Our Family Favourite Camping Menu

I'm not the biggest fan of camping. It's not the sleeping outdoors in a tent that bothers me. I'm not even worried about the lack of electricity or flushing toilet. It's the dreaded packing, set up, pack down and clean up that drives me bonkers! Also, one of the hardest things I find about camping is working out what is on the menu for while you are away.

Even though camping isn't my most favourite thing, the memories we create are so very precious and it makes the entire process worth it…just.

Our amazing friends from Marathon Foods know exactly what it is like to take the family on a camping adventure and they have developed their amazing Chef Direct™ range of 'camp ready' food making our planing and packing that much easier.

I've been playing around with this delicious range for the past few weeks and tested out some yummy recipes we created for the toughest of critics…my kids. They gave everything the thumbs up so we thought we better share them with you all. I'v also included a couple of our camp fire favourites too.

So here is our menu for a night of camping with the kids.

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Campfire Baked Eggs on Aussie Beef Con Carne

Serves: 4 people

What You'll Need

Camp fire (can be baked in the oven at home also)

Baking tray that can go on the fire (aluminium trays are fine)

Aluminium foil

Ingredients

x4 Chef Direct™ Aussie Beef Con Carne (single serve packs) by Marathon Foods

x4 Eggs

x1 Cup Grated Tasty Cheese

x2 Spring Onion

Sour Cream

Bread rolls or Damper (optional)

Instructions

1. Get your camp fire burning and place a wire rack or something to sit your baking tray on over the hot coals

2. Empty the contents of the Aussie Beef Con Carne into the baking tray

3. Make four wells in the Con Carne and crack an egg into each one

4. Sprinkle your grated tasty cheese over the Con Carne and around the eggs

5. Cover the tray with the aluminium foil and place over the fire

6. Cooking time will depend on the heat of the fire so keep and eye on the eggs and remove once they are cooked to your preference

7. Finely slice your spring onions

8. Top the cooked eggs and Aussie Beef Con Carne with sour cream and spring onions

9. Dig in!

We also liked to dip bread rolls or damper into our Aussie Beef Con Carne and runny eggs.

Rustic, cheesy, yolky camp fire goodness!

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Mini Meatball Subs

Serves: 4 people

What You'll Need

Camp Fire

Camping Saucepan

Ingredients

x4 Chef Direct™ 100% Aussie Beef Meatballs (single serve packs) by Marathon Foods

x8 Mini Hot Dog Rolls

1 Cup Grated Tasty Cheese

Sour Cream (optional topping)

Spring Onion (optional topping)

Instructions

1. Get your camp fire burning and place a wire rack or something to sit your saucepan on over the hot coals

2. Prepare your bread rolls by cutting them lengthways in half

3. Empty the contents of the Aussie Beef Meatballs into the saucepan

4. Place the saucepan over the fire and watch until the sauce starts to bubble

5. Remove from the heat and spoon a few meatballs onto each bread roll

6. Top with cheese, sour cream and spring onions

7. Enjoy!

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Damper On A Stick

This is an absolute family favourite of ours. A recipe and idea I got from one of Australia's best home cooks, Julie Goodwin. I love how she cooks with her family as her main inspiration and includes some delicious recipes perfect for adventuring and camping.

Damper on a stick is so simple to make and super fun for the kids to get involved with.

Serves: around 8 dampers

What You'll Need

Camp Fire

3-4cm thick sticks long enough to hold over the fire without you getting too close

Mixing bowl

Ingredients

4 Cups Self-Raising Flour

2 Cups Milk

1 Tsp Salt

100g Butter, cubed

Butter, Honey and Golden Syrup (optional toppings)

Instructions

1. Mix the flour and salt together in the mixing bowl

2. Use your fingertips to rub the butter through the flour mix

3. Add almost all of the milk and mix into a soft dough. Use the remaining milk if you need it

4. Divide the dough into 8 portions and roll each into a long snake

5. Wind the dough snake around the end of a stocktaking sure there are no gaps. Ensure it isn't too think as the outside will burn before the inside is cooked

6. Hold the damper over the hot coals of the fire, not the tips of the flames. Once it is golden brown and crunchy all over, then it is ready!

7. Carefully pull the damper from the stick and top with butter, honey or golden syrup

8. Enjoy!

This delicious recipe comes from our favourite Julie Goodwin cookbook, Our Family Table and has been re-written by us. You'll find plenty of great family recipes in this cookbook.

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Marshmallow On A Stick

I'm sure this is one of your family's favourites too but I wanted to make sure you didn't forget to buy these delicious little pillows of yumminess, otherwise, you may have some disappointed little people on your hands.

What You'll Need

Packet (s) of marshmallows

Long Sticks

Camp Fire

Instructions

1. Load a marshmallow or two onto the end of your stick and hold over the coals of the fire until golden and gooey.

2. Shove it in your mouth and enjoy the sweet, toasty goodness

But beware - contents will be hot so do take care!

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Also available in the Chef Direct™ range by Marathon Foods is their delicious 100% Aussie Lamb Shanks perfect with a side of mash potato and green vegetables. Available in both Wine & Rosemary and Mint Gravy. Yum!

This post was created in collaboration with Marathon Foods and their Chef Direct™ range.