Mornings aren’t for everyone, and when it comes to easy breakfast ideas when camping, it’s nice to have some simple go-to options so that you don’t have too think too much before you’ve had that cup of coffee! For some, the ritual of lighting the campfire and preparing a delicious breakfast as the sun rises up is one of the great joys of being outdoors, but others may want a quick and easy food fix so they can get on with the day’s activities! Here are some of my favourite camping breakfast options, which I hope you will find helpful.
1.Firepit Toasties
Toasted sandwiches, jaffles – whatever you want to call them, these are an all round favorite among kids and adults alike. For the best results, get yourself a simple jaffle iron, which can be preheated in the fire, or over a gas stove, before loading it up with your creation. My recommendations for filling are:
– Cheese and ham (add tomato if you have it!)
– Ham and egg
– Baked Beans
– Leftover spaghetti or mexican mince
Don’t forget to spray the inside of your iron with a little oil or a knob of butter to prevent your bread sticking. Sheer gold!
2. No-fuss Granola & fruit.
I tend to eat a fair bit of rubbish (snacking on chips and pretzels mainly!) when I sit around the firepit of an evening, so I find it can be really nice to start the next day with something that feels healthy and wholesome. Bring along some store bought or home-made granola and simply add some chopped fresh (or tinned) fruit and a little yoghurt or milk to your liking. UHT milk is great for this if you don’t have a means of keeping things cool.
3. Recovery Bacon and egg rolls
A popular camping breakfast and trusted worldwide hangover cure! Simply throwing a few rashers of bacon and some eggs on the grill or in a pan takes no time and will have everyone drooling with the smell of the sizzling bacon. You can pimp these up and make your signature brekky roll by playing with extra fillings here:
– add a little fresh tomato and avocado
– barbeque sauce, cheese and a few slices of dill pickle
– fruit chutney and cheese
The options really are endless!
4. The best campfire porridge
A steaming pot of oatmeal cooked over the firepit is a beautiful hearty way to start the morning. For some extra texture (not to mention health benefits), throw in some flaxseeds and chia with your oats. You can take your porridge in many directions depending on what food you have available, such as:
– banana, cinnamon and maple syrup
– apple and dates (these can all be dried and chopped, making them easy to bring camping)
– chocolate and peanut butter (a little drinking chocolate powder and use the peanut butter that’s 100% nuts)
Expert tip: A scottish boss I once had told me the secret to making good porridge was adding a little salt. He was right!
5. Camping Dinner Leftovers!
My all time favorite camping breakfast is simply reheating some leftover of whatever we had the night before. It might be a jacket potato with baked beans or bolognaise sauce on top, some curry and rice, or a few cold sausages brought back to life with fried onion and some bell peppers.
The main rule with breakfast when camping is…there are no rules! Get creative, be resourceful…after all the worst thing is to have food going to waste, right? The key to any great food while camping is a little preparation. Plan your meals before you leave – if you’re traveling with a group, designate who will cater for what meals. It’s fine to sacrifice creature comforts such as electricity and hot showers while enjoying the great outdoors, but there’s no reason not to enjoy really good food!