11 of the Best Winter Camping Recipes

Stay warm on your winter camping trip with these delicious, simplistic and comforting winter camping recipes. Whether you decide to cook a classic beef and vegetable casserole or spicy sausage pasta, all of these winter camping recipes use minimal ingredients and can be adapted to be made in big batches.

1. Beef and vegetable casserole

Prepare this recipe in the comfort and warmth of your own house and heat it up later on your camping stove, warming the cockles of all your fellow campers.

Serves: 5

What you need:

• 850g stewing beef
• 2 thickly sliced celery sticks
• 1 diced onion
• 2 chunkily cut carrot
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2bsp tomato puree
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

How to make it:

• Put the celery, onion, carrot, thyme, butter and oil in a large casserole dish on your camping stove. Soften for 10 minutes before adding Worcestershire Sauce, flour, tomato puree and beef stock cubes. Stir in 600ml of hot water and the stewing beef. Cover and put in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes, before uncovering and cooking for a further 30 minutes.

2. Carrot and coriander soup

This heart-warming soup is easy to prepare and will keep your cheeks warm on a cold wintery evening beneath the stars.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 1 diced onion
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 chopped potato
• 450g chopped carrots
• 1.2l vegetable stock
• Handful of coriander

How to make it:

• Fry the onion until softened, and stir in the coriander and chopped potato. Cook for 1minute and add 1.2 litres of vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cover and cook for 20 minutes. Tip into a food processor with a handful of coriander then blitz until smooth. Return to pan and reheat to serve.

3. Cheese toastie

This simple cheese toastie recipe combines toasted bread and warm gooey cheese for a delicious meal that will please all of your fellow campers.

Serves: 1

What you need:

• Grated cheddar cheese (as much as needed)
• Sliced bread and butter

How to make it:

• Spread butter across two slices of bread and place one butter-side down in a frying pan. Sprinkle a generous amount of cheddar cheese on top and place the other slice on top; butter-side up. Cook until both sides are golden, crispy and the cheese has melted.

4. Chicken curry

This classic curry is a fantastic recipe for family dinners and can be spiced up with hotter curry paste on those particularly cold winter nights.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 1 diced onion
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• Thumb-sized piece of grated ginger
• 6 chopped, boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp curry paste
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 100g greek yoghurt
• Small bunch of coriander
• 50g ground almonds

How to make it:

• Add the onion to a large frying pan and cook until golden brown, and then add the garlic and ginger. Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes before stirring through the curry paste, tomatoes and 250ml of water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir through the yoghurt, coriander and almonds. Serve on its own or with either warm naan or fluffy rice.

5. Chilli con carne

You can’t go wrong with a warm, tasty chilli con carne on a chilly wintertime camping trip. This recipe is simple, uses just one pot and is easy to multiply for bigger groups.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 500g beef mince
• 1 diced white onion
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 400g kidney beans
• 1tsp ground cumin

How to make it:

• Add the onions and mince to a pan and fry until browned. Drain the kidney beans and add to the pan with the chopped tomatoes. Add a pinch of cumin and continue to cook until the mixture thickens.
• Vegetarian alternative: Remove beef mince.

6. Hot chocolate

There are few things that evoke the image of a late-night winter camping trip than slumping beside the campfire after dinner and slurping a creamy, marshmallowy hot chocolate.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 1l semi-skimmed milk
• 400g milk chocolate
• 300g marshmallows
• 1 can squirty cream

How to make it:

• Warm the milk in a saucepan and break up ¾ of the milk chocolate and add to the pan. Stir regularly until the chocolate has melted. Pour the mixture into mugs and top with a generous handful of marshmallows and plenty of cream. Snap the remainder of the chocolate into long pieces and use as edible stirrers.

7. Macaroni cheese

Who doesn’t like an overly cheesy, incredibly delicious and very filling macaroni cheese? This recipe requires minimal ingredients and is very easy to prepare.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 250g macaroni shells
• 250g grated cheddar cheese
• 40g butter
• 40g plain flour
• 600ml milk

How to make it:

• Cook the macaroni in a saucepan of seasoned boiling water. In a separate pan, add the flour to a pan of melted butter. Gradually add the milk, a little bit at a time. Whisk in the grated cheese and stir until the sauce thickens. Drain the cooked pasta and toss into the cheese sauce.

8. Mulled Wine

The festive season is not quite complete without looking up at the stars and sipping a hot spiced mulled wine beside the campfire.

Serves: 2

What you need:

• 1/2 bottle red wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1 sliced orange
• 1 sliced lemon
• 50g brown sugar

How to make it:

• Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low until warm for 1-2 hours. To serve, pour the mulled wine into heatproof glasses.

9. Mushroom risotto

This simple, one-pot mushroom risotto is perfect those wanting impress their fellow campers without any extra effort or additional cost.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 1.4l vegetable stock
• 500g portobello mushrooms thinly sliced
• 500g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 diced onions
• 340g risotto rice
• 125ml white wine
• 3 tbsp chopped chives
• 60g butter
• 5 tbsp grated Parmesan

How to make it:

• Cook the mushrooms in a large frying pan until soft and then remove. Stir in the onion, rice, olive oil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, stirring constantly until the wine is absorbed. Add 125ml of stock to the frying pan and stir until absorbed. Continue adding 125ml at a time, constantly stirring until the liquid is absorbed and rice is al dente. Stir in mushrooms, butter, chives and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

10. Sausage pasta

This sausage pasta recipe is filling and easy to follow. If you’re camping beneath the stars on a cold wintery evening, add a bit of extra chilli powder to warm the ol’ cockles.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 8 chunkily cut pork sausages
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 300g short pasta such as fusilli or penne

How to make it:

• Boil a large saucepan of water. Fry the sausages in a frying pan until they are golden brown. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in the chilli powder and chopped tomatoes, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for around 10 minutes. Drop the pasta into the saucepan of boiling water and cook according to the pack instructions. Drain the pasta, mix into the frying pan, mixing well to coat.

11. S’mores

The s’more is a classic staple of any camping trip - toast the marshmallows and melt the chocolate to create an incredible gooey chocolatey sandwich.

Serves: 4

What you need:

• 400g any biscuit or cookie
• 400g milk chocolate
• 300g plenty of marshmallows.

How to make it:

• Wedge pieces of milk chocolate between two biscuits. Toast a couple of marshmallows over the barbecue or griddle and sandwich the gooey marshmallows between the biscuits.

Are you hungry for more camping food ideas? Take a look at some more Camping Food and Cooking Ideas.