Scout Chef Kitchen Presents: Pre-Made Camp Food for Beginners

There are two kinds of people out there. One that packs their food first for a trip and has every meal planned out to the letter. The other has all of their gear packed and ready to go and then panics the day before because how do you eat in the wild? Nowadays, there are solutions that work for both types of people and are actually appetizing!

We wanted to pull through some of our favorite meal packages to have on hand for camping trips – whether you are heading out on a Scout adventure or packing for your whole family.

BREAKFAST

It is kind of tough to pack a basket of eggs into the mix, so Mountain House has created a solution to get your eggs on the go! Both the Scrambled Eggs and Bacon pouch (gluten free) and the Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Peppers (gluten free) have you covered on the eggs front. Our personal breakfast favorite is the Breakfast Skillet. Because of breakfast potatoes… YES. If you have a vegetarian in your bunch, definitely give the Granola with Milk and Blueberries a try.

If you are looking to switch things up, try bread toasted in your camp skillet and spread with half of an avocado per slice. The avocado acts as “butter” while not needing refrigeration (a win out on the trail). Add salt and pepper and breakfast is served! To round out your meal profile, throw in a protein shake that is easy to make – a couple of scoops of vanilla-flavored Orgain is my personal favorite and just shake with water. To prep this meal and make it ready-to-go, throw the protein into an empty water bottle so you just add water when you are ready to drink.

LUNCH

When I was going through the quick and easy pouches, I stopped dead in my tracks at the Chicken and Rice pack and the Chicken Fried Rice pack. Seriously, is there a better combo than chicken with rice? Again, these bags are easy to throw in a bag and quick to heat up with hot water (especially if you have the Camp Chef Stryker which can boil water in 2 minutes!).

SNACK

I have a few favorites because I love snacks. Number one in my book: I love RX Bars. They are a sweet fix when I need it, they pack a hefty protein punch and they have some good fiber content as well (necessary while out on the trail!). The flavors are out of control delicious – all of the chocolate flavors make me happy. They have a very chewy texture, which means that it lasts longer than 30 seconds, always a plus. Secondly, I also love trail mix. Very cliché. Seriously though – there are so many different kinds available, so no matter what kind of mood you are in (sweet or salty), there is a mix for that. Most of the time, I end up buying two different kinds and mixing together in one big mix. Lastly, if you have your camp kitchen set up, make a larger batch of pancakes for breakfast and then spread the leftovers with some peanut butter, roll them up (peanut butter on the inside of the roll), throw in a bag and they will be ready to pull out and munch on for snack time!

DINNER

Time to take a load off and relax a bit after a long day. I opt for more comforting food at the end of a long day, so my winners are the Macaroni and Cheese pouch, Lasagna with Meat Sauce pouch and Chili Mac with Beef pouch. They are fast to prepare, leaving you more than enough time to rock the night away in your camp rocking chair (yep, it’s a thing and you need it).

If you have a decked out camp kitchen and are ready to tackle a spectacular culinary feat, try a roast in your Dutch oven. I found the Paddlers Pot Roast from The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook to be easy, filling and delicious. If you want to add a bit of a twist, you could also add diced garlic. I love garlic, so I like 5 cloves of garlic – make sure to place on top of both the vegetables and the roast. If you are unsure about garlic, try 2 cloves.

DESSERT

Finally, time for a sweet treat. Check. It. Out. Cheesecake Bites and ICE CREAM SANDWICHES for the win. I prefer mine to be cold, so I keep them in a cooler if I have one, but they are anti-melt because they are freeze dried, so they can be left out if you don’t have ice! Who knew you could get these heavenly treats out in the backcountry?

The other dessert I cannot and will not live without s’mores. I add in a twist every now and then if I am feeling adventurous by spreading my graham with a little peanut butter. It does double duty: keeps my chocolate from falling onto the ground and makes a classic even yummier and gooey-er.

Whether you are getting off the grid and don’t have a huge kitchen set up, or you are car camping with your full camp kitchen, I hope you find something new and useful to try. There are plenty of Mountain House meals that are not listed here that might catch your fancy as well – check out your options here. Bon appétit and happy Scouting!