Campfire Cooking With The Kids

Grilled hot dogs, gooey s'mores, and crispy bacon! Campfire cooking is one of our favorite activities, filled with delicious food that the entire family can help to prepare. The thought of cooking over an open flame can be intimidating if you haven't tried it before, but never fear! We're here with a round-up of some of our favorite campfire recipes that are so easy, even the kids can help.

Campfire Cooking Recipes

1. Brown Bears

Mmm, this sweet, simple treat will have you coming back for more! Like a snickerdoodle on a stick, brown bears need just four ingredients to make a delicious snack, dessert, or breakfast.

Borrowed from our friends at The Kitchen Magpie.

Grocery List

• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 can refrigerated plain biscuit dough

How it's done:

1. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
2. Melt butter in another bowl.
3. Separate biscuits. Form each biscuit into a rope 4 to 5 inches long. Don't stretch them too far!
4. Wrap the dough pieces around campfire skewers. Try patting the dough around the end of the stick to help it stay on while cooking.
5. Hold the sticks over your campfire and slowly turn until the biscuit dough is browned and firm, about 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Dip the cooked biscuits in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar.

2. Campfire Blueberry Orange Muffins

Everyone loves a good muffin, and the campfire version might be easier than the oven! These muffins are hot, delicious, and whipped together in minutes, making them a great snack with minimal effort required.

Borrowed from our friends at Apron Strings.

Grocery List

• 1 box prepared blueberry muffin mix (Each brand will have its own preparation instructions. Be sure that you have the proper ingredients to prepare your mix.)
• Oranges, one for each muffin

How it's done:

1. Prepare blueberry muffin mix.
2. Cut an orange in half and scoop out all the orange flesh. Save the orange flesh for a healthy snack, or squeeze it into fresh orange juice!
3. Fill one half of emptied orange with blueberry muffin mix.
4. Cover the filled orange half with the empty orange half and wrap in three layers of aluminum foil.
5. Repeat with remaining oranges and muffin mix.
6. Place foil packets directly in the fire. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through, turning every minute or so.

3. Campfire Bacon

Crispy, easy, and loaded with a smoky kick! Your favorite breakfast food gets the campfire cooking treatment, and best of all, you only need the bacon.

Borrowed from our friends at Zestuous.

Grocery List

• 1 pack of bacon (or as much as you'd like)

How it's done:

1. Weave the bacon strips onto skewers, folding every inch or so, with a slight gap between each fold to allow the heat to evenly pass through. Leave a few inches of space at the end of the skewer.
2. Place two logs or rocks on each side of the campfire flames to rest the skewers, or use a cooking rack if you have one on hand.
3. Rotate the skewers every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking. The bacon grease may cause flare-ups. If you're worried, keep a bit of water nearby to keep the biggest flames down.
4. Cook bacon for about 30 minutes, or until crispy and cooked through!

4. Gooey S'mores Granola

Turn your favorite summer dessert into a delicious breakfast! This s'mores granola is sure to be a hit with the whole family. If you don't want to bake your own granola, use store-bought granola and heat it over the coals for just a couple of minutes before adding the marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Borrowed from our friends at The Big Man's World.

Grocery List

• 3 cups rolled oats
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon oil or butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 cup chocolate chips

How it's done:

1. Coat a large sheet of tin foil with nonstick cooking spray, ensuring that it is completely covered, including the edges. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Add oil of choice, then add the maple syrup, or honey, and stir until fully incorporated.
3. Lay the granola mix in the center of the tin foil, preferably in a single layer. Leave room around the edges to wrap.
4. Wrap the granola up tightly. Lay the foil packet on the campfire coals and heat for 5-10 minutes, shaking every 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove the foil pack. Carefully open and add marshmallows and chocolate chips, mixing thoroughly and allowing it to cool down before eating.

5. Campfire Pizza Rolls

The classic pizza roll gets taken to the campfire. This delicious twist is perfect for enjoying on those summer nights spent around the campfire. Choose your favorite dip, like pizza sauce or ranch, for a fantastic snack!

Grocery List

• 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1 package pepperoni (traditional stick pepperoni works well)
• 1 package mozzarella cheese cubes or chopped string cheese
• Pizza sauce or ranch for dipping

How it's done:

1. On a skewer, alternate cubes of cheese with slices of pepperoni, about two inches in length. Wrap individual crescent roll dough tightly around each skewer of cheese and pepperoni.
2. Cook pizza rolls over coals or low fire for 10 minutes, or until cooked through, rotating every 1-2 minutes. Crescent rolls should be golden brown and cheese should be melty.
3. Remove from skewer and let cool for 2 minutes before dipping and eating.

6. Foil Pack Cheesy Fries

Kids love cheesy fries, adults love cheesy fries, everyone loves cheesy fries! This old-school favorite pairs all of the best flavors into an ooey-gooey mess topping the crispy French fries underneath. Using a bit of aluminum foil, it's easy to cook cheesy fries over the campfire!

Borrowed from our friends at Tablespoon.

Grocery List

• 1 bag (14 oz) frozen crinkle-cut French fries
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 4 slices American cheese
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons bacon bits (try chopping up some of your campfire bacon)

How it's done:

1. Toss frozen French fries with melted butter.
2. Tear off two lengths of aluminum foil to make foil boats. Place half of the fries in a single layer at the center of one piece of foil. Loosely fold foil around edges to form a boat, leaving a large hole at the top to allow steam to escape. Repeat with remaining fries and foil.
3. Place foil packets on rack above medium fire, or on grill over medium-high heat. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until fries are crispy and baked through, stirring at least once.
4. Top each packet with 2 slices of cheese and continue cooking until cheese is melted. Remove from fire and sprinkle with green onions and bacon bits before serving.

7. Blueberry Cobbler

We'll finish off the list with a dessert that utilizes the sweet, juicy blueberries that are in season during the summer. This blueberry cobbler is a great finish to any meal and the recipe makes enough to feed the entire family!

Borrowed from our friends at Tablespoon.

Grocery List

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough

How it's done:

1. Prepare a low to medium fire with a cooking rack, or heat a grill to medium heat.
2. Wash blueberries and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and flour and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square disposable baking pan. If cooking over fire or lidless grill, cover with aluminum foil.
3. Place the pan on the grill or rack, closing the lid, if applicable. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until blueberries have released their juices and the mixture has expanded.
4. Stir again and top the blueberry mixture with biscuits in a single layer. Close lid or re-cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.
5. Carefully remove pan from grill and let cool slightly before serving.

We hope you and your crew enjoy these easy and satisfying recipes as much as we do. These kid-friendly recipes are the perfect way to spend some quality time during your next family camping adventure!

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