great recipe for you, too:

Ramen Quinoa, 2 Servings

– 1 cup quinoa

– 2 cups water

– 2 Ramen seasoning packets

– 1/2 cup canned corn

– 10 ounces of spinach

– 1/4 cup nuts

What you’ll need: backpacking stove, can opener, measuring cup, spoon First boil the water with your backpacking stove and cook quinoa until it absorbs most of the water. Stir in your corn, spinach, nuts, and seasoning. Quinoa is packed with protein and will get you the nutrients you need to carry on your hike.

Make it quicker: Buy par-cooked quinoa to cut your cooking time in half!

3) This recipe can be tweaked and used for just about any kind of outdoor adventure, backpacking, car camping, hiking, etc.

Campfire Burritos, 4 Servings

– 2 cans of black beans

– 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

– 1/2 cup pre-chopped mushrooms

– 2 chopped green onions

– 4 tortillas

What you’ll need: can opener, tin foil, knife Rip or chop your green onions into small pieces. Divide up all the ingredients amongst 4 tortillas and wrap them up into burritos. Then cover them each in foil, throw ‘em in the fire, and let ‘em roast!

Make it quicker: Bringing along a cooler? Why not do all the prep work at home first? Wrap up your burritos in foil before you hit the trail, then simply toss them on the fire when you set up camp.

Quick Breakfast Tip: Boil eggs the night before you head out. Keep them in an egg carton in your cooler. Peel and eat as you desire, wherever your adventures take you. (Shout out to the folks at DirtyGourmet.com. Check out their website for more great camping recipes!)

Quick Dessert Tip: To add some flare to your s’mores, you can combine different flavors of chocolates. We strongly recommend combining coffee and toffee chocolate (two of our favorite things): simply put two different types of chocolate with a gooey roasted marshmallow between two graham crackers! Try any chocolate combination you want– we’re also fans of sea salt dark chocolate with milk chocolate! For maximum s’more deliciousness, melt the chocolate a little bit over the campfire grate.