Planning, packing, and shopping for a camping trip can be exhausting, especially when kids are involved, and even more so when people in your group have dietary restrictions. This article is intended to be a starting place for your meal planning. A little prep work in advance can make for easier mealtimes, such as pre-cooking taco meat or marinating chicken. These meals are easily adaptable and quantities can be approximated and adjusted. They are naturally gluten free, and substitutions can be made for the ones that aren’t without sacrificing too much!
My favorite camping food strategy is to prepare meat and/or rice in advance, and freeze it laying flat in a freezer bag so that it helps keep the cooler…cooler. If I’m putting a bag of raw, marinated frozen meat in the cooler I always lay it flat on the bottom in case of leaking, and other items in the cooler are not contaminated.
Of course, take extra care to educate yourself and check labels for hidden gluten if someone in your group is highly sensitive. We are fortunate that although we feel much better when we avoid it, we are not dealing with a serious allergy.
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What you’ll need
-Fire or camp stove supplies
-High sided pot suitable for fire
-Large cast iron skillet – check out our favorite one here: https://amzn.to/3UuIk0R
-Medium sized prep bowl
-Campfire pie irons like these: https://amzn.to/3QDOPxc
-Spatula
-Large spoon
-Can opener
-Peeler
-Knife
-Foil
-Heat resistant gloves – https://amzn.to/3wCTKrc – makes working with food at the campfire so much easier!
-Roasting sticks
-a set of these scrapers to make clean up easier – find them here: https://amzn.to/3UQCzf5
Biodegradable dish soap like this: https://amzn.to/4aheKl8 and a dish scrubber
Breakfasts
Oatmeal with pecans and brown sugar
- Rolled oats
- Pecans
- Pinch of salt
- Brown sugar
- Follow directions for cooking oats. Add other ingredients to taste.
Breakfast burritos
- Flour or corn tortillas
- Eggs
- Salsa
- Black beans
- Shredded taco seasoned cheese
- Hot sauce if desired
- Wrap tortillas in foil and set near the fire to warm. Cook eggs how you prefer them. Add eggs to tortillas then top as desired with other ingredients.
Lunches or Snacks – no cooking required
- Pre-cooked and cooled hard boiled eggs
- String cheese
- Salad kits
- Tuna pouches, mix with sweet or dill relish and a little mayo
- Yogurt, granola
- Almonds
- Cheese and crackers
- Jerky, salami, etc., although we like to limit processed meat to every now and again
Lunches or Dinners
Campfire nachos
- Block of shelf stable melting cheese
- Jar of salsa
- Taco meat – 1 lb
- Can of black beans, drain and rinse before adding
- Jar of jalapenos if desired, drain before adding
- Tortilla chips
- Make this easier while at camp by pre-cooking, seasoning, and freezing your taco meat flat. Alternatively, you can bring your spices or seasoning packet and cook your meat before adding other ingredients.
- At camp, heat everything together except for the tortilla chips. We like to save on dishes by dipping the cast iron pan like a bowl of queso.
- At Affordable Exploration, we like to eat healthy. This, however, is not one of those meals!
Kielbasa and veggies with rice
- White or brown rice
- Kielbasa
- 2 bell peppers, any color
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- Can of diced tomatoes
- Cooked rice freezes well when allowed to cool completely then spread out flat in a freezer bag. Add it to your sauteed meat and veggie mixture or heat it separately.
- Kielbasa is great for camping because it is cooked and only needs to be heated through. Slicing it up and sauteeing with vegetables makes for a quick lunch or dinner.
Chicken curry with potatoes
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, marinated in olive oil, salt and pepper and frozen flat in freezer bag
- Can of coconut milk
- 1 medium onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- Curry powder to taste
- Bite sized potatoes, wash if needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook onion and garlic together for a few minutes, then add chicken and brown slightly. Add coconut milk and seasonings and stir. Add potatoes on top and allow to braise until tender and chicken is at a safe temperature.
Desserts
Campfire apple pockets
- Apples, peeled and sliced
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Pecans
- Pinch of salt
- Cooking spray or butter
- Foil
- Set out pieces of foil to create your pockets, and grease them with butter or cooking spray. The size of pieces you need will be determined by how many apple slices you place in each one. Peel and slice apples, then pile them on each piece of foil to make individual servings. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon and a pinch of salt on each one. Add a small handful of pecans, seal up the foil packets, and place near the hot coals. Check after 15 minutes for doneness, but it will depend on how much heat you have. Use tongs and heat resistant gloves to protect your hands.
Cherry cheesecake campfire pie
- Crescent rolls, white bread, or gluten free bread of choice
- Cream cheese
- Cherry pie filling
- Cooking spray or butter
- Grease a campfire pie iron with butter or cooking spray. Use crescent rolls to cover one side of the iron, sealing any seams between the dough pieces.. Add a few spoonfuls each of cream cheese and cherry pie filling, being careful not to overfill. Cover with another layer of crescent rolls, sealing any seams to make an enclosed pie. Attach the other half of the pie iron and cook over the fire until done. Check after 10-15 minutes but it will likely take longer. It will depend on the heat of your fire.
Smores, of course
- Gluten free graham crackers https://amzn.to/3JSYlbV (order these online – these can be hard to find in-store!
- Chocolate bars
- Marshmallows
Happy gluten-free camping!
Emily