Super-duper easy camping meals for families

Kids can be picky eaters so we’ve made sure the recipes below can all be tailored to your family’s taste buds. We know that you’d rather spend your time enjoying your family camping trip rather than standing over a pan for hours so these ideas are quick and simple. Carry on reading for quick, easy camping meals for kids that the whole family are sure to enjoy.

Grilled mini pizzas

This recipe requires access to a grill and is perfect for getting the kids involved in the preparation because it’s super easy.

Ingredients:

• English Breakfast muffins (half for one pizza)
• Pizza sauce
• Cheese (the pre grated bags are perfect when camping)
• All of your favourite toppings

Directions:

Spread your pizza sauce on halves of the muffins. Sprinkle generously with cheese and add toppings as desired. Place in griddle pan and grill until the cheese is melted and toppings cooked.

Camp nachos

Fun sharer with plenty of room to experiment with toppings.

Ingredients:

• Bag of tortilla crisps
• 1 can of refried beans
• Black olives (or substitute with preferred topping)
• Grated cheese
• ½ diced onion
• Two tomatoes
• 1 jar of salsa
• Jalapeños (or substitute with preferred topping)

Directions:

Place a layer of crisps on the bottom of a large pan followed by half of the beans, cheese, onion, tomatoes, salsa and any other toppings you’ve picked. Place a second layer of crisps on top, followed by the remaining ingredients. Cover the pan with foil and let it cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Breakfast burritos

Tasty breakfast favourites wrapped in a yummy tortilla.

Ingredients

• Tortilla wraps
• Sausages
• Bacon
• Fried onions
• Grated cheese

Directions:

Lay a tortilla wrap (one per person) on a piece of foil. Place all ingredients into the centre of the wrap before folding up into a burrito shape. Wrap foil around the burrito and warm over your camping stove for 5 minutes on each side, or until the cheese is melted and ingredients warmed through. Allow the cheese to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Fried rice

Great for sneaking in vegetables and perfect for using up any fresh ingredients before heading home. Switch up the vegetables with any left overs or favourites.

Ingredients:

• Around 1 cup of cooked rice
• 1 or more eggs
• Tinned corn
• Chopped mushrooms
• Red or yellow diced pepper
• ½ a tin of chopped tomatoes (drain well)
• Diced carrot
• Diced onion
• Protein of choice (beans, chicken, chorizo)
• Soy sauce
• A little oil for cooking

Directions:

Scramble eggs in a little oil until cooked through, remove from pan and put to one side. Fry the onion in the pan until translucent, add additional vegetables and protein at this stage. Add rice, followed by soy sauce, mixing all ingredients well. Finish by stirring through the egg and serve once cooked through.

Potato boats

Baked potato with plenty of your favourite filling and an added twist. Bake your potatoes in advance at home, wrap in foil and you’re ready to go.

Ingredients

• Baked potatoes sliced width ways several times (switch things up by using sweet potato)

Optional ingredients

• Sliced ham
• Grated cheese
• Baked beans

Directions

Place your favourite baked potato fillings in-between each slice of baked potato. Wrap the filled potato in foil, making sure to seal well. Place in pan over your gas stove and warm until ingredients are piping hot. Allow to cool before unwrapping and serving.

Sweet potato and bean tacos

Yummy pockets of nutritional goodness.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 medium sweet potato (cut into ½ inch cubes)
• Pack of corn tortillas
• ½ a diced red onion
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of cumin (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• Salsa (optional)
• Avocado (optional)

Directions:

Add 1 tbsp oil to pan and cook potatoes for approx. 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cumin at this point and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Move potatoes to one side. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in pan, add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the beans and chilli powder to the pan and mix thoroughly, cooking until the beans are heated through. Add the potatoes back into the beans and warm through. Assemble the tortillas with the potato and bean mixture, adding any extras such as salsa and avocado and serve.

One pot macaroni and cheese

This recipe will serve around 6 hungry campers, so adjust recipe accordingly.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 3 cups of macaroni pasta
• 3 cups of grated cheese
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella (optional)
• ½ cup cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (optional)

Directions:

Add the milk and pasta into a medium saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil, stirring to stop the pasta from sticking. Once the macaroni is tender and the milk has thickened, remove from the heat and add all other ingredients. Stir until smooth and creamy and serve hot.

Pork and pineapple skewers

Ingredients:

• Evenly cut pieces of pork
• 2 tbsp of your favourite seasoning
• ½ a small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Skewers

Directions:

Mix the pork and seasoning. Thread the pork and pineapple onto skewers and brush with the oil. Cook the skewers for 3 minutes on each side on a barbecue or on your camping stove until nicely charred and cooked through. Serve with rice, salad or pasta with a squeeze of lime.

Marshmallow and fruit kebabs

Gooey after dinner treats, great for kids and adults alike.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of marshmallows
• Chocolate spread
• Fruit of your choice (we like strawberries, bananas and grapes for this!)
• Metal or wooden skewers

Directions:

With adult supervision, allow kids to thread a selection of goodies onto the skewers, alternating between fruit and marshmallows. Carefully hold over your gas stove until the marshmallows are toasted. Drizzle in chocolate spread, allow to cool and enjoy.

Chocolate baked bananas

A chocolate fix in minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana for each person
• Chocolate chips or chunks
• Mini marshmallows
• Chopped nuts

Directions

Place bananas onto individual foil sheets. Slice bananas lengthways (don’t cut all the way through) and insert toppings. Wrap in foil to seal the package and cook on your barbecue or camping stove for 10 – 15 minutes until the toppings are melted and the bananas gooey. Leave to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

That’s it for our easy camping meals for kids, we hope you get creative and enjoy these yummy recipes. Have you seen our camping packing list? It’s a great starting point and helps to take the stress out of a camping trip away. Share your creative meals with us on Instagram or Twitter @Camping_CITF.