Packing up and heading for the wilderness doesn’t have to mean eating jerky and trail mix for every meal. With a little planning, you can bring the makings for gourmet dishes with you wherever you go, and make it easy to cook them once you’re there.
Caveat: we’re thinking more car camping than hardcore backpacking here, and hoping (but not assuming) you’ll have access to a grill or at least a fire pit. Incidentally, many of these dishes will also work well as things to bring to barbecues and most are great for picnics too.
When camping in particular, if you’re able to bring a couple coolers (one for drinks, of course) and have space for some extra containers and a pot or pan, you’ll have lots of options that make dinner in your home-away-from-home both easy and enticing.
And while you can do all your prep work at a picnic table provided you bring along your cutting board and knives, isn’t it nicer to do most of the mise en place ahead of time, so once you get to where you’re going you can relax and enjoy it? (Which is also the theory behind choosing slightly less involved recipes, or at least ones that require less of you once you’re set up at your campsite; more ambitious gourmands can make pizza from scratch beside their tents, but we’re not necessarily up for that.)
Breakfast and lunch can be more basic—make some muffins, or pack granola, even bring a batch of cookies, then break out simple sandwich stuff at midday. But in the evening, you’ll want something more substantial—yet you’re also ready to chill by the fire (and maybe by the lake, or the ocean, or under the trees). We’ve got you covered with these perfectly portable meals you can bring along with you.
From hearty make-ahead salads that are good eaten chilled or at room temperature, to pre-assembled skewers you just have to throw on the flames, all of these meals are totally do-able outdoors or in.
Just be sure, when bringing these in a cooler, you wrap them really well—like twice over in foil and then individually sealed in zip-top bags just in case—because if your melted ice water seeps in it’ll ruin all your plans, and your appetite!
Honestly Yum
Yes, we did say sandwiches were for lunch, but certain specimens are hefty and impressive enough for dinner. A New Orleans favorite, muffalettas are stacked with meat and cheese and olive salad, and taste best after sitting for at least a full day. But take these out of the cooler a little while before you want to eat so they’re not too chilled; the flavors and textures will be better for it. And if you want the cheese a little melty and the bread a little crunchy, wrap the sandwiches in foil and toss them on the grill for a few minutes. Get the recipe.
Castello Cheese
A shooter’s sandwich (so called because they were originally packed in saddlebags to serve as lunch during English hunts) is a full meal encased in bread, and traditionally made with steak and mushrooms, though you can alter the filling to suit your tastes. Like a muffaletta, it’s pressed down with weights overnight so everything stays in place and all the juices soak into the bread—so make sure your bread is sturdy enough not to get soggy and fall apart. You can find vegetarian versions too (for instance, this delightfully named Gardener’s Sandwich), but this one doesn’t skimp on the steak, and adds lots of blue cheese for creamy tang. Get the recipe.
Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad
Jo Cooks
Salads can be great camp food—and full meals in and of themselves. You just pack the multiple components separately (lettuce, herbs, and raw vegetables in one Ziploc bag, protein in another, and dressing in its own small tightly-sealed container), then combine them when it’s dinner time. If you prefer to cook your protein on-site, like this chicken boldly flavored with paprika, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, and garlic, you can still pack it in its marinade or rub so there’s no additional wait time later. Or pre-cook at home and simply warm it up when you’re ready, or even eat at room (or forest) temp. The parsley-packed tabbouleh salad might start to get a little soggy after sitting, but you can just drain off the excess liquid and it’ll be fine. (Of course, you could also try some of these pre-salting steps to cut down on the moisture content to begin with. And you might choose to add the tomatoes at the last minute; just bring a paring knife and you can cut them in half right over the bowl.) Bring some hummus and pita to go alongside and you’ll have a feast. Get the recipe.
The Defined Dish
Same deal with this Thai-inspired steak salad—the protein is just as good cold as freshly cooked, so you can enjoy this even if you don’t have a way to reheat it. The salad itself is fresh and healthy, packed with lettuce, Thai basil, mint, and bean sprouts; you might want to wait to chop the English cucumber on-site, or if you’re not bringing a knife, pack it separately so it doesn’t make everything else too juicy. Nuoc cham serves as a pungent, sprightly dressing. (You can definitely follow these same principles with meatless salads too, like this vegan and gluten-free grilled portobello salad; if you feel it needs a bit more substance, add some rice, quinoa, or couscous, pre-cooked or made on the spot.) Get the recipe.
Gimme Some Oven
This pasta salad is bursting with flavor, and with enough mix-ins to fill anyone up—artichoke hearts, olives, peppers, greens, meat, cheese. You won’t need anything else to satisfy you, but you might like stirring in some torn fresh basil and summer-sweet cherry tomatoes at camp for an extra pop of freshness. Get the recipe.
Well Plated
Another cold pasta salad that easily makes a meal, this version coats noodles in a peanut sauce with Sriracha, honey, ginger, and rice vinegar. It takes almost no time to throw together beforehand either, but you could add some shredded chicken or baked tofu to bulk it up a bit. More veggies never hurt, either. (If you don’t do nuts, here’s a version with a soy sauce based dressing.) Get the recipe.
Chowhound
If you’ll have access to a fire, kebabs are a no-brainer. They’re infinitely adaptable—from French chicken kebabs, steak fajita kebabs, and shrimp boil kebabs, to Turkish lamb and eggplant kebabs, BBQ seitan kebabs, and halloumi and vegetable kebabs, there’s bound to be a meal-on-a-stick to suit your fancy. Basically, spear well-seasoned chunks of whatever you like on skewers, wrap them well, and grill them up when you get hungry. You’ve got your protein and veggies all in one place, and all you need alongside is some rice or grains, or even just pita bread, warmed for a few seconds on the grate. Get our Lemongrass Pork and Red Onion Kebabs recipe.
Chowhound
If you’ve ever made a batch of pulled pork, you know it’s delicious the first night, but also just as tasty every day for the next week as you try to find ways to use it all. This version is made in a slow cooker, so you can spend time sorting through your camping gear instead of tending a stove. (And if you’re not into pork, make slow cooker chicken chile verde, slow cooker chicken mole, or slow cooker BBQ beef brisket. Or pulled eggplant or pulled jackfruit if you’re vegetarian.) Then cool it, pack it up, and reheat it in a pot at your site for easy yet decadent sandwiches or tacos. Get our Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe.
Chowhound
Chili is a campfire classic, but if you’re a fan of shortcuts, make it ahead of time in your slow cooker and re-heat it once you’re there (Dutch oven optional). Enjoy as-is in bowls, maybe with some cornbread, or use it in walking tacos, which are perfect for camping since the clean-up is so quick! Get our Easy Slow Cooker Chili recipe.
Lauren’s Latest
There’s no reason you can’t have mac and cheese while camping—and no reason it has to be made from a box, either. This gooey, cheesy recipe is genius in that it has you tote the pre-made mac in aluminum pie plates, so you can simply reheat them on the fire. (The same idea can be used for lots of other foods too, and is similar in principle to our favorite foil packs.) The secret is to let your pasta cool before mixing in the cheese, so it doesn’t glom up when you try to portion it into the pie tins. When it heats up over the fire, it’ll get melty and crispy in spots. Brilliant. Get the recipe.
Indian Food (like Creamy Coconut Vegetarian Korma)
The Endless Meal
You can easily make a batch of korma or curry at home (ditto a batch of rice, perhaps with some raisins and almonds mixed in after cooking) and simply reheat for a quick meal fireside, but to really make it a breeze, just pick up some Trader Joe’s Indian fare. These foil pouches are ideal for heating in a pot of water, making clean-up a snap, and the contents are surprisingly delicious, from smoky eggplant to spicy tomato-sauced chickpeas and creamy lentils. There are lots of similar brands of Indian food in pouches, but make sure your pouch is safe to immerse in water—unless you’re cool with dumping it out into a pot to heat. Bring rice and/or naan, and maybe a nice chutney or raita and you’re all set. If you want to go the homemade route with the vegetarian korma pictured above, get the recipe.
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