Up for an adventure? Take the kids into the open air, sleep under the stars and spend time together as a family without the usual hassles of everyday life.

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Cooking in the wilderness is great fun, and everything cooked on an open fire just tastes better. But if you've got a hungry crowd to feed, it's a good idea to plan your meals in advance to ensure everyone remains full and happy. So, pack some essentials, grab your ingredients, then say 'hello' to freedom on the open road.

Discover more delicious camping recipes. We also have plant-based recipes, including our vegetarian camping recipes and vegan camping recipes.

Hearty breakfasts

Savoury

Pan of beans, eggs, sausages and tomatoes with bread

Wake up to an extra-special breakfast that will set you and the kids up for the day. Our flavoursome campfire smoky bean brekkie is a one-pan take on a full English breakfast. For a veggie alternative, our one-pan cheesy scrambled egg croissants take minutes to prepare and feel decadent. Or, cheesy skillet hash brown & eggs also calls for just one pan and is equally filling.

For more breakfasts to start your trip right, check out our mood-boosting breakfast recipes. Or, if you want to get up and go, seek inspiration from our quick breakfast ideas.

Sweet

A plate of small American-style pancakes with syrup being drizzled on top of them

If you prefer starting the day with a little sweetness, tuck into our delicious choc chunk & high fruit granola topped with a few summer berries for a real holiday treat. These no-weigh cinnamon & yogurt pancakes are also easy to whip up and don't require any scales. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup or chocolate spread.

For more easy breakfast ideas to enjoy in the sun, check out our summer breakfast recipes. Or, make a batch of breakfast bars to take with you – try oat & cranberry bars, sunshine bars (they don't require baking) or our healthier flapjacks.

Easy lunches

Veggie boxes

Pesto pasta salad on a plate with spinach and tomatoes

Let your little ones refuel with a leisurely al fresco lunch. A vibrant veggie pasta pesto salad is easy to prepare in advance and pack in lunchboxes. Or, bring along a big tub of our delicious Mediterranean-style deli couscous, which can be made using a variety of veg, mixed with lemony couscous and crumbly feta.

Need something filling? Try tortellini with pesto & broccoli, a falafel lunchbox, or thick slices of sweet potato, spinach & feta tortilla. Discover more delicious vegetarian recipes and vegan inspiration.

Sandwiches

Four barbecued halloumi and salad burgers in toasted brioche buns

Halloumi is a perfect option for barbecuing, because it holds its shape while cooking and develops smoky flavour. Served in toasted brioche buns with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, halloumi burgers are a quick and easy veggie lunch.

Our tasty salmon tacos with lime dressing will also go down a treat with the kids, who can assemble their own after you've cooked the salmon on the barbecue. If you have a frying pan to hand, our tasty no-oven pizza will also be a popular camp meal. Kids can help make the dough and choose from a selection of their favourite toppings to finish.

Discover more exciting sandwich recipes, get creative with halloumi and check out our best sliders, too.

Fuss-free suppers

Sizzling sausages

Barbecued sausages on skewers with mug of tomato sauce

Nothing says campfire comfort like the smell of sizzling sausages cooked outside. Baste your chipolatas in an irresistibly sticky smoky tomato sauce, and bring some napkins for sticky little fingers.

Visiting the West Country? Use sausages and cider from a local farm shop to make our sticky cider & mustard sausage wheel with box grater salad. Set your kids to work with veg and a grater, so they can grate the salad directly into a container.

Discover more barbecue recipes, family barbecue recipes, budget barbecue recipes or quick barbecue recipes if you want to spend less time cooking and more time exploring.

Make-ahead meals

A small white bowl of stew with grated cheese and tortilla chips

You have to be a little patient with this cowboy chicken & bean stew to give it time to cook, but the results are well worth it. There's minimum preparation involved, so once everything is in the casserole, you can relax. Alternatively, make it at home to reheat after setting up camp. Serve in bowls with grated cheese and tortilla chips. Our roast summer vegetables & chickpea stew and squash, chicken & couscous one-pot are packed full of goodness, and also perfect for making ahead.

If you've got a lot of mouths to feed, a large pie will make a portable, camp-friendly meal that is delicious cold or warm. Make our vibrant veggie rainbow picnic pie, loaded with alternating layers of veg, feta and egg. This colourful creation can be made ahead, then chilled for up to two days before serving with a fresh summery salad.

Sweet traybakes

Chocolate squares covered in icing sugar

Our chocolate crunch traybake is perfect if you’re looking for a sweet pick-me-up to bring along on the trip. It’s simple to make in 10 minutes, with just three easy steps. After cooling, these are easy to transport, as they're not highly decorated.

Camping during a heatwave? Chocolate might melt, so keep fingers clean with a stack of flapjacks, easy biscuits, old school traybakes or make-ahead fridge cakes. Discover more sweet traybakes with our chocolate traybake recipes.

Dipping desserts

Chocolate covered strawberry on a stick with sprinkles

Give your kids some magical memories with these gloriously sticky strawberry, marshmallow & chocolate dippers. Melt the chocolate over the dying embers of a barbecue so it doesn't burn. The pan will be hot, so don’t let kids handle it – wrap it well in a tea towel or transfer the contents to a cool pan before dipping. Hand out wooden skewers to push the marshmallows and strawberries onto. Kids can get creative by dipping these in the chocolate, followed by sprinkles, flaked coconut, crumbled biscuits or chopped nuts.

If you prefer toasted marshmallows, we suggest using long metal skewers instead to hold over a campfire or barbecue embers – a perfect end to the day.

S’mores

Stack of pumpkin pie s'mores

Let the kids go all-American with this popular campfire treat of toasted marshmallows sandwiched between biscuits. Our versions come in flavours such as salted caramel & peanut butter, banoffee and pumpkin pie. Pack up the ingredients and let the kids go wild making up their own – it's sure to be a night they'll remember.

Discover more flavour combinations for this decadent treat with our s'mores recipes. Or, have you ever tried bananas on the barbecue? Give our barbecued banoffee splits a go.

We've got plenty of flavours to choose from:

Malt hot chocolate s'mores
Banoffee s'mores
Cookie base classic s'mores
Salted caramel & peanut butter s'mores
Pumpkin pie s'mores

Bedtime drinks

Two mugs of spiced rum on a tartan picnic blanket

Board games, bedtime stories and a warming cup of hot caramel malted milk will have your kids tucked up in their sleeping bags before you know it.

Campsite evenings are all about spending time round the fire with friends and family. But if you're starting to feel the night air chill, then a comforting mug of hot spiced buttered rum or creamy hot chocolate should soon do the trick.

Find more recipes and tips for happy camping:

Camping recipe collection
Top 10 foods to cook when camping
10 super-melty sweet and savoury s'mores
Camping stoves review
Top 10 camping staples

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What do you enjoy eating on a family camping trip? Leave a comment below.

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