Camping & RV Meals Rain or Shine
Copyright Janet Groene 2026. To ask about rates for rights to reprint Groene content, or to commission new work, email janetgroene@yahoo.comCamping Meals Rain or ShineMAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK Meatball SundaeThis economical recipe is easily multiplied to feed the flock at the RV rally, weekly potluck or family reunion. It’s also ideal to prepare ahead, divide into right-size packages and freeze for future camping trips. Serve it as a main dish with rice or make tiny meatballs to serve in the sauce at Happy Hour. Use readymade meatballs are make your own.Add sauce, serve on toothpicks Meatballs:2 pounds lean ground beef, pork or chicken3 eggs, beaten1 cup dry breadcrumbs1 packet onion soup mix Combine ingredients well. Form into meatballs and bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower heat to 350 to check for doneness. Time depends on the size of the meatballs. Food-safe temperatures are 160F minimum for beef and 170F for poultry.Sundae Sauce:1 can whole berry cranberry sauce1 cup water1/3 cup pickle relish14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes2/3 cup brown sugar, packed1 can chopped sauerkraut, rinsed and drained Mash cranberry sauce with water, relish, tomatoes and brown sugar. Stir and heat. When sugar dissolves, stir in sauerkraut and simmer 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve hot. CAMP SKILLET MEAL OF THE WEEKSmothered Pork ChopsGet out a big skillet, open a can, and your pork chop dinner is ready in a jiffy. No need to cook rice or pasta. Chow mein noodles make a base while adding taste and crunch. 4 lean, meaty, pork chopsMedium green pepper, choppedMedium onion, chopped1 can cream of tomato soup2 tablespoons soy sauceOptional: Sour CreamCrisp chow mein noodles Spray a large skillet with nonstick and brown chops on both sides. Remove chops and stir pepper, onion and soup into pan drippings. Stir in vegetables. Arrange pork chops over vegetables, cover and cook over low heat until pork reaches 160 degrees. Place a chop on each plate, stir sauce and spoon over chop and add a mound of chow mein noodles. Serve at once while noodles are crisp. Optional: topo each serving with a small puddle of sour cream. Galley tip of the week: When the pickles are gone, save the juice to use as a marinade.LESS LABOR, MORE LABOR DAYCOOKING ABOARD YOUR RV For yourself or a gift, Janet Groene's timeless RV cookbook is packed with shortcuts, tips and 270 easy, delicious recipes to cook inside the camper or outside on the campfire, camp stove or grate. Amazon will wrap and ship it for you. https://amzn.to/3nNndWY Where is your next road trip? See Janet Groene's current list of destinations, details, dates for places to go, things to do, sooner or later, now and again, near and far. https://janetgroene.blogspot.com Campground Potluck Dish of the WeekCreamed Carrots Here’s an affordable side dish that goes with everything. The kick of horseradish is tamed by the creamy sauce. 20-ounce bag frozen carrots, rhawed OR2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled and cut up1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)3 tablespoon prepared horseradish2 cans condensed cream of celery soup1 soup can whole milk or light cream1 cup sour cream, Greek style yogurt or small curd cottage cheeseFrench-Fried OnionsCook carrots in salted water and drain. Drizzle with olive oil. In a bowl whisk soup, cream, sour cream or yogurt and horseradish. Fold into hot carrots. Cover and heat gently. Sprinkle with French fried onions and serve. To serve later: spread in a buttered casserole and keep cold. Sprinkle with French fried onions and heat in a 350 F oven. BLACK POT RECIPE Peanut Butter Potage This meatless stew can be made quicker, but it improves with slow cooking over well-started coals while the gang gathers ‘round. Add water or broth as needed to keep it from boiling dry. The recipe is easily multiplied. Other root vegetables, such as white potato, turnip or rutabaga can be substituted for the carrot or sweet potato. 1 cup each fine-diced carrot, onion and sweet potato1 tablespoon vegetable oil½ teaspoon ground ginger1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)3 cups water3 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes 2 tablespoons ketchup½ cup chunky peanut butterSalt if needed Sizzle onion and sweet potato in hot oil, gradually stirring in carrot, ginger and cayenne. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a low boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir in ketchup and keep stirring while you add peanut butter by teaspoons. When peanut butter melts into the soup, adjust seasonings and serve. Makes 2 to 3 servings. Suggested garnish: small pretzels, plain popcorn, minced parsley or cilantro, garlic croutons or sliced scallions. BE PREPARED Stuff happens when you're away from home too. Be prepared for delays, breakdown, sudden evacuation, can't find ice, fire ban, supply chain interruptions, civil disturbances. How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids? A month in a remote fish camp?
Copyright Janet Groene 2026. To ask about rates for rights to reprint Groene content, or to commission new work, email janetgroene@yahoo.com
Camping Meals Rain or Shine
MAKE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Meatball Sundae
This economical recipe is easily multiplied to feed the flock at the RV rally, weekly potluck or family reunion. It’s also ideal to prepare ahead, divide into right-size packages and freeze for future camping trips.
Serve it as a main dish with rice or make tiny meatballs to serve in the sauce at Happy Hour. Use readymade meatballs are make your own.
 |
| Add sauce, serve on toothpicks |
Meatballs:
2 pounds lean ground beef, pork or chicken
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 packet onion soup mix
Combine ingredients well. Form into meatballs and bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower heat to 350 to check for doneness. Time depends on the size of the meatballs. Food-safe temperatures are 160F minimum for beef and 170F for poultry.
Sundae Sauce:
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup water
1/3 cup pickle relish
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 can chopped sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
Mash cranberry sauce with water, relish, tomatoes and brown sugar. Stir and heat. When sugar dissolves, stir in sauerkraut and simmer 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve hot.
CAMP SKILLET MEAL OF THE WEEK
Smothered Pork Chops
Get out a big skillet, open a can, and your pork chop dinner is ready in a jiffy. No need to cook rice or pasta. Chow mein noodles make a base while adding taste and crunch.
Medium green pepper, chopped
Medium onion, chopped
1 can cream of tomato soup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Optional: Sour Cream
Crisp chow mein noodles
Spray a large skillet with nonstick and brown chops on both sides. Remove chops and stir pepper, onion and soup into pan drippings. Stir in vegetables. Arrange pork chops over vegetables, cover and cook over low heat until pork reaches 160 degrees.
Place a chop on each plate, stir sauce and spoon over chop and add a mound of chow mein noodles. Serve at once while noodles are crisp. Optional: topo each serving with a small puddle of sour cream.
Galley tip of the week: When the pickles are gone, save the juice to use as a marinade.
LESS LABOR, MORE LABOR DAY
For yourself or a gift, Janet Groene's timeless RV cookbook is packed with shortcuts, tips and 270 easy, delicious recipes to cook inside the camper or outside on the campfire, camp stove or grate. Amazon will wrap and ship it for you.
Campground Potluck Dish of the Week
Creamed Carrots
Here’s an affordable side dish that goes with everything. The kick of horseradish is tamed by the creamy sauce.
20-ounce bag frozen carrots, rhawed OR
2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled and cut up
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
3 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 cans condensed cream of celery soup
1 soup can whole milk or light cream
1 cup sour cream, Greek style yogurt or small curd cottage cheese
French-Fried Onions
Cook carrots in salted water and drain. Drizzle with olive oil. In a bowl whisk soup, cream, sour cream or yogurt and horseradish. Fold into hot carrots. Cover and heat gently. Sprinkle with French fried onions and serve.
To serve later: spread in a buttered casserole and keep cold. Sprinkle with French fried onions and heat in a 350 F oven.
BLACK POT RECIPE
Peanut Butter Potage
This meatless stew can be made quicker, but it improves with slow cooking over well-started coals while the gang gathers ‘round. Add water or broth as needed to keep it from boiling dry. The recipe is easily multiplied. Other root vegetables, such as white potato, turnip or rutabaga can be substituted for the carrot or sweet potato.
1 cup each fine-diced carrot, onion and sweet potato
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
3 cups water
3 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup chunky peanut butter
Salt if needed
Sizzle onion and sweet potato in hot oil, gradually stirring in carrot, ginger and cayenne. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a low boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir in ketchup and keep stirring while you add peanut butter by teaspoons. When peanut butter melts into the soup, adjust seasonings and serve. Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Suggested garnish: small pretzels, plain popcorn, minced parsley or cilantro, garlic croutons or sliced scallions.
BE PREPARED
Stuff happens when you're away from home too. Be prepared for delays, breakdown, sudden evacuation, can't find ice, fire ban, supply chain interruptions, civil disturbances.
How much food will you need for a week in the woods for two adults and two kids? A month in a remote fish camp? A two-week power outage? See Survival Food Handbook for tips on buying, stowing, and making meals from ordinary supermarket supplies that need no fresh ingredients.
BONUS RECIPE
Not Eggsactly Deviled Eggs
This unusual one-burner meal combines deviled ham and hard-cooked eggs to make a generous breakfast, lunch or light supper for four. It’s smart to bring a dozen or more hard-cooked eggs when camping. They are good hot or cold, in sauce or plain with a little salt.
6 hard-cooked eggs
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8-ounce carton heavy cream
6-ounce can deviled ham
Dash of Dijon-style mustard
8-ounce can mushroom pieces, drained
Biscuits or toast
Peel and cut up eggs. Spray a nonstick skillet with pan spray and add soup and cream, stirring over low heat. Gradually stir in deviled ham. Drizzle with a little mustard. Fold in eggs and mushrooms. Heat through. Ladle hot egg mixture over biscuits or toast. Serves 4-6. .
NO BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK
Sparkle Sprinkle
Add one ingredient to the same ol’ cinnamon sugar and a new star is born.
2 cups chocolate drink mix such as Nestlé’s Quik
½ cup granulated sugar or sanding sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix everything well. Keep cool and dry. Sprinkle on almost any plain dessert: fruited yogurt, instant pudding, ice cream, icebox pies or canned or fresh fruit, Mix it into sour cream and use as a dip for fresh apple slices or whole strawberries.
TRAVEL Adventure by E-Book
The latest in the Yacht Yenta cozy mystery e-books series brings sailboat widow Farley Halladay closer to the answer of her husband's death.
Read the six salty cozies on your Kindle as Farley copes, cooks and solves crimes sea and shore with the help of her wacky cast of characters. You'll laugh at her frailties; cry with her as she grieves her late husband. https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao
LIFESAVER SAUCE OF THE WEEK
Sherried Mushroom Sauce
Add just a dash of sherry and this simple sauce sings.
1can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can buttermilk
10-ounce can mushroom pieces, drained
1 tablespoon (or more to taste) dry sherry
In a saucepan over low/medium heat, whisk soup and buttermilk. Add mushrooms, heat and stir in sherry, Serve over burgers, grilled brats, boiled potatoes, steamed rice or mixed vegetables.
See more shortcut recipes for camping, RV and boating at https://boatcook.blogspot.com
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