One of the first questions we get at Overland is always about what meals will look like when our students are camping, hiking, and backpacking. You might picture dehydrated, flavorless mush, but in reality, you can create amazing meals away from the comfort of your home kitchen, with lightweight, fresh ingredients and a camp stove. The best part about all of these recipes? They can be made with just one pot or pan!
Keep reading for some of my favorite go-to meals for when I’m camping. They’ve always been hits when leading Overland trips with groups of students, but they can also be scaled down for solo adventures.
Breakfast
Start your day with something delicious that will convince you to hop out of your cozy tent. I always try to think about foods that are well balanced with carbohydrates to fuel me for my adventures that day and lots of protein for a satisfying meal that will keep me full until lunch!
Oatmeal is always my go to on the trail. It’s filling and serves as such a great canvas for tons of yummy toppings.The following recipes are great inspiration for spicing up this basic meal while you’re out camping!
Find yourself with some extra time around camp in the morning? This mountain breakfast skillet with potatoes, eggs, and peppers is the perfect meal to enjoy around a morning campfire with friends.
Dinner
A warm meal at the end of the day is always worth the additional time around the camp stove. For dinners while camping, I try to go for recipes that will be wide crowd pleasers that everyone can look forward to.
Noodle-based dishes seem to be the easiest application of the one-pot method over a camp stove. Here are some great basic recipes to reference!
You can also consider bringing pre-boxed time saver meals like Annie’s Mac and Cheese, RiceAroni, or boxed mashed potatoes for lightweight “bases” to add veggies, sauces, and protein to. For example: Choose a flavored quick rice as your base. Mix and match with broccoli, carrots, snap peas, chicken sausage, tofu, beans, or ground beef. Select a sauce that matches your flavor profile and you’ve got a delicious well rounded dinner ready to go!
Dessert
Last but not least, who doesn’t love a sweet treat at the end of the day! These desserts are perfect for when you’ve got some extra time around camp at night.
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Cooking at camp can certainly feel intimidating; you’re limited on supplies, daylight, and weight! Hopefully, with this great arsenal of camping recipes, you’ll feel more ready to take the lead on meal planning for a group camping trip, or be ready to go out and adventure solo knowing you’ll be well fueled for all of your activities.
