Campfire Food Can Be Delicious!

One of the biggest backpacking dilemas (aside from counting ounces) is what you will eat. A lot of us, in order to save weight will just end up backpacking with noodles and oatmeal; which in all honesty is delicious, but get can tiring. Waking up in the morning to a sticky bland breakfast, or finally getting to a campsite to make salty Mr. Noodles, isn't always a reward. 

You can carry small, lightweight items with you that when combined can create a mouthwatering meal worth hiking for! Remember, when carrying liquid ingredients that can potentially be messy to put them in screw top bottles, no one wants a saucy sleeping bag. 


One great dish that I've tried was Campfire Roasted Stuffed Peppers. They are delicious, and don't take up too much room in your pack. All you need for one serving is: 

1 large Bell Pepper
1/2 cup of rice (brown rice for a healthier choice)
3 tbs of onion, diced
1 mushroom, chooped
a pinch of garlic powder, or garlic salt (or use real garlic, the powder/salt takes less room in a pack)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of TVP (textured vegetable protein), or real ground beef if you prefer real meat. 
1/4 cup Shredded cheese


Get your campfire started and make it so you can have a great bed of hot coals to set your pot on. (Make sure your pot is able to be placed directly on coals, some cannot.)


Cook your rice in your pot, and then remove to a bowl. 


Remove the tops of the peppers and the core with the seeds, and set it aside. You can use the tops of the peppers if you trim them and add them to the stuffing mix. 


Saute the onion, mushrooms and chopped peppers for about 5 minutes, until they are soft. Add in your TVP, and continue mixing until the meat is prepared. Season with garlic, salt and pepper. Add the rice and tomato sauce to the mixture and stir until blended. 


Place the stuffing inside of the pepper, and top with shredded cheese, then place it into the pot. Cover the pot with tinfoil. 


PUt your pot on the hot coals. Make sure the pot is level, moving some of the coals around might be in order, or put a nice flat rock there so your pot won't topple over. 


Cook pepper until it is soft, and the mixture is hot all the way through.
Then enjoy!!


If you have any delicious recipes you'd like to share, send them to adventure@radicaledge.ca and title it Camp Recipes.