Campfire Recipes to Fall in Love with This Summer

By: Sylvia Karcz, Contributing Blogger

Sun-kissed skin, barbeques and swimming holes, outdoor adventures that bleed well into the evening hours— summertime has officially commenced, and we’re for every sliver of it! From fireflies at dusk and exploratory road trips, to picnics in the park and the lure of earlier mornings, there’s no shortage of things to celebrate and embrace with the warmer weather and longer days.

Summer also means there’s no better time to gather friends or family for a couple of nights—or weeks!— of camping and bonfires and all the excitement that goes hand in hand with sleeping and eating under the stars. And since good company warrants good food, we’ve rounded up a handful of crowd-pleasing campfire recipes that will surely make your next overnight in nature one for the books.

Read on, camp on, and grill on!

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SKILLET 

No-frills, one-skillet cooking at its finest with this timeless Philly Cheesesteak dish! Just the right balance of gooey cheese, hearty steak, and tender veggies.  

Cookware needed: 

• Grill grate, cast iron skillet, utensils for mixing/serving

Ingredients: 

• Olive oil

• Bell peppers (1-2)

• Onions (1)

• Fresh steak, thinly sliced (approximately 1 pound)

• Two bags of shredded cheese— mozzarella or provolone work super well, but you can substitute for your favorite!

• Salt, pepper, paprika, and any other BBQ spices you’re craving

• Buns or hoagie rolls of choice

• Your favorite BBQ or hot sauces!

Directions: 

PRO TIP— pre-cut the veggies and steak, and store in Tupperware (in a cooler) before you leave!

• Prepare your fire and let it burn for a while, until wood has produced glowing embers and the flame is minimal

• Slice up your veggies and steak, and put in separate mixing bowls. Season to taste.

• Once your campfire embers are ready to go, place the cast iron skillet over a grill grate, drizzle some olive oil. 

• When the oil gets hot and starts lightly smoking, toss in the steak and cook approximately 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside.

• Drizzle a bit more oil, and place veggies in the skillet. Cook until they start to become tender, but crisp.

• Add in steak, and cook together for a couple more minutes, then coat with shredded cheese. Cover with lid for a couple of minutes until cheese starts to melt, then remove from fire.

• Grab the buns and briefly toast, then add cheesesteak filling and top with your favorite sauce!

TANGY HAWAIIN BBQ HOT DOG SKEWERS

Definitely not your average hot dog dish! Balanced with sweet pineapple and a tangy BBQ, and charred to perfection, these hot dog skewers will leave you craving more. 

Cookware Needed: 

• Grill grate, skewers (metal are best), utensils for mixing/serving, sauce brush

Ingredients: 

• BBQ Sauce (TIP: to make your own tangy version, mix about ¼ cup bbq sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos, 1 tsp of rice wine vinegar, and ⅓ tsp of chili powder!)

• 1 pack of hot dogs, cut into 1-inch slices

• Pineapple, either fresh or canned, approximate 3 cups-worth

• 2 bell peppers, one red and one green, cut into 1” chunks

• 1 red onion, cut into 1” chunks

Directions: 

PRO TIP— you can arrange skewers at home and place in a container or bag, and then simply coat with bbq sauce before throwing on campfire!

• Prepare your fire and let it burn for a while, until wood has produced glowing embers and the flame is minimal

• Cut hot dogs, pineapple, and veggies into approximately 1-inch chunks

• Grab your skewers, and start alternating the ingredients until they’re used up

• Brush skewers with BBQ, until everything is well-coated

• Once your campfire embers are ready to go, place the skewers over your grill grate, and flip every couple minutes or so

• Brush more BBQ sauce if needed!

• Once everything looks nicely charred, remove and ENJOY!

CAMPFIRE SHAKSHUKA 

This Middle Eastern / North African staple will become the international campfire dish you didn’t know you were missing. It works just as well for breakfast as for dinner!

Cookware Needed: 

• Grill grate, cast iron skillet, utensils for mixing/serving

Ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes (28 ounce)

• 4-6 eggs

• Salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin seeds, oregano, ground coriander

• 1 bell pepper, sliced thinly

• 1 sweet onion, diced

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finelly chopped

• 1 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 cup of olives— green olives are great, but you can use your favorite!

• 1 small package of crumbled feta cheese

• 1 package of pita bread or 1 loaf of fresh bread

Directions: 

PRO TIP— As you’re pouring the contents of peeled tomatoes into the skillet, mush them up a bit (with your hands or a fork!) to separate the tomatoes a bit into irregular chunks.

• Prepare your fire and let it burn for a while, until wood has produced glowing embers and the flame is minimal

• Place 1 tsp butter on cast iron skillet, and place on the grill grate until it starts melting and bubbling

• Add peppers and onion until softened, approximately 6-8 minutes. Add chopped garlic, and cook for another minute or so.

• Open the can of tomatoes, and empty the entire contents into the skillet

• Add salt, pepper, and dried spices/herbs

• Cover the skillet, and let it cook over the fire for approximately 10 minutes, mixing occasionally. Add olives about halfway through.

• Mixture should begin to thicken! Once it does, create a few indentations and crack your eggs into them. Cover again until eggs are cooked to your liking– usually about 4-5 minutes for nicely poached eggs!

•  Remove from heat, and top with feta cheese, fresh cilantro, and fresh parsley. Serve with fresh bread or pita!

Southern Shrimp Boil Foil-Pack

Buttery corn, zesty shrimp, and perfectly tender potatoes…this southern classic can do no wrong! Feel free to customize by adding extras like zucchini or andouille sausage.

Cookware Needed: 

• Grill grate, aluminum foil, knife, utensils for mixing/serving, 1 large mixing bowl and 1 small mixing bowl, big spoon

Ingredients: 

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter

• 4-5 medium Yukon gold potatoes or 8-10 baby red potatoes 

• 2 ears of fresh corn, sliced into 1-inch pieces

• ½ of a medium white onion

• 1 pound of jumbo shrimp (approximately 15-20) 

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp cajun or Old Bay seasoning

• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions: 

PRO TIP— Cut and pre-cook the potatoes and corn at home! You can also prepare the foil packets at home for a super simple campfire prep.

• At HOME, boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until tender, then add the cut corn and boil for about 2-3 minutes more. Set aside in a container.

• At your campsite, prepare your fire and let it burn for a while, until wood has produced glowing embers and the flame is minimal

• Meanwhile, cover a small mixing bowl with aluminum foil, then place butter, parsley, cajun seasoning, and the juice of 2 lemon quarters. Remove foil and tighten into a packet, setting it over the fire to let the butter melt. Remove promptly.

• Cut potatoes into quarters or halves, then place in a large mixing bowl. Add corn, shrimp, remaining lemon quarters, and onion. Once mixed, add the butter sauce and mix again.

• Prepare 4-6 aluminum foil sheets, and create your shrimp boil packets by evenly dividing portions of the shrimp boil mixture in each and sealing the aluminum foil on top. 

• Place the packets on the grill grate, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Then, turn the packets over to the other side and cook another 5 minutes. 

• After about 10 minutes total cooking, remove the foil packets, and very carefully unseal the aluminum. ENJOY!