Delicious Summer Camping Meals: No Campfire Required
Summertime is the perfect time to get outside and go camping. Long days, lots of sunshine, warm weather, and long weekends. Your camping adventures are filled with hiking, boating, fishing, sleeping under the stars, and exploring nature. But, don’t forget another great reason why we love to camp, the food!
Favorite camp meals like pancakes on the griddle, fire roasted foil dinners packed with fresh veggies, and everyone’s favorite, gooey chocolaty s’mores toasted over an open fire.
But what happens when campfires aren’t allowed? Or the temps are in the 90’s or above? All the sudden slaving over a hot fire or stove doesn’t sounds like such a great idea.
I live in Central Oregon and like so much of the West, it can be a dangerous place in the summer because of forest fires, droughts, and extreme heat. So, when campfires are a no-go, and it’s extremely hot out, try cooking meals that don’t require a stove or a campfire.
Not only will this meet fire regulations, but who wants to stand over a hot fire when it’s 96-degrees out anyways?
Here are some delicious, simple, and easy-to-make camping meal ideas that don’t require a campfire or stove. So, get creative, grab your favorite ingredients and let’s get cooking!
Breakfast: Start your day off with something yummy, filling, and straightforward.
Cold Cereal and milk. It’s one of the easiest breakfasts to make and requires no prep. Jazz it up with some fresh strawberries or bananas on top.
Overnight oats. So easy to make at home and throw in the cooler. Oats, yogurt, milk, fruit (fresh or dried), nuts, seeds, get creative, and add ingredients and flavors you love.
Bread and spread. Grab your favorite bread and spread some peanut butter, Nutella, or almond butter on top. And why not add some fruit like raspberries, coconut, or bananas to it.
Bagel sandwiches. Slice up a hard-boiled egg, smear on some avocado, or add some smoked salmon. And don't forget your veggies like tomato, baby greens, or onion.
Lunch: Keep your cool in the middle of the day with these refreshing lunch ideas.
Sandwiches and wraps. As simple as it gets. Grab your favorite bread or a tortilla and load it with cheese, tomato, mayo, turkey, mustard, lettuce, chicken salad, pickles, you get the idea. The possibilities are endless. And, of course, a salad or chips make for a nice crunchy side.
Cold salads. One of my favorite things to take camping, any time of year. A simple Cesar salad, greens with veggies. Or get more creative and add more ingredients like pasta, quinoa, nuts, fruit, shrimp, tuna, feta, cheddar, olives, or whatever your tastebuds desire. There’s nothing like a healthy cold salad to satisfy you on a hot day.
Snacks. If you just don’t feel like putting anything together, or you’re hiking and want to keep it even simpler, then take some tasty and filling snacks. Nuts, jerky, cheese, crackers, chips, fruit, snap peas, energy bars, trail mix, etc.
Dinner. When the day is winding down, you’ve got a cold beverage in hand and you’re ready to dine, then try these yummy dinner ideas.
Charcuterie plate. The variety and creativity here are endless and delicious. Charcuterie plates usually consist of dried meats, cheeses, crackers, bread, fruit, nuts, sweet & spicy jelly, olives, and maybe some pickled veggies. Whatever you decide, the beauty of this is that almost everything is pre-cooked, won’t spoil and is freaking delicious!
Grain bowl. Come prepared with some pre-cooked grains like rice, quinoa, barley, pasta, and then throw in a bunch of extras. Some favorites are chicken, salmon, tofu, arugula, almonds, cranberries, mint, lemon, red pepper, etc. Be creative and add your favorites.
Veggie Burritos. Go meatless and add black or refried beans as your base. Then throw in some cilantro, cheese, brown rice, tomato, jalapeno, pickled onions, and hot sauce. You decide.
Caprese Salad with Bruschetta. So easy and refreshing on a hot night and a great dish to share. Sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, with a drizzle of olive oil on top. On the side, sliced French bread loaded with dried tomato, basil, and garlic. Or, get creative and add some peaches, shaved parmesan, mint, or goat cheese.
Dessert. Everyone’s favorite, especially when camping. S’mores are great, but there are so many other sweet treats that are just as good and require no campfire.
Fruit salad. Go healthy with a variety of sliced and diced fresh fruits.
Watermelon. Slice up some watermelon and keep it in the cooler so when it’s time to eat it, it’s chilled and refreshing. Or, drizzle some chocolate syrup on it because why not.
Cookies. Grab your favorite cookies from the store or pre-make some at home.
Brownies with fruit. A rich, moist, chocolaty brownie loaded with fresh raspberries or strawberries, yummy!
Camping meals can require some planning ahead of time. There’s no grocery store nearby and you’d rather spend your time exploring and relaxing than cooking. So, it’s a good idea to do some prep work at home before you hit the road. This saves time, and if there are ingredients that need to be cooked, this allows you to skip slaving over a hot stove or campfire and do it from home instead.
Here are some easy foods to prep ahead of time that can be used in many of the above dishes.
Pre-cooked proteins like chicken, salami, bacon, baked tofu, beans
Pre-cooked grains like rice, quinoa, barley, couscous
Pre-cooked vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, green beans
Pre chopped foods like fruit, cilantro, lettuce, cheese, cured meats
Whatever meals you decide to make for your camping trip, remember one thing, love them! Be excited about the foods you’re eating, making and give it some creativity. Like your camping trip, food memories last, and trying new foods is all part of the awesome adventure of spending time outdoors.