Our tips for cooking and eating on a camping holiday
Cooking and eating on a camping holiday can be great fun as well as providing an excuse to get together with family, friends and even your fellow campers. Below are some of Flower’s tips for camp cooking and what to cook when camping.
What to eat while camping : use local, seasonal produce whenever you can
A holiday is a great opportunity for exploring the area you’re staying in through its food and local produce, so you should always sample – and even have a go at making – some of the local specialities. A campsite can also be a good place to try out new foods and drinks thanks to the local markets they sometimes organise. And don’t forget to ask the staff about the best local producers and growers. They’ll be delighted to pass on information about their local products and cuisine.
Easy camping food ideas : let your imagination do the work
On a camping holiday, cooking should be fun and simple. If you’re in rental accommodation, you’ll find you have a wide range of cooking utensils at your disposal. If you’re camping, you’ll be a little more limited so imagination is the order of the day. Whichever option you choose, it’s easy to eat well on a camping holiday. Why not try asking your neighbours to share their camping meal ideas? Campsite staff, too, will be only to pleased to pass on their cooking tips and camping recipes. And if you find you’re missing a vital ingredient, most Flower campsites have a small shop selling basic groceries, with famous food for camping.
A barbecue : the camper’s greatest cooking equipment
Camping is hardly camping without a barbecue. Indeed, there’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly cooked sausages, grilled meat and peppers or soft, melted cheese to remind you of a relaxed camping holiday. Accompanied by a bowl of iced gazpacho or a fresh mixed salad, a simple meal of grilled meat or fish cooked outdoors can be a mouth-watering experience as well as a great way of bringing friends and family together on a holiday you’ll never forget. So find your best camping cooking gear or get in touch to your campsite to know if you can rent one at the reception.
Some of our campsites provide barbecues free of charge or to rent. Remember to ask about them when you book your holiday.
And if the chef just doesn’t feel like cooking, why not try the restaurant?
Most Flower campsites have their own restaurants serving food cooked on the premises, typically offering a choice of simple, gastro and local speciality menus. In addition, many Flower campsite bars and restaurants have attractive terraces which make the ideal setting for a relaxed evening meal.
10 Easy Camping Recipes
Breakfast/Lunch
1)Cheese & Scrambled Egg Croissant
Perfect for a hearty breakfast, brunch or lunch.
- Whisk your eggs, grated cheddar cheese and a splash of milk in a bowl and then poor into a pan.
- Heat over your camping stove while continually stirring until it is scrambled.
- Halfslice your croissants sideways and fill them with the scrambled egg.
2)French Toast
- Heat up a pan with a bit of oil/butter.
- While the pan is heating, crack your eggs into a pot wide enough for a slice of bread to sit in flat and add a splash of milk before stirring to break up the egg yolks.
- Add a slice of bread to the pan and let it soak up the liquid before turning the slice over and letting it soak the other side. Don’t leave it too long as it will go soggy.
- Use some cooking tongs to remove the bread from the eggs and lay the slice flat into the hot pan.
- Cook for a minute or two until one side is golden brown and then flip over to cook the other side.
- Serve with a topping of your choice. Flower’s personal favourite is honey & blueberries.
Dinner
3)Cheese & Bacon potatoes
- Chop bacon into bits and fry in a heated pan with a drop of oil
- Thinly slice your potatoes to make circles and dice up an onion
- Once the bacon is crispy, spoon out but leave oil and juices in the pan
- Layer your sliced potatoes and onion in pan and top with the bacon
- Top with grated cheese and leave to cook until potatoes are soft
4)Tomato Sauce Pasta
- Put a pan of water on your camping stove to boil
- Add your pasta to the boiling water
- In another pan add chopped onions, mushrooms & peppers (or any veg of your choice)
- Once the vegetables have started to heat through add a jar of tomato pasta sause and warm through
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water out and add the pasta to the sauce
- Top with grated cheese and serve with a slice of bread
5)Camping Nachos
- In a disposable cooking tin add your plain or flavoured nacho chips
- Cover chips with grated cheddar cheese
- Top with salsa or a topping of your choice. Guacamole, olives, jalapenos etc.
- For the cheese lovers, you can add another layer of grated cheese on top
- Cover your tin with aluminium foil to help it warm through
- Carefully place the tray over your campfire to melt the cheese for around 10 minutes
6)Potato Curry
- Heat up a small amount of oil in a pan on your camping stove
- Chop an onion and fry in the pan
- Add curry paste (amount depends on personal preference) and a tin of tomatoes to the pan and stir. Fry gently on low heat
- Peel and chop your potatoes into large chunks, then add to the pan
- Add a little bit of water to the mix to cover potatoes and let it simmer until potatoes are soft
- Can be served with rice or any kind of pre-coooked meat
7)Sausage Casserole
- Fry the sausages in an oiled pan over the stove for 5 mins
- Cut your new potatoes in half and add them to the pan
- Chop and add onion, pepper, carrots or whatever veggies you have to the pot
- Keep turning the sausages until brown and cooked through
- Add a tomato pasta sauce and mix in (some people like to add a tin of baked beans instead)
Desserts or treats
8)Fruit & Marshmallow Kebabs
- Pick your fruit of choice whether it be strawberries, raspberries etc.
- Insert a kebab stick into the middle of the fruit, followed by a marshmallow. Repeat this pattern until stick is a third full.
- Carefully hold kebab stick over the campfire or stove and rotate slowly to warm through
- Once the marshmallows are toasted and are golden, let them cool for a minute and then they’re done!
9)Banana Boats
- Keeping the skin on, slice one side on a banana lengthways to create a hole in the side
- Stuff the banana with filling of your choice. Chocolate chips or buttons work well.
- Wrap in aluminium foil and place close to the campfire or on a grill tray if you have one.
- Wait 10 minutes until the filling has melted
- Take off the fire with gloves as the foil will be hot
10)Smores
- Take two plain digestive biscuits and layer chocolate pieces(buttons work best) on one of the biscuits
- Toast a marshmallow over the campfire/stove by sticking a kebab stick or prong through it and waiting for it to go gooey and golden brown.
- Place the marshmallow on top of the chocolate layer on the biscuit
- Put the other digestive on top to make a sandwich like snack