Campout foil pkgs?/Breakfast ideas-Camping?

[Threehearts]

Hi DISers!

I have been charged with organizing "foil" meals for a supper over a campfire for a large bunch of boyscouts(6-10 y/o). I have never camped and will not be on this 24 hr. trip(only the Dads and scouts) and I have no idea what the leader is referring to. Can anyone help me with child-friendly foods for campfire cooking the first night and breakfast ideas for the next morning? Most of the people going are novice campers. Thanks in advance for the ideas you're sure to give. Threehearts

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Hi Threehearts!

I can give you some of the basics but you may also want to do a search like Google and put in campfire cooking. The Macscouter site has some great cooking ideas.

As for the foil dinners, these are also called hobo dinners. Here is what we do.

Pre brown hamburger with chopped onion - enough for about a 1/4 cup per meal.

Pre-cook until tender potatoes and carrots and cut into small cubes (you can do these raw, but it takes longer and with boys that young they aren't going to want to leave them in the ashes long enough to cook)

Add 1/8 c -1/4 cup of gravy, the easiest way is to use some of the stuff in the can or jar.

You can add other veggies but we don't - keep it simple.

These can be made up at the campsite and if they were Boy Scouts would have to be if they are working to meet camping badge requirements. But at 6-10 years old, I'd probably assemble ahead of time. Take a large piece of heavy duty foil and put in the meat, veggies and gravy. Wrap it up SECURELY. Cook in the ashes/coals of the fire - that means the fire has to be made earlier enough to have time to build up a bed. If everything is pre-cooked it shouldn't take terribly long (15-20 mins) for them to warm through. Make sure the dads have some long handle grilling type tongs and heavy mitts to pull them from the fire. And DON'T make the mistake of thinking boys this young can eat right from the foil!

Not sure what is planned with that but smores are always a good and easy choice.

As for breakfast the mantra for breakfast, especially on a camp break day is NO COOKING! Individual size boxes of cereal (available in packs of 32? at places like Sam's Club), pop tarts, bananas (if the boys like them), donuts, in other words anything that eats and cleans up easily. For boys this young I wouldn't even attempt to cook a breakfasat. They are going to be hungry and the time it takes to get either a cook fire or camp stove going and cook breakfast is too long.

My Girl Scouts have been camping since 3rd grade (now in 8th) and they will usually opt for simpler rather than more complicated. They know when they are hungry they want to eat! not wait for the fire.

If you need more help quickly email me at Deb.Patten@davenport.edu as I am not sure I'll be back on the boards later this afternoon but will be on that address until about 5 this afternoon.

Deb

 

[Threehearts]

Deb,

You're an angel! Do you think that it's a safe bet that most boys will eat the veggies or will some be picky? Should I add precooked rice instead to some pkgs? Thanks. Susan

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Potatoes and carrots are usually "safe" veggies (and remember they'll be mixed together and covered in gravy) but you could. Again the key is to crimp those edges really, really tight. Sometimes we'll even to a second wrap just to be safe.

Don't want that gravy leaking out or ash getting in!

Deb

 

[Disneymommie]

we do these for Girl Scouts:

dieced chicken
carrots
potatoes
peppers
oninons
any veggies they like.

the veggies and chicken are all sliced before and in individual containers. The kids with help pick what they want to add to their foil pocket(heavy duty foil) Then you add either marinade of some flavor or just plain italian dressing. Wrap well in foil. Place on hot coals seam side up and bake till chicken and veggies are cook through! Our girls love them

I also agree with the no cook breakfast if it is your last/only morning in camp. You do not want the hassle of a huge clean up while trying to pack up. We love bagles and fruit for breakfast.

Good luck!!

 

[Twigs]

When my boys were in cubscouts they had their Webelo Woods weekend. They were required to prepare their own meal, but of course we all helped as much as possible (he had half and half moms and dads). We had chicken strips, beef strips, onions, carrots, peppers, potatoes, etc., all cut into slices or cubes. We had a box of plastic gloves so that everything stayed clean and we did it like an assembly line, the boys took a large square of foil and put what they wanted into it. Then the adults folded the seams of the foil and their name was written on it with a sharpie marker. The packets were then put directly onto the coals to cook. The cubmaster had long tongs to turn the packets. If this is a requirement for their webelo badge they have to help in the preparation of the food, but we had the adults do most of the cutting and the boys helped with setting up the food etc. Most everyone liked their foil packets, I think it helps if they pick out what they want in it.

I also can give you a great dump cake recipe and tips if you need to do a box oven dessert.

 

[kidslvdizny]

We are campers and are very active with the boy scouts. Our favorite and easiest foil dinner is Ham,onion and potatoes.. We use the hot bags. Just cut up ham ( you can cheat with canned new potatoes) and sliced onion with a little margarine. cook over the fire or grill till heated through. if using reg potatoes not canned it will be around 20-30 mins. till potatoes are soft. Flip bag while cooking so the potatoes don't burn.
Good Luck
Chilie is another great meal.

kidslvdizny

 

[MerryPoppins]

We often do doughnuts and fruit for the day we break camp. You can even make angel halos. Put a marshmallow in the center of a doughnut. Carefully thread doughnut and marshmallow on a stick. Make sure it goes through the marshmallow and the doughnut. Toast carefully over the fire. Don't burn the doughnut. Yummy! Cereal works well and so does oatmeal. Don't forget some juice to drink.

One way to be sure you please the boys when making hobo dinners is to have each kid bring a canned veggie that they like. You open the cans and drain them. Give everyone gloves and let them go down the line adding a little of whatever looks good. You could even have two kinds of meat if you prefer. Have an adult at the end to add the gravy and seal the packages tight.

 

[Threehearts]

Thanks so much, everyone. These are really super ideas!! Susan(Threehearts)

 

[Daisymae26]

this is a classic. simply take along a package (or however many you need) of hotdogs and a tube(" ") of refrigerated breadstick dough or the like. wrap the dough around the hotdogs an grill then over the fire ntil the bread is cooked. to keep things old just bring along a small lunchbag with cold or ice packs in it.
another c;assic is to ask each boy to bring a can of something (any kind of beans, carrots, mixed veggies, potatoes,etc.). then put everything into a pot and cook it through so you have a veggie stew. serve biscuits or omething along with it.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I found one of our camp "cookbooks" this weekend while I was cleaning up. It has a lot on foil cooking. For example there is a chart with how long to cook for different meats and raw veggies. Anyone interested? I'll try to type some hints up later if you show interest.