6 Amazing Camping Recipes All With Food Made in Canada
From the snap of the match and the crackle of those first dry twigs to the dance of the orange flames, there’s something about a campfire that invokes an endless state of relaxation. When the first waves of heat spill onto your lap and the smell of woodsmoke floats skyward, you know one thing is for certain. Dinner can’t be far behind. Or breakfast for that matter. And with such a variety offered at even your most humble grocery store, making your meals all-Canadian is pretty easy.
We’re gathered half a dozen camping recipes for your next trip. For breakfast, try the nourishing Overnight Cinnamon Oats. For lunch, go hearty with our Soup and Sausage Lunch or nibble on Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip. And for dinner, tuck into the Smokehouse Chili or go fancy with Rosemary Skillet Chicken. We even have an easy-peasy Lemon Blueberry Cobbler for dessert.
Shop the Canadian Way
Look for groceries that carry the Product of Canada label. It’s easy to find fresh poultry, meat, canned vegetables and beans, frozen berries and fruit, cheeses, fresh root vegetable along with onions and garlic, plus grains and honey. The more local, the better. We’ve used canola oil instead of imported olive oil, but feel free to experiment with others.
Here is a list of all the Canadian ingredients we’ve used for these recipes. We’ve made a few exceptions here—namely lemons, vanilla, nuts and some spices—that can easily be omitted.
Chicken (locally raised)
Potatoes (locally raised)
Rosemary (locally raised)
Garlic (locally raised)
Hot Pepper Flakes
Lemon
Ground Pork (locally raised)
Ground Beef or Bison (locally raised)
Canned Tomatoes (Aylmer)
Canned Browned Beans (Clark)
Canned Mixed Beans (Unico)
White Onion (locally raised)
Canned Chipotle Chili in Adobe Sauce
Oats (Quaker)
Milk (locally produced)
Brown Sugar (Redpath)
Fresh or Frozen Berries (Co-op Gold)
Walnuts
Vanilla
Butter (locally raised)
Carrots (locally grown)
Chicken Stock (Campbell’s)
Flour (Five Roses)
Beer (from local breweries)
Cheddar (Armstrong)
Half and Half Cream (locally produced)
Hot Sauce (locally produced)
Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing (Renée’s)
Water Chestnuts
Cream Cheese (Co-op Gold)
Green Onions
Parsley
Lemon Cake Mix (Kinnikinnick Foods)
Rosemary Skillet Chicken
Ingredients
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
10 fingerling potatoes, slice in half lengthwise and parboiled
2 sprigs fresh or dried rosemary
4 cloves garlic
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 lemons
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Remove leaves from one sprig of rosemary. On a cutting board, combine with garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Mash into a paste. Transfer to a bowl, add the juice of one lemon (reserve the squeezed halves) and oil. Add the chicken and fold in to coat.
Place a cast iron frying pan over medium hot coals. Add chicken and brown on both sides, about five minutes per side. Squeeze the juice of remaining lemon over chicken. Add potatoes, remaining rosemary, reserved lemon halves and black pepper. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to medium coals and cook for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Smokehouse Chili
Ingredients
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground beef or bison
2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can browned beans
1 can mixed beans, rinsed
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 chipotle chili in adobe sauce
Instructions
In a large pot over a medium fire, heat canola oil and brown the pork and beef or bison. Add the chopped onion and cook for three to five minutes, then add remaining ingredients and mix. Simmer over a slow fire for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with grated cheddar, sour cream and green onions.
Overnight Cinnamon Oats
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups milk
½ cup brown sugar or ¼ cup honey
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup frozen berries
½ cup chopped walnuts
Ingredients
In a large disposable aluminum pan, mix all ingredients together. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator the night before your excursions. To reheat, simply place pan on a camp stove or fire over low heat.
Soup & Sausage Lunch
Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
½ cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup chopped carrot
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 bottle (473 ml) beer
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups half-and-half
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp pepper
Instructions
The day before your excursion, melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and carrot. Sauté until softened. Add flour. Cook for about five minutes, stirring often. Add chicken broth and beer. Heat until it comes to a boil. Slowly add cheese while stirring until just boiling and smooth. Add half-and-half, dry mustard, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until soup has thickened. Transfer to airtight container. Reheat over a medium fire.
Sausage
Instructions
Slice a ring of garlic sausage into coins. Place in a disposable aluminum pan and seal with foil. Heat over medium heat until slices get a bit of colour. Serve with a good mustard and soft buns alongside your soup.
Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
2 boneless skinless breasts, cooked and cut to 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup hot sauce
½ cup blue cheese or ranch dressing
8 oz (250 g) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided into 2, ½ cup portions
¾ cup (8 oz) canned water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix cooked chicken, cream cheese, blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, half a cup of cheese, water chestnuts and green onion. Spread mixture into a 9×9 inch aluminum pan. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and place over a medium fore for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove foil and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with whole wheat cracker, tortilla chips or raw vegetable sticks.
Recipe courtesy of Manitoba Chicken Producers.
Easy Lemon Blueberry Cobbler
Ingredients
3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 box (15.25 ounces) lemon cake mix
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp butter, melted
Mix two cups of blueberries with sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and spread evenly in a greased cast iron skillet. In a separate bowl, combine cake mix, milk and butter. Pour over blueberry mixture. Top with remaining blueberries and cover with a heavy foil. Bake over medium low coals for 35-40 minutes.
