Campfire recipes

Dinner and dessert, cooked over the fire.

Easy recipes for your stay — foil-packet dinners, s'mores ideas and Dutch oven meals the whole family can help make. Forgot an ingredient? The camp store has the basics.

Foil-packet dinners

Wrap it up, set it on the coals and dinner cooks itself. Heavy-duty foil works best — double-wrap if yours is thin.

Hobo Dinner

The classic campfire packet — a whole meal in one pouch.

You'll need

  • 1/4 lb ground beef patty per person
  • Sliced potatoes and carrots
  • Sliced onion
  • A pat of butter, salt and pepper

How to make it

  1. Layer the vegetables on a large sheet of foil, season, and set the beef patty on top.
  2. Add the butter, fold the foil into a tightly sealed packet.
  3. Cook on hot coals (not flames) for 30–40 minutes, turning once halfway.
  4. Open carefully — the steam is hot!

Campfire Chicken & Veggies

A lighter packet that kids can assemble themselves.

You'll need

  • Boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
  • Chopped bell peppers, zucchini and red onion
  • Olive oil, garlic powder and Italian seasoning

How to make it

  1. Toss the chicken and vegetables with oil and seasoning in a bowl.
  2. Divide onto foil sheets and seal into packets.
  3. Cook on coals for 20–25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Campfire Nachos

A shareable snack for the whole site — made in a cast-iron pan or foil pan.

You'll need

  • Tortilla chips
  • Shredded cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend
  • Canned black beans, drained
  • Salsa, jalapeños and sour cream for topping

How to make it

  1. Layer chips, beans and cheese in a pan and cover loosely with foil.
  2. Set on a grate over the fire for 5–10 minutes, until the cheese melts.
  3. Top with salsa and sour cream and eat straight from the pan.

S'mores and sweet things

No campfire is complete without dessert. Roast marshmallows low and slow over coals for a golden outside and a melty middle.

The Classic S'more

The one everyone knows — and the one everyone wants.

You'll need

  • Graham crackers
  • Milk chocolate bar
  • Marshmallows

How to make it

  1. Roast a marshmallow over the coals until golden.
  2. Sandwich it with a piece of chocolate between two graham crackers.
  3. Squish, wait ten seconds, and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Cup S'more

A small swap that makes a big difference.

You'll need

  • Graham crackers
  • Peanut butter cups
  • Marshmallows

How to make it

  1. Swap the chocolate bar for a peanut butter cup.
  2. Build and roast exactly like a classic s'more.

Banana Boat

A warm, gooey banana split made right in the peel.

You'll need

  • A banana, unpeeled
  • Mini marshmallows and chocolate chips
  • Crushed graham crackers

How to make it

  1. Slice the banana lengthwise through the peel, without cutting all the way through.
  2. Stuff the slit with marshmallows and chocolate chips.
  3. Wrap in foil and warm on the coals for 5–8 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and eat with a spoon.

Dutch oven meals

If you bring a cast-iron Dutch oven, you can cook almost anything. A lid with a rim lets you pile coals on top so food bakes from all sides.

Campfire Chili

Feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day.

You'll need

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cans kidney beans, drained
  • 1 large can crushed tomatoes
  • Chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper

How to make it

  1. Brown the beef and onion in the Dutch oven over the fire.
  2. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and spices.
  3. Simmer over low coals for 30–45 minutes, stirring now and then.
  4. Serve with shredded cheese and crackers.

Dutch Oven Mac & Cheese

A kid favorite that's mostly hands-off.

You'll need

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar
  • 2 cups milk
  • Butter, salt and a pinch of paprika

How to make it

  1. Butter the Dutch oven and add the cooked macaroni.
  2. Stir in the cheese, milk and seasonings.
  3. Cover and bake with coals on the lid for 20–25 minutes, until bubbly.

Berry Cobbler

The easiest campfire dessert — dump, cover, bake.

You'll need

  • 2 cans of pie filling (cherry or berry)
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 stick of butter, sliced

How to make it

  1. Pour the pie filling into the Dutch oven.
  2. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly on top — do not stir.
  3. Lay the butter slices over the cake mix.
  4. Cover and bake with coals on top for 30–40 minutes, until golden.

Always check the campfire safety and fire danger page before you cook, and never leave a fire unattended. Questions? Call the camp store at 570-839-8950.

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