We’re getting all set for our 5-Day Memorial Day camping trip to Rustic Acres Campground.
This will be our first time camping at a private campground (as opposed to using our annual parks pass at a national or state park) so I did a quit preparation post about this campground, what to expect, and with details about the campground if you’re considering camping at this private campground or another.
Now that we’ve prepared for the difference in campground, it’s time to get set with a meal plan! Being 45 minutes from the closest Walmart + trying to stay within a budget means that meal planning is absolutely essential!
I give you these meal plans for free to help you out, but I did want to make a couple of notes about this one and others:
- Maximize Efficiency: These meals are designed to require very little actual active cooking time, so you have more time to devote to your family.
- Use Regular Foods: They’re also decidedly wallet-friendly, with the exception of steak on one of the nights. Your budget will thank you.
- Incorporate Shelf-Stable Items: As much as possible
Now, this time we’re camping for 5 days, which requires quite a bit of food. And I’m not going to lie to you, we had to buy another cooler because our small one just wasn’t cutting it. (Pssst…..this is in no way sponsored, but if you’re looking for a YETI quality cooler at 50% off, check out RTIC coolers. They’re awesome)
In order to make things as easy as possible, I recommend gathering the following items for meal prep + the actual trip:
In addition, you’ll need the following recipes:
- Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Hot Dogs
- Pre-Made Hawaiian Cheese Sandwiches
- BBQ Marinated Chicken
- Breakfast Burritos (frozen)
- Easy Steak Marinade
- Campfire Mexican Street Corn
- Pre-Made Yogurt Parfaits (frozen)
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Philly Cheese Steak Hobo Dinners
- Camping Nachos
Boy is that a lot of recipes! Probably the most I’ve done to date!
Prep Checklist: (Also included in the meal plan)
One of the things that I really love to include on a camping meal plan is a preparation checklist, because when you go camping with a family, the last thing you need is more work while you’re supposed to be enjoying the outdoors.
Yep, you need a shopping list (that’s included with the meal plan too) but with all of the things you need to do swirling through your head, I decided that these meal plans needed a prep checklist a well. Here’s what you need to do for the Memorial day plan:
- Prepare bacon hot dogs by stuffing them with cheese, wrapping bacon around them, and then repacking them in a ziploc bag. Freeze them to help keep the cooler cold.
- Chop fruit & veggies, packing in ziploc bags or plastic containers.
- Chop ham in chunks, then freeze in a ziploc bag to help keep the cooler cold
- Make the Hawaiian sandwiches and then repack in the roll bag. Don’t freeze these 🙂
- Make breakfast burritos, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then freeze. Finally, pack the individually wrapped burritos in ziploc bags.
- Mix up the Mexican street corn sauce. I like to freeze this too, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
- Make yogurt parfaits. These freeze really well also, just make sure to leave the granola separate.
- Chop tomaotes
- Chop 1/2 head of lettuce, pack in a ziploc bag with a paper towel to absorb the moisture and keep it fresh.
- Slice 2 green peppers in slivers.
- Season the philly beef, then refreeze to keep it cold in the cooler.
- Brown and season taco beef for nachos, then freeze it in a ziploc bag.
Desserts:
Honestly, when we go camping, s’mores rule the day:
It’s true, my effort don’t much extend beyond s’mores. They’re easy, they’re delicious, and even the adults love them.
So with that in mind, I haven’t really included any desserts on this menu. Feel free to add them in the blank spaces if your family wants a bit more in the way of sweets after dinner!
Are you ready for your meal plan? Don’t waste time, get it today!
Til Next Time,
Gretchen
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosures for more information.
Leave a Reply