Fun Campsite Recipes
Fun Recipes & Healthy Snacks
Campsite Recipes
Everything tastes better roasted over an open fire. Maybe that's why campfire cooking is so popular. Camping can be a great family activity and something kids will remember throughout their life.
Here are some outdoor cooking recipes to make your camping trip, backyard barbeque or even holiday time extra fun.
"Campfire Stack" Salad
(Healthy anytime!)
Oregano Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Set aside.
Salad:
2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into pieces
3 large carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
Blanch the asparagus: bring a large pot of water to a boil, then drop the asparagus spears in for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the water and "shock" them briefly in a bath of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the green color. Drain thoroughly. Blanch the green beans: Repeat the same process, cooling a little longer, about 5 to 7 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the carrots, black beans, and green beans. Toss together until well mixed. Drizzle with half the Oregano Vinaigrette and mix thoroughly.
Place a small pile of salad mix in the center of 6 small plates. Build a "campfire stack" by arranging 4 or 5 asparagus spears leaning against each other over the salad. Drizzle a little vinaigrette on each stack and serve.
If taking to a picnic, keep salad mix and vinaigrette separate until ready to serve, then mix and plate.
(Recipe courtesy Ingrid Hoffmann, Food Network)
Banana Split S'Mores
Ingredients:
6 bananas, in the skin
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
6 large graham crackers
1. Set or light your grill to medium heat, or build a small campfire.
2. Make a long slit in each banana from stem to root, through the skin and down to, but not through, the skin on the other side. Gently push in on either end to open the banana. Divide chocolate chips and mini marshmallows among bananas, pressing with your fingers to fit as much as possible. (It’s OK if the banana smushes a bit).
3. Wrap each banana in aluminum foil and place on the center of grill or around perimeter of fire. Cook 5 minutes, or until chips and marshmallows are melted and banana is warm. Serve immediately with graham crackers for dipping. Serves 6. (Recipe by Keri Fisher)
Snakes on a Stick
Ingredients:
2 (11-ounce) packages refrigerated bread stick dough
4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Cinnamon sugar (1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
1. Set or light your grill to medium-high heat, or build a small campfire.
2. Divide dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rope about 10 inches long. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Wrap each “snake” around a stick at least 24 inches long, leaving at least 16 inches at the end for holding. Pinch the ends of dough onto sticks or pierce the end of rope and then wrap around stick.
3. Hold sticks over heat and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and firm, about 10 minutes. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle half the snakes with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and half with cinnamon sugar. Return to fire until topping is melted and browned, about 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Yield: 24 “snakes.”
If the kids get tired of holding the “snakes” over the fire, you can just brown them over the fire quickly and then finish cooking over a cooler part of the grill. (If you have a gas grill, the top rack is a good place for this.) Also try other seasonings on the snakes, such as Cajun seasonings, garlic salt and red pepper flakes. (Recipe by Keri Fisher, relishmag.com)
Camp Bread
Ingredients:
1 16 oz. package hot roll mix
1 Tbsp snipped fresh rosemary or basil or 1 Tsp. dried rosemary or basil, crushed
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
cornmeal
Directions:
Prepare hot roll mix in a 10-inch Dutch oven according to package directions, adding the rosemary or basil and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the dry ingredients (omit kneading step). Remove dough.
Grease the Dutch oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough in Dutch oven. Using greased hands, gently press dough evenly into the bottom of Dutch oven. If desired, use a small knife to make a decorative pattern on top of the bread. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover and let rise in a warm place until dough nearly doubles (30 to 40 minutes).
Cover Dutch oven and arrange 8 to 10 hot coals around the edge of the Dutch oven and 10 to 12 hot coals on the lid. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden, rotating the Dutch oven a half-turn halfway through cooking. Makes 12 servings. (courtesy KOA .com/recipes)
Banana Boats
Ingredients:
Bananas
Chocolate Bars
Marshmallows
Directions:
Peel a banana back but don't pull the peel completely off. Slice it longways so it looks like a hot dog bun. Put marshmallows, chocolate bar pieces, and chocolate syrup in the sliced area. Then wrap the banana back up in its peel. Then wrap the banana in foil and put in the hot coals. Leave for about 10 minutes. Unwrap the foil and the banana peel and enjoy. The banana is so soft, along with the melted marshmallows and chocolate.
You can also do variations with carmel syrup, strawberries, peanut butter. Anything that tastes good with bananas works great. We try all kinds of combinations. (courtesy KOA .com/recipes)
Donuts Surprise!
Ingredients:
cake doughnuts, cut in half like a bagel
favorite fruit, sliced apples, pineapple rings, peaches, berries etc.
1/2 c sugar
3 Tbsp cinnamon
Directions:
Cut cake doughnuts in half like a bagel and add the fruit of your choice- fresh sliced apples, canned or fresh rings pineapples, canned or fresh peaches etc. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 3tablespoons. of cinnamon - adjust to your taste. Replace the top half of the doughnut, wrap in foil and place in embers or over the grill for 5 - 7 minutes. Use different fruits and it will be a great breakfast surprise to see who gets what kind. (courtesy KOA .com/recipes)
Orange Half Muffins
Ingredients:
• oranges
• instant muffin mix
• tin foil
Directions: Cut an orange in half and take out the insides. Pour prepared muffin mix in one half of the orange. Put the other half back on the orange and wrap foil around the whole thing. Place in hot coals or off the side or on a rack to bake the muffin inside of the orange shell. This tastes wonderful and gives the muffin a zesty taste.
(Courtesy of Wisconsin State Parks)
Frozen Campfire Chicken
Frozen chicken parts may go on a picnic if a “cook-out” is planned. Wrap chicken in waxed paper and then in newspaper to carry in the picnic hamper. It will thaw in probably 3 to 4 hours.
Ingredients: • Frozen chicken parts; • Butter
Optional: onions; potatoes; salt, pepper or desired seasonings
Directions:
1. Wrap individual servings or raw chicken and a piece of butter in large squares of aluminum foil. If desired, add peeled and thickly-sliced onions, sliced potatoes, salt
and pepper and any desired seasonings before closing package securely.
2. Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours on a rack over hot embers, turn carefully once to cook evenly.
3. Serve right in the foil packets on picnic plates with buttered hot biscuits. (Courtesy of dltk-kids.com)
Foil Dinner: Pork Chops
Pork chops (for how ever many there are)
Cream of mushroom soup (condensed) either golden or regular
Minute rice (uncooked)
Small amount of water
Pull aluminum foil to fit over the pork chop because you will be
adding ingredients.
Place one pork chop on the foil...place at least two table spoons of
rice on top and then the same amount of soup on top of that. drizzle
with some water. At this point you can also add any seasoning you like.
Fold the foil into a package.
Usually, the packs will let you know the chops are done when steam tries to escape (normal cooking time is about 30 minutes. (Courtesy The Camping Source.com)
Camper's Luau Chicken
( Makes 2 )
3 envelopes onion cup-a-soup
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 whole chicken breast, split
1 small green bell pepper, cut into strips
2 18-inch square pieces heavy-duty aluminum foil
In a small bowl, combine soup envelopes and pineapple.
For each serving, place half the chicken, onion-pineapple mixture and green pepper on foil. Wrap loosely, sealing edges airtight with double fold. Place on grill, seam-side up, over hot coals or high heat, and cook 45 minutes, or until chicken is tender.
Chicken Fajita Tostadas
The kick of fajitas with the crunch of a taco combine in these tostadas. At $1.50 per serving, they're also a tasty bargain. Use pre-made tostada shells and pre-cooked chicken to make prep and clean-up easy.
8 tostada shells
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1 cup refried beans
1 medium green pepper - thinly sliced
1 medium onion - thinly sliced
1 packet (1.25 ounces) taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sour cream and guacamole for garnish -- optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine taco seasoning, water and lime juice and stir well. Pour half of the taco seasoning mixture over the shredded chicken and the other half over the pepper and onion. Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the sauce starts to thicken slightly -- 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add peppers and onions and cook until the sauce starts to thicken and veggies start to wilt -- about 3-4 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
Lay tostada shells on an ungreased baking sheet. Top each shell with 2 tablespoons refried beans, 1/4 cup shredded chicken, peppers and onions and cheddar cheese to taste. Bake until the cheese just starts to melt -- about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with optional garnishes. (By Anne Coleman)
Vegetable Stuffed Chicken Breast
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp capers
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded carrots (and/or green or red peppers)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cup chopped spinach
2 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
Using a chef's knife, split the chicken breast open by slicing three-quarters of the way through the meat, so that it opens like a book. Place the chicken breast in between two sheets of wax paper and pound with a mallet until it is approximately one-quarter-inch thick.
In a large skillet, heat oil and lemon juice over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken breast with garlic powder and pepper and place in the skillet. Cook two minutes and then flip the chicken over to cook the other side for two minutes. Move to one side of skillet. Combine chopped onions, carrots and other vegetables (if you like) and capers in skillet. Continue to flip the chicken every two minutes until thoroughly cooked.
Spoon the vegetables onto the chicken breast and fold in half. Remove stuffed chicken from skillet and serve on chopped spinach. Sprinkle with feta cheese. (Recipe courtesy of active.com)
Mexican Tortilla Soup
Canned goods are always a safe bet while camping!
Servings: Up to 4 / Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large can of Chicken broth
2 cans of white chicken
1 can of whole kernel corn
1 can of Garbonzo bean
1 medium jar of chunky salsa
Directions:
DO NOT DRAIN ANY OF THE CANS!
Just pour everything into a pot and heat like you would a soup and serve with tortilla chips. (Submitted By: Jennifer Houston, campingclub.com)