Easy and Delicious Camp Meals

While enjoying the great outdoors, you don’t have to give up great tasting meals for convenience. The last thing you want after a long day in the sun is a stick of jerky or handful of trail mix for dinner. Thankfully, you can prepare simple yet comforting dishes that will satisfy your hunger. 

A common concern when camping is that animals may ransack the campsite and eat your food. You should always keep your food properly contained to avoid bears and other critters breaking into your cooler or tent. Another frequent concern is food spoiling. If this is your first time camping, here are some quick tips to keep your food safe from spoilage and animals:

• Keep food and any scented items outside of the tent.
• Don’t leave food unattended.
• When you are not eating, keep your food in a car or in a bear bag. Bear bags are designed so that bears cannot physically claw through them. While they can be left on the ground, you should ideally hang them in a tree for extra security. 
• Before you fill your cooler with perishable items, place ice or ice-blocks in the cooler for at least an hour to pre-chill. Fill large bottles full of cold water, milk, or juice and place them on top of all the items. This will  help the food stay colder for longer periods of time. 
• Place the meat in at least two bags to avoid any juices spilling. If you will be eating meat after the first day, freeze this and place it at the bottom of the cooler. 
• Place a thermometer inside of the cooler to monitor the internal temperature. 

Now that we’ve covered how to keep your food safe from animals and spoiling, we can dive into some easy recipes that will instantly become a camp meal staple:

Egg and potato scramble-

Our favorite thing about this dish is that it’s packed with protein and carbs to help you stay full until lunch. To feed four, you will need:

• 2 medium potatoes (diced)
• 8 eggs (beaten)
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 chopped peppers (green or red)
• 2 tablespoons of butter

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a cast iron pan. Add  potatoes, onions, and peppers and cook until tender. Add another tablespoon of butter and then add the eggs. To cook evenly, you can place aluminum foil over the pan for about four minutes.

This breakfast will easily become a go-to favorite every time you go camping because of its tasty simplicity. 

Pizza bobs-

Imagine combining two classic favorites; grilled cheese and pizza. That is exactly what you get with a pizza bob! They incorporate the cheesiness of both foods plus the pepperoni of the pizza to offer a perfectly-crafted hybrid dish. To make this savory meal, you will need:

• Bread (8 slices will create 4 sandwiches)
• Butter
• Marinara sauce
• Slices of mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoni

Butter one side of each piece of bread and place it butter-side down into a cast iron pan. Next, layer a slice of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and then another slice of mozzarella,  and top with the other slice of bread (butter-side up). Cook until the bread on the bottom is golden brown and flip. Use the marina sauce to dip your pizza bob in. It’s that easy! 

Beer-fried fish filets-

Who needs a restaurant when you can make flaky, melt-in-your-mouth fried fish filets in the comfort of your own campsite? Crack open a beer and take a sip before getting to work! Other than a beer, you will need:

• 1 pound of fish filets (½ pound serves one person)
• 1 cup buttermilk pancake mix
• 3/4 cup beer
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup cooking oil

Take your store-bought fish (or the one you caught, if you’re fishing-savvy) and evenly coat them in flour. Next, you will combine the pancake mix with the beer. Once it is whisked until smooth, you will coat your filets in the batter until evenly mixed. Place the fish in the cooking oil and let it cook until the outside becomes golden brown. Don’t fill the pan with too many filets at once as they won’t cook evenly. Take out your filets and drain on a paper towel before  sprinkling your preferred seasonings on top. 

Donuts-

Donuts are a sugary and delightful dessert that are the perfect ending to a busy day. They are easy to make and will satisfy any sweet tooth. To make homemade donuts over the roaring fire, you will need:

• 1 can of biscuits (the kind that spring open)
• ¼ cup of oil for frying (vegetable oil)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Before you begin preparing the donuts, warm the oil over the fire in a pan. Open the biscuits and shape them like donuts. You can keep the pieces you cut out to fry as donut holes! 

You will then place the biscuits into the oil for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the biscuits for another three minutes. When the biscuits are done cooking, rest them on paper towels to drain. You can then put the donuts in a bag with the sugar and cinnamon and shake. Just like that- you have a tasty dessert! 

If you have the pleasure of taking time out of your busy schedule to go on a camping trip, using a  long distance car service Los Angeles can help create a stress-free vacatio. They are dedicated to getting you to your destination, and that includes your favorite campsite. You can let them know what day and time to drop you off, and when to pick you up, and  a trained professional will chauffeur you. Pack your bags and rest assured that you will arrive at your campsite refreshed and ready to take on nature.