Comfort Foods for Fall Camping

Step outside and feel the cool autumn breeze as the leaves crunch beneath your feet. Fall is the season of comfort, perfect for wrapping up with a cozy blanket, good book, and delicious meal. A number of our resorts offer spectacular fall experiences, with brilliant foliage and plenty of seasonal activities. Whether you're RVing or camping this fall, we're sure to have a comfort food recipe for you!

Camping Mac ‘N Cheese

The king of comfort food, mac ‘n cheese gets the campfire treatment in this fun twist on an old favorite. Use a regular pie pan for a family-style dish, or try mini pie pans and allow the crew to customize. For a tasty treat, add our campfire bacon for a crispy mix-in!

Borrowed from our friends at Lauren's Latest.

Grocery List

• 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
• 8 ounces prepared alfredo sauce
• ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
• ¼-½ cup half and half or milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How it's done:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Stir alfredo sauce and cheese into cooked pasta. Add milk if sauce is too thick. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spray aluminum mini pie tins with nonstick cooking spray and divide the pasta between them (make it family-style with a large pie tin). Spray one side of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover each pie tin, sprayed side down, facing the food. Seal well.
4. Prepare a fire and let it burn down to the coals. Place a cooking rack 2-3 inches above coals. Place each pie tin over the hot coals and cook 8-10 minutes or until hot.

No-Bake Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

You can't have a fall recipe list without pumpkin! This no-bake pumpkin pie is an easy way to please your sweet tooth, without all the work of baking. Get ready to indulge, as this recipe includes a cheesecake layer that comes together in seconds.

Borrowed from our friends at The Gold Lining Girl.

Grocery List

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups whipped topping
• 1 prepared shortbread or graham cracker crust
• 2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding
• One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon clove

How it's done:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of milk, and sugar. Mix until smooth.
2. Fold in whipped topping.
3. Spread evenly into the bottom of the crust.
4. In a large bowl, combine the vanilla pudding mix, 1 cup of milk, pumpkin, and spices.
5. Whisk until smooth.
6. Carefully spread the pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese layer.
7. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili

Oh chili, sweet chili, what a wondrously hearty dish. Stay toasty on those crisp fall nights with a delicious chicken chili that's as easy to make as it is tasty. Just toss in your ingredients and let the slow cooker do the work while you enjoy the amenities of our resorts.

Borrowed from our friends at The Comfort Kitchen.

Grocery List

• One 16-ounce can black beans, drained
• One 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 10 ounces frozen corn kernels
• One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked

How it's done:

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in slow cooker. Stir until combined.
2. Place uncooked chicken on top.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Thirty minutes before serving, pull chicken breasts apart with two forks. Stir and continue cooking.
5. Top with any toppings you desire!

Tip: If you don't have a slow cooker, you can also use an oven safe, 5 1/2 quart or larger pot. Simmer at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours.

Campfire Skillet Cornbread

What goes better with chili than a big batch of cornbread? This recipe is simple, tasty, and can be made right over the campfire. The important thing to remember is to keep your fire at a medium-low heat, to prevent burning the bottom. Just as important is covering the cornbread while it cooks. A lid for your cast iron pan will work best, but aluminum foil can suffice.

Borrowed from our friends at Fresh Off The Grid.

Grocery List

• 1 cup cornmeal, preferably medium grind
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ tablespoon oil

How it's done:

1. In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt to combine.
2. Add the milk, egg, and honey to the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until fully incorporated.
3. Over your campfire, heat the oil in your cast iron skillet. Swirl to coat the bottom, using a hot pad to protect your hands. Pour the batter into the skillet, ensuring that it is in an even layer. Cover the skillet with a lid or cover it with foil, crimping around the edges.
4. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, then move off the heat and let the bread rest (still covered) for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Cut into slices and serve with chili.

Foil Pack Potato Boat Dinner

Foil packs are an easy way to cook with campfires, and this recipe brings your favorite loaded baked potato to the great outdoors. If you're camping, you may want to consider baking your potatoes before leaving home. You can wrap them in foil and keep them chilled before you make this recipe.

Borrowed from our friends at Echoes of Laughter.

Grocery List

• Large potatoes, baked
• Sliced ham
• Cooked bacon slices (try our campfire bacon!)
• Cheese slices of your choosing
• Butter
• Sour cream, for topping
• Green onion, for topping

How it's done

1. Bake potatoes.
2. Make several slices in the top of each potato, ensuring that you don't cut all the way through the potato.
3. In each cut, stuff a slice of cheese, bacon, and ham. Add a small dab of butter on top of each cut.
4. Wrap each potato in a double layer of aluminum foil lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
5. Place on hot coals for about 20 minutes, or until potato is hot and cheese, ham, and bacon have melted together.
6. Top with sour cream and green onion.

Baked Apples

A staple fruit of fall, apples are a great way to have a lighter dessert around the campfire. This recipe for baked apples is sweet, spicy, and easy, making it a great way to stay warm on a chilly autumn night. If you have it on hand, vanilla ice cream pairs perfectly with this recipe!

Borrowed from our friends at Backpacker.

Grocery List

• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 4 teaspoons maple syrup
• 4 apples (tart apples work best)

How it's done:

1. Mix all ingredients except syrup and apples in a bowl. You can also mix the spices at home and store them in a zipper-lock bag.
2. Core the apples.
3. Fill each apple halfway with spoonfuls of the spice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon syrup to each apple then top with more spice mix.
4. Wrap apples individually in foil and carefully bury/cover in warm, ashy campfire coals for about 20 minutes or until apples are soft.

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