How many people are you talking about?

I always like biscuits and gravy when I'm camping. I just "bake" the biscuits in a heavy iron fry pan on the propane stove. I don't know why, it's just good on a cool morning outdoors.

If you have any fishing type people along, bacon, fresh trout (cooked in the bacon grease) and fry pan cornbread is a wonderful breakfast.

As a former GS leader, one of my favorites was silver turtles. Make pockets out of heavy duty foil by folding a large piece in half and folding in the sides. Throw in your meat, veggies & spices, seal the top, then cook directly on the coals, flipping every ten minutes, till done. Ground beef & chicken work best, stew meat can come out pretty tough. Best seasoning to use is lipton onion soup mix. Veggies can include carrots, potatoes, onions, squash, etc. Very easy to put together and delicious.

Around here, camping is usually near the coast or in the mountains which means cool or even cold mornings and evenings even in the summer. Therefore, I tend toward breakfasts and dinners that will keep hot and warm us up.

My favorite camping breakfast is oatmeal with fruit. Put water, diced apples and raisins (or dried apricots, other fruit of choice), cinnamon stick, ginger (or what ever spice you like) on to boil. Add oatmeal and cook. Serve with milk or cream and maple syrup or brown sugar.

For dinner, I like a chicken stew dense with chicken and vegetables. It can be served with bread, rice or noodles. I make it ahead and freeze it in the pot. That way it helps keep the ice chest cold until it is used.

Thanks, Rachelellen.

I'll run biscuits and gravy by the others. Not fond of that myself, but it might fly.

We don't do any fishing, so fresh fish ain't happening.

Basically we are 9 women that tie our canoes together into a party barge and float down the river, paddling only when necessary to avoid the shore! We take a 5 gallon jug of Margaritas with us, and just have a blast!

We make ahead as much of the food as possible so for the most part just need to reheat.

So things that go together easy, can be made ahead of time and can possibly be frozen are always our best bets.

Linda

Linda, I camp every year and I love my dutch oven. I can bake apple pie or chocolate chip cookies, fresh cinnamon rolls, a pot roast in that dutch oven.

My girls' favorite meal was Coke Chicken. Place potato chunks in the bottom of the dutch oven, add some onion slices and carrots. Layer chicken pieces on top and pour a sauce made of half Coke and half catsup. Root beer is good in the place of Coke. Add the lid to the dutch oven, put coals under and coals on the lid and let it cook for about an hour and a half. It's really good and a full meal.

My version of corned beef hash, which I served during the Michigan Run is just as easy. Chopped potatoes and onions in a skillet with some butter or oil, saute until they begin to brown. Add chopped corned beef and a couple of cups of beef broth, pop the lid on and let it simmer until the potatoes are tender. Remove the lid, let the remaining liquid (if any) evaporate and the hash get a little crisp on the bottom. Serve.

I'm not a real fan of meatballs, but the girls liked these "Cannonballs". I made meatballs there at camp but you could buy them premade or make them in advance.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. cooked meatballs
4 14-1/2 ounce cans of beef broth
2 cups water
1-2 cups fresh chopped spinach (fresh works too, plus you could use extra for salad another meal)
1-1/2 cups Orzo
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese

Mix ingredients together, except spinach, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes then add the spinach and cook for 5 more minutes. Add parmesan cheese and serve.
Servings: 4 - 8

We always liked beef stew and again, with the dutch oven, I'd make the stew in the dutch oven, then add biscuit dough to the top, put the lid on and put coals on the bottom and top. 15 or 20 minutes and the biscuits are brown and can be used as a base for the stew.

Dessert? The girls liked banana boats, just a banana split lengthwise nearly through, fill with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips or Hershey bar pieces, wrap in foil and put on the coals. The marshmallows and chocolate melt and the bananas get warm and gooey, they can be eaten right out of the foil packets.

Pie crust and grated apples with sugar and cinnamon make a decent pie, add a top crust, coals on top and bottom and bake it for an hour. The smell brings campers from all over.

Finally my favorite, peach cobbler. This recipe can be made using chocolate cake, cherries and root beer or cola, you can use apples and spice cake, use whatever sounds good. It's quick and easy.

Easy Peach Dump Cobbler

2 (30 oz.) cans sliced peaches; drained
1 can Sprite or 7Up
1 yellow cake mix; dry
ice cream of your choice

Into a 12" Dutch oven add peaches and spread out. Pour cake mix over peaches then pour the soda over the cake mix. Stir to mix completely. Place lid on oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour using 12 briquettes top and 12 briquettes bottom. Rotate oven and lid every 15 minutes.

Variation: Use the whole can of peaches, juice included, and stir in 1/3 cup of instant tapioca. As the cobbler cooks the tapioca will absorb the juices and make a nice bubbly cobbler.

Serve warm with ice cream.

Serves: 8-10

have fun!

Annie

We do a girls camping weekend every summer and always have good things to eat.

Grilled chicken with salsa a couscous bean salad. This one is good: Couscous Salad

We've made egg sandwiches for breakfast too, with a nice prociutto and provolone on an english muffin. You can wrap them in foil and keep them warm for those who like to sleep in.

That's a great idea, to freeze a stew or soup and have it do double duty in the cooler! I have frozen meats to take camping in that way, but it hadn't occurred to me to use precooked meals...being a soup freak, it'll come in handy, thanks!

Linda, if you cook most things ahead for the trip, a frittata would be a wonderful breakfast! It can be eaten cold, room temp...er...tent temp(?)...or it reheats quite well. The amounts and types of veggies & cheese are quite flexible, and I'm typing this up on the fly so to speak, as I've never written it down, so hopefully it won't be too confusing.

Vegetable & Cheese Frittata

8 eggs
2 t lemon juice (preferably Meyer)& 1 t zest (optional)
Chopped fresh herbs (For mild, leafy herbs, 1 T or more but if you use rosemary, use significantly less, as it's so strong)
4 oz of cheese(s)grated or crumbled
2 green onions, chopped (or 1/3 c carmelized red onions)
Minced garlic (I like garlic, so I use 4 or 5 cloves, but if cooking for folks whose tolerance I'm unsure of, I use 2)
Salt & pepper
olive oil
A mixture of vegetables-your choice, 1 to 1 1/2 c, after precooking.
1/2 c Balsamic vinegar, simmered until reduced by half.

Preheat the oven to 325.

Prepare your vegetables. Most veggies will need to be at least partially precooked, both to reduce water content and to ensure tenderness, so saute them in olive oil with the garlic and some salt & pepper. Roasted red bell peppers is one of my favorites for this dish, with sauteed mushrooms or greens of some kind. Asparagus is wonderful with some oil-packed sun dried tomatoes (saute the asparagus in some of the tomato oil...yum!). Eggplant works well also, I usually brush it with oil and cook it on the grill, as it absorbs too much when sauteed...I like the eggplant coupled with the tender tips & leaves of celery hearts.

As for the cheese, I like to use a combination, but it isn't necessary. I like blue with mozzarella or jack, or feta with Parmesan, but sharp cheddar is good as well.

Mix all the ingredients except for the eggs & Balsamic in a bowl and mix well.

Whip the eggs with a whisk until good and foamy, then pour over the other ingredients.

In a 9 inch frypan with an oven proof handle, heat one T of olive oil very hot but not smoking. Turn the pan to coat it with oil, and then pour in the egg mixture. The pan should be hot enough to sear the bottom of the eggs, but then immediately move it to a low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the sides begin to set up, and then finish in the oven for about 20 minutes. The frittata should be firm and turning gold on top, not brown.

Use a heat proof rubber spatula to loosen the frittata in the pan, and when it is free, put a plate over it and turn over, so that the bottom of the eggs are facing up.

Brush the frittata with the reduced balsamic just before serving.

Breakfast:
Homemade granola bars and fruit.
Quiche, baked ahead and served cold or room temp.
Muffins full of dried fruit and oatmeal!

Lunch:
Sliced meats, cheeses, crackers, veggies, all prepped ahead.
Hummus and pita chips.
Vinegar based 3 or 4 bean salad.
Gourmet PBJ's!! LOL (Great bread, all natural peanut butter and homemade jam).

Dinner:
Slices of pre-cooked Prime Rib, warmed over the fire.
Marinate steaks in a ziploc and cook over the fire.
Baked potatoes in foil in the fire.
Broccoli/cauliflower/carrots/brussel sprouts (yep, in foil, in the fire).
Salmon (...foil...fire...) with asparagus.
Hot dogs! Gasp!!! :+)
Plus all the great ideas above!

Sounds like with enough Margaritas, the food may be secondary!
Have fun!

Deanna

Hi Linda, I am going to C and P some ideas from a thread I started and saved - to help me come up with ideas...maybe something will strike you!

How about some "Hobo Stew"....before you leave home, brown some ground beef with onions and whatever seasoning you like. Do this ahead of time and freeze it. When you are ready to prepare dinner, put the beef in a pot with some broth, or water or beer or a combination of and add whatever canned/frozen veggies you might have with you...corn, peas, beans, etc. We make this for our annual hayride....I prepare the beef and the entry fee for those attending is one can of veggies. It's always different, but always good!

You could also freeze some chicken breast ahead of time....in a marinade of your choice. They will marinate as they thaw, then you can toss them on the grill. Any left overs make good sandwiches for lunch.

Kielbasa or hot links on the grill make for good appetizers, or snacks for folks that drop by. Just grill and slice...serve with something as simple as catsup. It's not gourmet, but it'll work.
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Freeze your large containers of water. It will keep your food cold and you will have cold water to drink when the ice melts.

How about chicken fajitas? Slice and marinate chicken breasts and bell peppers (yellow and orange) and onions. Then fry it all up in one huge pan. Serve on soft corn tortillas with shredded lettuce and sour cream.
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How about wraps? for a cold food. My daughter and I cabin camp and we have a lot of vegies that are prepared and various lunch meats, sauces, etc. We have it all ready in zip locks and very easy to prepare and for clean up.
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Pasta salad! Goes with everything! No worries if it sits out for awhile. Make ahead and take in a big bowl or big ziploc!!

Marinate your steaks in ziplocs a day or two ahead. Toss 'em on the grill and pitch the bag. No cleanup!

Make chili or spaghetti ahead and freeze or refrigerate.
Heat & eat with garlic bread.
Pickles.
Candy bars.
Chips/crackers.
Cheese.
Hey! It's camping! Go for it!
Deanna
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How about breakfast tacos? That used to be a staple when we went camping years back. Scramble eggs, add whatever else you like, such as bacon or sausage, potatoes, peppers, onions. Add to flour tortillas, top with cheese and hot sauce if desired. We would usually take fajitas for first night as we would have everything already made before we left and a big bag of flour tortillas. Also quesedillas are good and quick over the campfire, too.
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Couscous is great for a quick and easy and tasty side dish.

Boil 2 cups water in a pot. If desired, add bullion cube or other flavorings. Stir in 1 cup couscous, return to boil, then remove from heat, cover the pot and leave alone off the heat for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, mix in some butter if desired.
Easy, quick, fulla carbs, no waste, and easier than messing with straining a pot of pasta out there in the wilderness.
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My huband is going camping with the kids this weekend (father-kid). They are bringing cereal, granola bars, milk, taylor ham, bacon, eggs, coffee singles, cold cuts, bread, condiments, london boil (pre-marinaded), hot dogs, hamburgers, pre-cooked pasta, chili, potatoes (to be baked in the fire), marshmallows, s'mors-stuff, cookies, chips and stuff.

If I was going I would bring boneless chick breast or pork chops to cook on the fire/grill, BBQ sauce, fruit salad, and a pasta salad.
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Things cooked on a stick, individual foil dinners cooked in the coals, and banana boats!

For the banana desert, use one banana per person, pull back one section of the peel, slit banana still in the peel with a knife, insert pieces of Hershey bars, nuts, mini marshmallows, etc. Lay section of peel back over the filled banana, wrap in foil, lay in coals or on grate over fire until hot and gooey.

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You can do all sorts of aluminum "package" meals on a campfire. Just use sturdy heavy duty foil-- butter inner surface then layer sliced potatoes, onion,sliced ham or beef or spam-- add some seasoning , another dab of butter or oil-- wrap tightly and keep turning in the coals.
Boxes of mac & cheese-- just add extra cheese.( use the little cans of evaporated milk)

Do a big, huge pan of brownies.

English muffins & toppings for mini pizzas.

Couple of meatloafs-- good cold sandwiches or reheat, sliced

Stuff for tacos

Frozen hash browns-- & plenty of eggs--

There's a canned, refrigerated ham pattie we often use at camp,it's in the same section as the hams in the grocery.
Canned tuna or salmon makes a nice addition to a tossed salad.
Fruit
Have fun -- don't forget the bug spray, liquid Benedryl, tylenol,deck of cards, good batteries & to check for ticks!
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Where we usually camp, it is cold in the mornings and evenings even in summer. So my usual camping menu has warming items for breakfast and dinner.
For breakfast it is nice to have hot cocoa packs to make for the kids. Also cooking fresh or dried fruit in a pot of oatmeal.

For dinner, a chicken stew or beef stew made ahead of time with veggies and potatoes makes a one pot heat and eat meal. As suggested for the french dip, it can be frozen for transport and keep the ice chest cold.
For lunches, we like to keep them simple: fresh fruit, pb & j sandwiches or cheese and crackers, some gorp (nuts, dried fruit and M&Ms) for snacks.
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The cabin looks just wonderful!
My Mom bought this huge cast iron frying pan that fit the campfire, it had to be 2' across at least! My Mom rarely cooked inside after getting the frying pan. Everything tasted great in the cast iron but then again we were usually starving for every meal!
We even had roast turkey at least once per Summer. My Dad would dig a hole and place logs across the hole. Then place large rocks on top of the logs and start a fire inside the hole. When the fire would heat the rocks and eventually burn through the logs and the rocks would fall into the hole making an oven. Then my Mom would place the foil wrapped turkey inside the hole on top of the heated rocks and it would bake. It was delicious!

Stacy

Linda " Omelettes in a Ziplock Bag" would be great for breakfast.

Prepare grated cheddar, sliced green onions, diced ham, diced green pepper, diced tomatoes or salsa, whatever you think people would like in an omlette. Place each ingredient in separate baggies to transport.

Other items to take are one freezer grade, medium size, baggie for each person and an indelible pen.

When ready to cook place two pots on the fire and bring to a boil. Have each person write their name on the baggie and crack two eggs into it and toss in the other ingredients of choice. Seal the bag, removing most of the air, and then squish the eggs to mix.

Place 4 or 5 of the baggies into each pot. Boil for 12-13 minutes....it takes that long don't be tempted to remove earlier.

Perfectly shaped, moist omlettes every time and everyone gets their own combos. No muss , no fuss and no cleanup.

We have done this several times at the cottage and it's always a big hit!

Some people get uptight about boiling the eggs is plastic bags but it doesn't bother me. I do lots worse things to me than that!

Sharon, one of the girls suggested that, but I am one of those that is not totally comfortable with boiling my food in a plastic bag.

Didn't we have a lively discussion on that subject here a while back? Seems there were some food safety or health issues.....

Linda

Stone soup.

Each person brings one or two things to contribute to the pot. It can be a can of veggies or beans, meat, pasta, whatever.

Bring some broth and a can of diced or stewed tomatoes with juice to a boil and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until everything is heated through (and the pasta or whatever is cooked). We used to do this for potlucks while camping and it was quite fun, and made a good hot lunch or dinner with some rolls and butter and a salad. Just don't forget salt and pepper and bouillon powder in case your stones don't come pre-seasoned ;)

Oh, Dances, I had totally forgot about Stone Soup! That might be fun!

Stacy, thanks for C&Ping all of those! Great ideas!

Linda

A very easy and filling dish is couscous. I introduced it to a friend of mine who is a big time canoist/kayaker who has to carry all his meals on his trips. He loves it because it's light in weight in proportion to the amount of food you end up with. Here's how:

Whatever volume of couscous you wish to cook (figure about 1/3 to 1/2 cup dry couscous per person--maybe less if they're small kids), boil up twice that volume of water. Add a bullion cube if desired, dissolve it, add the couscous and return to the boil, then take the pot off the fire, cover it and leave it alone for five minutes, covered. Then fluff with a fork and add butter or oil if desired.

You can add all sorts of stuff to the boiling water such as bits of jerky, salsa, whatever. And you can top it with whatever you want--beef stew, pasta sauce, whatever. It's like having pasta without having to have a colander to strain it. A lot more convenient way to cook up a bunch of carbs than carrying a bunch of potatoes on your trip, for instance.

Well, we try to go on an overnight canoe trip for at least 3 nights every year. My favorite trips are on the Allagash, in northern Maine, those trips last usually around 5-8 nights. When we go on trips we eat well, really well. We definatly don't suffer. One of the meals we brought on the Moose River last year is a stirfry. I cooked the meat and rice ahead of time and then brought frozen veggies, and a seasoning packet. Super easy and filling. We often eat sandwiches on tortilla wraps, with lunch meat or pb and j. Good, easy to pack, but can get old after a few days. We also always bring along a packet or two of dried soup mix, one for an extra meal if need be or two if we have a cold night. Oatmeal is always good in the morning. We also take along egg substitute and make a large skillet breakfast with sausage, green peppers, onions and hash brown potatoes. We have even brought along english muffins to grill. I reccomend bringing a big bag of trail mix for each canoe that way if you are floating and get hungry you can munch on something. Oh, and something I always look forward to on about day 3-4 is an ice cold fruit cup. Hehe, and as far a liquer goes, we usually each pick one fifth of liquer per person, and mix it in with coffee, or crystal light. I also reccomend bringing along the boardgame of Risk. After some drinking everyone is ready to take over the world, it can be quite fun. That's what I can think of now...I do envy you, we may not get out this year. We are planning our wedding, and working two jobs each, but we may be able to squeeze one in before September. Have Fun!!

Linda, can't offer any suggestions other than to have a good time. It's been years since I went camping.

Have Fun!!!!!

Nancy

we usually do taco meat in the crockpot

Growing up I was a Camp Fire girl for a year or two. The organization had a fairly large camp outside of town with a big lodge, trails leading all over the woods with rustic camps at the end (basically just clearing and fire ring).
Camping out there is a huge great memory.
One thing I remember we made was Meatballs. Unfortunately a quick google did not find me the recipe. How we made them was fun too, we had to use our fire building skills.
Take a Hi-C can. Use the old triangle making can opener thing to make two triangle openings and drink the Hi-C. When done, use a can opener to totally take off the bottom. Then using tin snips make two cuts a few inches apart, bend the flap up. A coffee can might be an even better shape now that I think about it.
Make a small fire teepee with twigs, put the Hi-C can over the teepee, start the fire (you tend the fire through the opening you made) , when heated, take your meatballs and cook on the Hi-C can. So much fun! Tasted great too. I'm sure they were pretty simple, probably some onion and garlic powder and seasoned bread crumbs or something. You could probably do grilled cheese halves on this too.
I grew up near Battle Creek MI, where Kellogg's is based.
Maybe you could find old copies of these cook books?

"Some of Kellogg's best-known recipes were originally created for youth groups. What is perhaps the best-known recipe using Rice Krispies, a mixture of the cereal, marshmallows, and butter called Rice Krispies Treats, was created in 1941 by a Kellogg employee, Mildred Day, for a Camp Fire Girls' bake sale. That a Kellogg employee was concocting recipes for the Camp Fire Girls was not unusual. In the 1950s Kellogg's published two cookbooks aimed at Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Cookery for Camp Fire Girls, and Trail Cookery for Girl Scouts, which followed in the tradition of a 1930's publication A Manual of Cooking for Boy Scouts.1