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5 Ideas for "No-Dishwashing" Camp Dinners


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Everybody wants to be cook on a campout, nobody wants to be the dishwasher...well, why not give everybody what they want...

Here are 5 time-tested ways to eat hearty on a campout while eliminating the need to scrub messy pots afterwards.


SKEWERS
Shish kebab by any other name would taste as hearty...
Cut chunks of meat and spear on a skewer, interspersed with your choice of veggies. Onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini all work great. Try it with beef, chicken, sausage, or even shrimp. Marinade the meat ahead of time for extra flavor.

FOIL PACKS
Wrap up some meat and veggies in aluminum foil and put the packs directly in the coals. What could be easier?  My son calls these "silver turtles".  I always called them "hobo meals". You just might end up calling them "genius"...
- Fajita:  strips of marinated beef or chicken, sliced bell pepper and slices of onion
- BBQ:  meat and barbecue sauce with "extras"
- tilapia veracruzana (tilapia filets topped with salsa)
- cheesy fries

STICK
Every kid loves putting sticks in the fire....so let 'em!  They're going to do it anyway (especially the Cubs), so make 'em cook their dinner that way.  Wrap some Pillsbury biscuit dough around the stick and hold it over the fire until done. Of course you can wrap a slice of bacon around the stick just as easily, or you can use a thin stick to skewer a piece of shrimp, a hot dog, or even a marshmallow to make a smore.
More: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/6-foods-you-can-cook-on-a-stick/

BOIL BAG
One of the easiest ways to fix a hot dinner or a hot breakfast is to simply boil a big pot of water, mix ingredients together in a heavy, boilable zip-lock bag, seal it, and drop it into the boiling water. Easy breezy. Scramble in a couple of eggs, some chopped mushrooms, diced green onions, bacon bits, and cheddar cheese and you have yourself one fast and easy-to-clean-up omelette!  Beans and sliced link sausage is a natural.  Try smoked pork chops with sauerkraut for a taste of Germany. Back in the 1980s, Banquet sold these ready-to-boil with such delicacies as sliced turkey and gravy, salisbury steak and gravy, and my favorite, gravy and gravy (just kidding).

GRILL
Everybody loves grilled meat, and grilling up some pork chops, burgers, or chicken is a sure way to please a hungry palate. Serve it up with some pre-made potato salad and dinner rolls and you've got an easy, no muss dinner. Try challening your grill skills by marinating the meats in a bag ahead of time, or maybe using some zesty rubs.  
 

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3 minutes ago, shortridge said:

Also freezer-bag cooking and no-cook menus are always options!

I'm reluctant to suggest no-cook options because there are always lots of boys who need to cook meals for rank requirements and/or Cooking merit badge.  I'm kind of old school, so I'd rather see a boy "cook" to earn his sign-offs for these.

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58 minutes ago, mrkstvns said:

I'm reluctant to suggest no-cook options because there are always lots of boys who need to cook meals for rank requirements and/or Cooking merit badge.  I'm kind of old school, so I'd rather see a boy "cook" to earn his sign-offs for these.

But for an experienced patrol backpacking, it’s a great challenge.

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Roast corn is easy to do without foil, grills or anything.  Just peel back the green husks about half way and pull out the silk. Pull the green husks back up. Soak the ears of corn in water and then place them directly on the coals.  The corn is best when it's allowed to get slightly charred black. The Mexicans around here call this "Elotes" and smear it with mayonnaise, lime and/or chili paste.  Mmmmmm....

 

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