Outdoorshopping Blog

Just because you’re camping or stopping for a meal during a day-long hike doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice good food! The best part about many of these meals is that they’re good enough to eat even when you aren’t ‘roughing it’ in the wilderness, so give them a try before you are dependant on them to find which ones are your favorite. Here are some of our favorites from The Camping Food & Dutch Oven Recipes at Scoutorama.com.

For the Casual Camper

When you’re not having to lug around your utensils, cookware, and ingredients on a trail hike or climbing excursion, you’re freed up to have more extravagant meals. Chicken ‘n’ Dumplins is a traditional Southern favorite that we can’t wait to try on our next family outing.

Ingredients/Equipment:

• 1 LB Boneless Chicken Tenders  

• 1/2 Bag Carrots  

• 1 Large Onion  

• 6 Stalks of Celery  

• 6 Medium Sized Potatoes  

• 1 TSP oil  

• 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup  

• 1 Can Biscuits or Mix up 2 cups of Bisquick Mix

• Equipment

• Dutch Oven  

• Spoon for Stirring and Serving  

• Knife  

Instructions:

1. Cut up Chicken, Carrots, Onions, Celery.  

2. Place Dutch oven on coals, add oil then Chicken. Cook until slightly browned.

3. Add Onion, Celery, Carrots and Potatoes and cup of water. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

4. Add 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup and water to the consistency of gravy. Cover and simmer an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

5. Add biscuits to top of mixture, cook covered 20 - 25 minutes. Bisquick dropped by spoonfuls can be used in place of biscuits.

 There are a ton of recipes out there for creating amazing meals from your fresh catch. Here’s a simple Fish Hobo dinner for the fishermen.

Ingredients/Equipment:

• Freshly caught fish boned, and skinned if prefered.

• Lemon pepper

• Butter...lots of butter

• Veggies to taste (onions, green peppers, mushrooms, whatever you like...these taste good with fish)

• Potatoes to taste

• Fish

• Aluminum foil

• Tongs

Instructions:

1. Mix it all together and put into the fire. Do not put into hot part of fire as this takes time to cook in all the juices from the fish and butter.

2. Let it cook good (potatoes soft) and enjoy. The slower it cooks the better it tastes, average is between a half hour.

For the Hiker

If you’re hiking for only a short trip and don’t want to bring all of your camping cookware with you, there are recipes available that utilize minimum pieces of equipment but can still create flavorful and filling meals! This Coffee Can Stew is a great solution for someone who only has a coffee can or aluminum foil on hand. (You can even use a space-saver cup fitted to the bottom of your water bottle if you’re in a pinch!)

Ingredients/Equipment:

• Meat: Bacon + meatballs(ground beef/turkey/sausage or store bought); beef stew meat; or diced chicken breast.

• Diced Veggies: potatoes, carrots, green peppers, celery, rutabaga, tomatoes, onions, etc. (cut these up and store them in a baggie beforehand)

• Spices

• Water

• Oven mitts

• Empty can or aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Put some cut up bacon in the bottom of the coffee can - this keeps the rest from sticking.

2. Layer meat, veggies, and spices until the can is about 3/4 full.

3. Add about 1 - 1 1/2 cups water.

4. Cover can tightly with foil.

5. Sit can in hot campfire coals for about 1 hour. NO PEEKING!

6. Use oven mitts to take cans out of the coals. Stir up stew and enjoy!