With summer and warm weather always comes camping trips. But staying in the great outdoors means cooking without the convenience of kitchen appliances. The next time you embark on a camping expedition, try some of these genius camping food hacks and recipes that may make your trip outdoors a bit easier.
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Store Your Eggs in a Bottle
When transporting eggs from the fridge to the cooler to the car to the campsite, it’s practically a given that you’ll break a few along the way. To prevent this and save some space, crack your eggs ahead of time, scramble them up, and pour them into a water bottle or squeeze bottle. At the campsite, simply pour them into the pan and get ready for scrumptious scrambled eggs!
How to Make Paper Bag Bacon
Here’s a great way to treat campers to bacon and eggs for breakfast, with no frying pans or plates to clean up afterwards. Simply line the bottom of a paper bag with a few strips of bacon to create a fatty “bacon nest” then crack in a few eggs. Fold the bag over, attach it to the end of a stick and roast over hot coals for about 7 to 10 minutes. Eat it right out of the bag — but be careful the grease doesn’t wind up all over your lap!
Make Campfire Muffins in Orange Peels
Whip up a batch of your favourite muffin batter and bring it with you in a plastic container, along with a bag of oranges. Halve the oranges and scoop out the fruit (use in a fruit salad, or for freshly squeezed orange juice), hanging on to the halved orange peels. Pour the muffin batter into the orange peels and bake on a grill over a campfire. Then sit back and enjoy fresh-baked muffins that will make you the envy of the campground.
Enjoy Campfire Nachos
A cast-iron skillet is an essential item to pack for your camping weekend. It’s super versatile and you can make these loaded campfire nachos. This crowd-pleasing one-pot campfire recipe is prepared and served in the skillet, making cleanup a snap.
Bake Some Bannock
Bannock is a tasty bread that is even better when cooked over an open flame. Consider making a loaf in your cast-iron pan, or for added fun, wrap the dough around a stick and enjoy bread cooked right in the fire. Fresh bread, no oven required.
One Cup Coffee Bags
Feel like starting the day with a fresh cup of java, but aren’t keen on lugging a coffeemaker to the campsite? Here’s the solution! Fill a coffee filter with a scoop of ground coffee, and tie it tightly with some unflavoured dental floss. You now have a teabag-style coffee bag (similar to a tea bag) perfect for making a single cup. Just add hot water and voila!
Roast Crescent Rolls on a Stick
Looking for something easy, fun and downright delicious to add panache to your next camping trip? Grab a canister of crescent roll dough from the grocery store and take it with you. Wrap the dough around a stick and roast over the fire. For a more meal-worthy treat, skewer a hot dog on the stick first, then wrap it in the dough and roast away!
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Pack Seasoning in Straws
When cooking over a campfire, you don’t want food to taste bland, but you also don’t want to pack up the contents of your entire spice drawer. The solution is to pour small amounts of the seasonings you’ll be using into plastic straws and seal up each end by heating it with a lighter. Label with a Sharpie, and you’re ready to whip up some tasty campfire cuisine.
Indulge in Baileys-Dipped Toasted Marshmallows
Roasting marshmallows is a time-honoured campfire tradition, but here’s a way to add some grown-up elegance. Simply toast your marshmallow as per usual, and then dip it into a cup of Baileys Irish Cream (or any other creamy liqueur) for a gooey, grown-up treat.