10 Simple Family Camping Cooking Recipes

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Heather Burman shows how to cook up a storm for your family on the campsite with a selection of simple recipes.

So, you’re going camping. It’s so tempting to pack the boot up with tinned beans and sausages and packet mix pasta.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for an easy life but camp cooking outdoors can be a lot of fun and, you know, I think everything tastes better outside. So why not give these simple, family-friendly camp cooking meals a try?

The recipes are all for a family of four, so just adjust the ingredients for bigger or smaller broods.

FUNNY FACE FRY-UP

A sneaky way to get some veggies into the kids at breakfast time. It would work with bacon instead of the spinach though if you really need a meat fix.

Ingredients
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic - one crushed, one peeled and cut in half
4 field or Portobello mushrooms
4 tomatoes sliced in half
4 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
2 tbsp water
8 slices sour dough or crusty bread
8 slices halloumi
½ avocado - sliced

Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Rub some crushed garlic into the mushrooms and fry for about three minutes on one side.
Turn the mushrooms over add the tomatoes to the pan and fry for two minutes.
Flip the tomatoes over and fry for another two minutes, by this time the mushrooms should be done too.
Remove from the pan and add the spinach with the water and wilt for one minute.
At this point I pop the mushrooms and tomatoes back into the pan off the heat to keep warm.
In a separate pan, ideally a griddle but a frying pan will do, toast the bread and halloumi in batches until nicely golden on both sides.
Rub the hot toast with the peeled and halved garlic to give it a nice flavour.
Then it’s the fun part - time to assemble the face. Pop two slices of the toast onto each plate, add the mushroom in the centre (for the nose), then just above it pop the tomatoes as eyes and avocado for eyebrows.
Finish with the halloumi and spinach for the mouth - et voila!

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

My kids call these crazy eggs. It’s a fry up but Mexican style. If your little ones are not keen on spice then you can halve the paprika and chilli powder or leave it out altogether.

Ingredients
4 flour tortillas
4 tbsp cooking oil
4 large free range eggs
1 tin black beans drained
Juice of one lime
Handful of chopped coriander

For the tomato sauce
1 tbsp cooking oil
½ red onion thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic - chopped or crushed
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
Salt and pepper to season

Method
First make the tomato sauce by heating the oil in a large frying pan, ideally with a lid, and frying the onions for about four minutes, until they begin to turn soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, smoked paprika and chilli powder and fry for another minute.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer for about five minutes.
Make four gaps in the sauce for the eggs and pour them in (pop your lid on here if you have one) and let them poach in the mixture for about three - six minutes, until the white is solid but the yolk is still runny and remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
In a shallow frying pan, add a tablespoon of the oil and fry each tortilla individually for about one minute on each side until it’s nice and crispy.
Place the tortilla on a plate and pop your egg on top with lots of the tomato sauce.
Mash up the beans with the lime juice and salt and pepper, then pop onto the tortilla with the coriander.

QUESADILLAS

Great as a snack or a starter and a quick no fuss dish to make on the campsite. All of our family love these. Try making up your own fillings - maybe add Stilton to the Cheddar or try replacing the ham and onion with sliced chicken and Chorizo.

Ingredients
4 tsp cooking oil
4 flour tortillas
200g grated cheese - I like a mix of cheddar and Mozzarella
¼ red onion sliced
4 slices of cooked ham torn into strips
Salsa and sour cream to serve

Method
Brush one side of the tortillas lightly with the oil - or let’s face it’s unlikely you’ve packed the pastry brush, so lightly drizzle and rub the oil over the tortilla with your fingertips.
Turn the tortilla oil side down and cover half of it with the grated cheese. Scatter over the ham and red onion.
Fold the tortilla in half to cover the filling.
Fry individually in a pan or on a griddle for 1 minute each side, or until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese has melted inside.
Cut into three wedges and dollop on the sour cream and salsa to serve.

SUPER SPEEDY CHILLI

Love chilli con carne but think it takes too long to make it on a camping trip? Well, give this speedy version a try. Get the onion diced nice and small, so it cooks quicker and you don’t get any big crunchy chunks. Want a veggie option? You can always use meat-free mince or diced vegetables.

Ingredients
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion diced
500g minced turkey
2 cloves of garlic- crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp cumin
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to season
Large bag of tortilla chips
Sour cream
Sliced chilli

Method
Heat the oil and fry the onion and mince together for three minutes.
Add the garlic, smoked paprika, chilli powder and cumin and fry for another minute while giving it a good stir.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and Balsamic vinegar and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, ensuring the turkey is cooked through and season generously.
Serve with the tortilla chips, sour cream and optional sliced chilli.

JAMBALAYA

It’s a one-pot wonder - a camper’s best friend. My little boys love this, although there’s often a fight over who’s got the most prawns.

Ingredients
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion diced
100g chorizo cut into slices
400g chicken breast or thighs diced
1 red pepper chopped
1 courgette diced
2 cloves of garlic crushed or sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp cumin
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
200ml cold water
370g easy cook long grain rice (two small mugs full)
300g cooked king prawns (optional)
Small bunch of spring onions sliced
Handful of roughly chopped coriander

Method
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the diced onion for two minutes.
Throw in the Chorizo and fry for a further minute.
Add the chicken to the pan along with the chopped courgette and red pepper.
Next pop in the garlic, smoked paprika, chilli powder and cumin and fry for two minutes or until the chicken starts to colour.
Add the chopped tomatoes and water and stir well. Bring this to the boil and add the rice.
Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked. If you have a lid for your pan pop it on to help the rice cook quicker. If the mixture looks dry then add more water at this stage.
Stir in the king prawns and cook for another two minutes or until they’re heated through.
Add the spring onions and coriander and you’re done.

CREAMY TAGLIATELLE

This is a quick and easy pasta dish but still tastes quite luxurious. Perfect for when you fancy some home comforts on the campsite.

Ingredients
300g dried tagliatelle
1 tbsp cooking oil
200g lardons
200g mushrooms - sliced, any type but a mixture of chestnut and field works well
1 clove garlic crushed
100g soft cheese with garlic and herbs
150ml creme fraiche
Fresh black pepper
Handful of parsley roughly torn (optional)

Method

Cook your pasta in boiling water according to the instructions on the packet. If you just have one burner, I cook the pasta for a few minutes less (just before al dente) and leave off the heat.
For the sauce, heat the oil in a pan and fry the lardons for two minutes.
Next add the mushrooms to the pan and fry for a further four minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute while stirring.
Pop in your soft cheese and fry for a minute, stirring as it melts.
Add the creme fraiche and pepper and cook until heated through.
Drain your pasta and mix with the sauce, until it’s all nicely coated.
Scatter over the parsley, if using.

TASTY THAI BEEF STIR-FRY

This is super easy and a big hit with my children. It could work with pork, chicken or just veg as an alternative.

Ingredients
300g dried egg noodles
1 tbsp cooking oil
400g frying steak cut into strips
200g green beans
200g baby sweetcorn sliced lengthways and again in half
100g mushrooms sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
Sliced chilli
Handful coriander roughly torn

Method

Cook your noodles according to the packet instructions. Again if you only have one burner I do this first and set aside - they’ll warm up again when you mix them in the sauce.
Then heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan and cook the beef strips for one minute. Add the green beans, sweetcorn and mushrooms and fry for five minutes more.
Then add the garlic, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and peanut butter and cook for another two minutes.
Ensure the beef is cooked through, add the noodles and mix with the sauce.
Serve immediately. Scatter over the chillies and coriander for the grown ups - or brave kids.

PORK AND APPLE BURGERS

I think burgers are perfect for camping and they always taste better if you make them fresh. These tasty treats are a hit with grown-ups and kids alike. They go great with coleslaw and a nice salad.

Ingredients
500g pork mince
½ red onion diced
1 small eating apple peeled and grated
Salt and pepper
4 brioche burger buns
Lettuce
Sliced red onion
Sliced tomato

Method
Mix the pork mince in a bowl with the red onion and apple with your hands.
Season generously with salt and pepper, then separate your mixture into four balls and pat onto burger shapes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the burgers for about eight minutes on each side, check that the pork is cooked through and there are no pink bits on the sides.
Serve in the brioche buns with the lettuce, onion and tomato.

FRIED BANANAS

This is a kind of deconstructed Banoffee pie. If you are lucky enough to have a freezer on your campsite then a nice blob of vanilla ice cream would go really well here.

Ingredients
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 bananas sliced lengthways
4 digestive biscuits crumbled
Toffee sauce to serve

Method
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the bananas for three minutes on each side. You might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.
Get your digestive biscuits and crush by hand into a bowl - I usually get the kids to do this stage.
Then pop a banana on a plate, sprinkling the biscuits over it and drizzle over a generous serving of toffee sauce.

FRUIT PANCAKES

These can be breakfast, dessert or even a snack. Most fruit will work well but I used bananas, strawberries and raspberries.

Ingredients
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 large free range eggs
100g plain flour
300ml milk
Fresh fruit chopped
Maple syrup

Method
Chop up your chosen fruit combo.
Mix the eggs, flour and milk together in a bowl or jug.
Heat one tbsp of oil in a frying pan and then add a ladle, or large serving spoon full of pancake mix and coat the pan evenly.
Fry for about one minute on each side until golden.
Pop onto a plate and top with the fruit and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

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