30+ Easy and Delicious Meal Ideas for Your Next Camping Trip
Having trouble coming up with creative, delicious meals for your camping trip? We’ve got your back! In this blog post, we’ll be sharing 30+ easy and delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal ideas for your next camping trip! Step aside, hot dogs and burgers—it’s time to spice up your camp meal game!
Camping Cookware
Every camp chef knows that the key to a delicious camp meal is having a solid camp kitchen setup. We’ve spent years investing in gear that would help make cooking (and cleanup!) easy and fast.
Here are our camping kitchen must-haves:
Includes wicked sharp knives and compact cutting boards in a portable, sleek case.
Stainless steel pots and pan set with built-in strainer lids and flip up handles that conveniently nest together for easy storage.
This 3-in-1 stove has it all—two powerful burners and removable cast iron grill and griddle accessories.
OXO Outdoor Dishwashing System
A compact dishwashing and drying system that is perfect for backcountry camping trips.
This reusable GSI cutlery is both classic and durable.
Move over cheap paper products—these heavy duty reusable plates, cups, and mugs were built to handle hardy camp meals.
Breakfast Meal Ideas
Listen—I’m a big fan of the classic “eggs, bacon, and potatoes” breakfast. But sometimes—it can be fun to try new things. Check out these quick and delicious camping breakfasts:
Breakfast sandwiches
Ham, sausage, prosciutto, bacon, tomato + spinach, mushroom, etc.
Bagels
Grill them and then top them with cream cheese, jam, butter, peanut butter, etc., so many options!
Breakfast tacos
Bring some tortillas and warm them on the grill and them stuff them with whatever you want-eggs, veggies, meats, potatoes!
French toast sticks
You can either make them yourself or buy them pre-made at the store to save time and money!
Muffins
Blueberry, chocolate chip, banana, coffee cake—so many options!
Oatmeal
A quick and easy breakfast that can be topped with different kinds of fruit.
Breakfast pizza
This can be cooked at home, sliced, and then warmed up in a pan or cooked over the fire!
Breakfast casserole
Make a casserole out of tater tots, milk, eggs, and your favorite protein, pre-cook it, and then eat it on the first or second morning of your camping trip!
Crepes
I bet you’ve had pancakes while camping, but what about crepes? You can cook them at home and then warm them up in a pan and stuff them full of your favorite fillings—fruit, eggs, protein—you name it!
Yogurt
Pack a few individual yogurts and then top them with fruit, granola, or chocolate chips. Chobani makes a delicious yogurt drink that is great for a light, on-the-go breakfast.
Avocado toast
Grill a piece of toast and top your avocado with an egg, tomato, everything bagel seasoning, bacon bits, or some greens!
Lunch Meal Ideas
Nine times out of ten, sandwiches are my go-to lunch while camping, because we’re usually out on the boat, hanging at a beach, or hiking. But recently, I’ve compiled some lunch ideas that are both delicious and easy. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite camping lunches:
“Salad” sandwiches
Think egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, etc.
Homemade italian sandwiches
Just like you get at Amato’s. Perfect for a day at the beach.
Cucumber sandwiches
A very simple, refreshing sandwich that is sure to please everyone.
BLT
This iconic sandwich is perfect for camping. Use bacon leftover from breakfast and you can have BLT’S ready in less than 5 minutes.
Buffalo chicken wraps
Fry up some pre-breaded chicken tenders or chicken patties and then place them in a wrap alongside some lettuce, tomato, carrots, and buffalo dressing.
Soup
For cold camping days, a nice helping of soup can be life changing. You can either make a homemade soup or grab a few cans of your favorite soup. I love Rao’s soups that come in the glass containers.
Caprese salad
Mozzarella cheese balls, fresh basil, local tomatoes, and cucumbers with a balsamic dressing? Yum.
Greek pasta salad
Fresh cherry tomatoes and cucumbers with Kalamata olives, feta cheese, red onion, and this homemade dressing. So light and delicious.
Traditional pasta salad
Rotini pasta, pepperoni, cheese cubes, veggies, and an Italian dressing.
Adult lunchable
Add some form of protein, a carbohydrate, fruit and/or veggies, a little sweet treat, and voila! You’ve got a delicious lunch that is guaranteed to make your day better.
Dinner Meal Ideas
There are few things I love more than eating a delicious dinner with loved ones while camping. I could probably list well over a hundred dinner ideas, but for the sake of time, I’ll just share my favorite camping dinners:
Sloppy joe’s
We make the filling ahead of time from scratch with ground turkey and then freeze it flat in a ziploc bag before putting it in our cooler.
Fried rice + dumplings
Prep the fried rice at home and store it in a ziploc baggie. Grab a bag of frozen dumplings from the grocery store. Voila.
Tacos
There are so many variations you could do—chicken, carne asada, veggie, ground turkey, etc.
Sliders
Pulled pork, pulled chicken, ham and swiss, roast beef, etc.
Pre-marinate the chicken at home, freeze it, and then thaw it several hours before cooking.
Spaghetti + meatballs
Pre-cooking the meatballs at home makes for a quick and easy dinner.
Kabobs
Chicken kabobs, steak kabobs, shrimp kabobs, vegetable kabobs—so many options! These also make for great lunch leftovers.
Grilled cheese + tomato soup
A satisfying, easy dinner that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Lo mein
Prep the sauce in advance. Pack either fresh veggies or frozen. Cook the noodles at camp. A one-pan meal that is pure bliss.
Rice bowls
Pre-marinate a protein of your choice. Grill it and serve it over rice. Add veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, etc. Super quick and easy dinner.
BONUS: Dessert Ideas
Okay…I know I said dinner was my favorite camping meal, but I lied. It’s definitely dessert. And here are my current favorites:
Brownies
Always a crowd pleaser.
Whoopie pies
When in Maine!
S’mores
Try replacing the Hershey’s chocolate with a Reese’s. Or miniature Kit-Kat.
Apple crisp
Pre-made at home with seasonal apples, of course!
Sheet cake
Because why not?
Leave no Trace
When it comes to cooking and eating outdoors, remember to Leave No Trace. It’s actually really easy, just follow these rules:
Select a designated cooking area at least 200 feet away from water sources.
Whenever possible, use a camp stove instead of an open fire. This reduces the risk of wildfires and minimizes soil disturbance.
Prepare meals that require minimal preparation and produce less waste. Opt for ingredients that can be easily packed and require little cleanup.
Bring along reusable containers and utensils to reduce trash. Ensure that all food scraps and packaging are packed out.
After cooking, clean your cooking area with biodegradable soap, if necessary, and rinse water away from natural water sources.
Pack out all food and other waste.
Store food securely in wildlife-proof containers or in a high, tree-hung method to prevent attracting wildlife.
Use water sparingly when cleaning dishes and cooking to help conserve water resources in the area.
Leave your campsite the same or better than you found it.
By practicing Leave No Trace, you help preserve the magic of Maine for future adventurers to enjoy, so everyone can keep enjoying the same beautiful, wild world we love.
Interested in more insider Maine camping tips and recommendations? You can find them all here.
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With Love,
MyMaine
