Campfire meals hit differently. Theres something about carrying in fresh food to a campsite and whipping up a meal to be remembered. Whether you’re hiking, padding, or driving up to your campsite, cooking your meal over a fire that you’ve built with your own hands is an experience everyone should have. Our view on campsite meals is that you really can replicate anything you cook at home, it just might take a little more preparation but it’s well worth the effort. Most of all is have fun with it!
Here’s a few different campfire cuisine recipes I like to rely on when going camping. This trip took place in September, with colder temperatures which lends itself much better to keeping food fresh than the sweltering days of July and August.
Appetizer: Shrimp Skewers
At home:
Prep/clean raw shrimp on skewers. I like to do 5 or 6 good sized shrimp. Cover with Jerk spice, freeze in a zip lock or vacuum seal. Don’t eat shrimp? No problem! This can be replaced with chicken, beef cubes, or tofu.
At camp:
Grill over open fire until cooked through, I like when the outside starts to crisp up.
This is such an easy one that everyone loves and really ups the class of any camp meal. I feel it pairs very well with this Rum Punch, giving you a great warm Caribbean feel sometimes well needed on a cold fall day.
Rum Punch
1oz Copperhead Coconut pirate rum
¼ freshly squeezed lime
1 squirt Crystal Light Aloha Pineapple Coconut liquid drink mix
1 squirt MiO Fruit Punch Liquid Water Enhancer
Garnish with a lime
Mix and Enjoy!
Main Course: Steak/Chicken/Tofu Fajitas
This is one of my favourites. Easy in camp, filling and can be tailored for your own personal preferences. Like it hot? Add Jalapeños, and cayenne pepper into my mix. I like to pair this with a sweet white wine like Jacob’s Creek Moscato as nothing beats a good sweet/heat combo.
What you need:
Chicken breast
Steak
Fajita mix
Orange yellow and red pepper
Red onion
Minced garlic
Jalapeno (2) – Optional
Large Wraps
Cheese
Salsa
At home:
Pre cook chicken and steak mix with 1/2 package of Fajita mix and some minced garlic. Put in a ziplock bag and freeze. I will sometimes pre slice up my peppers and onions the night before my trip to save prep work in camp. I am also known to use pre grated cheese for my first night to help limit prep work at camp. Make sure anything that may come in a glass container is re-packaged into plastic, for example salsa. We always leave glass at home because the risk of it breaking and making a huge mess just isn’t worth it. Also, many parks don’t allow glass containers.
Pro-tip: If you really want to give this an additional edge, make up a chilli lime sauce at home.
At camp:
Sauté peppers, onions in a hot frying pan with oil and ½ package of Fajita mix. When onions are cooked through add in your chicken and steak mix. Add a small amount of water, this will help mix in the Fajita mix flavouring, once it’s hot all though you’re good to serve. Everyone can dish up their own food or you can prep up a spread and deliver it like the generous campsite host you are.
NightCap
Happy hour! – My favourite hour really
Once the sun goes down, camp chores are done, the fire is roaring and night has set in. You may start to feel the cold creeping in on your back. It’s times like these that I enjoy having a warm night cap. This is a super easy one you will enjoy sipping as you’re sitting around telling stories (or lies) with your friends.
Apple Cider
Hot Apple Cider mix
1 ½ Oz Copperhead Apple Pie moonshine
Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Mix and enjoy