Cooking Breakfast Over an Open Fire

CAMPFIRE COOKING IS BETTER THAN FREEZE-DRIED

While camping is a blast any time of year, camping in the fall can’t be beat. Even though “normal” camp food is usually freeze dried, cold, and pouch-preserved, camping doesn’t have to mean you can’t have a hearty, hot breakfast right at your campsite! And there are endless recipes that are easy to make over the open flame of a campfire.

Oatmeal and hot coffee are a great simple fireside breakfast on a chilly fall morning– using a camping kettle to boil water over your fire allows you to make real, non-instant coffee in a french press, and whip up some instant oats. You can add nuts, raisins, maple syrup or fresh fruit for a delicious meal.

If you want something a little more substantial, it’s easy to prepare a more traditional breakfast with just a few tools and pre-packed ingredients from home:

CAMPING MUST HAVES

• Cast iron skillet
• Cooking utensils (tongs, spatula)
• Camping grate (converts your fire into a stovetop!)
• Aluminum Foil
• Pot or tea kettle
• French press
• A knife
• Cooler
• Cutlery
• Dishes 

HOT AND HEARTY

One of the most hearty and satisfying, but still simple to whip up meals you can make in a single skillet is a breakfast scramble. Cooking up a simple breakfast scramble at your campsite is as easy as cooking at home! Simply heat up your cast iron over your campfire and toss some oil of your choice and your favorite breakfast meat (or meat substitute) and fresh veggies to saute. Once they are cooked down, just add eggs into the cast iron and cook until the eggs and meat are done. Serve as is, or with hot sauce!

SOMETHING SWEET

If you have a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast food, don’t worry! You can cook pancakes like normal in your cast iron, too! Mix up your batter using bottled water (feel free to add blueberries or chocolate chips) and then pour into your hot cast iron! Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could always opt for a campfire foil french toast loaf. For this you’ll need a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, unpackaged, and placed into a foil packet. Then you just prepare the egg mixture like you would for regular french toast, pour it over the loaf of bread, and seal the packet. Next, toss it on the fire and cook for 30-45 minutes until the egg mixture has cooked through. This is a great breakfast to enjoy with coffee 

CAMPFIRE COOKING ESSENTIALS- INGREDIENTS:

• Eggs (pre scrambled, stored in a water bottle)
• Pre Cut veggies
• Breakfast meat(s)
• Berries
• Instant/quick cook oats
• Pancake mix
• Bottled water
• Nuts/raisins/trail mix
• Oil
• Loaf of bread
• Coffee
• Hot sauce

BETTER ALL AROUND

Cooking over your campfire on all your camping adventures has more benefits than just flavor, though. Eating a fresh cooked meal cooked over an open fire is a healthier alternative. All your veggies actually retain nutrients when grilled (compared to other cooking methods) which is exactly what you need before a day of outdoor adventuring!