Summer is in full swing, and that means one thing – time for a camping trip!

If your least favorite part of camping or backpacking is the food, you are totally doing it wrong. Let us help you! 

If you are car camping and have plenty of space, you can always bring a good, tough skillet with you (preferably cast iron) and an ice chest full of awesome food. You can cook just about anything in there. But if you don't have the space or don't want the hassle, here are some simple, streamlined meals that taste even better than something from the stove:

Camping

1. Campfire Bacon

This is actually super easy – just wave each strip of bacon evenly onto your skewer for even, crisp cooking. You might even be able to get away with this one for night one of backpacking…

2. Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard

These guys would be absolutely perfect interwoven with the bacon – you gotta do it!

3. Campurritos

Make your burritos at home, wrap in foil, and throw them in the cooler. When they are ready to cook, all you need to do is heat them up in the fire.

4. Campfire Popcorn

It's so easy! All you have to do is put the kernels and oil in a foil pouch and tie it to a stick with some string. This one could also make a great backpacking snack, if you have the energy!

5. Campfire Chicken With Roasted Brussels Sprouts

You can prep this before you leave and put it all in foil packets if you aren't using a pan.

6. Whole Wheat Pasta in Foil with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

Another one that you can prep before leaving! Who says you can't eat gourmet in the wild?

7. Camping Quesadillas​

This one is so simple that you might ask yourself why you've never thought of it, but it will improve your camping trips significantly.

Dessert

8. Baileys Dipped Toasted Marshmallows

Yes, it IS possible to improve your s'mores! If you don't want to go the Baileys route, roast some sliced bananas in foil for an extra s'more filling. Delicious!

9. Barbecued Apple Crisp

Apple crisp ingredients + foil + fire = heaven.

Backpacking

10. Thai Peanut Noodles

This recipe is so much more than ramen noodles and peanut butter. It's surprisingly delicious, and it will definitely fill you up and satisfy you after a long hard day on the trails.

11. Beans + Rice with Fritos & Cheese

This is one of our favorite backpacking meals. It's filling and comforting, and it weighs very little when dry. You have to try this one!

12. Polenta + Peppers

This is an excellent and filling veggie meal! If you want to add some meat, throw in some chunks of dry salami.

13. Cheddar Corn Chowder with Bacon

What an amazing dish! If you're going ultralight and don't want the heavy potato, go ahead and replace it with the dried variety – dehydrated cheesy scalloped potatoes would not be bad here!

14. Deconstructed Lasagna

If you don't have the energy to actually cook the noodles, go ahead and get the instant ready-to-bake kind and cook everything at once. Grape tomatoes are a great trail snack, but if you don't want to carry them, replace with the sun-dried variety and a little extra sauce.

Bonus: Want some booze? Mix up a simple no-refrigeration-needed cocktail, like a Negroni or Old Fashioned, and bring it in a flask. Pour over ice if you have some when you are ready to drink it. Your camping buddies will be forever grateful.