Cooking without a kitchen isn’t easy. But there are more possible meal options than you might imagine provided you’ve got fire and some basic crockery.
Below are some ways in which you can elevate your campground cooking game beyond hot dogs and s’mores, potentially producing meals that could be considered ‘gourmet’.
Explore premium canned foods
Canned foods are often seen as a cheap low quality option. But there are more premium options out there for those willing to look beyond their local grocery store. In fact, it’s possible to buy posh foods like duck confit, bouillabaisse and foie gras in a tin. This could be a chance to bring some gourmet flavors to the great outdoors. IMPORTANT: bring a can opener.
Splash out on noodles
Similarly, instant noodles come in various levels of quality. Look for options beyond basic ramen by shopping online or in specialist Asian stores. This guide to the best instant noodles could offer some pointers as to brands worth trying. It’s a tasty and easy to cook meal option.
Experiment with tuna
While canned tuna goes great with pasta and sandwiches, there are many other creative ways to eat it. You can make your own spicy tuna tacos or even mix it in with scrambled egg. You can also explore other canned fishes too like sardines and mackerel.
Pack some spices
Enhance dishes like omelettes and stews by packing a selection of dried herbs and spices. You may even be able to buy spice kits made for outdoor cooking. Keep these somewhere cool and dry so they don’t spoil. Keeping them in an airtight container is recommended to steer off pests that may be attracted to them (although some pests may actually be repelled).
Add UHT milk to sauces
Regular milk will spoil quickly on a camping trip, so opt for UHT milk. This is not only excellent for cereal and hot drinks – you can also add it to sauces to add a creamy texture. In fact, some chefs favor UHT milk in cooking for its sweeter taste. A few dishes that can benefit from UHT milk as an ingredient include pasta alfredo, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese.
Invest in a cooler
A cooler will allow you to preserve foods longer. The amount of time you can keep foods depends on the quality of the cooler you buy. For multi-day ice retention, look into high quality coolers. A rotomolded cooler could also provide added robustness for rugged exploration.
Pre-chop veggies
Having a cooler gives you more freedom when it comes to cooking with veggies. It could give you the option of considering ingredients like broccoli, peppers and carrots. You can even pre-chop veggies and place them in the cooler to take with you to reduce prep time when cooking various meals. Make sure to place these chopped veggies in an airtight plastic tub.
Bring chorizo
Cured sausages like chorizo can last for weeks without being refrigerated provided they are unopened. This makes them excellent meats to bring along and add to dishes like omelette or even paella. There are many different types of cured meats that you can look into. You could even build yourself a picnic charcuterie board with different cured meats in it.
Try Dutch oven pizza
Familiar with Dutch oven pizza? This involves cooking pizza in a cast iron pot. Yes, it can be done – although you may want to practise it at home before you go camping. You’ll need to preheat the pot and and vent the lid with skewers to allow steam to escape and stop your pizza getting soggy. This campfire dutch oven pizza guide explains more.
Challenge yourself to some wild baking
It’s possible to bake brownies and even cakes in a dutch oven if you’re in the mood for a challenge. You’ll need to bring all the necessary baking ingredients with you – make sure that these are all well sealed so you don’t end up with a backpack full of flour. Check out this guide to cooking stovetop chocolate camping cake.
Conclusion
There are endless options when it comes to campfire meals, so long as you are willing to experiment. For multi-day camping trips, it could be worth trying some of these alternative meals to add variety. You’ll also save money by cooking at the campsite opposed to eating out at restaurants.
