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I love to cook, and that includes cooking at the campsite. But not everyone feels the same way. I get that there’s something about campfire cooking that always sounds more relaxing in theory than it feels in reality. By the time you’ve unloaded the car, set up tents, wrangled kids and figured out where the bug spray disappeared to, the last thing most families want to do is start chopping onions on a picnic table in the dark.
Not only can cooking while camping feel overwhelming, but it requires a whole lot more gear, which can be overwhelming for shorter trips. That’s why I’ve become a huge fan of premade camping meals, especially when we’re just headed out for a weekend. A little prep work at home can make a camping weekend feel so much easier and more enjoyable. Instead of spending all your time cooking and cleaning, you can actually enjoy the campfire, the hiking trails, the lake or simply sitting in a camp chair doing absolutely nothing.
One of my favorite ways to plan camping meals is by incorporating Arkansas-made products whenever possible. Arkansas has some fantastic local food companies that work perfectly for camping trips, from smoked sausage and salsa to coffee and handmade marshmallows. Pair those with fresh produce from your local farmers’ market, and you’ve got meals that feel fun and local without adding extra stress to your trip.
Friday
Dinner – Smoked Sausage Foil Packets
Foil packet dinners are practically made for camping weekends. They’re easy, filling and require very little cleanup.
Before leaving home, slice smoked sausage from Petit Jean Meats or Coursey’s Smoked Meats along with potatoes, onions and bell peppers. Toss everything with butter and a little Cavender’s seasoning, then seal the mixture into heavy-duty foil packets.
Once you get to camp, the packets can go straight onto campfire coals or onto a grill grate over the fire. They usually take about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the heat of the fire.
Serve them with a simple pasta salad made ahead at home and stored in the cooler.
Campfire Snack – Campfire Queso
Campfire queso is so fun to make. My family loves gathering around the campfire with a handful of chips and some games. We snack and laugh well into the night.
Brown the sausage before leaving home and pack it in a container in the cooler. Once at camp, combine the sausage with Velveeta and Rotel in a cast-iron skillet or disposable foil pan and heat over the campfire until melted. Serve with Mamma Z tortilla chips while everyone sits around the fire.
Check out this Arkansas Campfire Dip recipe.
Saturday
Breakfast – Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos/Tacos
Breakfast burritos are one of the easiest camping breakfasts because all the work happens before the trip.
At home, scramble eggs and cook bacon from Petit Jean Meats or sausage from a local meat market. Wrap everything into tortillas from Mamma Z Tortilla and Tamale Factory with shredded cheese and a spoonful of salsa from My Brother’s Salsa.
Wrap the burritos individually in foil and refrigerate or freeze them before your trip. At camp, simply warm them over the fire or on a camp stove. Warm up any leftover queso from last night and serve it as a dip.
Serve breakfast with fruit picked up from a local Arkansas farmers market and coffee from Onyx Coffee Lab or Westrock Coffee.
Lunch – Charcuterie or Snack Box Picnic Lunches
This is one of my favorite camping lunches because there’s no cooking involved and everyone can snack whenever they’re hungry.
Before leaving home, fill divided containers or reusable lunch boxes with crackers, cheese cubes, fruit, veggies and sliced pepperoni or summer sausage from Petit Jean Meats.
Add cheese from Kent Walker Artisan Cheese or White River Creamery for an easy Arkansas touch.
This type of lunch is especially nice for lake days, hiking afternoons or wandering through campgrounds when nobody wants to stop and cook.
Dinner – Walking Tacos
Walking tacos are one of the easiest camping dinners for families because there are very few dishes to wash afterward.
Before your trip, brown taco meat at home and freeze it flat in zip-top bags. At camp, reheat the meat in a skillet or place the sealed bag into simmering water.
Prep shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa before you leave and serve with the chips and meat. Everyone can build their own taco by pouring ingredients right into the chip bag.
Simple meals always seem to taste better outside.
Campfire Snack – Arkansas S’mores
You really can’t go wrong with s’mores around a campfire, but a few Arkansas-made upgrades can make them feel extra special.
Instead of standard chocolate bars, try using chocolate from Markham & Fitz paired with handmade marshmallows from Loblolly Creamery.
I wouldn’t overcomplicate things here. Just pack the ingredients into a container before leaving home so they’re easy to grab once the fire is going.
Sunday
Breakfast – Yogurt Parfaits
Sunday mornings are often busy as you squeeze in all your last-minute activities and start to pack up the campsite. I love simple on-the-go recipes.
Pack yogurt cups, berries and granola in the cooler before leaving home. A drizzle of honey from one of these local honey companies makes a nice addition. Include homemade muffins if you need something a little more filling.
Lunch – Ham/Turkey Wraps and Chips
For the final meal of the trip, keep things easy.
Before leaving home, layer tortillas with turkey or ham from Petit Jean Meats along with cheese and lettuce. Roll the wraps tightly in parchment paper or foil and store them in the cooler.
Serve with chips, leftover fruit, and any remaining snack items from the weekend.
Try this Honey Ham Tortilla Rolls with Honey Dip recipe.
Cooler and Packing Tips
A little organization before your trip can make camping meals feel dramatically easier once you arrive at the campground. I’ve found that the less digging, sorting, and searching you have to do at camp, the more relaxing the entire weekend feels. Simple things like labeling meals ahead of time or packing ingredients together can save a surprising amount of frustration, especially on that first evening when everyone is hungry and tired from setting up camp.
A few simple tricks can make a big difference:
- Use one cooler for meals and another for drinks (like your favorite selection of local brew) and snacks so people aren’t constantly opening the food cooler.
- Label meals by day using masking tape or gallon bags. Having a “Friday Night Dinner” bag ready to grab makes setup night much easier.
- Freeze taco meat and breakfast burritos before the trip to help keep the cooler cold longer. They will thaw out by the time you need them.
- Pre-chop vegetables and portion ingredients at home to reduce prep work at camp.
- Pack paper towels, wet wipes, and trash bags somewhere easy to reach.
- Stop by a local Arkansas farmers’ market before your trip for fresh produce.
The goal with camping meals isn’t to cook gourmet food in the woods. It’s simply to make things easy enough that you can actually enjoy being outside. A little prep work at home means more time around the campfire, more time exploring Arkansas and a whole lot less time washing dishes at a campsite sink.
Read Camping Trip Meal Planning and Tips for Stress-Free Camping Meals for even more ideas.
Learn more about some of the Arkansas companies featured in this article:
Petit Jean Meats
Coursey’s Smoked Meats
Markham & Fitz
Loblolly Creamery
My Brother’s Salsa
Onyx Coffee Lab
Westrock Coffee
White River Creamery
Arkansas Honey
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