Best Camping Recipes Kids Will Love
Foil packets, one-pan breakfasts and lunches that need no heat — camping recipes that work on repeat in a small RV kitchen.
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Foil packet dinners
Sausage, potato and pepper packets cook in about 20 minutes over coals and let every kid build their own. Slice everything thin, add a spoon of oil and a pinch of seasoning, double-wrap, and write each name on the foil with a marker so nobody gets the one with onions.
Three that work every time: smoked sausage with baby potatoes and peppers; chicken thighs with green beans and lemon; and a shrimp-corn-sausage packet that tastes like a low-country boil without the pot. Pull them off the coals with tongs and open away from your face.
One-pan breakfasts
Skillet hash, sheet-pan pancakes and overnight oats cover a week without a sink full of dishes. Hash is the workhorse: frozen diced potatoes, whatever protein is left over, eggs cracked on top with a lid for four minutes.
Overnight oats are the travel-day answer. Mix in jars the night before with milk, yogurt and fruit, and breakfast happens at a rest area with zero cleanup. For a slow morning, pancake batter mixed at home in a squeeze bottle turns the griddle into a ten-minute job.
In a hurry? Jump straight to the gear we recommend for this.
No-cook lunches
Travel days deserve zero cooking. Wraps, cut fruit, and a snack box prepped the night before keep everyone out of the drive-through. Build a rotating set of four: turkey and cheese roll-ups, hummus and veg pitas, pasta salad from last night's leftovers, and a snack-plate lunch of crackers, cheese, fruit, and olives.
Keep lunch supplies in one cooler bin near the top so nobody unpacks the whole fridge at a rest stop.
Dutch oven and campfire favorites
A 10-inch Dutch oven earns its weight on cold evenings: chili, chicken and rice, and a peach cobbler made from canned fruit and cake mix that gets requested more than any real dessert we make at home.
Campfire cooking teaches patience, so pair it with a stovetop backup. If the wood is wet or the burn ban is on, the whole meal should still be possible on two propane burners.
Prep before you leave
Chop, marinate, and portion at home. Twenty minutes in your real kitchen saves an hour in the RV kitchen, where the counter is the size of a cutting board and the sink is smaller than your skillet.
Freeze two meals flat, pre-mix dry pancake and cornbread ingredients in labeled bags, and wash and cut all fruit before it goes in the fridge. Kids eat what is ready and ignore what needs preparing.
Recommended gear for this trip
Everything below is hand-picked for family trips. Affiliate links support the site.
Best for camp cookingColeman RoadTrip 285 Portable Propane Grill
A wheeled stand-up grill with 285 sq in of cooking space and adjustable burners, running on the same 1 lb propane canisters most families already carry.
Key benefits
- 285 sq in of cooking space with 20,000 total BTU across three burners
- Instastart push-button ignition and adjustable burners for zone cooking
- Wheeled stand folds down to fit in a pass-through bay
Pros
- Fast preheat
- Even heat across the large grate
- Works with an adapter hose off a bigger tank
Cons
- Heavier than a tabletop grill at about 48 lbs
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Best for long tripsColeman 55-Quart Wheeled Cooler
A 55-quart wheeled hard cooler with multi-day ice retention, so you stop restocking the campground store every morning.
Key benefits
- Up to 5 days of ice retention
- Wheels and handle for campsite hauling
- Lid doubles as an extra seat
Pros
- Great value for the size
- Drain plug for easy cleaning
Cons
- Takes up real cargo space
- Holds fewer days than premium rotomolded brands
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Frequently asked questions
How do you cook in a small RV kitchen?
Cook outside whenever the weather allows, use one pan per meal, and prep ingredients at home. The oven is usually the least useful appliance in the rig.
What camping meals freeze well?
Chili, pulled pork, taco meat and pasta sauce all freeze flat in bags and double as ice in the cooler.
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