Now that summer is in full swing, more families and friends are packing up and making the most of the outdoors for camping season in Michigan. It doesn’t matter if you prefer camping off the trail and roughing it away from it all, staying at a campground, or just sleeping overnight in your own backyard, camping is a great way to get the most out of your Michigan summer. Whether you like to hike, swim, fish, bike, or boat, you’re going to get hungry. When it comes to camping even eating can be a fun activity! Here’s five camping recipes to try over the campfire this summer.  

Camping Hot Dogs

Hot dogs are a classic campfire favorite for many. But there’s a twist on these dogs (or should we say “around them”) that make them fun for roasting and eating near the fire. One of the best parts about camping hot dogs is how simple they are to make with almost zero clean up!

What You’ll Need:

• Hot Dogs
• Crescent Rolls
• Clean Wooden Sticks/Skewers
• Aluminum Foil

How To Make:

Place a skewer into the hot dog from one end to about 3/4th of the length of the hot dog. Peel apart one pre-cut triangle from the crescent container and wrap it around the hot dog beginning with the flat end first and ending with the tip. Then take your wrapped hot dog and wrap aluminum foil loosely outside of it. This food prep can be done at home or on site at the campfire. Once your fire is made, roast the foil-wrapped hot dogs by turning the skewer slowly to cook evenly. Roasting for about 15 to 20 minutes should get the crescent roll slightly crispy on the outside. Bring condiments of your choice and enjoy your camping hot dogs in the great outdoors!

Campfire Pie

If you’re looking for a sweet treat to share around the fire, campfire pies are a great option for a build your own dessert. These do require a sandwich iron for cooking, so don’t leave home without one!

What You’ll Need:

• Sliced bread
• Cinnamon sugar mix
• Canned or fresh fruit/canned pie filling
• Nonstick cooking spray/butter

How To Make:

Prepare your fire and look for glowing coals at the bottom of the pit. Spray the insides of your sandwich iron with the nonstick cooking spray, or spread butter on one side of both pieces of bread. Lay the bread (if using butter, butter side down) inside of the sandwich iron. Press into one piece of bread lightly to create a small indentation for the filling. Add a few tablespoons full of fruit filling and add to the center of the bread. Dash about 1 teaspoons worth of the cinnamon sugar mix onto the fruit. Close the iron and clasp shut to lock the handles. Then tear or scrape away the excess bread on the sides so they don’t burn in the fire. Place the iron directly in the fire and let the pie cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Once the sides are cooked to a golden brown, the pie should be ready. Let cool before you bite into it! These pies will be piping hot! 

Walking Taco

If you love tacos but don’t want to take care of the mess that comes with them, walking tacos are a fun alternative and great for a campsite.

What You’ll Need:

• Small sized bags of chips
• 1 lb ground beef
• Taco toppings (lettuce, sour cream, cheese, etc.)
• 1/2 cup of water
• Taco seasoning

How To Make: 

Cook the ground beef over the fire (or make ahead of time and reheat). After draining the fat from the beef, add the ½ cup of water and seasoning mix and stir. Take a small size bag of Fritos or Doritos and crush them while the bag is still sealed. Open the bag of chips and add ground beef to the bag with the crushed chips. Add additional toppings to create a taco on-the-go without the shell, but still keeping the crunch!

Camp Cooker Pizza

Pizza doesn’t just have to be enjoyed indoors. The sandwich iron doesn’t just have to be for pies and hot sandwiches, they can also be used for personal pizzas too! The Camp Cooker Pizza makes personal calzone pizzas in a jiff.

What You’ll Need:

• Sandwich iron
• Non-stick spray
• Pizza crust dough (Pillsbury makes pre-made dough which works great)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Sliced pepperoni (or other pizza toppings)
• Pizza sauce

How To Make: 

Start by unrolling the pizza dough and splitting the pre-cut lines into four rectangular pieces. Then spray the insides of the sandwich iron with the non-stick spray. Place one of the dough pieces onto one of the sides of the iron while open. Fill the center area of the dough with the sauce, cheese, and toppings of choice and close after topping with another dough piece. Close the iron cooker and clasp the arms shut. Cook the pizza over the fire for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on heat. Rotate the entire time you are cooking and check to see if the dough is browning which will signal that it is done. Pop the pizza out and let it cool before eating.

Open Fire Popcorn

Popcorn shouldn’t always be prepared in the microwave, and you don’t need to travel to the movie theater to get freshly kettle-popped popcorn either! With the Open Fire Popcorn Kit from Grand Rapids Popcorn, you can enjoy freshly popped corn at your campsite too! The best part of this campfire treat is that not only is fresh popped popcorn delicious, but popping over the firepit with the open fire popper is a fun activity everyone can enjoy! 

What’s Included:

• Open fire popper
• 5 "ready to pop" packets
• 6 disposable Popcorn bowls
• 3 mini Popcorn seasoners
• 1 recipe card
• 1 8 oz. bag of S'Mores Popcorn

How To Enjoy:

Following the instructions provided in the kit will make popping a breeze. You’ll have 5 “ready to pop” packets available that require minimal work to get started. Three mini popcorn seasoners also will bring extra flavor to your snack. Included is also an 8-ounce bag of s’mores popcorn meaning no messy cleanup with the real deal.

Grand Rapids Popcorn also offers nak packs for when you need to refill your kernel count. Nak packs come with premeasured oil, kernels, and salt all in one pack for the Open Fire Popper. These are sold individually as needed or by the case of 36! Contact us for more details on how to order.

For your next camping trip, try out one of these fun meals and let us know how it went!