Vicky Awesome Meal Ideas
Whatever food you take with you, you will want to make sure it is easy to prepare, it needs little or no refrigeration and most importantly you like it. Make sure you take enough food with you to make some awesome meal ideas for you and your camping buddies.
On the first day, you will want to eat your most perishable items such as fresh meat, but you can continue to eat fresh vegetables along with your dry and tinned goods. Planning your food is vital to enjoying your outdoor experience and getting the most out of your fresh and relaxing time, communing with nature.
To make the task of camp cooking as easy as possible, make sure you have all the portions you need. And everything is already measured for your awesome meal ideas. You won’t want to be dealing with any leftovers and you won’t be able to dispose of items safely unless you are at a commercial camping ground. You don’t need to go without but try to pack only as much as you will eat. Here are some menu suggestions to help you.
Breakfast
You can prepare this satisfying breakfast all in one pan, so enjoy it alone or share it with your camping friends. You will need:
- 3 sausages
- 3 eggs
- 1 small potato
- 1/4 cup grated cheese (or simply slice it thinly with your camping knife)
- 3 tablespoons milk (this can be made with powdered milk and water)
Cook the sausages then cut them into small pieces. Cut the potato into small pieces and saute them in the sausage fat. Beat the eggs and milk together and add to the potatoes. When the egg is almost cooked, add the sausage pieces and cheese. It is ready to eat when the cheese is melted.
A few other breakfast suggestions are:
- Breakfast cereal
- French toast
- Pancakes
- Instant hot cereal such as porridge
- Cold cereal
- Bagels/muffins/crumpets/doughnuts
- Fruit
- Hot chocolate, hot tea or coffee
Main Meals
For a tasty, hearty dinner try making yourself this easy chilli dish. It is not only delicious, but it is also nutritious. For this awesome meal idea you will need:
- 1 lb (450g) minced beef
- 6 large tomatoes (or tinned tomatoes)
- 1 chopped onion
- 1/2 diced green pepper
- 2 cups of dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight or boiled and simmered for two hours
Chilli seasoning
Firstly, brown the ground beef in a pan then combine all the remaining ingredients and simmer for half an hour. Season to taste and enjoy.
If you plan to do some fishing, you may be lucky enough to be catching your own meals and you will be eating freshly caught fish. First, gut and scale the fish then simply place it on top of some aluminium foil. Top the fish or fill the cavity of the fish with a few slices of lemon, onion and tomato and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the fish in the foil and rest it over the greying coals. A few minutes on each side should be enough depending on the size of the fish.
Why not try fish on a stick? All you’ll need is a green, hardwood stick and your cleaned fish. Thread the stick through the fish and hold it over the hot coals. Cook both sides until the fish flakes at the thickest part. Serve the fish with foil-wrapped potatoes that have been cooked in the coals. Be careful the fish doesn’t fall off into the fire when you’re cooking it.
Following are a few other ideas for main meals:
- Hamburgers
- Vegetable stew
- Steak
- Grilled chicken
- Pasta with alfredo sauce
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Toasties made in a jaffle iron over the hot coals. (Use leftover chili to fill them, or baked beans)
Fresh air always helps to work up an appetite and whether you are lounging next to a calm lake or hiking into the mountains, you will always want some snacks to keep up your energy. Fresh fruit, dried fruit and trail mix are always excellent choices as they are healthy, high in energy and have very little waste. Always take a bottle of purified water and something to eat when you go off for a wander.
