The Best Easy Camping Meals for a Weekend at the Campsite
Heading out for 2 nights, 3 days to a vehicle accessible campground? Here’s your grocery list and meal plan!
Whether you’re going camping for the first time and don’t know what to cook or you’ve made a last-minute campsite reservation and need an easy meal plan now…
… scroll down for affordable, delicious and super simple campsite meals for your next weekend camping trip. We even substituted the staple s’mores dessert for something easier. (Keep reading to find out what!)
Note: This list is based on two people without allergies. Substitute for dietary restrictions and preferences as needed.
Grocery list:
- Meat & Dairy:
- 1 large salmon fillet (or 2 small/medium fillets)
- 100 grams deli meat slices (enough for 2 sandwiches)
- 6 pack of smokies
- 6 pack of eggs
- 1 bag shredded cheese
- Fruit & Vegetables:
- 2 prepackaged salad kits (or leftover lettuce, spinach and/or kale and salad dressing)
- 1 onion
- 1 cucumber
- 1 banana
- 1 small bag of fresh fruit (blueberries, cherries, peaches, etc)
- Grains:
- 2 bread rolls
- 6 pack of hot dog buns
- 2 single-serving packets of instant oatmeal
- Dessert & Snacks:
- 1 can of 8 Pillsbury cinnamon rolls
- 1 Jiffy Pop popcorn
- Extras:
- Spices (salt and pepper, etc)
- Olive oil
- Drinks (coffee, tea or juice)
- Condiments (mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup)
Camp cooking gear:
- Cooler
- Ice and/or ice packs
- Camp stove
- Fuel
- Camp cookware (pot/kettle, pan, spatula)
- Plates, bowls, cutlery, cups and mugs
- Large bowl
- Roasting sticks
- Fire starter/matches
- Bucket/wash bin
- Wash cloth and soap
Storage suggestion: Keep all meat, fruit and vegetables securely stored in air-tight containers inside the cooler. If possible, bring a second cooler for drinks, as it will be opened more frequently, melting the ice faster.
Day One:
Breakfast: Enjoy your favourite breakfast at home before hitting the road. In a rush? Grab a breakfast sandwich from the grocery store on your way out.
Lunch: Cook two smokies in a pan on the camp stove or over the campfire. Place inside hot dog buns and squeeze your favourite condiments on top.
Snack: Eat the fresh fruit.
Dinner: Cook the salmon on the first night to avoid spoiling. Turn your camping stove on medium-high. Cut the salmon fillet in half and rub with oil. Generously coat the salmon in salt, pepper and your favourite spices (suggestions: lemon pepper, garlic salt, herbs). Add a splash of olive oil to the hot pan and fry the salmon, skin-side down, for 4-6 minutes or until a light brown crust has formed. Flip and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Prepare half the salad in a large bowl and serve together.
Dessert: Pop the Pillsbury cinnamon roll can open and separate individual rolls. Skewer a single cinnamon roll with a roasting stick. Hold over coals, rotating constantly, for 10-15 minutes or until toasted light brown. Top with icing. Limit yourselves to two each, and store four uncooked leftover rolls and extra icing in Tupperware in cooler.
Day Two
Breakfast: Chop and fry half an onion until caramelized. Slice up two leftover smokies and add to pan. Add eggs and scramble. Top with grated cheese. Use the kettle or pot to boil water for coffee or tea, or drink juice.
Lunch: Spread mustard and mayonnaise on bread rolls. Create a sandwich with grated cheese, sliced cucumber, salt and pepper, deli meat and a few pieces of lettuce from the second prepackaged salad kit.
Snack: Pop Jiffy Pop over the camp stove, taking care not to overcook and burn.
Dinner: Roast the last two leftover smokies over the fire. Meanwhile, caramelize the rest of the onion in a pan over your camp stove. Place smokies in buns with fried onions, condiments and rest of grated cheese. Pair with the last half of the salad.
Dessert: Eat the last four cinnamon rolls roasted on a stick.
Day Three
Breakfast: Use the kettle or pot to boil water for instant oatmeal. Add sliced banana. Drink coffee, tea or juice.
Lunch: Grab take-out on the road or wait until you’re home to eat.
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