Meal Planning for Group Camping (Your Super Easy 3 Day Plan)
Updated: Jan. 17, 2024
Spend less time packing food for your camping trip and more time enjoying the great outdoors.
Meal planning for group camping just got a whole lot easier! We’ve picked out camping-friendly breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert for three days of wilderness fun. Each recipe feeds 4-6 people but can be easily tweaked to fit your family’s needs. For added convenience, we’ve created a printable checklist that makes meal planning for groups a cinch.
Day 1 Breakfast: Campfire Hash
In our area, we are able to camp almost all year-round. My family invented this recipe using ingredients we all love so we could enjoy them on the campfire. This hearty meal tastes so good after a full day of outdoor activities. —Janet Danilow, Winkleman, ArizonaUse our complete family camping checklist to ensure you have everything packed, from essential tools and gear to toiletries and entertainment.
Day 1 Lunch: Walking Tacos
These Walking Tacos are perfect for an on-the-go dinner or a campfire meal. The ingredients go right into the chip bags, leaving one less thing to clean! —Beverly Matthews, Richland, WashingtonCamping with a crowd? Here are the best camping meals for groups.
Day 1 Snack: Monster Munchies
Magically transform squash or pumpkin seeds into a spellbinding snack with ranch salad dressing mix. They’re a great snack to munch on while hiking.—Taste of Home Test KitchenEditor’s Tip: Make these seeds before you go and pack them in an air-tight container.
Day 1 Dinner: Honey-Mustard Brats
Our honey mustard glaze gives every bite of these brats a sweet and punchy flavor. Everyone who tries them agrees they’re delicious and a super easy camping meal. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, GeorgiaIf you’re a camping newbie, be sure to avoid these common camping mistakes.
Day 1 Dessert: Hot Quick Banana Boats
These delicious, warm bananas are great on camp-outs or in the backyard. You can eat them right out of the foil bowl. Cleanup is easy too, which makes them one of the best camping meals for a group. —Sheila Parker, Reno, Nevada
Day 2 Breakfast: Campfire Cheese Hash Brown Packets
Meal planning for group camping? These packets of potatoes, bacon and cheese make a terrific hash for your fellow campers. We like to serve it with eggs and fresh pico de gallo. —Gina Nistico, Milwaukee, WisconsinThese campfire casseroles are great to cozy up to.
Day 2 Lunch: Chipotle BLT Wraps
BLT sandwiches are so good, but they can make a lot of messy crumbs from the toasted bread. Since we also love wraps, I decided to make BLTs using tortillas instead. Warming the tortillas a little makes them easy to work with. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
Day 2 Snack: Fruit Kabobs with Cream Cheese Dip
These fruity kabobs are so refreshing on a warm day. They’re also quick & easy camping meals for a group snack. —Kathleen Hedger, Godfrey, IllinoisEditor’s Tip: Make the dip before you go and pack in a cooler.
Day 2 Dinner: Grilled Sausage-Basil Pizzas
We love basil recipes, and these easy little pizzas are a wonderful change of pace from the classic cookout menu. Let everybody top their own pizzas with their favorite toppings. —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida
Day 2 Dessert: S'mOreos
My son introduced us to this twist on classic s'mores when we were camping. Have a jar of Nutella around? Slather on the inside of the graham cracker halves before you build this one-of-a-kind treat. —Christina Smith, Santa Rosa, California
Day 3 Breakfast: Scrambled Egg Bread
We always eat ham, eggs and bread on camping trips, and we often have extras. Combine them and you’ve got scrambled egg bread. We first made this on a visit to Mount Shasta. —Shirley Mondeau, Rohnert Park, California
Day 3 Lunch: Turkey & Apricot Wraps
For these camping-friendly wraps, I combined the traditional southern appetizer of jam and cream cheese on crackers with turkey, apple and Brie sandwiches. I like to sneak fresh spinach into all sorts of recipes because it has such a mild flavor. —Kim Beavers, North August, South Carolina
Day 3 Snack: Sweet Chipotle Pretzels
Pretzels are a must when meal planning for group camping! I love this recipe because it is sweet as well as spicy, but not too spicy. It’s a great combination for munching. —Geraldine Saucier, Albuquerque, New MexicoEditor’s Tip: Make the pretzels before you go and pack them in an air-tight container.
Day 3 Dinner: BBQ Hot Dog & Potato Packs
For these nifty foil packs, small hands make quick work of topping potato wedges with a hot dog, onions and cheese. — Kelly Westphal, Wind Lake, Wisconsin
Day 3 Dessert: Chocolate-Hazelnut Fruit Pizza
You can prepare this snackable pizza in just 10 minutes! It's a fun way to sneak in those daily servings of fruit. —Dalynn Dowling, Grand Forks AFB, North DakotaOriginally Published: June 28, 2019
