Tag: easy camping meals

Campfire Jambalaya: A Taste of New Orleans

Jambalaya
New Orleans Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya cooked over campfire

When I was in my 20’s, I visited New Orleans for the first time and fell in love instantly. That first trip my friend and I visited the New Orleans School of Cooking. We learned how to make jambalaya, gumbo, bread pudding and pralines. I highly recommend adding to your next trip to The Big Easy. On a recent camping trip, I decided to try making jambalaya over the campfire. I was happy it turned out great! Jambalaya is a comfort dish. It can feed a group and is perfect for a slightly chilly camping evening. The most common proteins in jambalaya are chicken, sausage, and shrimp but my recipe omits shrimp. Also don’t forget the “holy trinity” of Cajun cooking – onion, celery and bell pepper. I cooked this in my reliable cast iron pan and I paired this dinner with my campfire cornbread.

Ingredients –

  • 1/4 c. oil
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I roasted a chicken for this before the trip. Just shred and add to a Ziploc bag to put in cooler)
  • 4 andouille sausages
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 1/2 c. chopped celery
  • 1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 2 cups of chicken stock or broth (I would bring extra like 32 oz carton)
  • 3 large tsp. Joe’s Stuff seasoning (or voodoo seasoning)
  • 1/4 c. paprika (smoked or sweet. I used smoked)
  • 2-3 chopped green onions (optional)
  • 1 14.5 oz canned chopped tomatoes
Sausage & Chicken with onion, bell pepper and celery (holy trinity) sautéing

Directions –

  1. Cook sausage in pan with a bit of oil. Once fully cooked, remove and slice. Set aside for now
  2. Add oil to cast iron and let it heat up
  3. Once hot, add chopped onions, celery and bell pepper to pan
  4. Stir the holy trinity until the tenderness you want
  5. Add sausage and shredded precooked chicken to pan
  6. Pour broth into pan and season with Joe’s Stuff (or Voodoo) and paprika
  7. Bring to a boil
  8. Add rice and bring to a boil again
  9. Cover with foil and move pan to indirect heat
  10. Cook until rice is done. This will depend on how hot your fire is but should take about 30-45 minutes
  11. Check while cooking periodically and add more broth as needed to cook rice
  12. Cook covered for 25 minutes and then remove foil and continue to cook until rice is done, stirring periodically to make sure rice doesn’t stick
  13. When done, top with green onions and chopped tomatoes, if desired

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Chile Verde Chicken & Rice

I will not lie – I am always terrified of not cooking some meats well enough and making my fellow campers sick! So I usually stick to meats that it is ok if I under cook (I.e. beef)

But a few years ago (before pandemic), I took my mom and sister to a cooking class for fun at Sur La Table (R.I.P. Walnut Creek Sur La Table). The chef that day told us about his favorite tool – the ThermaPen! Learning about this product gave me the guts to finally try out cooking raw chicken while camping. No one wants to eat it raw and it can easily be dried out by overcooking. But never fear with the ThermaPen! It can literally get the temp down to the .01!

The Marinade –

  • 1 1/2 lbs of tomatillos
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 jalapeños (I omitted for the trip because one camper could not handle heat. Adjust to the temp level of your fellow campers!)
  • 2 Anaheim or Poblano peppers
  • 1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Black Pepper
  1. Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend til smooth
  2. Pour marinade over sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/4 – 1/2 lb per person) in a ziplock bag
  3. Freeze in freezer until camping trip
Chile Verde Marinade Ingredients
Camping Chile Verde Chicken and Rice
Grilled Chicken using Thermapen!

Chile Verde Chicken & Rice

  • 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
  • Bag of mix seasoning of garlic powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt & pepper
  • Onion, yellow or white, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup rice
  • 32 Oz chicken broth
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 can black beans, optional
  • Queso Fresca cheese
  • Avocado, optional
  1. Thaw chicken (if frozen)
  2. Add a bit of oil to cast iron pan and add sliced marinated chicken once heated
  3. Heat on one side for about 5 minutes and flip
  4. Heat another 5 minute and then use Thermapen to test see temperature. If at 165 degrees continue. If you don’t have the Thermapen, to be safe, heat chicken on both sides 8-10 minutes each
  5. Remove cooked chicken
  6. Heat cast iron again with 2 tbsp oil and add chopped onions. Stir a few minutes and then add garlic. Stir for a couple more minutes
  7. Add rice and stir for 1 minute, slightly browning
  8. Add chicken broth, cooked chicken, beans, corn, and extra verde (if have)
  9. Bring to a simmer, top with aluminum foil
  10. Cook for 30 minutes
  11. Uncover and add queso cheese. Recover with foil and cook for another 15 minutes or until rice is cooked
  12. Topped with avocado (if wanted!) and more cheese (do not deny yourself!)

I would love feedback! If you have tried this recipe, please rate below and/or comment!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Campfire Southwestern Chicken Rice

I always love making Mexican dishes while camping because I always have the ingredients on hand and it’s always a crowd pleaser. On a camping trip this summer, I decided to branch out a little and try to make rice. I was nervous how this would do in my cast iron pan but then I saw these mini chicken broth containers at the store and knew I needed to try. They are small so they don’t take up much space which is great when camping but also you don’t have to feel like you are wasting a lot with a big container or not using a whole can. For the broth I used almost two small ones but I would definitely just gauge with the dry ingredients (veggies, chicken, rice) vs. liquid ratio. Also, for this recipe I used chicken that I cooked at home before the trip. Before any camping trip, I roast a small chicken in my oven for about 2 1/2 hours and then let it cool. Once cooled, I shredded the chicken and store in a ziploc bag. Once at the campsite, you have cooked chicken you can add to a lot of your meals if you would like.

Ingredients-

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 2 cups chicken (pre-cooked) – I roast a chicken before the trip and shred pieces into a ziplock so you can add to anything
  • 1 can black beans (or pinto)
  • Red bell pepper
  • Green bell pepper
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • Fajita spice mix
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • Mexican shredded cheese
  • Cilantro (optional)

Directions –

  1. Chop bell peppers and onion
  2. Add all ingredients to a cast iron pan
  3. Cover with foil
  4. Heat to a boil (check periodically by lifting a small corner of the foil)
  5. Once boiling, let simmer for 15 minutes
  6. Remove cover and add cheese and then re-cover
  7. Heat another 5 minutes until cheese is melted
  8. Remove and fluff
  9. Top with cilantro if desired or have extra at campsite to use

I would love feedback! If you have tried this recipe, please rate below and/or comment!

Rating: 5 out of 5.