Camping recipes for large families and big groups
We’ve just returned from a camping holiday with our family of 6 and I’ve realised we need more ideas for camping meal ideas and camping recipes for large families. Most camping recipes I’ve seen sound delicious but they’re only practical for families of 2-3 people. We’d be cooking all night if we wanted to feed all 6 of us! If you’re camping with a group of friends – you need one pot or simple grill camping meals that don’t require a ton of pots and pans and can be cooked on a simple stove or even better – over a fire! We love camping with friends and all eating together so these are our best easy camping recipes for large families or big groups. Don’t have a camping fridge? Here’s some great tips on keeping food cool when camping. See here for advice if you’re camping as a large group and wondering what suits large families best – Caravan or campervan?
Table of Contents
First Night Camping Dinner Ideas
For the first night on a camping trip with a large family or group – it’s ideal to cook meal at home and then bring to reheat because you’ll be spending your time and energy setting up the tent. Making something at home and then freezing it and reheating at the campsite makes the perfect first night camping dinner! Our friend Joe made us this delicious Spag Bol for our first night camping recently which is easy to heat and then you just cook the spaghetti. Other than spaghetti bolagnese, try these camping recipes for large families….!
If you’re camping with kids – you’ll love our camping toys and activities for kids!
Camping recipes for large families
Instant Pot Campfire Stew
How to make delicious homemade campfire stew in the instant pot, slow cooker, or any other electric pressure cooker or simple stove. This warming campfire stew is perfect to make ahead and cook while camping.
Taco Salad
Another idea for a first night camping dinner is this easy Taco Salad. This us one of our family’s favourite camping meals. It’s a snap to put together, especially if the minced beef is cooked ahead of time and reheated at the campsite.
Campfire Rotini Pasta
Make this delicious rotini pasta dinner at home, pack it easily and warm it over the fire! The flavours are perfect for a first night dinner on a summer camp out.
Sausages and Mash
For a quick all time favourite dinner – grill some sausages over your fire or on a BBQ and then quickly add hot water to Idahoan Perfect Mash! Idahoan’s lightweight pouches are available in a range of tasty flavours including Buttery, Classic, Roasted Garlic, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon & Cheese and Butter & Herb for a warming and hearty campfire meal!
Breakfast Camping Ideas
Camping Breakfast Ideas for Large Groups
French Toast Skewers
Food on a stick is always a fun way to eat! These Gluten-Free Grilled French Toast Skewers are perfect for a kid-friendly breakfast or snack! These French toast skewers are vegan, allergy-free, great for camping, or a summer party! This quick & easy recipe is great for picky eaters and ideal for dipping without the mess or sticky hands!
Camping Breakfast Skillet
This breakfast skillet will keep your tummy full for a full day of exploring while camping! Perfect to make for large groups and can be customized for any one’s taste preference.
Breakfast Quesadilla
We always take flour tortillas when we go camping because they travel so well and you can use them instead of bread. One of our favourite breakfast camping recipes is this Sausage and Egg breakfast Quesadilla.
French Toast Foil Packet
Another easy camping meal for large families is to alternative to french toast is this easy french toast foil packet with cinnamon, strawberry, and walnuts. This can be made on a grill or over the campfire! It’s a wonderful camping and grilling recipe that can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert.
Porridge Oats
For your first morning camping, you might need something quick and easy that doesn’t require any cooking. We love these Great British Porridge Co. Oatmeal Porridge pots (or the large packets are perfect for packing up small when camping.) they are a 100% natural, no added sugar instant porridge, you just add boiling water and stir. It’s perfect for a quick and nutritious camping breakfast! They come in variety of fun flavours for kids too from chocolate pot to banana and blueberry. They make an easy minimal effort for camping breakfast. Our advice is just to add less water than it states on the packet – the thicker the better! For a really quick and easy breakfast that’s great for eating on the go – try protein balls – they’re delicious, and the grab & go packets that can easily be thrown in to your rucksack for camping trips, festivals and weekends away with friends and family this summer.
Dinner Ideas for Camping with a Large Family
Tin Foil Cheesy Potato Packets
You’re gonna love these individual potato packets loaded with roasted garlic and ooey gooey cheese. They’re easy to make and you cook them straight on a gas grill or over a fire or on a BBQ.
BBQ Dinner
BBQ dinners are perfect for when you’re cooking for large groups. BBQ some meat (or veggie alternative) add some bread and salad and you’ve got a quick and easy camping dinner. We’ve found the BEST portable BBQ that makes BBQ cooking for a large family or a group a breeze! The Cube BBQ from Everdure by Heston Blumenthal is perfect for camping trips – it heats up really quickly, cooks perfectly without charring and is easy to clean. It comes with an integrated food-grade storage tray and bamboo preparation board which allows you to have everything you need for a BBQ in the great outdoors and ensures everything remains in place whilst travelling. The handy CUBE is lightweight, durable and perfect for those wanting to enjoy authentic charcoal flavour on the go, the ideal accessory to take to any impromptu get aways from home – it’s not just for camping! We like to take ours for a BBQ on the beach. The best thing is – it’s really stylish! We had lots of compliments on ours on our campsite! It’s available in three stylish colours including orange, stone and graphite. Buy your Cube BBQ here!
BBQ for camping and cooking at beaches
How to Cook Dinner in Tin Can on the Campfire
A really easy and super fun camping dinner recipe is to cook dinner in a tin can over a fire. Kids love this activity and it’s just as much fun in your back garden as in a campsite! To cook your onepot dinner in a tin can – first wash and clean a tin can. Try to use the tin cans that have a ring pull, so that you can push the tin can lid back down on top of the can to cook.
For your campfire dinner in a tin can, you will need these ingredients per tin can………
- One Hamburger
- Potato — 4 good chunks
- Carrot — 3 good chunks
- Onion — 1 slice
- Tomato — 2 slices
- Sweetcorn
- Butter or oil
- Salt and pepper — to taste
Layer the ingredients into your tin can, layered as they are listed, starting wth the hamburger. Cover the can tightly with aluminum foil and place into your campfire and let it cook for about 30-45 minutes. Placing in into the hot embers is better than into direct flames. To check if your tin can dinner is done – pop a fork into your potato to make sure it’s soft. If the potato is cooked – everything should be cooked. Carefully lift your can off the fire with tongs and tuck in!
Easy Camping Meals for Large Families
Lamb Grilled Kebabs
These grilled Lamb Kebabs are marinated in an aromatic and easy Mediterranean marinade before being grilled or barbequed or cooked over a campfire and served with fresh cut veggies for a light and healthy meal. If you prefer some meat free camping dishes – try these delicious vegan camping recipes.
Campfire Bread
Cooking your own bread on a stick over a campfire is so much fun. There’s nothing like enjoying freshly baked bread in the great outdoors.
Campfire Pizza Sandwiches
Want to have a pizza while camping? Enjoy these Grilled Pizza Sandwiches made over the fire. Your kids will love them!
Easy Taco Soup
When you are at the campsite, you need a few fix it and forget type recipes like this Easy Taco Soup. It can be made with your favourite minced meat or vegetarian with lentils. Either way, it’s an easy way to enjoy a hearty meal cooked over the campfire.
Grilled Chicken Tenders
Easy grilled chicken tenders that you can quickly and easily over a grill! Mariante the chicken tenders in a simple but flavourful marinade, then they’re grilled on an outdoor grill or a grill pan for a quick camping lunch or dinner. Add with flatbreads and salad, it becomes one of the easiest camping recipes for large families!
Fajita Packets
Flavour packed and perfect for kids! This easy grilling recipe is made with tender chicken, peppers and onions seasoned with the yummy tastes of fajitas.
What to cook on for large families when Camping
When it comes to a camping stove to cook on for our family of 6, we use the Campingaz 400-SG Series Two Burner Stove. It folds up very slim which is important when space is a premium in the car. It’s also easy to clean and has removable griddles, so it can be used for grilling and toasting, in addition to pan cooking. Another plus point is the stove has Xcelerate burner technology which is more economical and uses 50% less gas than traditional stoves. We’ve found the two burner is good for us for most meals and sometimes we use a fire pit for cooking things like corn on the cob and obviously for the ubiquitous toasting of marshmallows!
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If you’re camping with kids, then you’ll need our Camping Hacks for families to help make camping stress free!
Group Camp Meals
Dessert Ideas for Camping with a group of people.
THE BEST UK version of S’mores
Obviously – S’mores is the first on the list for a camping dessert. And…. our friend Fran has come up with the best ever UK version of S’mores using the Bahlsen Choco Leibniz biscuits – honestly – look them up! The melt nicely and the biscuit hold together (unlike digestives).
Gluten Free S’mores
Love S’mores? But ingredients like milk, gluten, and sugar aren’t in your nutrition protocol? These S’mores Muddy Buddies (or Puppy Chow) are gluten free, peanut free, low in sugar, and vegan-ish (depending on how you feel about honey).
Banana Boats
These Banana Boats are a gooey, sweet classic dessert to cook over the campfire – utterly delicious, and they need only three ingredients and a few minutes to put together! So grab yourselves some bananas, chocolate, and marshmallows, build yourself a good fire, and then enjoy some warm, melting, gooey banana boats.
Grilled Watermelon
For a healthier dessert – Grilled watermelon one of the tastiest and most healthiest desserts you can eat. It’s so simple to make and doesn’t take a lot of time and effort.
Camping Essentials for Familes
Hope these Camping recipe ideas have been useful. Have fun if you’re off camping with a large family or a group of friends! Check out these Camping Essentials for Families.
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NB: Some of these products were gifted for review but all opinions are my own (or my kids!).
