Food and Recipes Dinner 23 Exciting Recipes For Dinner Around The Campfire The whole crowd will love these campfire meals. By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Camping season is about taking to the great outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, and oohing over the star-studded night sky. It's certainly not about serving white-tablecloth gourmet meals, but that doesn't mean hot dogs on a stick or lukewarm beans in a can are the only options. We've collected 23 easy and crowd-pleasing campfire dinner recipes that will turn even the most outdoor-averse into happy campers.Whether you want to prepare classics like egg salad and pimiento cheese beforehand—or you're excited to use your campfire to whip up cast-iron skillet suppers or foil packet dinners—these ideas will have you covered. Use your campfire time to enjoy being around the flame with your loved ones. Prepare your scary campfire stories because these delicious camping dinners will make you eager to spend some time under the stars. 01 of 28 Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Make a classic pimiento cheese sandwich more satisfying by stuffing it with store-bought fried chicken tenders. Prep the pimiento cheese spread beforehand and assemble the sandwiches on-site for a quick meal. Add finely grated sweet onions, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper for additional flavoring. 02 of 28 Brined Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauces Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This grilled chicken gets a ton of flavor from the brine, made with herbs, garlic, brown sugar, and chiles. Serve with a trio of sauces, so everyone has plenty of options. You can make the Buttermilk-Parmesan Ranch up to two days in advance and store it in an airtight container. 03 of 28 Cowboy Pasta Salad Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Inspired by our beloved Cowboy Casserole, this recipe uses taco-inspired ingredients such as black beans, corn, cheese, jalapeños, cilantro, and ground beef to create a filling pasta salad to make and take. Since you serve at room temperature, it's ideal for camping trips. Garnish with cilantro. 04 of 28 Vera Stewart's Mama's Egg Salad Peter Frank Edwards Prep these classic Southern sandwiches and store them in a cooler whenever you need a quick bite. Customize with bacon and tomato if desired. These sandwiches can stay in an airtight container for up to six days. 05 of 28 Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs This mix will satisfy everyone's craving for something sweet and salty. It's packed with cereal, bite-size pretzels, candy-coated peanut-butter candies, mini marshmallows, and a yummy butter mixture that includes brown sugar and honey. Pair this mix with sandwiches or soup. 06 of 28 Foil Packet Red Beans and Rice Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry This comfort dish just got a travel-friendly makeover. You won't be sorry to show up with these prepped and ready to warm back up. Cajun beans and rice are easy to assemble and pair wonderfully with some andouille sausage. 07 of 28 Magic Cookie Bars Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis These retro bar cookies always please the crowd. One Test Kitchen Professional described them perfectly: "gooey, slightly crunchy, and melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate-coconut heaven." After baking, sprinkle with sea salt. 08 of 28 Sweet Heat Hot Dogs Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Allison R. Banks; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Upgrade your basic campfire hotdogs with sweet-hot pickles, shredded red cabbage, and a creamy topping made of mayo, whole grain mustard, and hot chili sauce. Nothing beats the smoky flavor of a hot dog. Remember to pack all your favorite toppings. 09 of 28 No-Bake Granola Bars Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox These bars will double as a post-hike snack and post-dinner sweet. These no-bake treats made from cereal, oats, almond butter, maple syrup, and a touch of cinnamon are sure to delight. Let chill for at least 30 minutes. 10 of 28 Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry The steam and juices from the chicken, lemon, tomatoes, and butter make for a tender pasta supper that will fill up all the bellies. A fuss-free and mess-free dinner couldn't be better. To avoid rips and spills, use heavy-duty aluminum foils for the packets. 11 of 28 Frito Pie Southern Living Any Texan who knows this recipe will feel right at home on the campgrounds. Making the chili earlier helps this corn chip-laden dish assemble even easier. Finally, reheat and build into a Frito pie form over the fire. 12 of 28 Puppy Chow Snack Mix bhofack2/Getty Images You've probably enjoyed this sweet at one point. The powdered sugar-covered delicacy is a great option to bring as a massive batch to any campfire gathering. Chocolate and peanut butter are a perfect match. 13 of 28 Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter Photo: Tina Cornett These mini sandwiches are simple but wonderfully tasty. Instead of baking, wrap them in tin foil and throw them over the fire. It only takes a few ingredients: a Hawaiian roll, deli-style ham, mustard, and cheese. 14 of 28 Cranberry Chicken Salad Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner We dressed up a grocery-store staple with celery, sweet pickle relish, chives, parsley, and seasonal favorite dried cranberries. You can easily swap out cranberries for cubed apples. Chicken salad is one of those recipes that is open for interpretation. 15 of 28 S'mores Pie Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray Enjoy this old-school camping treat in a new way that can be prepped and brought along to serve up later. The graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chunks, and marshmallow creme combine into a no-bake pie design for camping. Garnish with chocolate shaving. 16 of 28 Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Micah A. Leal This bacon-and-tomato pasta salad is already a crowd-pleaser, but you can make it extra inviting by serving it in small Mason jars—easily portable. Bacon and ranch and a dynamic combination. Fresh dill brightens the pasta salad while adding a savory and herby taste. 17 of 28 Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak Hector Sanchez You can't beat this cast-iron crust—It's the ultimate camping meal. With a few dashes of herbs and tilts of your skillet, your steak will crust in no time. Even if you are camping, this steak will make it feel like a special occasion. 18 of 28 Potato Chip Cookies Carson V Another salty-sweet favorite that will satisfy everyone's post-dinner cravings, these classic chocolate cookies get a salty crunch from crushed potato chips. Your childhood favorite gets a salty upgrade. 19 of 28 Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This old-fashioned childhood favorite got even more delicious with a surprisingly salty-sweet caramel filling. To keep the filling firm, refrigerate the pies before packing them away. Freezing the pies helps prevent the buttercream from falling out. 20 of 28 Potato-Bacon Hash Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Potatoes and bacon will always be a welcome sight around a campfire. Pack a skillet with russet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and thick-cut bacon for a delicious-smelling and hearty hash that should be on everyone's list of things to cook. A non-stick pan is the best option to help the potatoes brown evenly. 21 of 28 Grilled Peach Cobbler Greg DuPree We prefer to keep our favorite summer cobbler, even for a camping weekend. The cast-iron skillet might make it better. Top it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect finish. 22 of 28 Top-Shelf Chicken Under a Brick Hector Sanchez This juicy brick chicken recipe will win the camp crowd over easily. Crispy chicken and cast-iron skillet potatoes work together in perfect harmony. This method halves your cooking time and helps sear in the chicken's flavor and juices while creating a perfectly brown, crispy skin. 23 of 28 Ginger-Plum Slump Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones A slump is a cast-iron skillet of simmered fruit topped with pillowy, lightly sweet dumplings, making it perfect for using a grill or campfire instead of an oven. Prepare this dessert in under an hour. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. 24 of 28 Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza Southern Living Cast-iron skillet pizza elevates your base, making the dough crisp and tender. It's the perfect foundation for any toppings, meats, veggies, sauces, and cheese. The pizzas are a breeze to assemble and can be personalized based on what you have available. 25 of 28 Cast-Iron Salsa Hector Sanchez Create cast-iron salsa from your skillet. Slowly, charred onions, garlic, and peppers combine to create a smoky, earthy dip. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days 26 of 28 Easy Skillet Apple Pie Photographer: Luca Trovato; Prop Stylist: Buffy Hargett Miller, Food Stylist: Rori Trovato Assemble this easy skillet apple pie in only a few minutes. Simpler than traditional apple pie, this version still has the same unique blend of apple, brown sugar, and caramel flavors that makes classic pies delicious. Serve with rich butter-pecan ice cream. 27 of 28 Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie Alison Miksch Try this skillet recipe for a warm, no-frill chocolate chip cookie recipe that is soft in the center. It stays slightly crispy around the edges, just like you like it. Serve with vanilla ice cream or chocolate sauce if you are feeling fancy. 28 of 28 Skillet Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs Hector Manuel Sanchez The secret to this skillet mac and cheese is using three kinds of cheese: Cheddar, Velveeta, and whole-milk ricotta. Add a generous amount of mayonnaise for a creamy texture and tanginess, and top it off with buttery breadcrumbs for the perfect combination. Be sure to let it stand for at least ten minutes in the skillet to cool. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit