Easy Recipes for Car Camping
Hot dogs and baked beans, hot dogs and baked beans, hot dogs and baked beans….The classic fuel of many camping memories. One meal like that feels nostalgic and filling, but a week of hot dogs and beans…well, thankfully there are better options.
I have been trying out the Magma Crossover Series this spring. Using it is a total game changer for fantastic cooking. The burner is actually better than the burner on my stovetop in my kitchen! Water boils faster, onions caramelize more quickly, and you can get a really good sear on meat with it.
Additionally, the Magma Crossover Grill top and Pizza Oven top add variety and options. We did a full review of this new cooking system on the blog–check it out for all the details.
All these recipes can be cooked with a traditional camping set up if you you want to get creative, but the results may be different that what is shown here.
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Kitchen Tools for Camping
There are a few kitchen tools that make camp cooking much easier. The basics will make any cooking less frustrating, whether it is over the campfire or with the Magma Crossover system.
Here are the essentials in my camping tool kit:
- a pair of long handled tongs
- long handled metal spatula
- sharp knife
- plastic cutting board
- can opener
- small whisk
- measuring spoons
Vermonter Pizza
We call this the Vermonter Pizza because it is loaded with traditional Vermont ingredients: apples, a little cheddar cheese, and a touch of maple syrup. Bacon, apples, cheddar and syrup? Totally a winning combo.
Ingredients
- One recipe of pizza dough, or store bought dough
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 strips (or more) of cooked bacon
- 1/2 apple, sliced thin
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- small amount of tomato sauce, optional
- Handful of cheddar cheese, shredded
- handful of mozzarella cheese, shredded
- maple syrup
- salt
- red pepper flakes, optional
- flour
To Cook
- Start by preheating the pizza oven. Turn to high and let heat for 5 minutes. When the thermometer reads 250 you are ready to go
- Stretch or roll out your dough on a floured cutting board or pizza peel
- rub with olive oil
- add thin coat of tomato sauce if desired
- sprinkle cheddar cheese on to sauce
- add topping–apple, onion, and bacon
- add remaining cheese on top
- drizzle with syrup
- slide into pizza oven
- check pizza and turn it once. After about 5-8 minutes it will be done if the toppings on top are melted
Remove pizza to cutting board and let cool for a minute or two. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and salt, if desired. Slice and enjoy! Pizza is such a novelty to have while camping–be prepared for extra folks to show up for dinner.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
This cabbage and sausage mixture tastes like egg roll filling, but is quick to cook and tasty! This recipe has been adapted from The Easy Camp Cookbook, by Amelia Mayer.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 5 scallions, diced
- 1 (14- ounce) bag coleslaw mix
To Cook:
- Turn the burner of a Magma Crossover on, and heat a large cast iron pan, on medium heat.
- Add the sesame oil and heat until shimmering
- Turn burner to low.
- Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes
- Remove onion from pan and add pork
- Cook pork. Add the ginger, garlic, and onions.
- Add the cabbage slaw and saute until tender. Season with soy sauce.
Best served with rice if you want to add a carb. For super easy prep use boil in bag rice, or you can cook your rice on the burner before cooking the stir fry.
Brats on Baguettes
This is another simple and delicious recipe from Amelia’s Easy Camp Cookbook. It’s almost as easy as hotdogs but way tastier.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
- 2 T olive oil
- 4 bratwurt
- 4 mini baguette or one large one
- mustard, ketchup, and hot sauce for topping
- cheese (optional)
- salt and pepper
To Cook
- Heat the olive oil in the skillet on your Magma Crossover burner
- Add the onions and peppers and cook for 3-4 minute until softened. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside
- Turn the burner off and put the Magma Grill cook top on the burner. Relight the burner and heat the grill.
- Add the bratwurst and grill until cooked to and internal temperature of 120 degrees.
- Heat the baguettes up on the grill as the brats finish
- Add a brat to each baguette and top with peppers and onion. Add cheese if desired and mustard.
If you want a hot, panini style sandwich, you can even wrap each baguette sandwich tightly in foil and place in the the grill to heat. The cheese will be melted and the ingredients melded together. Yum!
S’Mores Pizza
Here is a new twist on traditional s’mores! No campfire? No problem! This recipe uses a traditional pizza down but layers on all the sweet toppings, including a graham cracker streusel topping.
Ingredients
- One small pizza crust
- 1/4 cup mini milk chocolate chips
- 4 whole graham crackers, crushed
- mini marshmallows
- 3 T butter
- 2 T confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tub of spreadable, plain cream cheese
- cinnamon sugar, optional
To Make
- Melt butter on the Magma burner. Add graham cracker crumbs to melted butter, along with 2 T confectioner’s sugar. Stir to combine.
- Add the pizza oven cooktop to the Magma grill and preheat to 300 degrees
- Divide the dough in half. Shape one portion into a 10 inch round circle.
- Flour the pizza peel or pan, and put dough round on it
- Spread thin layer of cream cheese on the dough.
- Add chocolate chips, then sprinkle marshmallows on top.
- Sprinkle the graham cracker topping on top.
- Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the marshmallow on top is toasted golden. Remove, cool down, and enjoy!
This recipe was a big hit with my kid. You know the way Cinnabon smells at the mall or airport? This smells and tastes better than that. It is also very adaptable to any toppings or candy you might want to sprinkle on top. The ultimate campground party pleaser.
Caribbean Seasoned Chicken Kebabs
This recipe takes cubed and skewered marinated chicken and cooks it on the Magma Crossover grill top alongside skewers of vegetables. The beauty of this recipe is you can use whatever vegetable you like, and mix and match to create the flavors you love.
Ingredients
- 1 lb of boneless chicken thighs, sliced into 1 inch cubes.
- 2 T Olive Oil
- 2 T Lemon juice
- 1 t dried thyme
- 1 t garlic powder
- 1/2 t cumin
- 1 t salt
- ground pepper
- dash of red pepper flakes
- 1-3 sweet peppers, cubed
- Can of pineapple chunks
- 1 onion, cut into chunks
- 1/2 lb of cleaned white button mushrooms
- Wooden or metal skewers
To Cook
- Mix all the ingredients except the chicken together.
- Add the chicken, and marinate in the fridge or cooler for at least an hour.
- Soak the skewers
- Meanwhile, toss the vegetables together with a little olive oil and salt.
- Skewer the vegetables
- Preheat the grill
- Remove the chicken from fridge and make skewers with them. (keep the chicken separate from veggies)
- Once the grill is up to 350, begin cooking.
- Cook the chicken until the internal temp is 165 or above.
- Cook the veggies until desired doneness.
Serve the skewers over rice or noodles. Delicious with a Caribbean barbecue sauce. Cooking note: Because of the design of the Magma grill, the corners do not get as hot as the center. Make your skewers shorter enough so they don’t need to be in the corners to cook.
Where to Find More Recipes
Did these recipes whet your appetite for more camping-friendly recipes? We’ve got you covered. Amelia, the Tales of a Mountain Mama founder, has written two cookbooks to make your family camping trips easier.
I love her books because they include instructions for what to cook and pack before you even leave for your trip. You can write a list based on her recipes, pre-cook according to the instructions, and then cook like a pro at the campsite.
Camping With Kids Cookbook
This book was written specifically with kids in mind. Our kids love to help us cook at the the campsite–something about the fresh air makes them extra hungry and curious. This book is designed to equip families to cook together, with instructions for kids and adults.
The Easy Camp Cookbook
Two of the recipes I highlighted in the post came directly from this great cookbook. The book has tons recipes for car camping, and it also has a good variety of creative recipes for backpacking. One of my favorites new recipes I got from this cook book are “Walking Tacos”. You’ll have to check it out!
Related Posts
- Magma Crossover Review
- How to Set up a Camp Kitchen
- Family Camping Meal Plan
- Planning a Camping Road Trip
5 Great Recipes for Camping
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