8 Excellent One-Pot Camping Meal Ideas

While I’m certainly no gourmet chef in the kitchen, camping is where my culinary talents really shine…

When made over a fire, I can actually prepare a meal that I get excited about, and if you’re a cooking newbie, I encourage you to build your confidence by taking on a meal or two at camp.

The odds are always in the camp chef’s favor – everybody is always starving after a long hike and in need of a good meal. And with these one-pot recipes, you’ll be able to make great meals with little hassle and little clean-up!

Breakfast

Boiled Omelets

Did you know you can easily take an omelet with you to the campground? Crack a couple of eggs into a Ziploc bag, add bell peppers, onions, ham, cheese, mushrooms, or whatever else you like, seal it up, and drop it in a pot of boiling water.

Three to five minutes later you have an egg masterpiece. Kids love to shake up the bags, and if camping with a large group, everybody can add their own toppings. Here’s a great recipe for more inspiration. It’s the perfect breakfast for car camping or if you’re staying in a camper or RV where you have access to a cooler.

Skillet Hash

I love this greasy-spoon staple and always make my own when on the trail. Simply heat some oil in a hot skillet and throw in sliced cured sausage. To that, add some rough-cut potatoes and cover. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add in onions and bell peppers, then let it cook for a few minutes more.

Towards the end, pour in five or six beaten eggs (or leftovers from your boiled omelet bags). When those are solid, top it all off with cheese for an absolutely delicious breakfast. It’s the perfect meal to split between two campers.

Shakshuka

Impress your fellow campers with this classic Moroccan breakfast. Start by throwing onions and a heap of diced bell peppers, (four at least), into a hot, oiled skillet. Let them cook for five minutes, then pour in a can of fire-roasted tomatoes.

Let that cook till it’s thick, then make divots in it with a spoon and crack eggs into each slot. Cover and cook until the eggs are set and the yolks are cloudy. Like any good camping meal, this dish loves improvisation if you’ve got other ingredients around.

Lunch

Upside-Down Nachos

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A camp classic that nobody can say no to. Start with hot oil/butter in a skillet and add in diced dried sausage or even minced up jerky. Toss in onions and peppers and let them soften, then cover all that in shredded cheese.

Just when that looks all melty, spill in your tortilla chips. While you give them half a minute to stick to the cheese, arrange four paper plates into a clover pattern on your camp table. Turn the whole skillet over onto the paper-plate tray you’ve created and throw some more cheese on the top and dig in!

Baked Hot-Dogs

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These are so easy they’re perfect to make for families camping with the kiddos. Rip off a paper-sized piece of foil and open up a hot dog bun on top of it. Sprinkle it with cheese and nestle a hot dog inside. Then top that off with a bit more cheese (and onions if you’re a grown-up).

Wrap all that up and set it on the edge of your fire for a couple of minutes to get everything nice and toasty. Then, simply unwrap and dress it with your favorite condiments.

DINNER

Ranch Burgers

I’m not sure how these burgers got their name, but maybe the hot dogs add a sense of wide-open wildness to the mix? These burgers are also an easy dish to make before leaving and can easily be stored in a cooler for easy heat-up.

If cooking in camp, brown hamburger meat and onions together in your trusty camp skillet. Pour in a healthy glug of barbecue sauce and ketchup. Drain a can of pinto beans and add them in along with five or six hot dogs sliced into coins. Cook a few minutes until it all thickens and then eat on hamburger buns.

Shrimp and Grits

This might sound fancy for camping, but let me tell you about the magic of pre-cooked polenta! It’s usually sold in tubes at the grocery store (and often doesn’t require refrigeration), and it makes this dish a dream. Mash up one tube with a little water and butter in a skillet until it’s hot, then squash it up against the sides of the skillet to get it creamy.

Drain a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and add them in. Sprinkle salt and garlic powder on them, cooking for just a minute before throwing in your peeled shrimp. These turn pink in just a few minutes, and then you’re ready to enjoy!

DESSERT

Cone S’mores

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How did I live before knowing s’mores could be this neat, this easy, this…contained? This recipe is a game changer, especially when making s’mores for little kids.

Layer marshmallows and chocolate chips into a waffle cone then wrap it in foil and set it along the outskirts of your fire. After five minutes, carefully unwrap and have your mind blown by one of the least-sticky and most-delicious s’mores around.