Camping is one of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of nature, and with so many activities to take up your day while venturing out into the great Canadian outdoors, it also means working up one heck of an appetite!
Whether you’re enjoying a beautiful day fishing on the lake or heading on foot on a hiking trail, you’re going to need a tasty meal to start your day or a hearty dish to end your night when you get back to camp. With three stunning campsites on our 200+ acre property, we want to share ten easy campfire meals that will fuel your day and fill your tummy!
Camper’s Breakfast Hash
If you’ve got a busy day of activities planned, then you will need to start the day off right with a hearty breakfast. Why not cover all your bases with a delicious (and filling!) breakfast hash, camper’s style.
Ingredients call for butter, eggs, potatoes, sausage links, green peppers, onions (but feel free to substitute with any veggies you like) and cheese, all tossed together in a cast-iron skillet fit for the campfire. This delicious one-pan-wonder will have you fuelled up and ready for the day’s adventures!
Grilled Chicken Pineapple Kabobs
Great for lunch or as part of dinner, these tasty kabobs are light, simple and delicious. The pineapple adds a refreshing zing that will tickle your tastebuds and have you craving more.
With some pre-camping prep at home, these kabobs are quick and easy to cook and perfect for campfire grilling. Simply chop up your chicken, veggies and pineapple and make your marinade and you’ll be ready to go come cook time, just leave a bit of time before cooking to marinate the chicken. Once the fire is ready, simply construct your skewers and get grilling. Kabobs are especially great for picky eaters because they can be configured with any preferred ingredients!
Grilled Campfire Trout
As Ontario’s premier fishing club, Franklin Club members are able to keep up to 100 fish a year, so why not try grilling up one of your catches as an easy and nutritious campfire meal! Once your trout is cleaned and prepped, cooking (and eating!) is a breeze.
Simply prepare the fish in grill-safe aluminium foil with your favourite seasonings, such as lemon slices, salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder, herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil. Tightly seal the fish up in the foil in a tent shape and place it on the grill. Have your fork ready – your delicious meal will be ready in less than 10 minutes!
Grilled Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet
If grilled trout isn’t your thing, then try grilled shrimp scampi! It’s just as easy to cook since it borrows similar seasonings and the foil pouch technique.
Grab your shrimp, place them in foil and add a splash of white wine to chopped garlic, lemon juice, butter, parsley, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes (if you like a bit of spice). Wrap them up and grill them for about nine minutes and you’ve got a four-star dish in the forest!
Campfire Potatoes
Every great main dish needs a tasty side. Cue this amazing campfire potatoes recipe! These cook up quickly and are delicious and can also be made in an oven should you have cravings once you’re back home.
Mix your quartered potatoes (the recipe recommends Yukon Gold potatoes) with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano. Load and seal the mix into individual foil pieces and pop them on the grill for 10-15 minutes. Then, carefully open the foil packets and top potatoes with a tasty mix of mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan. Close them up and place them back on the grill until the cheese has melted. Your final step? Top with parsley and red pepper flakes and enjoy the ooey-gooey goodness!
Dutch Oven Mac & Cheese
Continuing on with recipes that are great for carb-loading is this stellar and simple mac and cheese recipe that’s perfect for the campfire.
The most important thing you’ll need for this recipe is a cast-iron dutch oven, which lets you heat from both underneath and on top. This is great for cooking pasta while camping because it basically lets you steam the pasta rather than boil it. First, mix your favourite pasta with some butter, water and salt and wait until the pasta is cooked. Then take it off the heat and add your favourite shredded cheddar cheese and mix! As a bonus, top with some crushed Kettle brand jalapeño chips for an added crunch and spicy kick.
Grilled Corn in Husks
Simple, delicious and a summer staple, this BBQ favourite is also fit for the campfire grill. The most important step that some forget is to always soak your corn in cold water for 20-30 minutes before grilling. This keeps the corn moist and juicy while it cooks.
Simply peel back the corn husk (but don’t remove it) and remove the silk. Soak your corn and then pat dry. Then, combine butter and parsley and spread over the corn and rewrap the corn in the husk, securing it with string. Then place them on the grill, turning them often, for 20-25 minutes until tender. Add more of your butter-parsley mix once cooked for some extra flavour and enjoy!
Campfire Taco in a Bag
You read that right. Chips come in handy yet again for this fun-to-make (and even more fun to eat!) campfire dish that swaps out the messy taco shell for your favourite bagged tortilla chip.
To get started, all you have to do is cook hamburger meat over the campfire and add in your usual taco seasonings. While that’s cooking, gently crush up your bag of tortilla chips and cut off the top of the sides of the bag. Then, scoop in your prepared taco meat and toss in any toppings you like! Sour cream, salsa, tomato, shredded cheese and lettuce are always staples. Grab a fork and dig in!
One-pot Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
You wouldn’t expect it, but yes, pasta is a great meal option for camping, especially when you only need a campfire and a single pot to make it.
In a high-sided skillet, place spaghetti (or your favourite pasta) with oil, tomato paste, garlic, roughly chopped tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and water and wait for it to boil, stirring often. Once the pasta is cooked al dente and the sauce thickened, remove from heat and add a generous handful of grated parmesan cheese. Deliciously easy!
Best-Ever S’mores, 3 Ways
It wouldn’t be a camping trip without a campfire classic like s’mores, but this recipe elevates this camping staple while still keeping it simple. With three delectable variations on the original – strawberry, chocolate 2.0 and peanut butter – there’s bound to be something for everyone!
This recipe’s strawberry s’mores switches out your typical graham cracker for chocolate chip cookies placed on either side of fresh sliced strawberries and a toasted marshmallow. Chocolate 2.0 gets a lift with milk chocolate squares and a cinnamon-dusted marshmallow layered between two chocolate wafer cookies. And finally, your classic graham cracker becomes crunchy bookends to a layer of creamy peanut butter, sliced bananas, dark chocolate squares and a toasted marshmallow.
Eat them individually or stack all three together to make a towering sweet treat.
With camping sites, hiking trails, picnic areas and swimming spots, The Franklin Club is more than just a top-rated fishing club in Ontario.
Come camp at The Franklin Club! In addition to being one of the best fishing clubs in Ontario, The Franklin Club also offers prime camping, swimming and hiking, all within the GTA. Our three camping sites are situated amongst our beautiful 200-acre property and come equipped with a propane BBQ and raised fire pit for members to enjoy.
Contact us today to learn more about our amenities and how to become a member!
