One guaranteed way to warm up during a winter camping trip is by consuming hot, comforting food. Sure, you can add hot water to a freeze-dried dinner, but that doesn’t quite hit the spot like a fresh, piping hot meal cooked at your campsite.
Below we offer tips on easy winter camping foods and cooking. We also highlight two types of winter camping cooking – one-skillet meal and dutch oven cooking – both of which require only one type of cookware and produce a fantastic hot meal. We’ve also included a recipe for each type of cooking to give you an idea of how easy and delicious these foods are to make.
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Winter Camping Foods & Cooking Tips
Are you a newbie to winter camping and not sure what to eat or how to cook in winter? Here are the most frequently asked questions about cooking during a winter camping trip.
What Foods Should I Bring?
You’ll want plenty of high-energy foods on your winter camping trip. Think cheeses, butter, nuts, nut butters, and granola for snacks. These foods help to generate body heat throughout a chilly day. Meals should be hot, well-rounded, and chock full of fat and calories – like hash, chili, and casseroles. Also, bring ingredients for hot drinks, like tea bags, cocoa mix, or coffee beans.
How Do I Keep My Food from Freezing?
The easy answer is to store your food items that you don’t want to freeze in a cooler with some hot water bottles inside.
How Do I Protect the Fire?
When it comes to campground cooking in winter, your foremost concern is protecting your fire. If you’re cooking with firewood, lay down medium-sized sticks at the base to prevent melting snow from putting out the flame. When cooking with a stove or grill, put a pad underneath. This slows down the heat transfer from the stove to the ground and reduces the amount of melting snow.
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What Kitchen Items Do I Bring?
Be very selective with the cooking equipment and utensils you bring. Keep in mind that plastic and wooden utensils are better for cooking and eating since metal utensils can cause the food temperature to drop. Bring bowls since they retain heat longer than plates. Be sure to pack at least one quality skillet (or dutch oven) for cooking food and one saucepan to heat water.
For ease of cooking, you may also want to bring a camp kitchen or oven, instead of relying on a fire pit or grill.
Finally, don’t forget your thermos and mugs to sip hot liquids throughout the day!
Should I Meal Prep?
Yes! Prepare as much of your food as you can in advance. The more ingredients you can cut up, mix together, or prep at home, the less you’ll have to worry about preparing outside in the cold… and the sooner you can get to eating.
One-Skillet Meals
One-skillet meals are a winter camping stand-out since they’re quick and delicious on a cold day! Below is an eat-it-anytime breakfast recipe with ingredients that can easily be substituted. Not a corned beef fan? Then try this recipe with bacon or sausage.
Cheesy Hash Browns with Corned Beef Mash
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 5 oz hash brown potatoes
- 3 oz cheddar cheese
- 1 can (12 oz.) corned beef, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 6 eggs
Directions:
- Make your hashbrowns or grab defrosted frozen pre-made hash browns.
- Combine hash browns, cheese, corned beef, onion, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread hash in an even layer about an inch thick. Fry for 10 minutes, turning once to brown both sides. Repeat with remaining hash, adding oil as needed, and move hash to a plate when browned.
- Fry eggs. Top eggs over the potatoes and serve!
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Dutch Oven Cooking
A dutch oven is a very versatile piece of camp cookware. You can use it to make everything from stew to apple pie. If you’re cooking over a fire, rather than bringing your own oven or kitchen, you should use a camping dutch oven. A camping dutch oven is made entirely of cast iron and often has support legs, compared to home-use dutch ovens that are sealed in enamel. The sky’s the limit with dutch oven camping recipes! This chili and cornbread recipe is a great way to get started dutch oven cooking at your campsite.
Dutch Oven Chili and Cornbread
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced, fire roasted tomatoes, drained
- 1-2 (15 oz.) cans pinto or kidney beans, drained
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 bottle beer
- 2 (8.5 oz.) boxes cornbread mix (such as Jiffy)
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (7 oz.) can green chiles, drained
Directions:
- Place a large cast iron dutch oven over coals. Add olive oil, beef, onions, celery, pepper, and garlic. Cook until veggies are soft and meat is cooked through.
- Add spices, tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and beer and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, stir cornbread mix, eggs, and milk until combined. Stir in cheese and chiles. Spoon on top of chili and spread to cover.
- Place the lid on the dutch oven and place the oven in the coals, topping the lid with more hot coals. Bake for 10-20 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle of the cornbread comes out clean.
Are you ready for your adventure? Plan your camping trip!
Check with your Local Government Organization
Many policies have been established to counter and control the coronavirus outbreak. State and local officials have been taking decisive action to stop the spread. The policies vary by state, sometimes to a great degree. When you book a reservation, make sure to review the park and state’s latest rules and regulations prior to your visit.
For COVID-19 updates, please visit our Impacted Park List and Reservation Guide for the latest information.