Five Easy Meals for Car Campers

Posted on June 14, 2019

Five Easy Meals for Car Campers

Car camping has gotten much more comfortable in the last decade due to improvements in gear, campground developments, and technology. While backpacking gear has gotten smaller and lighter weight, car camping gear has benefited with the efficiencies of new ideas and new technology.

High tech coolers, for example, now keep food and drinks cold for days on end. Camp stoves are smaller and far easier to pack, use and clean. Cooking outdoors has never been easier, and we offer five easy camping meals for those who’ve never car camped, and never used an outdoor stove or cooked over a campfire to prepare a meal.

Tinfoiled potatoes

Potatoes roasting over an open fire.

If you camp and build a fire, you can use the coals or Primus’ Aeril Fire Rack to make easy camping meals. One of our favorites is potatoes, onions, peppers, with a spice blend that uses the classic “tinfoil” method. Prepare a large fire and wait a few minutes for the coals to heat up, then you’re good to go!

Bring: camp stove, box of tinfoil, olive or coconut oil (bottle).

Prep ahead of time: Slice two baking potatoes into 1/8 inch rounds and stores in airtight glass or plastic container. Chop and store in a separate container: one large onion (coarsely chopped), one red pepper and one green pepper (same). Mix in small container: 1 t. sage, 1 t. rosemary, ½ t. salt, 1 t. paprika.

At camp: mix potatoes, peppers, onions onto a generous sheet of tinfoil; sprinkle with oil and add spices. Mix so that oil and spices coat the potato mixture. Wrap it up, add it to your open fire rack, and wait for the goodness to appear!

Balanced Oatmeal

A camper makes her easy camping meal on one of Primus' stoves.

It’s smart to mix carbs, fats and proteins for balance—especially in the morning. This easy camping meal uses nut butter, cream and/or collagen.

Bring: camp stove, box of oatmeal, jar of peanut or other nut butter, or cream. Bring butter in container. Bring good quality powdered collagen in small baggie.

Prep ahead of time: mix 1 T cinnamon, 1 T sugar and ¼ t. nutmeg and store in small jar or tin, or baggie.

At camp: Using your Primus camp stove (the Profile Dual is a good choice!) and boiling pot, cook oatmeal and stir in cream or nut butter last. Bring water to boil, add 1/2 cup dry oatmeal. Reduce heat and cook to desire consistently. Stir in nut butter (1-2 T) or cream (1/4 cup) and 1 T butter; add spice and sugar mix. If not using cream of nut butter, add 1 T collagen.

Franks on Sticks

A group sits around a Kamoto Open Fire pit from Primus.

Hot dogs on sticks are a classic outdoor meal for a reason: they are incredibly easy with zero cleanup. We recommend pairing these with potatoes (above, or baked in tinfoil, in coals) since you’ll have a fire and the Kamoto Openfire Pit.

Bring: package pre-cooked hot dogs or kielbasa; metal skewers (as long as you can find). Buns, and whatever condiments you prefer, are optional.

Prep ahead of time: none

At camp: make a fire and let your openfire pit heat up. Skewer dogs and cook over flames, being careful not to burn or singe.

Slices of Veg Heaven

A camper prepares an easy camping meal over a Primus stove.

Camp stoves are excellent for vegetables, but pre-cutting at home makes the enterprise much faster.

Bring: oil, camp stove with covered sauté pan; jar of minced garlic.

Prep ahead of time: slice one yellow squash and one zucchini (both medium) into ¼ inch rounds; slice two carrots into 1/8” rounds; chop one medium onion, rough; slice 1 package (about 12) brussel sprouts in half. Mix spices into small jar: ½ T salt, 1 T basil, 1 T oregano, ½ T thyme. Pepper to taste.

At camp: In large sauté pan on medium heat, add oil (any, 1-2 T), then add carrots and onion (as well as spice mix) and cook till onion is translucent. Add brussel sprouts and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add squash. Add 1T water, cover and cook for 8 minutes; open and add garlic, then sautee for 3-4 minutes (depending on desired doneness). If you’re a dedicated campfire cooker, try sautéing your veggies on our classic openfire pan.

Grilled Pineapple

Grilled pineapple on a wooden plank.

Bring: camp stove, sautee pan (medium to large), jar of butter or ghee,

Prep ahead of time: slice pineapple into long spears (or buy pre-cut). Mix ½ cup brown sugar and 1 T cinnamon.

At camp: heat pain for about 1 minute over fire or camp stove. Melt ½ cup butter then dispense, into separate container. Mix in cinnamon-sugar with butter, leaving out ½ t. of dry mixture. Sprinkle ½ t. on pineapple, then add to pain. Mix butter-spice into pan, coating pineapple and grill about 8 minutes, turning once.

Looking for more ways to elevate your camping cuisine? Check out these camp cooking hacks to ensure your camp chef life is as relaxing as it is delicious...happy cooking!