Make your camping trips more fun by preparing many of your meals ahead of time. You'll have more time for hiking, fishing or relaxing by the campfire if you spend less time preparing meals. Making meals before you set out allows you to have a meal on the table within minutes of arriving back in camp after a day of outdoor adventure. Pack your premade meals in resealable, air- and water-tight containers to keep the contents fresh, and store them in a cooler with plenty of ice.
Breakfast Burritos
Make breakfast burrito filling at home by crumbling sausage or dicing bacon in a pan. Brown and drain off any grease, then stir in beaten eggs. Add some chopped-up tater tots and cook until set. For breakfast in camp, warm this mixture in a skillet for a few minutes while you heat tortillas. Serve with salsa and grated cheese for a filling meal that will fuel a long hike.
Pancakes
You can also make pancakes at home. Undercook them slightly and store in a plastic bag with sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap between each pancake. Reheat them in a skillet in camp until lightly browned. Serve with syrup or jam.
Smoothies
For a treat on Day One of a camping trip, whip up some smoothies at home and freeze them in plastic cups. Cover the tops of the cups with foil and set them upright in your cooler. By the next morning they should be thawed. Stir to mix everything thoroughly and serve with a straw.
Wraps
Active campers need portable lunches. Sandwiches smash easily and bread gets stale quickly outdoors. Instead of sandwiches, make roll-ups or wraps. Spread tortillas with cream cheese mixed with horseradish and top with sliced roast beef. Add some red pepper strips and a slice of cheese. Roll up and chill. Or layer turkey and Swiss cheese with avocado and spicy mustard. Even peanut butter and jelly works well on tortillas.
Pasta Salad
Serve pasta salad mixed with canned tuna or chicken. Chill in paper or plastic cups and hand out with forks for quick clean-up.
Spaghetti or Chili
Prepare spaghetti sauce or chili at home and reheat in camp for a quick supper. Boil noodles in camp to go with the spaghetti or serve the chili over corn chips.
Chicken
Precook chicken pieces in the microwave and chill them in a plastic bag, covered with barbecue sauce. Reheat on the grill in camp for barbecued chicken in a hurry. You also can serve cold fried chicken for a picnic supper.
Sides and Desserts
Side dishes such as potato salad or cole slaw, pasta salad, bean salad or mixed fruit keep well in the cooler and require no extra prep work once you arrive in camp. For dessert, make a pan of brownies, or hand out pudding cups.
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