Camping Recipes: Side Dishes

Camping Recipes: Side Dishes

I sometimes find when camping that our meals get a little meat and carb heavy.  Lately I have tried to cook more balanced dishes and these sides are a great way to make veggies the star of the show.

Baked Sweet Potato

I am a massive sweet potato fan and find that they’re something the whole family can enjoy. An easy way to cook them is to simply rub with oil, salt and pepper, wrap in foil and place in the embers of the barbecue or fire. The trick is to turn them a few times so that they cook evenly. Cook until soft, this should take around 40 minutes but keep an eye on them.

Vegetable Parcels

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s such a great way to crank up your five a day count and is so simple. Simply chop a mix of veg (whatever you like/have to hand-we usually go for carrot, leek and peppers) add seasoning and a few sprigs of thyme, wrap in foil and place straight on the barbecue.

campingrecipes

Vegetables ready to be cooked in a foil parcel

This always works so well and makes a brilliant accompaniment to any meal.

Tomato Salad

I love a good tomato salad. The key is to find good quality tomatoes, try farm shops or markets, or better still, grow your own. I add a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. When camping I tend to use dried herbs and garlic powder (oregano & basil work well) but it’s even better with the fresh stuff.

camping side dishes

Smoked mackerel and heritage tomato salad with fresh basil and mozzarella

Corn on the Cob

I always forget just how much I love corn on the cob, until the first barbecue of the year when I’m reminded of just how sweet and delicious it is! It’s so simple served with a slathering of butter. But if you want to take it up a notch, how about adding a sprinkling of paprika or chilli powder and a squeeze of lime? Perfection!

corn on the cob

Corn on the cob grilling on our Biolite Stove

What are your go to camping side dishes?

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Comments

  • bellamonte bellamonte July 06, at 06:16

    I love your blog posts about camping! Great stuff! We just got back from a wonderful camping trip in Northern California and Oregon. And even though we have a VW Eurovan with a pop-up roof, we do NOT have a EHU and I will read more about the phone charging later. But now, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite side dishes while camping with you:
    #1 Guacamole, a classic you can eat with tortillas, chips, on bread etc. Not the store-bought kind, but from scratch with just ripe avocados, a tomato, onions, cilantro, fresh garlic and salt and pepper.
    #2 Grilled romaine hearts with tomatoes, blue cheese and ranch dressing. I tried to upload my pics to the comment, but I don’t know how, argh!!
    Last but not least, the absolute favorite side dish is a glass of wine 😉

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker July 06, at 09:59

      Thanks! Love your recipe ideas. I plan to do many more camping and food posts. And the best thing about camping is definitely a glass of wine around the camp fire!

      Reply
  • Karen Karen August 25, at 10:33

    I’m a terrible camper, but I really do love outdoor cooking and camping recipes! So glad to have found your blog. Off to follow you on Bloglovin now!

    Reply
  • Why have we never taken corn on the cob camping with us? Absolutely delicious finished off on BBQ or grill. I’m hungry now…

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 21, at 06:38

      Everytime we have corn on the cob I always think why don’t we eat this more?! These food posts are making me peckish too!

      Reply
  • Kate Jamieson Kate Jamieson September 20, at 12:01

    Ooh vegetable parcels is such a great idea, will definitely bear that in mind next time i go away!!

    Reply
  • Sarah - Craft Invaders Sarah - Craft Invaders September 20, at 17:03

    Love the vegetable parcel idea – we usually have all in one meals cooked in a pot if we cook on the fire and jacket potatoes 🙂

    Reply
    • TheHelpfulHiker TheHelpfulHiker September 21, at 06:39

      I’m also a fan of a one pot wonder, but the vegetable parcels are fab, we do them at home quite a bit and they always go down well.

      Reply
  • Ashley Beolens Ashley Beolens September 22, at 21:44

    As great as those recipes look for camping, they’d be just as good on the home BBQ 🙂 double the worthiness of the post.

    Reply
  • Jeannie Jeannie January 21, at 15:40

    I love the veggie foil pack. There are so many seasoning options. I like Asian veggies with soy sauce, garlic and ginger.

    Reply
    • The Helpful Hiker The Helpful Hiker January 22, at 22:17

      That’s sounds like a great idea, I’ll have to try out some different versions for a future post.

      Reply

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