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10 Easy Lunch Camping Recipes


More from Outdoor Living Newsletter May Outdoor Living Newsletter
 
Pot cooking on a campfire
Enjoy these great tasting lunch recipes on your next camping trip.

Lunch is the time of the day when you can replenish your body after a whole morning of outdoor activities during your camping trip. At the same time, it gives you an opportunity to fuel up so that you and your family can continue enjoying the rest of the day.

Many times, campers and RVers have their lunch away from their campsite. So we need lunch recipes that have ingredients light and easy to bring, easy to prepare, and still taste great.

Here is a list of 10 camping lunch recipes that are not only delicious, but can be prepared in advance and require minimal or no cooking and are easy to carry.

1.  Cowboy Casserole

This high protein lunch of hamburger, beans and bacon topped over warm biscuits is hearty and filling, especially after a long hike. To make things easier, cut the bacon and onions before you leave your campsite and store these in an airtight container.

Serves: 5
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound bacon, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 15 oz. cans baked beans
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 7.5 oz. package biscuit dough, cut into serving size pieces

Instructions:

  1. 1.  In a large skillet pan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until they are evenly brown. Set aside, leaving as much of the oil behind.
  2. 2.  Sweat the onion in the bacon oil.
  3. 3.  Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink.
  4. 4.  Stir in the baked beans, barbecue sauce and bacon into the skillet pan or Dutch oven and bring to a boil.
  5. 5.  Gently place the biscuit dough in a single layer over the top of the mixture. Cover with a lid and allow this to simmer for about 10 minutes.

2.  Grilled Trout with Lemon Butter

Enjoy the fruits of your fishing expedition with friends and family during your camping trip with this very easy lunch recipe. You can prepare the lemon butter sauce in your campsite and pour this into an airtight container.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 6 whole small trout
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • Vegetable oil

Instructions:

  1. 1.  Gut and clean the trout or any fish that you caught. Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavity
  2. 2.  In a bowl, mix the melted margarine or butter, lemon peel, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce very well.
  3. 3.  In a fire pit, set the grill about 3-4 inches from the coals. Brush the grill with vegetable oil.
  4. 4.  Grill the fish, about 17 minutes on each side, making sure to brush the fish with the lemon butter sauce.

3.  Chicken and Rice Continental

Nothing is more comforting that a steaming bowl of chicken soup and rice after a tiring morning of hiking.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 chicken breast halves, diced
  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced, or 1 small can of mushrooms, drained
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil or margarine
  • 2 cans chicken broth
  • 1 can green beans, drained
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 3 cups instant rice
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. 1.  In a large skillet pan or Dutch oven, saute the diced chicken breast in the cooking oil or margarine.
  2. 2.  Add the mushrooms and garlic. Stir until the mushrooms are cooked.
  3. 3.  Pour the chicken broth and green beans. Bring this to a boil until the green beans are tender.
  4. 4.  Remove the pan or Dutch oven from the heat.
  5. 5.  Add the rice into the mixture. Cover and leave it for about 5 minutes.

4.  Campfire Tuna-Mac

A very easy lunch recipe for camping that even kids can do it.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese
  • 2 cans tuna, drained
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. 1.  Boil a pot of water over a campfire or camping stove.
  2. 2.  Pour the macaroni into the boiling water and cook until they are tender.
  3. 3.  In a separate bowl, combine the packets of cheese and canned tuna. Mix very well. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. 4.  Drain the macaroni and stir into the cheese and tuna mixture.

5.  Tacos in a Bag

This delicious camping recipe can be prepared in advance before you leave your campsite.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 hamburger patties
  • 2 individual bags of your favorite brand of tortilla chips
  • 2 individual cheese slices, sliced into thin strips
  • 2 to 4 lettuce leaves, shredded
  • 2 small tomatoes, chopped
  • Sour cream
  • Salsa

Instructions:

  1. 1.  Grill the hamburger patties until they are cooked on both sides. Allow this to cool.
  2. 2.  In a bowl, crumble the hamburger patties. Add the shredded cheese, salsa, and chopped tomatoes and stir until well mixed.
  3. 3.  Pour your favorite tortilla chips into a bag. Add the meat mixture and shake it up.

6.  Sloppy Joes

Who doesn't enjoy Sloppy Joes while on a camping trip? It's quick, easy, and delicious: everything you'd want from a camping recipe.

Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup catsup
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6-8 hamburger buns

Instructions:

  1. 1.  In a large skillet pan, cook the ground beef until it becomes brown. Drain off the excess fat and set aside.
  2. 2.  Cook the onion in the pan until it starts to sweat.
  3. 3.  Add the rest of the ingredients and the cooked ground beef. Cook until the onions become translucent.
  4. 4.  Serve the Sloppy Joes on warmed hamburger buns.

7.  Pizza

Substitute the pepperoni with leftovers you may have the night before. If you're not camping using an RV, no problem. A skillet pan with a cover would do just fine.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 package flour tortillas
  • 1 small can tomato sauce
  • 1 package shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 package pepperoni

Instructions:

  1. 1.  Take out one tortilla from the package.
  2. 2.  Spread 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce on top of the tortilla. Top with pepperoni or your choice of toppings and Mozzarella cheese.
  3. 3.  Place the pizza in a small skillet and cover.
  4. 4.  Cook the pizza over a campfire or camping stove until the cheese begins to melt.
  5. 5.  Remove the pan from the heat with the cover still on. Wait for 1 minute and then serve.

8.  Turkey Burgers

The low-fat burgers in this lunch recipe for camping can be made even before you make the trip to the campground. Just store this your freezer or cooler and then grill when you're ready to enjoy.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes at home and 10 minutes at the campground
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup non-fat milk
  • 1/2 cup dry oatmeal
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 can cream of low-fat Cream of Chicken soup
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup peanut oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

At Home

  1. 1.  Combine the milk and oatmeal in a large bowl.
  2. 2.  Add the Worcestershire sauce. Stir and allow the mixture to sit for three minutes.
  3. 3.  Mix in the ground turkey.
  4. 4.  Take 1/6 of the mixture and form a large patty. Place in an airtight container lined with greaseproof paper.

While Camping

  1. 1.  Heat the oil in a large skillet pan.
  2. 2.  Put in the patties, making sure that they don't stick together. Cook until they are brown on both sides.
  3. 3.  Place a slice of onion and a slice of green pepper on top of each of the patties.
  4. 4.  Pour the undiluted Cream of Chicken soup over the patties. Add a soup can full of water into the skillet. Simmer for 20 minutes.

9.  Pork Chop Pockets

Not only is this lunch recipe very easy to prepare. The more time that you allow the pork chops to marinate, the more it will suck up the flavors, making them taste succulent and moist.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces of pork chops
  • 1 can concentrated Cream of Mushroom soup
  • Aluminium foil

Instructions:

  1. 1.  Cut out 4 pieces of aluminum foil. Each aluminum foil piece should be larger than the size of the pork chop piece.
  2. 2.  Put the pork chops onto the aluminum foil, one pork chop per aluminum foil.
  3. 3.  Spread 1 tablespoon of the Cream of Mushroom soup concentrate on both sides of the pork chop.
  4. 4.  Fold the aluminum foil, sealing the sides.
  5. 5.  Cook the packages on top of a grill for about 30 minutes, or until steam tries to escape from the foil packages.

10.  Easy Chili

A versatile lunch recipe for camping. You can enjoy this on its own, or topped on some bread, rice or even pasta. If you're watching your diet, simply substitute the ground beef with ground turkey.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 can Mexican flavored stewed tomatoes
  • 1 can red kidney beans or black beans, drained
  • 1 can whole corn kerneled, drained
  • 1 can condensed tomato soup
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:

  1. 1.  In a large skillet pan or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef and onions.
  2. 2.  Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil.
  3. 3.  Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

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