Fall Camping Meals to Keep You Warm & Cozy
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Snuggle up to the campfire and embrace the new season with one of these comforting fall camping meals.
One of the things we love the most about fall camping is – surprise – the food! Warm, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meals that feature seasonal ingredients like apples, squash, sweet potato, and of course pumpkin!
Fall camping is also the time of year when we really start to enjoy cooking over a campfire. On a hot summer’s night, a campfire can seem a little much. But when there is a slight chill in the air, the ambient heat from a campfire can really enhance the experience. Add in a hot fall drink and a comfy sweater, and things start to feel downright cozy.
Get our top fall camping tips here!
Fall Camp Cooking Tips
There are a lot of things to love about fall camping, but there are also a few things you will want to be prepared for. Here are a few of our camp cooking tips for fall.
- One pot, Dutch oven, and foil packet meals are great for fall camping. They are a great way to make warm and hearty meals without a ton of cleanup at the end of the evening!
- Prep what you can at home ahead of time—since the days are shorter, you’ll want meals to come together quickly.
- Plan for meals to take a little longer than usual. The cold air and any wind will likely impact your cooking times.
- It’s a good idea to bring a little extra fuel with you. We always find that we use more fuel whenever the weather is cold.
- Double-walled insulated bottles and mugs can make a huge difference when it’s cool outside. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee or hot cocoa for much longer, even when it’s brisk out.
Sausage and tortellini soup
Tender cheese-filled tortellini and spicy Italian sausage floating in a rich, luxurious broth, this quick and easy soup is one of the coziest meals we’ve ever made!
Kielbasa & Potato Foil Packets
These foil packets combine smoky pre-cooked kielbasa with tender baby potatoes and onions, all tossed in a sweet and tangy honey mustard sauce. With zero cleanup required and the ability to cook directly over campfire coals or on a grill grate, this recipe delivers hearty comfort food with minimal effort.
Fall Panzanella Salad
This hearty Italian bread salad features toasted baguette chunks, peppery arugula, apples, pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese – with a maple vinaigrette.
Dutch Oven Red Beans and Rice
Smoky, spicy, and immensely satisfying, this camp-friendly adaptation of red beans and rice is sure to bring the heat.
Baked Apples
These wholesome baked apples feature tender fruit stuffed with a buttery oat, brown sugar, and cinnamon filling. Whether wrapped in foil for individual portions or baked together in a Dutch oven, this simple dessert delivers soft, sweet apples with a golden, crunchy topping.
Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash
Pan-fried sweet potatoes, crumbled chorizo sausage, and diced scallions, this one-skillet breakfast is a perfect way to greet a crisp autumn morning.
One Pot Chili Mac
This one-pot chili mac hits the spot like no other. 50% spicy chili, 50% mac & cheese, 100% satisfying.
Pumpkin French Toast
This year, go all-in on pumpkin flavor with this triple pumpkin french toast. Combining pumpkin puree, pumpkin butter, and pumpkin spice, this breakfast is loaded with fall flavor.
One-Pot Beef Stroganoff
This is peak comfort food. Hearty strips of steak, browned mushrooms, filling egg noodles, and creamy sauce, this Beef Stroganoff recipe was developed to be made using just a single cast iron skillet.
Oktoberfest Foil Packets
Juicy bratwursts, buttery potatoes, roasted cabbage, and sweet-tart apples—this foil packet dinner is an all-in-one Oktoberfest feast!
Apple Maple Sausage Breakfast Sandwiches
An English muffin, fried egg, melted cheese, and a homemade apple maple sausage patty. This autumn-inspired breakfast sandwich pairs well with a hot cup of coffee and autumn’s crisp morning air!
Dutch Oven Chili and Cornbread
Combining two of our favorite camping foods – chili and cornbread – into a single Dutch oven, this one-pot recipe does double duty while you sit back and enjoy the campfire.
Maple Glazed Trail Mix
This is one of the most delicious fall hiking trail snacks you will ever try! Maple glazed almonds, pecans, coconut chips, and chocolate chips.
Dutch Oven Blondies
What could be better than freshly baked, chewy, chocolatey Dutch oven blondies for dessert?
Cinnamon Apple Pancakes
Make the most of the apple harvest with these cinnamon pancakes topped with a brown sugar apple compote.
Grilled Beer Brats
Nothing captures the spirit of fall like an Oktoberfest-inspired campfire dinner. A beer in one hand, a sauerkraut-laden bratwurst in the other. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider
Apples, mulling spices, and a dash of warming bourbon, this spiked apple cider recipe is a cold-weather classic. Snuggle up to the campfire with this autumn cocktail and you’ll be in a warm and fuzzy mood all night long.
Apple Sweet Potato Hash
Bring a touch of fall to your morning with this sweet potato and apple breakfast hash. Combining sweet and savory, it’s a great autumn twist to a classic one-skillet breakfast.
Homemade baked beans
These make-ahead baked beans pack serious flavor with crispy bacon, sweet brown sugar, smoky paprika, and tangy apple cider vinegar. It can be prepared entirely at home during the week and simply reheated over the campfire, making it an effortless side that pairs well with all kinds of main dishes.
Dutch Oven Chicken & Dumplings
This nostalgic comfort food features tender chicken and vegetables simmered in a rich, creamy stew and topped with fluffy golden dumplings. The recipe shines at camp since it comes together in 30 minutes and can be prepped at home.
Instant Pot Chili
This flavorful chili delivers the taste of slow-cooked comfort in just one hour, featuring beef and bacon with a thick, coat-the-spoon consistency that skips the soggy canned tomatoes found in most recipes. Make it ahead and simply reheat at camp for a satisfying meal that pairs well with cornbread and all your favorite toppings.
Apple Crisp Foil Packets
These no-fuss foil packets deliver all the warm, caramelized apple goodness of traditional apple crisp without the cleanup—just toss them over the campfire coals while you eat dinner and enjoy perfectly tender apples with a golden, buttery oat topping.
Ginger Apple Cider
Warm and spicy ginger apple cider is a great way to keep warm on a chilly autumn evening.
Apple Cheddar Burgers with Caramelized Onions
Shredded apples, caramelized onions, and sharp Vermont Cheddar, these fall-inspired hamburgers are a perfect way to capture the taste of autumn.
Dutch Oven Chicken Marbella
Sweet, savory, crispy, and saucy, this Dutch oven recipe for Chicken Marbella delivers a “gourmet” campfire experience but with hardly any of the work. The entire marinate can be made ahead of time, so when you’re at camp you just need to add everything to the pot!
Campfire Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is essentially the cold-weather version of sangria. Red wine, cinnamon sticks, ginger, maple syrup, and sliced oranges, simmered together over a campfire. Sounds lovely.
Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew
Fall is stew season. This one-pot sweet potato, chickpea, peanut stew will stick to your ribs and keep you warm all night long.
Campsgiving
Interested in hosting a camping Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving? We can show you how! Check out our How to Host Campsgiving guide where we share our top tips and an entire Thanksgiving-themed menu!
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