Keepin' It Simple Camping Foods?

Old406Kid

Old406Kid

Legend
While I admire those that gourmet cook while camping my multiday fishing trips are few and far between so what I'm looking for are foods that can be pre prepped with minimal clean up so I can spend more time fishing.
Lunch is no issue, a cold sandwhich or whatever is fine, but what I'm asking about is hot and easy breakfast and dinner suggestions that don't require a microwave to heat up. My cooking methods are pretty much limited to a butane burner, a covered frying pan and pot, and a small propane BBQ.
At this point in life I'm not backpacking so freeze dried is out and the trip I'm planning is too far from a McDonald's drive thru..:ROFLMAO:
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
 
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That's why I use Sous vide even there. Everything is prepped and cooked, just needs a little finishing on the little grill. Shoot, I use that method for riverside lunch on day trips it's so easy. Wings are my go-to, but we've done tri-tip French dip sandwiches with very little effort. Usually paired with either corn or asparagus for veggies.

For breakfast, I usually just go old school with eggs and bacon/sausage and call it good. There are sous vide methods for eggs, etc....but I've never seen any reason to not just do all of that the standard way.
 
Old406Kid said:
While I admire those that gourmet cook while camping my multiday fishing trips are few and far between so what I'm looking for foods that can be pre prepped so I can spend more time fishing.
Lunch is no issue, a cold sandwhich or whatever is fine, but what I'm asking about is hot and easy breakfast and dinner suggestions that don't require a microwave to heat up.
At this point in life I'm not backpacking so freeze dried is out.:)
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
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I’m a fan of making burritos, regular and breakfast, before my trip. Very easy to heat up via grill or campfire.
 
+1 on the oatmeal and I'm good til dinner.
Quick oats, add raisins and peanut butter.
 
Luv oatmeal. Cream of Wheat is also good...
 
A big tub of Reser’s potato or macaroni salad are always good as a side to your main dish.
Bake some chicken breast and make giros on tortillas.
Cold leftover pizza is easy….😉
SF
 
I cook 99% of the meals at home for my family so when I’m camping/fishing I want to cook as little as possible. Freeze dried meals are usually on the menu.
 
This was just a one nighter over the weekend, but we did steak, bagged salad, and instant mashed potatoes for dinner (small propane grill and butane stove for potatoes), and I pre made breakfast burritos that we reheated over the campfire in the morning for breakfast. Only thing I had to clean was the pot for the mashed potatoes. Felt like we ate pretty good!

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clarkman said:
That's why I use Sous vide even there. Everything is prepped and cooked, just needs a little finishing on the little grill. Shoot, I use that method for riverside lunch on day trips it's so easy. Wings are my go-to, but we've done tri-tip French dip sandwiches with very little effort. Usually paired with either corn or asparagus for veggies.

For breakfast, I usually just go old school with eggs and bacon/sausage and call it good. There are sous vide methods for eggs, etc....but I've never seen any reason to not just do all of that the standard way.
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I make black eyed peas & ham shank, lamb ragu, beef stew or chili…vacuum packed, then dropped into a pot of boiling water to reheat. Since these meals have high water content, it requires a chamber vacuum machine I bought a long time ago when I first started to get into sous vide…but I think they could be put into a decent zip lock and immersed into a pot of water to force out the air…I’ll freeze several of these meals and use them as ice to keep other things cold in the cooler…
 
I hear you Dean, it is especially difficult on a long trip to eat enough and eat well. Since I retired I only eat 2 meals a day and to me the breakfast is the most important. That makes it a little easier but requires a big breakfast to get to dinner time.

I can help you for the first 3 days of your trip. Using a pound of sausage make up a batch of sausage gravy and divide it into 3 parts. Bake a batch of buttermilk biscuits and package them as well. At camp just warm the biscuits in the frying pan and heat the gravy. Add coffee and some fruit and you should be good for hours. This is my favorite camp breakfast as it is easy and fast so damned good that I always look forward to it. By day 4 things are starting to get iffy though....
 
The Costco Idaho Spuds hash browns are an easy filler as one box makes a huge portion. Just add hot water to the box until they re-hydrate then fry. Any meat can be added, like kielbasa, along with some cheese for a filling hot meal in one pan. Knorr pasta sides are easy to prep and pretty darn good with some summer sausage or hot dogs added. Mac and cheese is still one of my all time camping favorites and can be cooked at home and refrigerated and reheated at the camp site. English muffins travel better than bread. Tortillas travel even better and have a variety of uses in camp. Another thing I have started using lately both at home and camping is the pre-cooked chicken breast from Costco that comes in small sealed packs. 10 or 12 packs to a package, I use this product for quesadillas, in pizza, in salads and omelettes. It has become a must have but it is a Canadian product and may not be available in the future. Rice also travels well and can be made at home ahead of time. There are a number of packaged gravy mixes out there that can add taste and texture to some otherwise dry meals.

And don't forget dessert! Ghirardelli makes the finest brownie mix you can buy and if you make it up with strong coffee instead of water, add semi-sweet chocolate chips and use at least a teaspoon of vanilla you will have a yummy treat that can be packaged for ease of travel and stays pretty fresh.
 
The costco cans of pulled pork and some bbq sauce served on flat buns is pretty quick and easy. Can be served cold or heated in a pot. Frozen pan veggies on aluminum foil in the grill work great. Get some olive oil spray for them though. You can also slice up some sausage and put in with them. Bananas don't age as bad if kept in the dark and wrapped in a bag with the stems left out. Canned soups, stews. sloppy joe mix etc.
 
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