Camping Recipes for a Crowd
Coming up with camping recipes for a crowd will ensure that no kids pile around your campsite when chow-time comes along
When your kids wake up every morning during Dads & Kids Camping Weekend, they’ll want to know what’s for breakfast. After they’ve been running around with their friends for a few hours, they’ll soon inquire what’s for lunch. Then, as the sun goes down, they’ll want to know what’s for dinner.
When you camp with a large group of people, you not only have your own kids to worry about, but everyone else’s as well. If you start cooking before the other dads, you’re going to have 25 hungry little monsters at your campsite drooling over your 8-pack of hotdogs.
If you’re just a dad enjoying Dads & Kids Camping Weekend, this is fine. Tell the kids to “shoo” and cook for your own kids. If you’re the organizer, you might have a harder time finding the right words to turn kids away.
My solution is to come up with some good camping recipes for a crowd. Have the dads pitch in on ingredients and come up with big meals for the whole group so that you can eat at the same time.
Coming up with camping recipes for a crowd
Think simple. If you won’t be set up for a bigger traditional meal, breakfast can still be easy with items like fruit, granola bars, bagels and danishes. Easy-to-make recipes like baked French toast can also be made ahead of time, then slow heated in aluminum foil pouches.
When preparing camping recipes for a crowd of people, simplicity is best. It’s never easy to find something everyone will like, which is why things like trail mix are a crowd pleaser. It’s easy to throw nuts, granola, raisins and chocolates into a mix and divide it up into sealable storage bags. Smaller bags can also be prepared for individual servings needed on hikes and for quick snacks.
Foil wrapped recipes are also great for group meals, preparation can often be done early and clean up is a cinch. Planning to use these types of meals will make choosing camping recipes for a crowd easy and less expensive. There are many to pick from, so you’ll be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.
One simple foil recipe is Campfire Hobo Stew. It’s an easy, economical recipe that can be made in larger quantities and can be served buffet style, making feeding your hungry campers that much easier.
Pasta salads and other similar dishes can also be made up in bulk ahead of time and served buffet style. Be sure to keep all perishable foods at an acceptable temperature using ice and coolers to ensure none of your campers get sick.
Of course there are always the traditional favorites: hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and corn on the cob. All of these can be prepared ahead of time and then cooked to serve along with appropriate condiments and side dishes.
With a little effort, any Dads & Kids Camping trip is easily enhanced by packing smart and planning ahead with camping recipes for a crowd. Remember, there will be many, many mouths to feed.
If you want to learn more about start and run your own Dads & Kids Camping Weekend, check out my 45-page Dads & Kids Camping Handbook.