Making meals for a large group camping trip doesn’t need to be stressful or costly. With some planning and a little ingenuity, it’s also a great way to save money when feeding a large family or multi-family group of campers.
Basics
Camping with a large group requires planning meals that can easily be prepared at the campsite; otherwise, you risk spending too much time trying to keep everyone fed and happy.
Campers looking for easy meals will love such creations as overnight oats, burritos with beans + vegetables, quesadillas, and grilled salmon foil packets. These can all be prepared quickly in one pot! These recipes offer quick solutions when time is of the essence!
Plan out each meal before going shopping so that you’ll know which ingredients you need. Also remember to pack snacks – such as hummus, sliced or string cheese, and fruit – just in case hunger strikes while out and about!
To make things a bit easier, have several people in your group bring different ingredients. That way you won’t have to worry about schlepping food for the entire crew yourself. It takes a village!
Meal Preparation
When camping as part of a group, selecting meals that can be quickly prepared is ideal. A stir fry requires only one pot and is straightforward. Also remember to pack enough plates, napkins, and silverware for everyone.
Select a day each week when meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking will take place to help prevent food spoilage.
Food Allergies
If members of your group have food allergies, it’s essential that meals be tailored specifically for them. And again, make sure you provide ample utensils, napkins, and cups – having more than you need is better as people often go through multiple items throughout their day.
Campers with food allergies should inform the organizer of all allergies and other considerations to ensure other campers and staff members understand and avoid the allergen. They should carry an epinephrine auto-injector (an EpiPen) and wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace. Being out in the great outdoors means everyone can have a wonderful time as long as you are prepared.
Daily Menus
Camping requires keeping meals straightforward; this enables campers to quickly prepare food while still taking in the beauty of nature. Also important: having an assortment of dry food options like granola, oatmeal, crackers, fruit, and jerky on hand.
Try skillet hash for an easy breakfast option that’s sure to please – this quick-cooking, crowd-pleasing dish can be customized by adding meat, cheese, fresh fruit or other ingredients as desired.
Fill up on delicious deli meats, cheeses, and fruits for an indulgent lunch when camping; these items can be enjoyed alone or added to sandwiches as a tasty snack. Veggie skewers make cooking them easier – either on the grill, or Dutch oven – in addition to being faster to prepare on-site.
Packing
If you are camping as part of a group, assign each member responsibility for one meal. That way, the weight can be more evenly distributed among everyone and no one will go hungry during camping. Choose easy-to-make and prepare foods such as sandwiches, wraps, soup recipes, and pasta; dry goods like powdered mixes for biscuits and pancakes can also be easily stored away while camping.
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