
Recently, I had the good fortune to interview Emily Trudeau, a veteran camper and one of the three cofounders of the camping-food blog Dirty Gourmet, along with Aimee Trudeau and Katherine Kwan. She encourages first-time campers to get out there — even if you’re not typically comfortable with sticks, dirt and bugs. “Being outdoors is a healing experience,†she says, whether you’re sitting around a campfire, counting stars in the night sky or watching your kids play (with sticks, dirt and bugs).
Camping doesn’t mean you have to leave the comfort foods of home at home — particularly with kids. Yet, if you’re sick of hotdogs by the summer’s end, I’m with you. With Emily’s help, here’s a quick rundown of popular camping meals for families that everyone will enjoy.

Kid-friendly camping meals (links to Dirty Gourmet site):Â
- Campfire Flatbread Pizza
- Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
- Skillet Enchiladas
- Campfire Quesadillas
- Campfire Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Camping Nachos
Great kid-friendly camping snacks:
- Skillet-fried cardamom donut holes with raspberry jam
- Apples and cheese (many grocery stores sell tiny bits of cheese, or “remainders” so you can create your own cheese sampler)
- Campfire-cooked popcorn and root beer
- Banana chocolate walnut bars (make ahead at home)
- Dips made at home (such as orange-honey-mustard dip via Dirty Gourmet) along with pretzels, crackers, bagels or other dippables.

Top this! New twists on s’mores:Â
Emily Trudeau calls S’mores the “all-American quintessential campfire delicacy.†That doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun, though. Stack your s’more in a new way:
- Pepperidge Farm Geneva cookies, marshmallows and dulce de leche
- Shortbread cookies, marshmallows, chocolate and raspberry jam
- Graham crackers, peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallow
- Graham crackers, marshmallows, bacon, chocolate
- Graham crackers, fresh strawberries, chocolate, marshmallows
Don’t forget:
- Your awesome cooler
- Cooking oil
- Foil
- Dish soap and cleanup
- Cooking utensils
- Mixing bowls
- Silverware
- A sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Plates & silverware
- A knife for kids to “help” (you could bring bananas, etc).
- Easy snacks for the kids (goldfish crackers, pre-sliced fruit, Trader Joe trail mix etc)
For more fun recipes, check out the Cascadia Kids “Camp Cuisine” board on Pinterest. Do you have a favorite camping snack or recipe to share?