Simple, Easy Camping Meals + Our Favorite Pasta Salad Recipe
Our family loves to camp. Time by the water, checking off a new National Parks, exploring together on hikes. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for cooking. Which is great because I don’t love camping cooking. When we booked four camping trips within two months last summer, I knew that I needed the perfect camping menu to enjoy during each trip. No need to recreate the wheel each time we head out. This is our go to camping menu and I can’t wait to enjoy it again this summer!
A few things to know about this menu:
Almost everything is prepped ahead of time! Most meals are ready in 5 minutes. The longest ones take about 20 minutes.
Everything can be cooked over the campfire or a propane stove.
Foil is your best friend. You’re going to need a good amount of it to cook these items.
BREAKFAST - No-cook yet protein packed for a day of adventure!
Banana Bread Muffins (or any kind of muffin that can handle travel wear and tear, aka not crumbly!)
Yogurt with Granola, Sliced Bananas, and Honey
Hardboiled Eggs
Coffee… so much coffee!
LUNCH
Pasta Salad - unquestionably the best camping lunch meal. Hearty, delicious and so, so easy. See the recipe below!
Sandwiches - Deli Meats and Cheeses at the campsite or down by the lake. Peanut Butter and Jellys for hikes.
DINNER - Everything can be cooked over a campfire!
Carnitas Burritos - We love the carnitas from Trader Joe’s. Wrap the carnitas in foil and heat them over the campfire. We like to prep Mexican Rice ahead of time and heat it over the fire wrapped in foil or in a pot on the stove. For refried beans, we just open a car and put it straight over the campfire. (Watch out, it might boil over!) Throw those tortillas over the campfire grate (over foil, of course) and then wrap up the burritos, add in your toppings (sour cream, salsa, hot sauce), and enjoy!
Roast Beef Melts - Grab a large loaf of bread and slice it. Then build roast beef sandwiches within the slices (see the photo above). It’s the best when you combine both provolone and mozzarella with the roast beef. Want to go the extra mile? Heat some beef broth to serve as a dipping sauce. This qualifies as fine dining when camping.
Hot Dogs and Garbanzo Bean Salad - A camping classic! We never eat hot dogs except for when we camp. The kids love hot dogs, but we also usually pack Italian Sausages for the adults. Put them on your marshmallow skewers and cook them on the fire. I love some Potato Salad for a summer meal, but mayo doesn’t travel well. This Chopped Chickpea Salad is the perfect stand in with the same fresh, crunchy taste.
DRINKS + SNACKS
Of course, S’mores!
Celery Juice - I love packing Celery Juice or another healthy juice to enjoy each day so that I don’t forget to eat some veggies.
Cut Up Veggies and Fruit - If they’re cut and ready to eat, my kids are more likely to eat them and, honestly, I’m more likely to serve them.
Beers - the perfect camping beverage.
Sparkling waters, water dispenser, and snacks, especially chips to pair with our sandwiches are always on the list as well.
Pasta Salad & Celery Juice for lunch by Suttle Lake, Oregon
SUTTLE LAKE PASTA SALAD
Ingredients:
Spinach Tortelinni (we love Trader Joe’s pack)
Salami
Provolone & Mozzarella Slices
Grape Tomatoes
Spinach
Dressing (Olive Oil, Lemon, Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Cook tortellini to the instructions and then cool.
Mix the dressing and season to taste. Store in a mason jar.
Slice Salami into stripes.
Cut grape tomatoes in half.
Cut cheeses into squares (roughly the size of the tortellini).
Chop Spinach.
Assemble the salad in layers to keep longer during travel. In a large ziplock bag, layer: spinach tortellini, cheeses, salami, tomatoes, and then spinach.
While camping, mix together and then add dressing to your preference.
What are your favorite go-to camping meals?
