Camping really brings people back to their roots. It means spending time in nature and cooking over a fire. The same is with camping in a campervan.
Time passes differently when hanging out in the campervan. With the freedom of an open schedule and endless options for activities, it can be tough to plan meals. Figuring out what to eat or how to prepare can be a challenge.
What a great opportunity to try new recipes. Below are a handful of camping recipes you can add to your campervan cookout “arsenal”.
Camping Breakfast Recipes
Ah, breakfast -- the most important meal of the day! Making a wholesome breakfast is one of the best ways to start an active day on the right foot.
Simple: Cereal
Water
Protein powder
Granola or Muesli
For those days you want to get on your way fast, cereal is a quick option. When you combine water with protein powder, you get milk for a high protein breakfast. Besides, cereal has carbs to fuel an active day. We like this recipe when we’re camping in the backcountry because dry protein powder keeps easier than milk and weighs less.
The other best part of this simple breakfast is that you only have to clean up the bowls and spoons. Something you will appreciate while in a campervan.
Fancy: French Toast
French Toast is the pinnacle for breakfasts. And I don’t say that because of New Age Travel and Services’ French origins! They’re a hearty and delicious way to start your day.
Sliced Bread
Egg (or flax egg substitute)
Milk (or non-dairy milk)
Butter or margarine for frying
Banana – optional and awesome
Mix the liquid ingredients in a bowl. If substituting for the vegan batter, let it sit a few minutes for the flax to become a gel. Dunk each bread slice in the batter and fry both sides.
Our personal favourite is to add a mashed banana to the batter. The heat from the grill enhances the banana’s sweetness. Top with fruit, sliced almonds or maple syrup.
Between: Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are the perfect combination of quick yet fancy. As the name suggests, you must combine the ingredients the night prior. It’s a real treat to wake up to a ready-made meal. Breakfast in bed, anyone?
Oats
Milk (or non-dairy milk)
Seeds like flax, chia or coconut flakes
Berries or honey for sweetness
Use a 1:1 milk to oats ratio. Stir in seeds like chia, flax or coconut flakes. In the morning, top with berries or honey for sweetness. Enjoy.
Camping Lunch Ideas
Simple: wraps
Simple, versatile and healthy. You can make wraps in the passenger seat while driving, carry the ingredients up a mountain, or prepare in the morning.
Tortillas
Cream Cheese, Mayo or other sauces
Bagged salad
Peppers or Cucumbers
Protein like deli meat, veggie dogs or hardboiled egg
Fancy: Rice & Kale Salad
Kale is a hardy camping vegetable. It lasts long and makes a meaty salad. The trick with kale salads is to “massage” the dressing into the kale before adding other ingredients.
Toss in instant rice or couscous for carbs. These grains are handy because they cook quickly.
Kale (ribbed and cut into pieces)
Instant Rice (cooked and cooled)
Salad Dressing
Green apple
Cranberries
Protein like hemp hearts, chickpeas or chicken
Between: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Grilled Cheese is the perfect meal for a rainy day. It’s comfort food at its finest. We also enjoy these melty sandwiches on recovery days at the campground.
Sliced Bread
Sliced cheese
Butter
Spread the butter on both sides of each bread slice. Sandwich the cheese with the buttered bread. Grill both sides of the sandwich to melt the inside cheese.
To increase the “fancy factor”, you can use gruyere or brie. Or, experiment with different breads. The world is your oyster!
I once asked Joey how he ate so much cheese. His response: “French will!”
Camping Dinners Recipes
On some camping days, you will want a quick dinner. Other days, you might have lots of time to prepare a meal. Below are dinner ideas to fit whichever schedule you find yourself in.
Simple: Couscous Stir Fry
This is our go-to recipe on the road. It is a great way to go through leftovers. You can use any vegetable and spice combination.
Sautéed vegetables
Couscous
Water
Spices
Protein like chickpeas, black beans or shrimp
Sauté your vegetables in a pot (not a pan). Once soft add 1:1 of water to couscous into the same pot. Cover with a lid. Turn off the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes for the couscous to absorb the water.
C’est Fini.
Fancy: Salmon and Avocado Ceviche
This meal looks and feels super fancy. In all honesty, it’s easy to make. Ensure you buy high-quality fish to avoid eating micro-organisms. The acidity from the citrus cooks the proteins in the fish. Stay safe. The acidity does not kill any micro-organisms that were on the fish. Cook ceviche the day you buy it. That should do the trick.
4 cups (or 1 kg) skin free Salmon cut into small cubes
The juice from
2 lemons
2 limes
1 orange
Salt, cayenne
Mayo (optional)
Avocado
Salt the salmon and add the citrus juices into one container. Let sit for a couple of hours in the fridge. Shake once in a while to ensure the juice covers all pieces.
After letting it cure, drain the juice into another bowl. Add honey, cayenne and mayo to the liquid and froth with a fork. This can be used as a flavourful sauce.
Serve with your favourite bread or crackers.
Between: Tortellini in Soup Base
We learned this recipe from a couple of friends while camping at the Bugaboos. Since then, it is a staple in our recipe collection. Adding the soup to the pasta water is brilliant. It thickens the soup, leaving a saucy one-pot meal.
1 package Tortellini
Liptons Powdered Soup Mix
Cook the tortellini in boiling water. When the tortellini are close to done, discard extra liquid. You want enough for the soup to become a sauce. Add the soup broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Campfire Foods
Simple: Hotdogs
Nothing screams camping than hotdogs and hamburgers.
Hotdogs
Buns
Condiments
Fancy Dessert: Orange Brownie Balls
I love this dessert. I love it because I love chocolate. Plus, the juice from the fruit gives the decadent brownie a light hint of citrus. I also love how It feels childish. You carve the rind; wrap it in aluminum; wait for the desert to cook in the campfire. And all in a good way!
4 oranges
1 box of Brownie Mix
1 Egg or Flax substitute
Oil
Water
The first step is the most difficult. You have to empty the rind without puncturing the bottom of the orange. Combine the brownie batter. Pour the batter into the rinds. Wrap the balls in aluminum foil and throw them in the campfire.
Since the orange adds juice and moisture to the brownie and the foil traps the moisture in, it takes a while to cook the brownies. Cooking time is dependent on the dessert’s placement in the fire and the temperature of the campfire.
These brownie balls are worth the wait!
Between: Baked Potatoes
Potatoes
Sour cream
Green onions
Peppers/Veggies
Wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil. Put the potatoes in the fire. When they’re soft enough, cut them in half and top them with your toppings.
Recipe Inspiration
We hope you found recipe inspiration for your next campervan camping vacation with the above recipes. All New Age Travel and Services campervans come with a full kitchenette: a two-burner propane stove, a fridge, bowls, plates, utensils, a pot, and a pan. We also include a couple of propane bottles.
It’s the comforts of home with a bit less flexibility. Once in a while, we get customers who are anxious about cooking in a van kitchen. Worry no longer! Cooking healthy recipes in a campervan is simple. After all, you have to simplify the recipes.
Feel free to contact New Age Travel and Services with any questions, or book your campervan rental or check out other tips & tricks on our news section.