The ten best camp meals you’ll ever eat

Campsite cooking might bring images of tinned spaghetti and dehydrated potato to mind, but with a little preparation, you can cook up an absolute storm over a portable gas burner. Live it up with these simple and delicious portable dishes. They’re not fancy, but after a long day of exploring nature, they'll taste pretty darn good.

We’ve all toasted marshmallows before, but this will take it to the next level: bring some chocolate-covered digestives, put a melted white marshmallow on top (eat the pink ones while you wait) then place another digestive on top with the chocolate facing inwards. Next, squeeze that gooey goodness together and enjoy!

Make some hamburger patties at home with mince, breadcrumbs, eggs, spices and a dash of BBQ sauce in the mix. The sausages are pretty much set-and-forget. Both are handy if your campsite doesn’t have a BBQ or allow fires, because you can pre-cook them at home and eat them cold. Though, admittedly, it’s more fun drooling over them as they cook at sunset. Bring all the usual suspects – buns, lettuce, tomato, cheese and onion – and don’t forget the sauce.

The most satisfying dish can be the simplest. Fresh fish doesn’t need much work to taste great, so drop a line in the water and see what you can catch for dinner. You’ll need to gut, scale and clean your catch, then add some butter, salt and garlic (or any other preferred garnishes and veggies) and wrap it in foil. Cook over a campfire for about 15-20 minutes – depending on the heat – and add a squeeze of lemon just before eating. Simple, fresh, magic. Somewhere, Jamie Oliver is smiling.

These are the easiest desserts and can make you feel slightly virtuous, too. Grab some pineapple or pear, slice it up and coat your slices with a bit of butter and cinnamon or brown sugar. Grill in foil and die of happiness (whipped cream and cake sandwiches are totally optional). Bonus points if you whack on some chocolate topping and chopped nuts to make a sundae.

A satisfying meal or an easy one... por que no los dos? You can pre-cook some mince or just bring a can of beans, along with taco shells, chopped tomato, capsicum, cheese and guacamole. Heat the meat/beans up in a small pan at the campsite and set up a serving station. It’s one of the quickest meals to make – and to eat. Bring enough for a few rounds.

Woke up feeling sketchy? This simple Aussie bushman’s bread will put you right. It’s a powerful, soul-warming staple when made over some hot coals in the morning. Knead together a basic dough with some flour, water and salt, add some butter or oil to hold it together and a dash of milk or some raisins if you have them. You can do this all by feel.  

Cook it as a flat loaf, or on a stick. The stick method is quicker and a bit like toasting marshmallows. Twist the dough around the stick in a spiral and toast it in the flames. Once it starts to brown, drizzle some golden syrup over the top and enjoy the hot, sweet, doughy goodness. It’s like a bush doughnut.

Brew one of these to go with your damper. It’s basically tea, but full of nostalgia - and like any tea, it’s a very personal recipe that everyone has an opinion on. The non-negotiables are: loose leaf tea brewed over a campfire, preferably in a metal billycan (a saucepan will also do). It’s the Australian way.

A camping cooker is worth the investment: it’s a metal blessing that delivers a warm meal at the end of a long day. You can make anything in there, but this simple dish is always a winner. Start with some oil, garlic and onion, then throw in chicken or turkey meat to brown, add salt, pepper and paprika, chopped carrot and capsicum (frozen peas are good too, and double as an icepack in the cooler), and tinned tomatoes. It’ll take half an hour at least but will be tasty and warm, best mopped up with some fresh bread.

These aren’t your perfect Sunday morning ricotta pancakes that you make at home, but they’re better, in context. All you'll need is a shake-up pancake mix from the supermarket - they’re super easy, cook quickly and the container doubles as a water jug after a wash. Maple syrup, jam, or the old lemon/sugar combo will put you into a dreamy, glazed-eye trance around the campfire.

You shouldn’t need to carry any powdery army rations with you… there are plenty of awesome snack alternatives - they just require a little bit of planning. Which is especially handy when there’s a total fire ban.

Pre-make some bite-sized meatballs and hard-boiled eggs for a quick protein kick. Plus, stash some protein balls, fruit and banana bread for those sugar cravings. You can also carry some cheese and crackers, tinned salmon, refried beans, chopped carrot/capsicum/celery, hummus, flatbread, lettuce and shredded cheese, all of which make a satisfying snack, sandwich or pretty decent meal (no-cook burritos, anyone?). Bring a cooler and store some frozen drinks in there to stop food from going bad.

Already mastered the classics? Level up your skills with these epic camping meal ideas.