Sometimes you can get tired of the same old camping meals. Sandwiches and chips can become pretty boring and take away from your camping experience. If you are looking to spice things up, please check out these great recipes you wouldn’t expect to find around a campfire.

Dancing Chickens on the Grill

2 whole chickens(no more that 4 lbs. each)

Salad oil dressing

Basting Sauce(garlic butter and soy sauce)

2 cans of beer(or water, half filled)

1 cut up onion(optional)

Salt and pepper

Stuff the chickens with the onions. Coat the chickens well with the salad oil dressing. Set the opening of the chicken on to the half can of beer to where it is sitting up right on the can. Add salt and pepper to the outside of the chicken. Set them upright on the grill on the opposite side of the charcoal. Cook at 350*F. After about an hour, baste well with sauce. After another hour, turn the chickens around to where they brown evenly and baste again. Chicken is done when a thermometer inserted in the middle reads 185*F(another 30 minutes to an hour). Remove the cans, cut up and enjoy!

Texas Chili on the Grill

2 lbs. of ground chuck

2 onions(chopped)

2 cloves of garlic(chopped)

1 lb. of already prepared brisket(chopped)

2 c. bbq sauce(or tomato sauce)

1 can of beer

1 tbs chili powder

1/2 tbs ground cumin

2-3 tbs paprika

1/4 c brown sugar.

Hickory logs

Prepare your grill with the charcoal on one side so you can determine how much heat you want. Brown hamburger on cast iron skillet on grill. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened. Transfer mix to a large pot on the grill and add brisket. Add bbq sauce or tomato sauce and beer for moisture(or water). Add chili powder, cumin and paprika. Stir well. Add brown sugar. Move the pot on opposite side of grill as the charcoal. Add the hickory to your coals to produce the smoky flavor. Cover your grill and cook about 45 minutes to an hour.

Optional Additions

Corn chips or monterrey jack cheese

Dutch Oven Fruit Cobbler

1 (30 oz.) can fruit cocktail
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 (30 oz.) can sliced peaches
1 yellow or lemon cake mix; dry
1 (12 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup instant tapioca
1/4 lb. butter; cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Into a 12? Dutch oven add canned fruit (juice included), tapioca, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to mix. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over top of fruit. Sprinkle brown sugar over top of cake mix. Dab butter all over top of brown sugar. Place lid on oven.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour using 12 briquettes top and 12 briquettes bottom heat. Cobbler is done when top is brown and cake has absorbed fruit juices and is no longer dry.

Sometimes when you are in the great outdoors, knowing that you can make some fresh baked bread can make your stay in the wilderness more comfortable and homey feeling. Therefore, here are a few camp bread recipes put together and listed below for you to enjoy on your next endeavor.

Leonda’s Cornbread

1 ¼ cup each self-rising cornmeal and self-rising flour
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
1 ¼ cup water
Pinch of salt
Oil

Mix dry ingredients. Combine the buttermilk and water and gradually add to the flour mix to form a thick batter.

Add a film of oil to a cast-iron skillet and pre-heat it in a 400*F oven.

Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake for one hour. You may have to turn the bread, once, to keep it from browning too much on the bottom.

To cook in a Dutch oven, use a metal cake pan on a trivet instead of the skillet, and increase the baking time as necessary.

Colonial Pumpkin Corn Cakes

1 cup cornmeal
½ cup flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup honey
1 tbs baking powder
1 egg
Small can of evaporated milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add the egg, honey, pumpkin, and enough of the milk to form a medium-thick batter.

Drop by large spoonfuls (about two heaping tablespoons) onto a hot, greased griddle or skillet. Cook, turning once, about five minutes per side.

Kolbulle
(charcoal buns)

Milk
Flour
Eggs (one per person)
Salt
Salt pork

Dice and fry the salt pork. If necessary melt in additional butter.

Combine the flour, salt, milk and eggs to make a thin batter. Pour batter over salt pork and cook until browned on bottom. Flip and continue cooking until batter is cooked through.

Berry Bannock

3 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 ½ cups water

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder until thoroughly blended. Add the berries and stir to mix. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the water, and stir quickly to mix. The dough should be fairly stiff but even moistened.

Transfer dough to a 9 or 10 inch cast-iron skillet and press down to form an even layer.
Bake in the center of a pre-heated 425*F oven, or over the fire until a crust forms on the bottom, then turn it over. Prop the skillet at a sharp angle in front of the fire, exposing the top to the heat, and continue cooking until golden brown on top and the dough tests done. Total cooking time should be about 25 minutes.

Sweet Potato Buns

2 pkg active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar, divided
½ cup warm water
½ cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
3 tbs butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp cinnamon
3 ¾-4 ½ cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in the warm water. Let sit five minutes to bloom. Add the remaining sugar, sweet potato, butter, eggs, salt, cinnamon, and half the flour. Beat well until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead ten minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Put dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat evenly. Cover with plastic film and let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Punch dough down; let rest five minutes. Shape into 1 ½ inch balls and place two inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with greased plastic film and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 350*F for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Alternatively, place buns on greased, straight-walled metal cake pans and bake on a trivet in a Dutch oven.

Grilled Camp Bread

1 envelope instant dry yeast

1 2/3 cups warm water

Pinch of sugar

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, warm water and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, pepper and the 1/4 cup of olive oil and mix at medium-low speed until a soft, supple dough forms, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and cut it into quarters. Lightly oil each piece and wrap individually in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Light a grill. On a lightly oiled work surface, unwrap one piece of dough and press and stretch it to a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Brush the dough on both sides with oil. Grill the bread over moderate heat (working in batches, if necessary), turning occasionally, until puffed and lightly charred in spots, about 4 minutes total. Serve right away.

Make Ahead

The recipe can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated for up to 3 days. The bread can also be made up to 3 hours ahead and reheated before serving.

Not all campers are all about grilling meat on the fire. For those of you who prefer vegetarian meals only, here a few listed below to tickle the tummy.

Whitewater Camping Chili

Ingredients:

One can of veggie broth

One can of white beans(cannellini or northern)

Diced add-ins of your choice

Basil

Shredded white cheese

Preparation:

Put a twist on the classic campfire dish with a new color and some no-meat ingredients. Get your camping crock on the camping stove or campfire. Add vegetable broth (a.k.a. water), and white beans(river rocks).

Throw in diced add-ins, such as tofu and celery (pretend logs or tree stumps), and season with basil (dirt or leaves). Simmer for an hour or two (the longer, the better). Serve in camping bowl, and garnish with crumbled or shredded white cheese. For a big family, double everything.

Veggie BBQ Skewers

Ingredients:

Tofu

Veggies of your choice

Skewers

Preparation:

Chop tofu into medium sized cubes, marinate over night. Chop veggies medium/large pieces. Stick veggies & tofu on skewer. BBQ for a few minutes.

Tips:

You can leave off the tofu if you don’t have an eski or cooler. Veggie ideas are: capsicum, squash, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomatoes and red onions. Serve with salad or leb bread.

Taco Pizza

Ingredients:

Shredded lettuce
1 package shredded cheese
1 container salsa
1 package tortillas

Preparation:

Lay the tortillas out, then spread salsa on the tortilla. Then, put the cheese on the salsa and add the shredded lettuce. Next, put the pizza on the grill for about 5 minutes.

Tips:

Some other add-ins can be tomatoes or onions. Add them before grilling as well.

Haystacks

Ingredients:

1 bag organic corn chips
1-2 can(s) pinto beans, plain or seasoned
1 jar salsa
1 can olives, sliced
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped bite-size
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 package prepared quacamole or ripe avocado
2 cups cooked long grain brown rice
catalina or vegan ranch dressing

Preparation:

Before heading out to camp wash and chop lettuce, tomatoes, and onions and place in separate containers or zipper bags. Place all the ingredients in a bag so that everything is there and ready to go. You can cook the rice ahead of time also, or at the campsite, and then slice the olives and avocado if you are using fresh. When you’re ready for supper, just layer in this order: chips, lettuce, rice, beans, tomato, onions, olives, avocado or guacamole, salsa and dressing. Enjoy!

Bugs Bunny Bagels

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 small carrot, shredded

1 Tbl sunflower seeds, shelled

1 Tbl raisins or dried currants

1 Tbl honey

2 wheat bagels, split

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients except the bagels. Spread the mixture on two bagel halves and top with the remaining bagel halves.
Optional: Toast bagles prior to spreading on the mixture.

Black Bean Burritos for Backpacking

Ingredients:

Tortillas

Package of dried black beans

Packets of taco sauce

cheddar cheese, diced peppers (if in first 2 days on trail)

(for dinner for 2, use 1/2 package beans and 6-8 tortillas)

Preparation:

Boil water for beans. Add beans, stirring well, and turn off burner. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Warm tortillas, if desired (makes folding easier). Make burritos and enjoy.

Tips:

Do not cook the beans - just let them sit, or else you will have a very messy pan. Use an extra tortilla to wipe leftover beans from pan. You could also make the beans, then make quesadillas if you have a big enough fry pan.