If you follow me on instagram, you know that our family likes to camp. Number 1. we love the outdoors, and number 2. camping is so affordable. We can’t always splurge on a hotel for a family of 5, but pitching a tent costs almost nothing. Camping allows our family quality time together and affordable travel.

When you are outdoors all day hiking and exploring, food is pretty important. My kids are always staring when we camp. And if you are missing some of the luxuries of sleeping indoors, like beds, showers and flush toilets, then having yummy meals feels like something special.

So, after lots of requests for some camping recipes and menus, I’m sharing a typical 3-day camping trip menu that we eat when sleeping under the stars. This is actually what we ate this last Spring Break when we were in Joshua Tree National Park. All this food fits in one cooler and we cook on a one burner camp stove or over the fire.

Day 1

• BREAKFAST – Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (this recipe can be made with semi sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips) and Oranges
• LUNCH – Pasta Salad + Kale Chips
• DINNER – Sweet and Sour Meatballs

We usually leave very early in the morning so a grab and go breakie is a must. I can’t think of the last time we went camping and I didn’t make a batch of Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins before we left.

I like to make cooking at the campsite as easy as possible. Sometimes that means I don’t cook at all, I do all of it ahead of time in the comfort of my well stocked kitchen. Pasta Salad is a must when we car camp (When I say car camping, this is when you pitch your tent near your car and you aren’t backpacking in. So, you can have a cooler with food in it.) This is a recipe that Lonnie’s mom has made for years. And it’s really not a recipe at all. It’s a big package of spiral pasta cooked and then black olives, peppers, sun dried tomatoes, pepperoni, parmesan cheese, red onion, pepper jack + cheddar cheese cubes, and italian dressing are all added. I mix it up well and then store it in a couple large ziploc bags in the cooler. The kale chips are also made ahead and stored in a ziploc bag.

We love hobo meals (or foil package meals as some folks call them) – these are meals that are cooked wrapped in foil and placed in the coals of a fire. It’s no mess, no pots and pans and no dishes!

Day 2

• BREAKFAST – Corn and Green Chili Breakfast Burritos
• LUNCH – Lemon Chicken Garbanzo Bean Salad, Baby Carrots + Strawberries
• DINNER – Grilled Cheese with Apples + Smokies Over the Fire

As I mentioned before, we camp with a tiny one-burner camp stove. So, these burritos are made in one very small IKEA frying pan.

For lunch, again there is another made-ahead meal. This garbanzo bean salad is something we eat regularly at home as well. Garbanzo beans are great for making in advance, they don’t go mushy and they are a great source of protein. I store this salad in a couple large mason jars in the cooler.

Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich? These are made on a baguette with thin slices of green apples and sharp cheddar or brie cheese. I always bring a stick of butter in a mason jar. And these have a generous smear of butter on both sides of the sandwich so that they get good and toasty in the fry pan. Baguettes are perfect for camping. They aren’t easily smashed and even when they are a few days old and stale, they toast up beautifully.

Day 3

• BREAKFAST – Corn Bread Pancakes with Cranberries + Orange and Bacon
• LUNCH – Peanut Butter + Honey Sandwiches with Pringles
• DINNER – Camping Charcuterie

By day 3, the cooler is usually running out of ice and you might be getting weary of cooking. So, we keep things super simple. Start by cooking the bacon first, the bacon grease that is left can be used to cook the pancakes in. Everyone will be pretty tired on this last day of camping, but the smell of bacon cooking outside their tent is guaranteed to get the up and going.

You just wouldn’t be camping if a pb+j or honey wasn’t in the mix. We like to travel with honey because it doesn’t have to be kept in a cooler. And pringles are the only chip to camp with. They are in that nifty can that keeps them from getting smashed.

I’m always a fan of charcuterie or any form of a cheese, meat + bread spread whether I’m camping or not. This is another one of our favorite no-cook camping meals. The other half of the baguette from the grilled cheese is used with this meal. A good assortment of salamis, crackers, cheese, berries, apples, jam/honey, nuts and dried fruit are sure to make everyone happy. Cost Plus World Market is my favorite place for picking up packaged meats and cheeses that don’t have to be refrigerated. They also sell the adorable tiny oil + vinegar bottles, small bags of olives and lots of nuts and crackers.