That Cool Travel Couple

One of the best parts about camping trips is being able to use the outdoors as your kitchen! Here we have compiled some of our favorite recipes for camping share with you.

1. Sherpa Stew.

We first had this delicacy on a freezing cold day at a hole in the wall restaurant on the Santa Barbara main street. It was absolutely delicious and warmed up our chilly bones. We immediately went home and researched how to make it, and it seems like there is a lot of variation in the exact recipe. Basically this is a stew made for sherpas to eat while making the trek up Mount Everest. The stew uses whatever is in season and available. Here is our basic recipe but certainly can be made with modifications. We like to make this before we leave, freeze it solid, and eat it on the second night of our trip. That way it keeps the rest of the items in the cooler nice and chilled. 

Ingredients: 

• ~1 pound of cubed beef, chicken, tofu or lamb (we usually use chicken)
• 1/2 chopped white or yellow onion
• Lots of garlic 
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup diced tomatoes 
• 1 cup long grain rice 
• Soup stock (again, we use chicken) 
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric 
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chili powder to taste
• Small amount of sesame oil 
• +/- potatoes, celery, or anything else you want to put in it!

Use a large soup pot for this recipe. Fry up the onions and garlic in the sesame oil, then add the cubed chicken to brown. Add the spices and remainder of the vegetables, then 4 quarts of soup stock. Add in 1 cup long grain rice and simmer for about 45 min covered. Keep checking it during this time as you might need to add more water. Let it cool down and freeze in a ziplock bag to take with you! 

2. Burgers.

You can’t get any more classic than grilling burgers in the great outdoors. We like to make our own burgers rather than buying pre-made store bought versions. 

Ingredients: 

• Mushrooms
• Sliced onions 
• Chopped garlic 
• Ground beef (85/15 preferred) 
• Peppercorn grinder 
• Pinch of salt 
• Italian seasoning (rosemary, oregano, basil) 
• Condiments like dijon mustard and ketchup 
• Pickles 
• Brioche burger buns 
• Pepperjack cheese 

Mix up the ground beef with some chopped garlic, lots of black pepper and Italian seasoning, a little salt and form them into patties. Put them on the grill. Next, throw mushrooms and onions into a foil pack along with plenty of garlic and pepper and a small amount of salt. Pinch the edges so the foil pack is closed and place it on the grill to steam for about 15 minutes. We prefer our buns toasted too. Pile everything on your bun and enjoy! 

3. Charcuterie Board.

This is probably one of the least expected things in the great outdoors, but a charcuterie board can actually be enjoyed in the wilderness. Sometimes after a long hike you are just HUNGRY, and it’s not time for dinner yet. That would be a great time to help yourself to some high protein meat and cheese. 

Ingredients: 

• Several types of cheese 
• Summer sausage 
• Crackers
• Pickles 
• Blueberries or sliced apple 

Place all of the ingredients on a board and enjoy. 

4. Omelettes.

Our favorite camping recipe, because it’s high protein and filling and can all be made in one pan. We typically chop our veggies ahead of time, and purchase a can of liquid eggs or egg whites so we don’t have to worry about the eggs cracking. 

Ingredients: 

• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Garlic 
• Bell Peppers 
• Sausages
• Liquid eggs 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Bread 

Cut up everything and throw it in a saucepan. Stir periodically until its fully cooked. Throw some slices of bread on the grill or fire to toast, and eat up. 

5. S’mores with a twist

We love anything with chocolate, but these s’mores with a twist have the classic recipe beat (in our humble opinion). 

Ingredients: 

• Chewy chocolate chip cookies
• Marshmallows
• Candy bars such as Snickers, Milky way, etc. 

Roast marshmallows as you normally would. Cut up the candy bars and place a piece on top of a choc chip cookie, then add marshmallow and finish it with another cookie. Voila! 

There you have it, our favorite recipes for camping! New to camping? Check out our Camping Essentials page here, and our beginners guide to camping!!