Article title: Great campfire recipes for kids

When I think of campfires, I instantly cue up memories from my youth and weekend getaways with my Girl Scout troop to our favorite camp ground, Camp Blue Bay. There was nothing like the combination of fresh air, nature, and good friends to build life long memories. But, what is a good camp-out without an equally good campfire, and what made it even more “funtastic” was the unique cuisine we chowed down on. Cooking on a campfire can often be a bland and simplistic ordeal, however, it is entirely possible to create delicious and well-rounded meals and the only part that remains simplistic is the way in which it is cooked-over a campfire.

One such campfire recipe I can remember was what I would consider a whole kit-and-caboodle wrapped neatly in foil and cooked over a campfire. It was like a campfire meatloaf. What we did was took ground beef and molded into a ring shape (can use a Bundt pan to shape). The ring was placed on aluminum foil, though I am sure you can use an aluminum foil pan and it would work as well. In the center of the ring we would drain and pour in cans of our favorite vegetables: corn, potatoes, green beans and carrots. Then we would spice it up with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the top of the ground beef ring was slathered with ketchup and a drizzle of mustard (can substitute with barbeque sauce). The whole concoction was wrapped up tightly in foil and placed on the cooking rack over the fire. Mind you, it took about an hour and a half, sometimes longer, to full cook, but when you peeled away the foil and smelled the delicious contents, it was well worth the wait.

Another campfire recipe, which can be adaptive in many different ways, is the foil-pouch-meal. Bring along in your cooler marinated meats or poultry of your choice, but make sure it is pre-cut into bite size pieces in order to ensure that it will thoroughly cook. Also, bring along already cooked rice, either canned mixed vegetables or frozen, no-stick cooking spray, and aluminum foil. When it is time to make the meal, take a sheet of foil and spray it with the no-stick cooking spray. Then, spoon an individual portion of rice on to the foil, top with some mixed vegetables, and finish with a few spoons of the marinated meat, making sure to drizzle with a little extra marinade. After the portions are made, fold into neatly wrapped pouches and place on the cooking rack over the campfire or around the edges of the campfire so it is not directly in the flames, and cook till done. This type of foil-pouch-meal can be adapted in many creative ways and really does eliminate the accidentally lost-to-the-fire hotdog or hamburger on a stick.

For dessert, our troop’s favorite was the “Banana Boat”. I think it was a favorite because of the numerous variations that can be made with this recipe. The basic recipe takes a banana (per person) and you make a slice into the banana, keeping it in the peel. In the center of the slice, add chocolate chips and mini marshmallows; then, wrap the banana in aluminum foil and cook over the fire for 5 to 8 minutes. When you unwrap this treat, you have an oozy gooey sweet treat. Again, this recipe can have numerous variations such as using peanut butter chips and chocolate chips, sprinkling with ground nuts, add raisins, and more.

These are easy recipes and definitely fun and engaging for children.