We will be camping for a week in June, it is always fun to come up with new things to cook. I thought I would see what you all could throw at me for this one. I don't have a problem with the main dishes but sides can be a challenge when camping.

Hi Sarah, when we camp my rule for sides is they must be finger food (chips, baby carrots, trail mix (yes this can be a side), apples, bananas, etc). I try to eliminate as many dishes used/needed as possible. If you're camping w/young ones it might be a good idea to ask them before the trip "What do you think would be good to eat?" and see what they say (sometimes children can be picky eaters...). If everyone is a grown up then too bad, they get what they get. =)

When we camped...many, many years ago...I always tried to make one dish meals, like stews or pot roasts, etc. I found it much easier to have the veggies and starch in the same pot with the meat.

You didn't mention the type of cooking facilities you have... like full amenities or a campfire? This is something my family likes, whether buried in campfire coals on river rafting trips or in the RV oven.

1. Large sheets of heavy duty tin foil approx. 18 X 20 inches
2. Hamburger - 3/4 pound per person
3. Carrots, red potatoes, onion, mushrooms etc.
4. Part of a package of Knorr's (or other brand) brown gravy mix
5. Small amount of butter
6. Seasonings
Place hamburger patty in the middle of each piece of tin foil. Add sliced carrots, quartered or halved potatoes, slab of sliced onion, 2 tablespoons of gravy mix and pat of butter on top of patty. Any vegetable will work. I also have sprinkled Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning and/or garlic powder on top. Fold into drug store wrap, making sure the packet of food is sealed tightly. Either place among campfire coals or in oven. Bake for about 45-50 minutes. If the campfire coals are abundant and very hot, I have doubled the tinfoil wrap. This is great with a dab of horseradish on the side.

This is a variation of my Mom's campfire dinners when we were kids. (No dry gravy mix way back then.)

Oops - Sorry, I wasn't logged in when I posted the tinfoil recipe. This is also great to make in the morning or night before, then pop it in the oven when you get home. Hardly anything to clean up.

Heavy duty foil
a couple potatos diced into bite sized cubes
sliced red pepers
sliced onions
whole mushrooms
packet of dry onion soup mix
margerine or butter
black pepper (there should be enough salt in the soup mix)

make packets with all above, mixed, and cook over the fire , turning about every 10 minutes, til potatos are done... yummmm...

All good so far, keep them coming. We will use the campfire to cook but will also have a charcoal grill with us too.

When ever we go camping we love to do ShishKabobs! I just cut everything up and put them in zip lock bags before we leave. Just take them out and let everyone put what they want on their skewer... works out perfect AND it is super easy!

Corn on the cob cooked in it's husk on the BBQ works great (if you put in the fire wrap in tinfoil but still in the husk) after cooling a bit peel (but don't tear off) and eat (use the peeled husk to hold the cob). (zero dishes used to cook or eat)

Two variations of the recipe already given for potatoes in the fire that my family has always enjoyed. Not too heart healthy but very enjoyable for a camping dinner with easy mixin' and fixin'.......and no clean up at all.

Plan A - Take a large sheet of heavy duty foil and spray lightly with pam. Wash and cube 4-5 potatoes into the foil. Salt and pepper to taste and perhaps sprinkle with a little paprika if you have it in your camping kitchen. Add a medium to large thinly sliced onion and toss around into the potatoes and lastly, take three or four (or more depending on the amount of potatoes used) slices of bacon and cut into pieces and add to the above. Firmly wrap in another large layer of foil and lay on the coals and then turn about every ten minutes for about a half hour or so, depending on your coals. Do turn regularly though because the bacon acts as a flavoring of it's own and really does add to the taste of the potatoes and you want the bacon fat to distribute itself throughout the potatoes.

Left-overs, should there be any, are a great addition to the am bacon and eggs.

Plan B - Wash and half long-wise enough baking potatoes for your family. Salt and pepper them and put a thick chunk of onion in between along with a pat or two of butter or margarine and then put them together again and double wrap each one in heavy duty foil and lay on the coals, turning every 10 - 15 minutes for about 45 minutes and then throw the steak or whatever onto the grill. By the time the steaks are done, the potatoes are ready as well and they are delicious and even more so when the outer skins are slightly on the char-grilled side.

Fish In a Pocket With Lime Butter Fresh Corn
For Two

Heavy Aluminum Foil large enough to hold one serving of the following.

Two fish fillets. (Any kind you like.)
One Can of sliced Hanover New Potates
One Can of Baby Carrots
Sliced red onion
Fresh lemon juice.
Butter
Pepper to taste.

Grill over open fire in a fish grid or cook on the grill.

Corn

Peal back husk and slatter with freshly made lime butter. Cook on grill or open fire. (In fire, cover with heavy foil.)

Best Corn on the Cob Recipe...
If you are camping near the shore...

Peel husks back on the corn and remove the silk...
Recover the corn with the husks... tie off open ends with butchers twine...
Fill a cooler with sea water, and place corn in the water for 24 hours...
Then grill in husks for 20-25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so...
Serve with garlic or herb butter... or just regular butter...
YUMMM!!!

This is not my recipe, but I tried it on a early morning party of 20 and it worked!!

Omelets in a Bag

When you cook an egg in a bag, you're going to get some comments. But it works, it's slick, and it avoids the all-important clean up on your next road trip. The omelets can be stored ahead in Ziploc®-type plastic bags in your refrigerator for several days. When you get to the campground, drop the pouched eggs in boiling water and . . . presto, you have omelets without the mess.

Ingredients

4 or 5 large eggs
bacon bits, cheese, veggies, or other omelet goodies
pepper and salt to taste (If you use cheese or bacon, do not add as much salt since the ingredients are salty.)

Directions

1. Bring a large pan of water to a roiling boil.
2. Squeeze and shake the ingredients together in the bag. Make sure the seal is tight.
3. Carefully place the plastic bag in the boiling water. Let it boil for 14 minutes or until the omelet is nearly set. If you overcook it, it will be rubbery. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the omelet, the altitude, and the size of the pan. The omelet will continue to cook in the bag once it is removed from the water so remove the bag when the center of the omelet is not quite firm.

Remove the omelet from the bag and serve.

Note #1: The steam in the plastic bag will make it balloon and look like it may burst. In our experience, it won't.
Note #2: With a little coaxing, the bag will lie flat in the water as it heats. You will not need to turn the bag over.
Note #3: Make sure that you keep the omelet mix cold. Without being in their protective shells, eggs will not keep as long. When you cook the eggs, they should get hot enough to kill bacteria-but be on the safe side and keep your eggs cold anyway.

Enjoy! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

As for Kimmers recipe, we make these all the time on Cattitude. You can also prepare the bags ahead of time and freeze them for travel. When you are ready for breakfast, take them out let them defrost and cook. Don't leave defrosted and uncooked too long. Certainly makes for less room needed in the cooler. Another thing we do if we want to carry a bunch of eggs for camping. Crack and stir all the eggs into a large container. They freeze very well. When it is time to make scrambled eggs, just cut or scrape off enough eggs for the meal. Eggs do freeze well, out of their shell.