Easier Camping & RV Meals

Copyright Janet Groene 2026. 

Camping? Tailgating? RV? Cabin in the woods? These camp-tested recipes are from Janet Groene who was happily homeless for 10 years, summering in a 21-foot RV and wintering in a 29-foot sailboat. She has boated and camped all over the world. These recipes deliver good taste, good looks, good nutrition and easy prep, easy cleanup with no waste of water or fuel. 

BIGI BATCH RV Recipe of the Week

This protein-packed main dish salad serves 12 for a campground potluck, family reunion, pontoon boat raft-up or buddy site.  Put everything in a large plastic zip-top bag, keep cold and add vinaigrette dressing just before serving. 

Tin Can Tuna Chickpea Salad

2 cans, 15-ounces each, chickpeas (garbanzos), drained

12-ounce can solid pack tuna, drained and broken up

Large bag shredded lettuce

Medium bag angelhair cabbage for coleslaw

Red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Green bell pepper, thinly sliced

Medium red onion, peeled and cut in thin crescents

Bottled citrus vinaigrette

1/4 cup salted sunflower “nuts”

Toss everything but vinaigrette and sunflower seeds together and chill. Just before serving, toss with vinaigrette to taste and sprinkle with sunflower nuts. Serves 12. 

See more shortcut recipes at https://BoatCook.blogspot.com. 

RV & Camping Breakfast of the Week

Fat-Free, Egg-Free Carnival Pancakes

The more variety you put in the mixed grains the better. Then add a fruity flavor such as cherry, raspberry or strawberry.

1 cup mixed grains (cornmeal, milled flax seed, rolled oats, barley flakes, buckwheat flour, etc.)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 single-serve sleeve of flavored powdered drink mix (raspberry, peach tea, pomegranate, pineapple)

1 ½ cups water

Whisk dry ingredients with water and cook on a hot griddle in 3- or 4-inch circles. Brown pancakes on both sides and serve with syrup, applesauce, yogurt or sausage gravy Serves 4. 

Cook’s note: Results can vary depending on the grains you choose. You may need a little more water or more white flour to make a batter the consistency of thick cream. 

CAMPGROUND POTLUCK DISH 

Here’s an affordable, nutritious brown rice dish for the next campground potluck. It's easy enough to make at your campsite. Cook rice from scratch or buy it in a ready-serve pouch. 

RICE AND RED BEANS

Medium onion, diced

1 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Medium zucchini, diced

Small yellow squash, diced

15-ounce can red beans, drained and rinsed

15-ounce can diced Italian seasoned tomatoes

About 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Prepare rice. Saute' garlic and vegetables in hot oil until crisp-tender. Combine rice, vegetables, beans and tomatoes in a large greased skillet. Cover and cook over low-medium heat until vegetables are fork tender. Sprinkle with cheese and serve hot. Serves 8. 

JUST IN TIME FOR LABOR DAY 

COOKING 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. Gifting? Amazon will wrap and ship it for you. 

https://amzn.to/3nNndWY 

Pantry Recipe of the Week

In this regular feature we present a recipe that is made 100% from ingredients you can stock ahead for emergencies. Prepare a well-balanced stand-by pantry for brief emergencies, using affordabe, familiar supermarket staples.   

Apple Pan Dowdy Ham Dinner

Boston Brown Bread in a can keeps for weeks

1 can Boston brown bread, crumbled

1 can pie sliced apples (not apple pie filling)

i can chunk ham, broken up

6-ounce jar Old English cheese spread

4 eggs or equivalent 

Small can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk

Put bread in a large, well-greased skillet and distribute the apples and ham. Using two spoons, dot the casserole with bits of cheese spread. Whisk together eggs and milk and pour over skillet. Cover and cook without stirring heat over low-medium heat until it’s set, as for custard. Serves 4.

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. 

VEGETARIAN RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Slow Cooker Curry

 Start with the spices listed.  If it’s not hot enough for you, kick it up with more ginger, cayenne or pepper.  

The more 'boys", the better

2 cans chickpeas

2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced OR

14.5-ounce can diced potatoes drained and rinsed

Medium green sweet pepper, seeded and diced

Small head cauliflower, cut in bite size

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon each ground cumin, paprika, ground ginger and turmeric OR

1 tablespoon plus 1 tespoon your favorite curry powder

1 teaspoon powdered vegetable bouillon 

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 cup water

Grease cooker and add chickpeas, potatoes, pepper, cauliflower and carrot.  In a small cup mix cornstarch with powdered bouillon and curry spices. Toss lightly with vegetables in the cooker to coat. Add tomatoes with juice and the cup of water. Cook on High until it begins to thicken. Then stir once and cook until vegetables are barely fork tender. Adjust seasonings. 

Serve as is or spoon over rice. Serves 5 to 6.

Cook’s note: Fold in a half cup of thawed peas for the last few minutes for added color. 

 The best part of curry is the bowls of "boys" that are served with it. Each person can garnish their portion to a fare-thee-well. Traditional "boys" include chutney, chopped peanuts, shredded coconut, chopped scallions and diced tomatoes

Snacks for the campfire tonight?  Save money, reduce calories and eliminate allergens when you use homemade gorp/trail mix recipes from https://CreateAGorp.blogspot.com

NO BAKE DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Twinkies Banana Pudding Parfait

Individually packaged sweets from Hostess and Little Debbie are available almost everywhere, from super centers to tiny bodegas. Gourmet, they are not but they do travel well for camping. Reconstituted dry milk or evaporated milk will work with instant pudding.

1 package instant French vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

2 Twinkies, cut in small bites

2 bananas, firm but ripe

Optional:1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix. When it begins to thicken fold in Twinkies pieces and bananas. Spoon into dishes (or ice cream cones) and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top.  

See https://solowomanrv.blogspot.com It's a weekly ezine of tips for RV travel plus the week's latest news of new, future and changing RV parks.