Step up your camping game with these easy to make gourmet-ish Campfire Recipes & Tips perfect for your weekend getaway in the woods.
Make Ahead Food
TIP # 1 Prep Your Food Before You Leave
Want a stress free camping trip? Make what you can before you leave, like this Muffuletta Sandwich, which is better the next day anyways. Crusty French bread layered with thin sliced ham, Italian dry salami, smokey provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini and green olive tapenade gets wrapped up tight overnight for the perfect camp sandwich.
Muffuletta Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf Crusty French bread split
- 6-8 tbsp Green olive tapenade
- 1/4 lb Provolone cheese with natural smoke flavor
- 1/4 lb Good deli ham thin sliced
- 1/4 lb Italian dry salami thin sliced
- 6-8 Jarred roasted red peppers in oil
- 6-8 Pepperoncini thin sliced
Instructions
- Scoop out part of the inside of French bread halves and discard.
- Spread green olive tapenade on each French bread half.
- Place a layer of deli ham, a layer of provolone cheese and a layer of Italian dry salami on each French bread half.
- Place roasted red peppers and pepperoncini on one French bread half and cover with other French bread half to complete the sandwich.
- Wrap tightly in Saran wrap,then in Ziplock and place in cooler at least over night or until ready to eat up to 3 days.
Bring Fresh Vegetables
TIP # 2 Pick Up Some Fresh Vegetables & Fruits Along The Way
You’re driving down that perfect country road, passing local farm stands, so why not pick up some fresh vegetables and fruits to add to your meal plan. You can transform any standard campfire meal with the addition of some fresh seasonal finds from the locals. Steamed Asparagus with Charred Lemon & Bacon is a quick campfire side that looks and feels gourmet.
- Place asparagus in cast iron pan and cover with water.
- Steam over fire until just tender.
- While steaming, cook bacon in another pan and place cut lemons on edge of pan to sear in bacon grease.
- Drain water from asparagus, add bacon and squeeze of lemon.
Bacon, bacon, BACON
TIP # 3 Bacon Doubles as Grease for Cooking Your Food
We all know that bacon makes everything better, right? I like to use bacon grease to cook my campfire meals. It not only saves room from not having to pack butter or oil, but adds a lot of flavor to your food. And if you freeze your packs of bacon before you head out on your getaway, they also double as ice packs in the cooler. It’s really a WIN WIN situation.
You see that Ziplock bag floating in the hot campfire water? That’s the easiest, no-mess way of cooking scrambled eggs while camping.
- Before you head out, just crack your eggs in Ziplock bags, add a dash of cream and place in your cooler.
- Keep it to about 6 eggs per large Ziplock bag for evenness of cooking.
- When you’re ready to make breakfast, bring a pot of water to a low boil and drop in the Ziplock bag.
- Make sure the bag doesn’t touch the edge of the hot pot by placing a rubber band around the top and cinching together.
Let Your Drinks do the Work
TIP # 4 Bring Boxed Wine to Use In Your Cooking
Boxed wine has come a long way. I always take a box of red wine with me on camping trips. Not only is it good for drinking, but it works well as a marinade for beef like these Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary & Cherry.
And…Remember that farm stand you stopped at on the way? I hope you grabbed some cherries because they pair perfectly with red wine.
- Pop a few cherries in a Ziplock with your beef short ribs
- Add a plash to 1/2 cup boxed red wine
- Got leftover BBQ sauce packets from the drive thru? Throw those in the Ziplock too or hot sauce packets from Taco Bell
- A little salt and pepper, then let it all sit while you make the fire.
Use Magnesium to start your fire
A fun and easy way to start a fire is by using magnesium. This little block is very powerful and heats to 4000 degrees F. making it a very quick way to start a fire without a lot of effort. All it takes is a block of magnesium and a pocket knife.
- Layer campfire wood either alternating cross ways or teepee style
- Use small pieces of kindling to ensure the fire will catch
- Layer in a few pieces of paper
- Shave off some magnesium onto the paper
- Ignite using a spark tool or lighter
What a great post!! Did you recently go camping? We just got back from Silver Lake Park in Maple Falls and you HAVE TO CHECK OUT THEIR CABINS.. amazing! And it’s a huge campground with very private tent sites too 🙂
Thank you. Yes! We drove Hwy 20 over to Twisp. Just the two of us and found a spot next to the river. It was AMAZING.