Any ideas for a dinner to freeze for 30 campers?!

[tilbatilba]

My dd aged 13 is going on a school camp for 2 weeks. I am sending dinner for the second night. It will have to leave here frozen and will be stored in an esky

for 48hrs. Even though it will be in an esky the outside temp will be hot as they are doing a lot of desert driving and I therefore don't want to risk chicken etc.

It's got to be easy to reheat after a 12 hour drive. I can't think past a pasta bake or lasagne....can you think of anything more exciting?? There are a few vegetarians amongst the group....could do something separate for them. 30 hungry campers to feed and they leave this weekend!

Also need to provide a long lasting cake...something that will survive for two weeks with no fridge.... grateful for any ideas

For the cake - think of parkin, gingerbread or a type of Christmas cake. All improve with age and will provide loads of energy.

Meal - not a clue! I'm sure someone else will come up with something.

I would suggest vast amounts of chili con carne. Store batches in big ziplock freezer bags. Pack them tightly with ice in the esky.
Send sacs of corn tortilla and a chunk of uht cheese to grate on top.

You can also pre roll the above into burritos. Pack tightly in a large disposable foil dish and freeze the lot.

Depends on size of your freezer and the esky.

I was also going to suggest chilli. However if it is hot out there then they may not prefer too spicy! Good call re the burritos.
Something fruit based for the cake.
Problem may be that other people may have the same idea if they are also sending food.....
Would you be able to do a casserole type thing? Combine it with the vegetarian aspect although vege options can be expensive. I would look at vege sausage casserole?
Good luck!

I would suggest not vast amounts of chilli. [barf] None of my children like it.

Pasta sauce would be my best guess. You could even do two versions and send the pasta separately.

Spagetti and meatballs. Cook the sauce and the meatballs separately then freeze some sauce with no meatballs for the veggies. Send cheese and spaghetti.

Flapjacks for long lasting cake.

Thank you for all your great ideas. Have gone with Himalaya and SoupDragons idea of a sauce, spaghetti and meat balls....just cooked up 4kg of minced beef....it's quite a production.

Am going to make my first ever fruit cake...that will last the distance and will be a good trial run for this Christmas...thanks CowWonders and VoodooMunkee. Would have never thought of flapjacks either-great idea-thank you all.

Are you in Oz by any chance as it s freezing here?