Feast your eyes on this!
Part of TrekSnappy’s whole camping experience is enjoying plenty of good, hearty food each day. We do love our food! So we have decided to share some of our simple, yet tasty meal ideas for easy campsite cooking.
It’s convenient to call at the pub each evening on the way back from a hike, but on a daily basis this can also prove expensive, so our meal ideas offer a money saving option for campers on a budget, without lacking flavour and variety.
Preparation: Having the basics…
We take the basics with us and also buy fresh food along the way, particularly if we are staying at farm campsites where we can buy free range eggs and other goodies. We also try to buy meat from local butchers if we can.
Our camping kitchenware consists of a double cooking stove and gas canister, large cool box and a set of sturdy pots & pans. We regularly use a frying pan, 1 x large pan and 1 x small pan. We have general cooking utensils as we would have in our home kitchen, including a good set of sharp knives, scissors, wooden spoon, and tongs.
We also have a ‘camping cook kit’ of must have items that we take on every trip. This includes rape seed oil, condiments such as salt, pepper, chilli powder and Italian herbs, tomato sauce, mayonnaise, butter, silver foil, and kitchen roll.
Try one of TrekSnappy’s easy campsite Breakfast ideas…
You don’t need to be a Masterchef to to cook up a campsite feast, so try your hand at one of our hearty breakfast ideas.
Good Old ‘English’ Breakfast
- Free Range Eggs (fresh from your farm campsite if sold).
- Lincolnshire Sausages.
- Back Bacon.
- Baked Beans.
Easy to cook in the frying pan. Fry sausages first with a small amount of oil. Next, add the bacon. When the meat is almost cooked through, crack the eggs in the same pan (to save on washing up!). Heat beans through in a separate pan. Serve with tomato sauce or HP Daddy’s (brown sauce).
Why not go for the ‘Full Monty’!
A variation on the above – this time with black pudding and plum tomatoes added. You could also add hash browns. A mighty tasty breakfast and one of our favourites!
Cream Cheese, Salmon & Poached Egg Bagel
- Sliced Smoked Salmon.
- Free Range Eggs.
- Onion Bagel or Seeded Roll.
- Cream Cheese or Cottage Cheese.
Toast the bagel then spread with cheese. Lay smoked salmon pieces over the cheese. Then poach an egg and place on top. Season to taste. Voila! We love it with lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
Jam Croissant with Mixed Fruit, Yoghurt & Granola
- Croissant.
- Fruit Jam.
- Fruit e.g. Banana, Grapes, Strawberries.
- Yoghurt.
- Granola.
Cut the croissant in half and spread with jam. Slice the fresh fruit into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle with a handful of granola, then pour over yoghurt. A great light, healthy breakfast pre day hike!
Spicy Cheese, Chorizo & Tomato Scrambled Egg Wrap
This dish was inspired by McDonald’s Breakfast Wraps which we like!
- Flour Tortilla.
- Monterey Jack Spicy Cheese Slices.
- Cherry Tomatoes.
- Free Range Eggs.
- Chorizo.
Halve cherry tomatoes and slice chorizo. Gently fry the chorizo and tomatoes in a frying pan. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a bowl. When the tomatoes and chorizo are heated through, add the whisked eggs into the pan and work them into a scramble. When the mixture is cooked, spoon onto a tortilla. Add tomato sauce if desired. Roll the tortilla to make a wrap & enjoy this tasty breakfast treat!
Brie & Bacon Cob (Roll)
- Bread Cobs/ Rolls.
- Butter/ Spread.
- Back Bacon.
- Brie.
- Cranberry Sauce (if desired).
Butter the cobs. Slice the brie and place on one half of the cob. Fry the bacon with a drop of oil. When it is crispy, lay it on top of the brie. Season to taste. Spread on a dollop of cranberry sauce if desired & eat. A quick, simple time-saver breakfast or lunch.
Our quick & simple Dinners…
Some of our dinner ideas are made from scratch, whereas others use a simple jar sauce. Hey, if you want an authentic Thai curry whilst camping it’s far easier to buy a Thai curry paste already done than bring along the pestle & mortar and all the spices needed! Trust us – it’s still as tasty and will have campsite neighbours envious when they smell the delicious aroma wafting past their tent!
Caramelised Onion & Steak Burgers with Spicy Cheese & Humous
- Burgers.
- Red Onion.
- Monterey Jack Spicy Cheese Slices.
- Humous.
- Lettuce Leaves.
- Cherry Tomatoes.
- Salad Dressing – Thai Ginger & Chili.
- Stuffed Sweet Piquante Peppers.
Fry the burgers in a little oil. When cooked, place on half of a bread bun. Lay a slice of cheese on top to melt. Layer with sliced tomatoes and red onion. Put on a dollop of humous. For the side salad – wash lettuce leaves and arrange on plate. Add a handful of cherry tomatoes halved. Add a few sweet piquante peppers. Pour on salad dressing as required. A delicious homemade burger with minimal effort!
Spicy Jalapeno Burgers with Sweet Pepper & Tomato Relish
An alternative to the burgers above. We also like minted lamb burgers.
To make the relish, finely chop tomatoes, onion and sweet peppers and fry gently in a little oil. Season to taste. Add a little chili if desired. When they have cooked and softened and reduced into a thick sauce, dollop the relish on top of the burger and enjoy with a simple side salad.
Thai Red Curry with Chicken & Noodles
- Thai Red Curry Sauce.
- Diced Chicken Breast.
- Straight to Wok Fine Thread Noodles.
- Vegetables – Green Beans & Baby Corn.
- Cashew Nuts.
- Fresh Coriander.
Cook the chicken in a little oil. Add the Thai curry sauce and vegetables to the pan. Cook on a low heat and leave to simmer until vegetables are softer but still crunchy. Add the noodles last as these only take a few minutes to heat through. Meanwhile gently toast the cashew nuts for a few minutes. Be careful not to let them burn. When the curry is ready, pour it into bowls. Sprinkle a handful of cashew nuts on top. Finally, serve with freshly chopped coriander. Delicious!
Barbecued Veggies & Meat Feast
- Disposable Barbecue.
- Selection of Fresh Vegetables – Peppers, Courgette, Baby Corn, Mange Tout.
- Selection of Fresh Meat – Minted Lamb Shish Kebabs, Black Pudding Sausages, Scrumpy Apple Cider Sausages, Spicy Jalapeno Burgers, Venison Burgers.
Light the barbecue and wait for it to heat up. (If your barbecue is struggling, pour over a little lighter fluid!) Put on your selection of veggies & meat. Turn occasionally and leave until heated through with a nice blackened coating. Serve with salad, dips & sauces as desired. We love ‘King Naga’ Extra Hot Chilli Relish!
Chicken Curry & Garlic Naan
- Diced Chicken Breast.
- Onion – Roughly Chopped.
- Jar of Curry Sauce – Flavour of Choice. (We like an Aldi version of Madras Sauce that has a small pot of mixed Indian spices that sits on top of the lid).
- Plain or Garlic & Coriander Naan.
This curry is so simple but tastes really authentic due to the pot of spices that accompanies the jar sauce. Fry off the chopped onion in a little oil until they start to soften. Pour in the spice mix and fry with the onion for a minute. Next, add the diced chicken and fry with the onion until cooked through. Pour in the curry sauce and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle the naan bread with a few drops of water and wrap in silver foil. The water stops the bread from drying out. We heated the naan bread through on the grill section of our camping stove for 5 minutes or so. Enjoy with a nice bottle of red!
Goat’s Cheese, Tomato & Chorizo Pasta
Pasta dishes, or ‘one-pot’ specials as we like to call them, are one of the quickest, easiest but tastiest suppers. We have chosen 3 of our favourites to share with you here.
- Penne Pasta.
- Soft Goat’s Cheese.
- Fresh Red Chilli.
- Jar of Tomato/ Sweet Red Pepper Pasta Stir-Through Sauce.
- Sliced Chorizo.
- Basil.
Boil some pasta. Remember to season it with salt, pepper & a little oil whilst bubbling away. When it is ‘al dente’ (firm but not hard) drain off the water. Put the pasta back on the heat and stir through the tomato sauce. Add the chilli and a sprinkle of basil, then stir. Next, add the chorizo. When it is all heated through, stir in the goat’s cheese. It will start to melt. Serve before it melts completely and it tastes really creamy and delicious.
Spicy Sausage, Pepperdew & Tomato Pasta
- Penne Pasta.
- Sausages. (We used the Lincolnshire variety).
- Onion – Roughly Chopped.
- Fresh Red Chilli – Chopped with Seed.
- Garlic – Finely Chopped.
- Pepperdews.
- Passata.
- Tomato Puree.
Fry the sausages and when cooked, chop into bite sized pieces. Next fry the onions, chilli and garlic until softened. Meanwhile, boil the pasta as in the recipe above. Add passata and tomato puree to the onions etc and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain the pasta and pour into the frying pan with the ingredients that are simmering. Add the chopped sausage pieces. Stir through until the pasta and sausage is coated with the sauce and piping hot. Serve with some crusty bread.
Another variation idea is ‘Sausage Spaghetti’.
Mediterranean Vegetable & Red Pesto Pasta
- Penne Pasta.
- Selection of Fresh Vegetables – Peppers, Courgette, Red Onion.
- Red Pesto.
This is the simplest of all the pasta dishes we cook. Boil the pasta as above, and drain. Stir in a few heaped tablespoons of the red pesto. While the pasta is boiling, chop your choice of vegetables and stir-fry in a little oil. Season to taste. When slightly softened but still crunchy pour into the pasta and pesto mix. Add a little crumbled cheese on top if you’re not counting calories!
Chilli ‘One-Pot’ Special
- Lean Minced Beef.
- 2 Large Onions – Roughly Chopped.
- 3 Cloves of Garlic – Crushed or Finely Chopped.
- Chilli Powder.
- Fresh Chilli or Chilli Sauce.
- Tin of Chopped Tomatoes.
- Tin of Kidney Beans in Chilli Sauce.
- Tin of Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce.
Fry the onions, fresh chilli and garlic with the minced beef using a little oil. Season the mince with salt and pepper. Once it has browned through, add the tins of tomatoes and beans. Add 2 heaped teaspoons of chilli powder and a dash of chilli sauce (to your desired taste). We love it HOT! Mix all the ingredients together and leave to simmer over a low heat for at least 30 minutes. This will let all the flavours infuse for a rich and intense chilli. Serve on it’s own in a bowl. Or we like it spread in a flour tortilla with a dollop of sour cream, then made into a wrap. It’s great as it will last for 2 nights – perfect after a long day’s hike when you want to take the effort out of cooking!
We’re looking forward to our next camping feast already! We’re always thinking of new quick & easy but tasty things to rustle up from the tent.
Food for Thought…
Do you have your own great breakfast or delicious dinner ideas when camping? We’d love to hear them, or any variations on our recipes above.
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