Time with a large group of family and friends is best spent at a campground; hiking, campfire talks and nights under the stars are ideal for bonding. But, when it comes time to break bread, you may feel overwhelmed with how to provide enough food. These five meal ideas make it easy to create large, crowd-pleasing dinners at the campsite.
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Skewers
Skewers are one of the best camping meal ideas for two reasons: they're easy to make and everyone can use their own ingredients. Ask everyone to bring a variety of meat and veggies, and you pack the skewers. Make it even easier by having a group cooking session, where everyone builds their own skewers.
Pre-Made Pasta
Pasta is a perfect go-to for large camping meals for two reasons: Most of the work can be done at home, and it's affordable to make in bulk. Not to mention, it's versatile; you can make one big pasta dish or multiple smaller ones that are all different. Some ideas:
Spaghetti: Make the pasta at home, bring a jar of sauce and heat it up in a large skillet or pot over the fire.
Pasta salad: Make the pasta at home, toss in the veggies and cheese, and then add the dressing when it's time for dinner. This doesn't even need to be heated.
Thai Peanut Noodles: Make the noodles at home, and mix in peanut sauce and veggies so it can all marinate together. Bring peanuts and green onions to garnish before mealtime. This can be served cold or hot.
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Skillet Stir-fry
When cooking for a large group, there are few better camping meal ideas than a stir-fry. With loads of veggies and a yummy sauce, this can be a side dish, a burger topping or full meal by adding noodles or rice.
If you're using this as a full meal, be sure to cook the starch before hand. That can be mixed into the skillet to warm before eating.
