We love food at Bold Earth. Food is a huge priority on all of our trips because we know that being hungry is never conducive to fun. We travel the globe and expose our students to all kinds of new and different cuisines, but we also make sure that everyone always has something they like to eat. This is never more true than on our camping trips.
Many campers and hikers take on the idea that while outdoors, food is fuel. We know the importance of getting enough calories while being active and making sure that the food we’re providing is nutritional and restorative. We coach our students through the meal planning process to make sure what we serve will be enough to fill everyone’s tank back up. But that doesn’t mean our fuel can’t be tasty!
We’ve made this list of favorites to show that camp food can be creative while still being easy. These recipes are fun additions to any outdoor trip and require minimal equipment.
Starting with Dessert…
You’ll have to forgive us. We’re diving right in with our favorite sugary camping treat. Yes, these wonderful creations come after a hearty dinner with vegetables and whole grains, but the question remains: Who can resist the call of the classic s’more set up?
Okay, everybody knows about the joys of a perfectly browned marshmallow, crisp on the outside and ooey-gooey on the inside. The warmth from the fire melts down the chocolate against the brisk crunch of saltine–
Oops, our secret is out. We’re here to make a statement. Graham cracker lovers, beware.
Saltine s’mores are our all time favorite pick for a campfire dessert. Saltines provide the one thing that graham crackers never could–the counterbalance to the sweetness of marshmallow and chocolate. The salt brings out the flavors of the other s’mores components and elevates them to a whole new level. We call it:
Sweet & Salty S’more
Ingredients:
- Milk chocolate bars (2 squares per s’more, 3 if you’re feeling decadent)
- Sleeve of saltines
- Marshmallows
Steps: Roast your marshmallow to golden perfection or burned to a crisps, preference depending. Place chocolate squares on saltine, salty side facing down. Place marshmallow on chocolate and top with second saltine, salty side facing up. Bite in and enjoy the sweet and salty revelation. Will you ever go back to the graham cracker again?
Super Easy Soup for All Seasons
After a long day on the trail, nothing hits the spot like a steaming bowl of brothy goodness. Get caught in the rain? Clothes wet after a river crossing? Chilly wind picking up as you set up camp? No problem at all. You can warm right up with this all-time favorite recipe that’s quick, easy, and packed with strength-restoring yumminess.
The salts in this recipe replenish what gets sweat off during a jam-packed day of adventure. A healthy serving of protein, vegetables, and whole-grain carbs will satisfy and set you up for success to feel your best. Drum roll please for our kid-approved soup for all seasons.
Camp Stove Chicken Noodle Classic
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 8 cups water
- 8 chicken bouillon cubes
- 4 packets or cans of pre-cooked chicken breast
- 2 cups whole wheat egg noodles
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 4 medium carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- salt/pepper to taste
Steps: Heat water to boil and add bouillon cubes and chicken. Chop the celery and carrots into small squares and add into the pot. Add noodles and cook until tender. When pasta is almost finished, throw the peas in for the last couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
A Fireside Treat for the Savory Crowd
One of the best parts about camping is sitting around the fire. That’s where the stories come out, the laughing starts up, and the time is made for thoughtful reflection on the day’s events. What’s better than having a little savory treat to accompany this greatest of camp traditions?
This treat requires a little preparation. The dough can be mixed up before dinner and rise while you’re eating so that it’s ready to go as an after-dinner treat. It could also be served with breakfast!
We learned this recipe from the cozy capital of Denmark, where campfires are an open invitation to get your hygge on. Hygge is the Danish word for the feeling of being comfortable and cozy, with a hearty sense of well-being. It is an important staple of Danish culture and tradition, especially in the winter months (although Danes will tell you that hygge is really important year-round). To learn more about snobrød and see pictures, click here.
Danish Snobrød (Twistbread)
Ingredients (makes 6 pieces):
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 tbs yeast
- 2 tsp sugar or honey
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup flour
Steps: To make the dough, heat the butter and milk in a pot until lukewarm, then add the yeast. Remove from heat and let dissolve. Mix all of the other ingredients together in one big bowl and pour the liquid mixture in. Save a little of the flour until the end. Knead the dough until ingredients are well mixed. Let rise in for about an hour.
One risen, add the reserved flour and knead again. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Find a thick stick (one for each person who wants to roast their own snobrød. Roll the dough pieces between your palms into long “snakes” of dough, then wrap each length of dough around the end of a clean stick.
Roast the dough over an open fire, rotating slowly every couple of minutes until the dough is crisp and brown on the outside and feels hollow when you tap it. Hold close to the embers instead of the flames for best results.
Eat fresh and warm off the stick with any topping desired–butter, honey, Nutella, garlic butter, cheese, etc.
Living outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean eating bland, boring food. Creativity and fun are a huge part of camp cooking and with those two ingredients, camp meals can become an activity in themselves. To learn more about our camping trips, visit the 2023 Adventures page.