10 Easy Fall Campfire Recipes

Fall is the season for campfire cooking: the fire actually feels good, and hot food tastes better when there's frost on the picnic table. These ten are easy, filling and mostly one-pot or no-pot. Cook over coals, not big flames, and keep a pair of long tongs and heavy gloves handy.

1. Sausage and potato foil packets. Sliced smoked sausage, diced potatoes, onion, peppers, butter and seasoning in heavy foil. Seal tight and cook on the coals about 25–30 minutes, flipping once.

2. Campfire chili. Brown ground beef in a cast iron pot, add canned beans, tomatoes and chili seasoning. Simmer. Top with cheese. Make it at home and reheat to make it even easier.

3. Skillet breakfast hash. Bacon first, then diced potatoes (precooked at home saves time) and onions in the grease, eggs cracked on top at the end.

4. Baked apples. Core apples, fill with brown sugar, cinnamon, oats and butter, wrap in foil, and set in the coals 20–30 minutes.

5. Walking tacos. Taco meat (made ahead) spooned into small bags of corn chips with cheese and salsa. No plates.

6. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Sandwiches in a cast iron skillet, soup heated in a pot alongside.

7. Hobo dinners. Burger patty, sliced potatoes, carrots and onion in foil with butter and salt. 30–40 minutes on the coals.

8. Pie iron pizzas. Bread, sauce, cheese and pepperoni in a buttered pie iron, toasted until golden.

9. Campfire cinnamon rolls. Canned dough wrapped around a roasting stick or baked in a covered cast iron pan.

10. S'mores, upgraded. Swap the chocolate for peanut butter cups, or add a slice of apple.

01Food safety on cool nights

Cool weather helps, but raw meat still needs to stay cold in a cooler until it cooks, and cooked to safe temperatures. A cheap instant-read thermometer settles the "is it done" question.

02Pack smart

Prep and chop at home, pack meals in labeled bags, and bring heavy-duty foil, cast iron, a lid, tongs and gloves. Then enjoy the fire. For warm nights after dinner, see staying warm below 40, and if you'd rather cook on a stove, see camp stoves in the cold.

Photo: Cooking in Nature (Unsplash).jpg) by Myles Tan mylestan, CC0.

Related: Thanksgiving at the Campground