meals for 1

[gettinaway]

for those that typically camp alone, what type of meals do you make for yourself?

[bluestar99]

Re: meals for 1

I'm not that much of a cook when I am alone. Get me in a group and I will keep you fed. Breakfast is usually a fried egg sandwich. I have a 4X5" cast iron fry pan that is just right for 2 eggs. Two pieces of toast and a slice of cheese and it makes a great quick sandwich. Lunch, sandwich. Dinner, Brats, hot dogs or a Pie iron dinner. Sometimes I bring a couple small frozen leftover dinners from home.

[toedtoes]

Re: meals for 1

I usually coordinate meals so that I don't have leftover ingredients.

Breakfast is pancakes, cream of wheat or eggs. If pancakes, I make enough batter on the first morning to get through the trip. I use this for mixing and storing: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lunch is usually simple. Might be as simple as tortilla chips and salsa. If it's cold out, I may do soup or spaghettios or canned chili. Or maybe quesadillos or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Dinner is usually burgers, tacos, spaghetti or other pasta, etc. Recently, I tried fajitas and was very pleased.

My biggest issue is veggies - as one person, I can only use so much tomato in my taco. So, if I do tacos one night, I'll do burgers another or grilled cheese at lunch and use the one tomato for several meals. Burgers and grilled cheese both use sliced cheese.

I do get the refridgerated pasta sauce - it's a smaller quantity than the jars and I'm not left with half filled open jar afterwards. You could also use it to make sloppy joe's.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: meals for 1

For 1. Breakfast is usually grits and eggs, maybe sausage. I generally skip lunch. Supper is hot dogs or something equally easy. I usually keep some crackers and Vienna's on hand too. At home I am the baker, but I'm not into cooking at camp. Keep it simple, is my motto.

[MacGyver]

Re: meals for 1

I hate cooking for one. That's why I let Chef Mountain House take care of things when I'm out by myself. Then again, depending on where I'm camping, there are some great hole in the wall restaurants near the forest that I'll jump out to. Great home cooking on the cheap!

[terasec]

Re: meals for 1

I am generally backpacking so my meals are simple
pasta/polenta sometimes rice but hate rice, as a base
with ingredients i dried myself prior

[a65hoosier]

Re: meals for 1

Although you asked for cooking for 1, our cooking for 2 (wife and I) is just about the same thing....only doubled quantities. I am fortunate that she likes to cook/eat the same way I do when we camp. We plan our meals depending on the trip....duration, weather expected (temps/wind/precip), etc but we always try to go very simple for the menu, the cooking style, and the amount of washing/cleanup required. We don’t spend a lot of time in “camp” cooking up a grand meal.

We just got back from a quick winter camp this past weekend. Even though it was car camping, we still minimize everything we bring for gear and yes, our food choices. I really hate packing/unpacking up all kinds of gear/stuff. So even though we are car camping....we try to bring a backpackers mentality to what/how much we bring (ie. essentials and reduced weight/volume on all the rest of the stuff---we don't bring heavy/complicated items with us....even though we could). Here is what I wrote in a different thread regarding the food we took:

"Food: Soup...sandwich. We kept it simple. PB&Js, homemade ham/bean soup, a Mountain House meal, and a pasta dish we had as leftovers from home. Breakfast bars, bananas/fruit, oatmeal. I cooked/boiled water on a single burner propane stove using our Camp Chef Sherpa as the main cook table."

On this last trip...if it had been warmer and/or had a better weather forecast, we may have had eggs and bacon/sausage in the morning...but we nixed it.

And coffee. We always have coffee.

[MacGyver]

Re: meals for 1

And coffee. We always have coffee.

Isn't that a given?

[05Kingquad700]

Re: meals for 1

I agree with MacGyver. If I am by myself, it will be a simple dehydrated meals. I love the mountain house skillet breakfast and Backpackers Pantry Red Beans & Rice.

[a65hoosier]

Re: meals for 1

Isn't that a given?

Of course. But I didn't see it listed anywhere above as one of the breakfast "meals". lolololol

Reading the responses above from our long time forum members makes me hungry. It's too bad NYGrrl hasn't been on for some time.....I think she was our resident camp chef as she always was coming up with recipes and different dishes to try out in camp.

Regardless....I think I would be quite happy sitting down at any of your campfires and "breaking bread" (with a little something to wash it down). Even though our responses include simple foods that are easy to prepare...they taste so good when you're camping.

[Karla "with a k"]

Re: meals for 1

The only time I've camped where I need to cook for one, I am car camping with my cat. So, weight is not an issue. However, I do like to keep it simple.

I LOVE using my pie iron for cooking!!! I'll cook all my meals in the iron, but love the pudgy pies the best. Sweet or Savory, I love them all. Stick anything between bread and it's good!

Menu examples:
Bkft - Ham, egg, and cheese
Lunch - Pizza
Dinner - Spaghetti w/ garlic bread
Dessert - strawberries, bananas and chocolate

[MacGyver]

Re: meals for 1

I'm really glad you posted that. I forgot all about those and I know I have one stashed somewhere in this house. They do make for some easy food. Plus they come under the category of what we call "the camping thing to do".

[Happy Joe]

Re: meals for 1

I, too, have a pie iron...somewhere...

Cant really backpack any more so its normally a 4wd campout.
Usually though I hit up the grocery store for some easy stuff;
coffee goes without saying, almost.
Usually a package of apple fritters takes care of breakfast (and a snack or two) for up to 3 days.
(I also normally carry some honey nut cheerios (makes a fair expedient trail mix with raisins, peanuts and cheez-its) and some dried milk if I want to use it for breakfast)... mix the milk and water in a plastic bottle and shake well to aerate then use immediately...
I often stop for a fried chicken (8 pieces) at the supermarket deli, the day before I leave (takes care of the meat portion of meals the first day out)
Some ham, keeps well and, with cheese, is often part of the sandwich makin's...(I sometimes get some sliced Hormel cure 81 and fry it for a warm ham sandwich... packaged lunchmeat ham is a, not particularly good, fall back).
A loaf of bread usually goes in the top of the (small critter proof) ammo can in a double bread bag (keeps fresher longer).
Sometimes I get a couple of small containers of potato and macaroni salads at the Deli.
Munchies/ crunchy sides, usually consist of peanuts, potato chips and often Doritos... occasionally cheez-its with cheese(jalapeno) or peanut butter...
A package of cookies often joins the bread in the ammo can.
I usually have a package of hot dogs as a quickie warm up/over the campfire option.
cans of chili and stew make good, extend the stay, options.
Longer trips often involve steaks, (with prenuked baked taters; wrapped in foil and warmed in the campfire coals) occasionally; burgers and French fries... although I normally don't cook even that much anymore.

Enjoy!

[RandiZ]

Re: meals for 1

If I'm not bringing a cooler, I often bring a burger or hot dog for the first night with salad.
Breakfast is oatmeal and berries, or eggs and grits, or pancakes. I also have turkey jerky as my bacon replacement. I snack for lunches: Justin's almond butter and fig bars, or other sorts of protein/snack bars and chips. Dinner will be some sort of beans, soup, or the like with vegetables. If I have a cooler, then I'll make just what I would make for myself at home or pack leftovers in single serving containers.

[gettinaway]

Re: meals for 1

now thats a list with some history attached to it.