Campout Cooking
Camping is fun for the whole family. Cooking can even be a highlight of the trip instead of a dreaded chore.
Here are a few tips to make your campout meals fun and easy.
Foil Makes Camping Food Easy
Aluminum foil lets you prepare meals ahead of time. Then just put them on the coals and before long you have a great meal. Make sure to use heavy-duty foil then double the foil layers. A grownup should be the only one who places foil packs on the coals (and only a grownup should remove them). They get really hot. Hot coals are better than an open flame.
Here are some recipes:
Silver Turtles. Wrap seasoned hamburger formed into a patty, sliced potatoes, carrots and onions into a foil pouch. To cook, place the pouches in hot coals or over a medium grill for 45 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking.
“Chicken coop” Sausage. Place a pre-made sausage patty on a sheet of aluminum foil. Form a nest of frozen hash browns on top of the sausage. Crack an egg into the depression created by the nest. Wrap the foil into a pouch and set in host coals for 30 minutes.
Orange Cinnamon Biscuits. Take a large orange and slice it in half. Scoop out the halves of the orange, keeping the skin intact. You can use the orange to make orange juice. Place a pre-made cinnamon roll (the ones that come in a tube) into one of the orange halves. Replace the other half of the orange skin and wrap the whole thing in foil. Place the foil ball into hot coals for 10 minutes, turning once during cooking. The cinnamon roll will cook, picking up the flavor of the orange.
Pre-made Meals Make Life Easier
Consider cooking meals before you leave. Taco-seasoned meat can be brought along for a “make your own” taco meal. Casseroles can also be made ahead and frozen. Casseroles, like all frozen foods, can be used in the cooler to keep things cold and will thaw in time for meals.
Shake and pour pancake mixes can make things a lot easier too.
The key is to focus on fun, yummy foods that are quick to make and quicker to clean-up. That way you can have more time to spend focused on the fun part of the meals and the whole camping trip.
