Oh backpack...how about a few packs of Spam Singles, a can of cubed pineapple, a bell pepper and onion and the soysauce.
Along with the pre-cooked rice product. The pre-cooked bacon is good as it's light weight and doesn't require cold. Just a slight warming to crisp it---without the fuss and mess of disposing of tasty bacon oil on site.
I've always found the less complicated the better. It's going to depend on 'what type of camping' and if you're packing food, water, etc. Or if you have a car that can drive to the campsite.
That said; for first night..I cook steaks at home a couple of days before. A bit underdone but char grilled. Then freeze those after resting in a vac pack bag. And seal. (or you could get a 5 buck ziplock vac system).
The frozen steaks will help act as cold packs for the trip...and thaw them at the site and boil in the bag a few mins to finish. (think of it as a reserve sous vide). It's a easy no fuss first night meal. With blanched veggies stored the same way in the same pot to warm. (some blanched green beans, herbs and butter in the bag--frozen and deployed at the site in water).
For rice: The Uncle Bens 90 second rice can be boiled bag instead of microwave, it just needs heat--but the flavors are really bad, with one notable exception--the Spanish rice.
For salt and stuff---go to a campstore/outdoor store and some plastic bottles. For oil and vinegar, the ones with the fold down nipple thing travel well. The McCormick pepper grinders for pepper. For salt the small 1 inch high plastic 'camp' bottle with kosher salt...or again the McCormick 'salt grinder'.
And while your at the camp/outdoor store---look for a hard shell plastic egg carrier..6 eggs for the most common model. And a butter carrier.
Prewashed bagged salad mixes are good as you don't have to worry about trucking in water to wash stuff. And can do double duty for lunch-meat sandiwiches, and salad with the mentioned oil/vinegar 'campbag' bottles. And stop at a store on the way and get fresh corn on the cob..and don't forget the foil.
Bring some hard boiled eggs and steal some of those little salt packets from a take-out place. An egg, some cheese, crackers, and a piece of fruit like an apple is a great hiking lunch that can't be squished too much. It is amazing how delicious that simple meal tastes when you are hiking, particularly in the mountains.
If you can have a fire, precooked sausages are tasty, can be roasted like hot dogs, and you don't have to worry about them going bad in the cooler. Cooking on the fire is part of the fun - I also like to roast potatoes in foil over the coals.
If you are planning on cooking with a stove, I recommend things that don't need to boil for long. Orzo rather than penne...especially if you at a high altitude. soba noodles are great because they cook in seconds. Toss some frozen edamame in the water with the noodles and drizzle on some sesame oil and soy sauce. couscous is also a good choice because you just have to pour on the boiling water and let it sit. The boxes with a flavor packet are pretty good in this situation and you could toss in some preshredded carrots.
Everything just tastes better when you out in nature - I have never appreciated couscous with a zucchini so much as on a backpacking trip! Oh, and this is a good time to break out the really good wine. Chateauneuf du Pape in plastic camping cups around an open fire - it is much more delicious than drunk from crystal glasses at a restaurant ;)
One of my favorite camping meals is sausages thrown on the grill with either hobo packs of peppers & onions or the peppers & onions done in a pan placed on the grill (if you can keep the heat low enough to really caramelize those onions, all the better). Add some fresh corn grilled right in the husk and a nice green salad -- yum!
Did you ever have "hobo dinners"? In foil, hamburger patty, sliced potatoes and canned veggies...seasoned salt and pepper. Helpful hints: HEAVY duty foil....if camping more than 1-2 days, freeze the meat patties before you leave and use frozen veggies...they will slowly thaw in the cooler and you can use the more perishable items the first few days. Coals are your friend! Start a SMALL fire 2 hours before you want dinner, allow fire to die down, fix dinner, then build fire back up for evening activities ....with all of this dry heat...have your water bucket nearby and be careful!
Or "Dump Cake"...in a lodge pot...place a large can of pie filling (32oz)....sprinkle a box of cake mix...and a stick of butter on top. Place on coals for an hour. Good combos are peaches, spice cake mix...apple and yellow cake or cherries and chocolate cake mix...
For dessert...one of my daughter's girl scout troop's favorites was "banana boats"....firm bananas, from the stem, slice the peel along the two top ridges creating a "flap"...scoop out a middle section and fill with mini chocolate chips (kept in the cooler!) and mini marshmallows and crushed nuts. Fold flap back in place, wrap in foil and place on coals for 10 minutes....always told the kids it might take 20 minutes to keep them from wanting to take them out too quickly...but usually a run through of 6 or 7 camp songs and we were ready to pull them out!
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Along with the pre-cooked rice product. The pre-cooked bacon is good as it's light weight and doesn't require cold. Just a slight warming to crisp it---without the fuss and mess of disposing of tasty bacon oil on site.
That said; for first night..I cook steaks at home a couple of days before. A bit underdone but char grilled. Then freeze those after resting in a vac pack bag. And seal. (or you could get a 5 buck ziplock vac system).
The frozen steaks will help act as cold packs for the trip...and thaw them at the site and boil in the bag a few mins to finish. (think of it as a reserve sous vide). It's a easy no fuss first night meal. With blanched veggies stored the same way in the same pot to warm. (some blanched green beans, herbs and butter in the bag--frozen and deployed at the site in water).
For rice: The Uncle Bens 90 second rice can be boiled bag instead of microwave, it just needs heat--but the flavors are really bad, with one notable exception--the Spanish rice.
For salt and stuff---go to a campstore/outdoor store and some plastic bottles. For oil and vinegar, the ones with the fold down nipple thing travel well. The McCormick pepper grinders for pepper. For salt the small 1 inch high plastic 'camp' bottle with kosher salt...or again the McCormick 'salt grinder'.
And while your at the camp/outdoor store---look for a hard shell plastic egg carrier..6 eggs for the most common model. And a butter carrier.
Prewashed bagged salad mixes are good as you don't have to worry about trucking in water to wash stuff. And can do double duty for lunch-meat sandiwiches, and salad with the mentioned oil/vinegar 'campbag' bottles. And stop at a store on the way and get fresh corn on the cob..and don't forget the foil.
If you can have a fire, precooked sausages are tasty, can be roasted like hot dogs, and you don't have to worry about them going bad in the cooler. Cooking on the fire is part of the fun - I also like to roast potatoes in foil over the coals.
If you are planning on cooking with a stove, I recommend things that don't need to boil for long. Orzo rather than penne...especially if you at a high altitude. soba noodles are great because they cook in seconds. Toss some frozen edamame in the water with the noodles and drizzle on some sesame oil and soy sauce. couscous is also a good choice because you just have to pour on the boiling water and let it sit. The boxes with a flavor packet are pretty good in this situation and you could toss in some preshredded carrots.
Everything just tastes better when you out in nature - I have never appreciated couscous with a zucchini so much as on a backpacking trip! Oh, and this is a good time to break out the really good wine. Chateauneuf du Pape in plastic camping cups around an open fire - it is much more delicious than drunk from crystal glasses at a restaurant ;)