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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Camping meals

22 replies

Mallowmarshmallow · 22/06/2021 09:45

We're going away for our first weekend camping trip and was wondering what your favourite camping meals are.

I was planning on taking beige carby stuff for breakfast: brioche, croissants etc with fruit

I was planning a typical sausages/burgers BBQ one night but am struggling with lunches....Or any other dinner ideas.

Tell me your favourites....please!

OP posts:
vincettenoir · 22/06/2021 10:07

You can get pouches of quinoa that don’t need to be kept in the fridge. These are good with olives, jars of peppers, that kind of thing.

GalesThisMorning · 22/06/2021 10:17

Veggie chili made with tins of chili beans and some veg and maybe a tin of tomatotes, served with rice in pouches is easy. Grilled cheese sandwiches, porridge, pasta pesto (fresh pasta cooks in no time), sausages, bacon rolls, stir fries with straight to wok noodles, curry with a jar of sauce and some chicken and veg - all easy to cook on a camping stove. Bring long life milk and little cereal boxes for a treat breakfast. Gnocchi (the kind in packets that you find next to dried pasta) can be sauteed with a little olive oil straight from the packet and winds up kind of like little roasties. Rotisserie chicken from a supermarket with salad, baguettes and dips. Ready made falafel with similar accompaniments.

All that above plus meals out, BBQ, and fish and chips (after all, you're on holiday!)

Rainbowqueeen · 22/06/2021 10:19

A frozen curry from home for the first night - let it defrost on the wet and it helps keep everything else cool
Burritos or tacos
Pancakes

Malin52 · 22/06/2021 10:22

What are your cooking facilities? How many are you feeding? Much depends on whether you have a reuseable bbq and how many hob rings you have.

We cook for four adults on a briefcase BBQ and a Trangia (teeny meths fired one pot stove) but it involves complicado sequencing of foodstuffs!!

bert3400 · 22/06/2021 10:29

You need to think of one pot cooking . Sausage casserole with chick peas is good, especially if you can get spicy/Herby sausages as then the flavour the sauce . We always take a chorizo sausage as that doesn't need the fridge and can liven up anything ( potato/pasta Rice) . We used to take long life bags of potato rosti ( not sure if you can still get them) also bacon is a must, cause you will smell other campers cooking bacon and then it's game over for your beige breakfast Grin

Malin52 · 22/06/2021 10:37

We usually camp for three weeks, travelling as we go. My suggestions are:

For dinner just go with the BBQ. It's the heart of every camping trip and an event (lovely to have a glass wine as it's starting up/ being prepped) so use that as your main cooker and just consider a range of sides. Easiest if you can do the sides on the BBQ too:

Sausages, steak, fish (tuna steaks are great, salmon in a tin foil bag), lamb koftes with any of the sides below:

  • basic risotto or a neopolitan pasta
  • garlic and onions cooked with cream cheese and wine with leeks, peas or a tin of cannellini beans
  • baby potatoes tossed in butter and garlic and bagged in tin foil and shoved on the bbq
  • corn in the cob
  • baked potatoes (oil and foil and shove directly on the embers)
  • meat/Fish/ veggies/halloumi on sticks
  • asparagus wrapped in cheese and Parma ham and shoved in the bbq for 2 mins

Easy option is burgers and fancy cheese

We love baking a whole Camembert and scoffing that with a board of local salami, other bits and a massive baguette to dip in.

Lunch: honestly just stick to Sarnies and crisps.

Didicat · 22/06/2021 10:43

For the first night because we generally always end up getting there later than planned, it takes us an age to set up etc etc etc I bring homemade bolognaise and fresh pasta pre grated cheese and french bread and proper butter. Fresh pasta cook so quickly so I reheat the bolognaise sauce, then boil the water add the pasta (I do cheat and we have an electric hookup - so I have an electric kettle.) olives and a bag of salad to make it a bit healthier.

I’m so frazzled at the point of doing dinner I need it to be something the kids will eat without moaning about in the slightest!

Fivemoreminutes1 · 22/06/2021 18:44

Instant cuppa porridge www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/quaker-oat-so-simple-cuppa-porridge-golden-syrup-5x557g with added dried fruit for breakfast

John West light lunches for lunch www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/262331092

Fivemoreminutes1 · 22/06/2021 19:13

Last time, for dinner we had:
Veggie tagine groceries.asda.com/product/tinned-meals/asda-vegetarian-chickpea-tagine/1000046667744 with a sachet of instant flavoured couscous
Tinned chilli (I find the veggie chilli best) with sachet of rice
Loyd Grossman lentil bolognese with quick cook pasta

Haywire · 24/06/2021 14:46

Love camping food we have a fire pit and tripod and only go to campsites where you can have a fire for this reason. Can cook one pot type meals on this but have also done all on gas stoves. We have honed over many years a few top dishes. Meatballs and fresh pasta (can bring meatballs fully cooked and frozen) or use jars of sauce we like Aldi pancetta and tomato. Serve with salad and garlic bread cooked on fire. Veggie curry (squash, chickpeas etc and pataks curry sauce, can also freeze in advance ) with rice and naan. Cowboy stew my kids favourite Black-eyed beans, sausages, passata. Sweet potato Some mild spices boil it all up till it tastes good serve with cous cous, slaw and bread or wraps. Quesadillas make great lunch or soup or cheese toasties. Breakfast must be decent coffee bacon sandwich or pancakes with maple syrup and fruit or french toast. Make pancake dry mix at home just add egg and milk. S'mores also good -two digestives with toasted marshmallows sandwiched in-between. I think when camping you need quantity as well as quality it keeps you warm if miserable weather and more fuel needed when outside I think!

MirandaMarple · 24/06/2021 22:25

I'm quite adventurous, I'll cook anything on the bbq/gas I would at home with good planning.

However my all time fave is corned beef hash, mostly from tins. Tinned potatoes, peas, carrots, corned beef, beef oxo, water, dried herbs and a chopped fried onion. Pickled red cabbage on the side or HP.

BunnyRuddington · 25/06/2021 18:06

I usually cook a chilli and freeze it. We have that in the first night with taco chips, just the cheap plain ones from the supermarket.

This year I think I’ll freeze a curry and have that with naan.

Other things that have gone down well are Fajitas, burgers, pasta and we always have fish and chips on the last night. We usually eat out one night as well.

BiddyPop · 29/06/2021 15:41

On Cub camp, for years it was spag bol for dinner, (a parent who does the shopping also cooks the sauce so Leaders only need to reheat while cooking pasta). Always worked well.

New parent took over, makes a cracking spag bol, but also suggested other ideas for variety (there are 2 meals per year she does) - we've had chicken tagine with rice, meatballs in a tomato sauce with pasta, a mild chicken curry with rice, mild chilli con carne with rice etc. All much enjoyed by Cubs who tend to be somewhat fussy (jam or crisp sandwiches are preferred options for lunch rather than ham or cheese). (We usually have pesto or grated cheese on pasta for the veggies - who often just want it plain; or similar easy topping for rice).

When family camping, BBQ is used a lot and we do things properly grilled over coals, but also tin foil parcels, skewers of veggies, a small pot on the corner with beans heating (could just open a tin and take off the lid to leave that on the edge to heat), sometimes baked potatoes in foil in the coals, etc.

Or 1 pot meals on the 1 ring gas stove. I especially like things like fajitas/tacos/quesedillas from a pan with a wrap/tortillas (a pack of doritos, slit open along its side rather than traditional end, and having a dollop of mexican style mix (taco, fajita, even chilli) on top and some grated cheese, and eaten with a fork straight from the bag, can be a great camping style adventure with minimal washing up).

I also am a fan of making life easy when camping, so rice or pasta (or couscous) with a jar of sauce is acceptable to add to chicken/prawns/whatever - when I would try to make those sauces from scratch at home. At home I add a load of veggies, on camp I add what is easy but might not add any and just have salad at lunch or raw veggies to nibble etc instead if that works out best.

I know I have cooked pizza on a frying pan before - dry fry one side of the base, have all toppings ready, flip base, put toppings on top straight away, put a lid on to keep heat in to melt cheese and cook long enough for other side of base to cook and toppings to heat/cheese melts etc. Garlic bread can be wrapped in foil for a BBQ - or just melt garlic butter in a pot (get butter melted but also cooks the rawness from garlic) and pour straight onto already sliced nice bread (which you could have toasted on BBQ/fire if you have that capacity).

Pop into shop in late afternoon for a crunchy french stick, salad, and a hot rotisserie chicken - leftovers good for lunch next day.

Good hearty salads are also good - whether on their own or as the side to a piece of nice chicken or fish from BBQ or pan.

Also - for breakfasts:
French toast is great (whisk an egg on a plate, dip both sides of bread in flat so both sides covered, cook in a pan greased with some butter (best) or oil) and filling and (relatively) nutricious. (Could use pancake style toppings below or jam - but perfectly tasty with nothing added).
Pancakes are not as daunting as they sound - make the dry mix in a ziploc bag or (empty and clean) plastic milk carton with screw on lid at home (flour, salt, sugar, raising agent). On camp, add in milk and reseal the bag/carton, mix (squish with hands or shake well depending on container) well until all flour is wet and there are no lumps. Cook in dollops on a pan with some oil (better) or butter, serve with fresh fruit, chocolate spread, or bacon, as desired. Make them more american style - thicker batter (less liquid), smaller rings but thicker (deeper) - rather than crepes.

And if there are kids around, who are often badgering for food before it's ready:
Apples and oranges cut into segments and left in a bowl are good for snacking generally, or berries/grapes.
Raw veggies like carrot sticks, chucks of diced red/yellow pepper, whole cherry tomatoes (celery sticks, cucumber sticks/slices, olives, avocado chunks etc - whatever your family would eat) are also useful in bowls to snack on, especially in the period while meals are cooking

mrsm43s · 29/06/2021 16:45

For just a weekend camping, I'd do lots of the prep at home.

So chicken fajitas - cut chicken into strips and freeze. Then take frozen chicken with you and let it defrost before cooking. Mix up fajita seasoning in advance (or buy a packet) and take ready mixed. Slice onions and peppers and take them with you ready sliced in tupperware. Buy ready made guac and sour cream. Pre-grate cheese and put in a tub, pre slice lettuce and toms. Then its really easy just to stir fry the fajita mix and quickly pan fry the tortillas before serving.

Chilli con carne - I'd premake and freeze the chilli mix, then take boil in the bag rice and grated cheese. I'd not bother with veg on the side, but probably take some tinned fruit for pudding.

Curry - again, dice and freeze the chicken. Dice and store in tupperware any veg you want to add (or use tinned chickpeas/tinned spinach/tinned lentils etc). Use tinned toms and curry powder. Boil in the bag rice. Fruit for pud.

Mac and cheese - take dried pasta, but ready made cheese sauce. Serve with grilled tomatoes.

Bacon sarnies for breakfast are much easier than a proper fry up, and you still get that satisfying bacon smell in the morning!

Take one of those on stove coffee pots for real coffee (not necessary, obviously, but a good cup of coffee in the morning makes camping sooo much better!)

Depending on your camping stove, you can do baked camembert for lunch which is lush (you'll need a stove with a lid that can work like an oven, not just a ring). This is lovely with baguette and carrot/celery/cucumber sticks (sliced at home before leaving).

Pre cooked jacket potatoes can be wrapped in foil and warmed up in the campfire. Just take some pre grated cheese and a tin of beans to top.

Whatafool123 · 29/06/2021 16:50

I haven't seen anyone mention it but am a bit of a skim reader, so apologies if they have. I saw on TV recently a chef make an omelette (as in beat the eggs, add the cheese, ham, seasoning etc, then put all the raw ingredients together into a plastic bag). When they arrived at camp they put the bags into boiling water for a bit and then had themselves a couple of delicious looking (and apparently tasting) omelettes. I plan to try that on our next camp.

Usually we do spag bol on the first night, like many, and then a chilli maybe, BBQ, sausage and bean cowboy stew, anything you can do in one or two pots.

Whatafool123 · 29/06/2021 16:54

@Malin52

What are your cooking facilities? How many are you feeding? Much depends on whether you have a reuseable bbq and how many hob rings you have.

We cook for four adults on a briefcase BBQ and a Trangia (teeny meths fired one pot stove) but it involves complicado sequencing of foodstuffs!!

We also have a Trangia, but have pimped it with the addition of a gas adaptor thingy - boils a kettle in no time (the meths burner took about 4 hours (or that was how it felt at the time, and I have no patience for a cup of tea).
fuzzyduck1 · 06/07/2021 16:34

Egg in a roll and tins of custard.

EvilPea · 06/07/2021 16:43

Ridge monkey sandwich toaster.
Perfect for lunch and late night nibbles.

languagelover96 · 18/07/2021 09:34

Sandwiches- perfect for camping out.

Vebrithien · 18/07/2021 09:46

Home Bargains sell the cupboard stable packets of rosti and sauteed potatoes with onions.

Invisimamma · 18/07/2021 09:58

Pot noodles or super noodles, not something we eat at home often but quick and easy for camping. Also tinned spaghetti and sausages, my kids love that.

Tortillini pasta cooks really quickly, much quicker than dried pasta.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 18/07/2021 10:44

Use quick cook pasta www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/255340108 We always cook more than we need so that we can make a pasta salad for lunch the next day with tinned tuna, tinned sweetcorn and sachets of mayonnaise.

We’re doing falafel www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/alfez-lebanese-style-falafel-150g in wraps tomorrow

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