20+ Make Ahead Meals for Camping


Prepare delicious camping meals in advance with these make ahead meals for camping. Simplify your outdoor adventures with easy recipes for any trip!

make ahead camping meals

Today I am sharing my ultimate list of make-ahead meals for camping. These easy camping meals are perfect for taking on your next camping trip!

You guys know by now that we absolutely love camping. I spend at least 30 nights a year camping in the great outdoors with the whole family. 

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Whether it be dirt biking and glamping in the travel trailer or hiking and backpacking with a two person tent, there is a very good chance that I will be making delicious food surrounded by wilderness. You could say that I am a bit of a camp food connoisseur.

I want to provide healthy meals for my family, no matter where we are eating. Cooking over a fire pit can pose a bit of a challenge though.

When it comes to camping, I like to choose recipes that use simple ingredients and that come together quickly. That’s where these easy make ahead recipes come in!

Looking for more easy & delicious camping recipes? Be sure to check out….

Make Ahead Recipes

Prepare these camping meals at home and one day of cooking can carry you through the entire summer!

A whole wheat bagel with sausage pattie, egg and sliced cheese on white napkins.

Make Ahead Camping Breakfast Sandwich Recipe – This simple recipe is a great option for a hearty breakfast ahead of a long day of hiking and exploring. Serve these breakfast sandwiches with some fresh fruit and you are good to go.

These recipes are ones that are personal favorites and that I have served to friends and family with rave reviews. Making food ahead of time is a great way to prepare the best camping recipes with easy clean-up, which is a major requirement in menu planning whenever I go camping. 

I want to spend less time cooking and more time dirt biking or hiking. Are you with me?! 

Camping tips!

Over the years, I have experimented and tried out pretty much every camping tool known to woman. I love to cook and make delicious food while we are camping in the wilderness.

In my opinion, aluminum foil and a cast-iron skillet are both absolute musts for your packing list. Here are some more of my favorite products to use for a taste of home while camping.

Foil packs and overnight oats are easy meals that everyone can enjoy!

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Our camp cooking essentials

Three white tortilla breakfast burritos on a white paper plate on a picnic table with checkered table cloth.

Breakfast Burritos – I love a good camping breakfast burrito! It is such an easy breakfast. Make them all the same or put together a few different varieties. They are perfect for a family camping trip and are a great make-ahead option for feeding large groups.

While hot dogs and peanut butter are camping staples, these easy camping recipes take things to the next level. It’s amazing the easy recipes that you can make with just a camping stove!

Tips for camping meal preparation

  • Do your meal prep in advance at home whenever possible. Leave most of the mess at home where running water is more accessible and clean up is easier. Trust me on this one!
  • Create “one pot” family style meals for quick dinners that don’t require a lot of thought. 
  • Use tin foil packets, foil pie pans, or camp cookers. These tools help to make for easy cleanup!
  • Pack ingredients into a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag for flexible storage in small fridges and coolers.
  • Plan meals that use similar ingredients to help make packing and planning easy. These Campfire Pizza Bake, Sausage Foil Packet, and Skillet Campfire French Toast recipes are some of our favorites.
  • Use my blank printable meal plan or camping meal plans to help organize your next trip.

I would love for you to check out my new blog, Campfire Foodie, where I’m sharing ALL of the camping recipes!!

If you love these make-ahead meals for camping, please give this post a five star review and help me share it on Facebook and Pinterest so that others can enjoy them too!

More great camping recipes

about heather

Hello, I’m Heather!

I'm an active mom of twin boys who is always looking for opportunities to inspire creativity through fun crafts, do-it-yourself projects and delicious recipes. This blog has been an integral part of supporting my little family and I am so grateful to have you become a part of our journey! Let's create together... Read more...

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Thank you for some different ideas. I am a “glamper” and former cook. After 10+ years as camp cook for 4 couples (after working all week), my camping style has evolved lol. Now just the 2 of us, retired and casual camping, so I always try to do some prep and cooking prior to heading out. More time to just kick back and relax at the campsite.