Three Simple and Delicious Campfire Meals

By Josh McCabe  · July 30th, 2021

You can only eat so many hot dogs, and marshmallows on a camping trip before your body says enough. Let me tell you; there is nothing like cooking a real meal over the fire. The smokey-infused flavour from the campfire and the experience you have making it with friends and family is like nothing else. Ditch the hotdogs, and let’s impress your friends and family with these simple to create recipes.  

By the end of this blog, you’re going to be grilling like a pro around the campfire!

Never Go Without A Grill

I cook all of my meals over my Wolf and Grizzly Grill. The campsites I visit don’t always have a firepit, so having this compact little setup has been a game-changer to make sure I always have something to cook over. With a 30-second setup and the whole grill made from high-quality stainless steel, I know this will come on all of the trips for years to come.

Breakfast – Banana Pancakes 

Let’s start with the most important meal of the day, as my Dad used to say, breakfast. This meal is easy to cook, so be sure to brew up a cup of coffee to enjoy while you create this fluffy dish. 

This is optional, but I prep this recipe before leaving the house to save time and dishes out there. This recipe will feed two people. Double it up if you have a bigger/hungrier group. 

In a mason jar or reusable container, add the following ingredients.

• 1-cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• Two teaspoons baking powder
• One teaspoon salt
• One finely cut up Banana 

Now, grab a second reusable container and add these ingredients.

• One egg
• 1 cup of water

Toppings

• Maple Syrup
• Fresh berries of your choice
• butter

Once you are at the campfire ready to cook, place your pan on the grill, and add your choice of cooking oil. Mix the ingredients into one of the jars. Give it 20-30 seconds of shaking, and you now have yourself ready to pour pancake batter! 

Pour your batter onto the grill and flip once you see air bubbles coming through the batter. Cook until golden brown.

Lunch Time. Sour Dough Grilled Cheese With Bacon

This one is a staple on my camping trips. When you’re still feeling a little sluggish from breakfast, this is a quick and easy one to pull off. No cooking skills are required. 

Here is the ingredient list. 

• Bread of your choice (Sourdough has been a crowd favourite)
• Bacon (optional)
• Cheese slices (Monterey Jack is my go-to). 
• Oil and or butter (bacon grease also does the job)

Instructions

Cook your bacon on your pan over the grill. Once your desired crispiness has been met, add the bacon to your buttered bread with cheese. Add your newly crafted sandwich to the pan with bacon grease (extra flavour) and cook until golden brown on each side.

Add a little salt and pepper or maybe a side of ketchup, and enjoy!

Dinner Time!

Here is the grand finale to a day of delicious meals in the woods. This next one is called Hobo Pockets. They may just be one of the best camp dinners you can make. I say this because it is a fun experimentation process for everyone involved. 

Each time you create this, you can add an ingredient or take one away until you have perfected it. Everyone makes these differently. 

Here is the suggested ingredient list. Don’t be afraid to add or remove items!

• Peas
• Carrots
• Ground Beef or meat of your choice
• Onion
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Cooking oil of your choice
• Salt + pepper
• Potatoes 
• Mushroom soup (a couple of spoon fulls per pocket)
• Butter

How To Create

Lay one sheet of tinfoil out and start by coating it with oil to avoid food sticking to it. Next, add all of your desired ingredients from the list above. Be sure to use your imagination! Everyone ends up with a different pocket in the end. Once finished, I suggest you top with butter or oil. 

A quick tip is to cut your vegetables into small pieces to help with faster cooking. ⅛ inch thick works well. 

Fold up the tinfoil over your mixture and pinch tight. Lay the pinched end down on the second layer of tinfoil. Pinch and wrap this layer the same as the first. This double layer will help avoid burning your pocket. 

Place your pocket on the grill for 20-minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 20-minutes. You can also place these directly in the embers of the fire too. Take 5-minutes off each side if you go this route. 

When you open these up be careful for a build-up of steam.

Suggested Toppings

• Cheese of your choice
• Eggs
• Italian Seasoning
• Ketchup
• Salt + Pepper
• Dried Thyme

I love a sunny side egg, shredded cheese, ketchup, and fresh cracked pepper over mine. Have some fun with them and be sure to try a new recipe each time until you have it perfected!

Follow these recipes, and you’re going to be making a lot of bellies happy around the campfire. Happy Trails!

Be sure to let me know which one was your favourite in the comment section below.