Summer Camp Inspired Recipes for Kids

One of the best things about sleep-away camp or camping in general is gathering with friends and family to share a delicious meal. Whether that’s around the fire or in the dining hall, kid-pleasing food is bound to be on the menu. Being at home usually brings on the ho-hum usual dinner fare…burgers, casseroles, cereal…so any opportunity to eat away from home often brings on new dishes you don’t normally get to eat. Camping is no different. Whether you’re the one picking out the ingredients or the camp crew already has it set up for you, you’re sure to have some good eats!

The thing about traditional camping food is you have to get a little more creative. If your family is the one doing the cooking, you can’t bring all your pots and pans with you. Any opportunity to skip the dishes by cooking something on a stick or in a package is usually a welcome idea by all.

But what if you’re stuck at home and missing camp? You’d do anything to have an ooey, gooey s’mores listening to the crackling fire swapping ghost stories! Luckily, you can take the kid out of camp, but you don’t have to take camp out of the kid. In other words, bring the camp food home!

With a homemade campfire, fire pit, grill or even just the indoor stove, it may not be the real thing, but at least it’ll taste like it is.

Here are 9 recipes to make with your friends and family to get the taste of camp.

Breakfast

Egg-in-a-Hole

“Egg-in-a-hole,” “One-Eyed Jack,” “Bullseye Eggs”…this easy dish has a lot of names. Chances are if one of these doesn’t sound familiar to you, you’ve heard of it as something else. That’s because it’s a simple recipe that’s been around for a long time.

If you’re still not sure what I’m talking about, just go ahead and:

• Grab a slice of bread.
• Punch a hole in the center with your favorite cookie cutter.
• Crack an egg in the center of the hole.
• Fry it up and flip until the egg is to your liking.
• Eat with a fork and enjoy!

 

Bacon Cheese Pull Aparts

This breakfast is made of just 4 simple ingredients: butter, cheese, bacon and dinner rolls. Could you possibly go wrong with those ingredients?! Plus it is easy enough for the whole family to make. Are you drooling yet?

 

Lunch or Dinner

Walking Tacos

Snack bags of chips are easy enough to take camping, and they’re also a pretty common American household staple where kids are around. That makes this camp-inspired lunch or dinner a good go-to. Just grab your favorite bag of chips and your taco fixins (think meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes…) and get to work!

 

Pigs in a Blanket

Ah, the ever-popular Pig-in-a-Blanket. Why is it so popular? Because it tastes good and kids love love them. This one just takes two basic ingredients: hot dogs and canned crescent rolls…plus your favorite condiments. Here’s a quick step-by-step:

• Peel off one triangle from the crescent dough and lay flat.
• Spread a thin layer of mustard, ketchup or both onto the dough.
• Lay down the hot dog and roll up!

This is a great one to put on a stick and cook over the fire if you have one!

 

Campfire Calzones

Who doesn’t love pizza?! That’s basically what this is…but in true camp form. You can’t call your favorite pizza place when you’re out in the wilderness. And since you’re bringing home the taste of camp, well, getting delivery would be cheating. So make this excellent Campfire Calzone instead and it will taste even better. And if these ingredients aren’t what you’re craving, be sure to throw in whatever sounds good to you!

 

Hobo Packets

You may have heard of these as foil packets, but “hobo packets” has a nice ring, don’t you think? But foil packets is exactly what they look like. The great thing about cooking these neat little packages over the campfire is that everything stays secure in a pouch. Plus, everyone gets their own and can fill it with only the ingredients they want. This meat and potato packet is an easy and filling choice, but seafood or veggies is another great option.

 

Snacks and Desserts

Trail Mix

Chances are if you’ve been camping with your family or have been to sleep-away camp, you went on a hike. And everyone knows you need nourishment when you’re doing all that uphill walking and exploring. Because it has everything you need to keep you full, trail mix is a great choice. Which means it’s also great to have around the house for when hunger strikes. Try our suggested version or this nut-free version will be a crowd pleaser, too.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie S’mores

Pretty sure you can’t think of one person who doesn’t like s’mores. And on the off chance you can, this take on the classic will surely be the one both you and them can’t get enough of. Just swap out the graham cracker for either a homemade or store-bought chocolate chip cookie and you’re good to go! And don’t forget to roast your marshmallow over the fire because nothing beats that smoky flavor.

 

Grilled Chocolate Banana Foil Pack

If that dessert wasn’t quite healthy enough for you (haha!) here they’ve added in some potassium-rich banana. The ever-popular foil pack returns for this delicious campfire dessert. Chances are the clean up will be cleaner than eating it, but obviously the mess will be worth it.