You love everything about camping and the great outdoors — the plants, the animals, the quiet, the stars in the sky. When you’re stuck indoors because of weather, work or time, you can still bring some of your favorite aspects of camping to your home. One of the easiest and most fun ways to do this is with your favorite camping recipes. You don’t need a roaring fire, but just a few tricks to make a delicious meal.
Breakfast
You don’t need a campfire to get a delicious, outdoor-inspired breakfast. If you want to go for a classic, like pancakes, a cast iron skillet will be your new best friend. These skillets retain their heat and provide a nice, even cook to every dish, meaning you can make pancake after pancake without having to wait for the pan to rebound its temperature. Cast iron also is a great choice because it retains the flavors of oil, butter and grease when you season the pan. You can easily use a cast iron skillet on your stove top at home (or put it in the oven for baked dishes). An outdoors store will carry a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which will help you choose the right skillet for your home and camping trips. Now, for your pancakes, you’re going to want to add some fresh butter before every serving to keep that rich flavor. Check out Fresh off the Grid for a full recipe.
Lunch
Cooking hot dogs indoors just doesn’t feel the same, right? Well, now you can get that charred, grilled taste even when you’re not roasting them over a fire. You can use your new cast iron skillet or a regular skillet to make the perfect hot dog for lunch in just a few minutes. In Good Taste recommends filling your skillet halfway with water over medium heat until it begins to steam. Put your hot dogs into the water and let them steam for about 10 minutes. Pour out any excess water and add a pat of butter for each hot dog to create those nice blistered grill marks. Stuff your hot dogs into a bun and add your favorite condiments. Voila! The perfect grilled lunch made indoors.
Dinner
If you want to move beyond your cast iron skillet, another classic cooking technique is foil packets. Delish has a delicious chicken, tomato and corn recipe for you to try with this method inside your home. All you need to do is place a chicken breast, tomatoes, corn, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper onto a sheet of tin foil and then fold it over so none of the ingredients are showing. Instead of putting your packets on a grill or over a fire, you can place them in your oven. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. The best part is that there’s no clean up; you just have to throw the foil away.
Dessert
You can’t deny the ooey gooey temptation of s’mores whether you’re camping or stuck inside. If you have a gas stove, you can roast your marshmallows over the flame just like you would on a campfire. If that’s not an option, layer your graham crackers and marshmallows in a pan and bake them in the oven until they’re golden brown. Add your chocolate and broil the dessert until everything melts together. Be sure to let your s’mores cool off so you don’t burn your fingers or mouth.
While you may miss the outdoors when you’re busy with work, family and home obligations, you don’t have to give up everything you love about camping. Make your favorite meals with a few tips and tricks, and enjoy the bold flavors.