Spend enough time eating hiking food, and you might start gagging at the very thought of a peanut-butter tortilla roll-up. But whether or not you’ve hit that devastating milestone, rest assured: You don’t need to restrict yourself to beans and PB on the trail. With a little creativity, you can make a variety of flavorful camp meals with just a few cheap ingredients.
These four hiker-approved hot meals cost $3 or less per person. We’ve broken down the costs per single serving, but at these rates, it’s easy to double (or even quadruple) the recipes without blowing your budget.
Spicy Mac Mash
This elevated take on the ramen bomb is cheesy, easy, and vegetarian-friendly. Cost: About $1.75 per serving.
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- Annie’s White Cheddar Shells Mac and Cheese ($0.75 per serving)
- 1 box of instant mashed potatoes ($0.75 per serving)
- 1 tsp. olive oil ($0.15 per serving)
- Hot sauce, to taste ($0.10 per serving)
In camp: Boil water and cook pasta. Drain water, but leave a little behind to mix in instant mashed potatoes and the cheese powder for a thick, creamy, filling sauce. Fluff together with a fork. Top with olive oil and hot sauce.
Sausage Wraps
Wolf these down for a dose of protein and melted goodness. The ingredients below come in larger servings, meaning you can feed the whole camp. Cost: About $2 per serving.
Ingredients
- Your choice of pre-cooked sausage ($1.25 per serving)
- Tortilla or wrap ($0.30 per serving)
- Shredded cheese ($0.30 per serving)
- Pinch of pepper and salt
- Eggs (use powdered or dehydrated eggs, or ) ($0.25 per serving)
- Hot sauce, to taste ($0.10 per serving)
In camp: Heat sausage over a fire or stove. Once warm, place it in a tortilla or wrap and top with shredded cheese to get a melty effect. Add seasoning and scrambled eggs.
Backcountry Nachos
Treat yourself to something crisp and hearty out there with this crave-worthy recipe. Cost: About $2.75 per serving.
Ingredients:
- Tortilla chips ($0.40 per serving)
- Small can of nacho cheese, or shredded cheese ($0.50 per serving)
- Black beans, transferred to zip top-bag ($0.42 per serving)
- Tomato ($0.50 per serving)
- Avocado ($1 per serving)
- Jalapeno ($0.10 per serving)
- Cilantro, wrapped in damp paper towel in a zip-top bag ($1 per bunch)
- Salsa (optional)
In camp: Chop the jalapeno, cilantro, avocado, and tomato. Warm up your beans and cheese or stove. Layer your bowl or plate with a handful of chips—as many as you can fit. Pile on the toppings. Go back for seconds.
Packed Couscous Bowls
Salty, savory, and scrumptious after a long day, these couscous bowls are both easy to make in camp and worthy of your dining table at home. Cost: About $3 per serving.
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- Dried couscous ($0.65 per serving)
- Bagged sun dried tomatoes ($0.40 per serving)
- Olives, transferred to zip-top bag ( $0.23 per serving)
- Broccoli (store in a zip-top bag and eat on day one or two, or buy freeze-dried) ($0.50 per serving)
- Chicken or tuna packets ($0.75 per serving)
In camp: Boil water and cook your couscous over a campfire or stove. While it’s still steamy, mix in tomatoes, olives, broccoli, and your choice of protein.