Savor the Outdoors: Family-Favorite Recipes for Your Firefly Ridge Getaway

Every summer, my parents took us camping. It was always traditional tent camping. We would spend a few days in the great outdoors, sleeping on thin camping mattresses in goose down sleeping bags, listening to the rustling of leaves, and animals like owls, bats and birds. Sometimes we would hear rain drops, usually starting slowly, then like the beat of a drum, quickening until it was an all out storm. The smells were the most memorable of the senses, though. There was nothing more exciting than setting up our campfire on the first night of our trip, hearing the crackling of kindling, and then the first smells of wood smoke. It’s a scent I love and I can remember to this day; the musky and woodsy scent of burnt wood, leaves and damp soil.

Cooking was an experience; it was more than just how we prepared meals; it was a way for us to bond. My parents always had their camping stove and we grilled everything. We would use a camping stove with a griddle for pancakes and pots to make popcorn, soup, or sides. By far, cooking together were some of my favorite memories. 

As an owner and operator of a luxury glamping resort, Firefly Ridge, it’s easy to see why and how I decided to go down this path. For many people, the most stressful part of camping isn’t the gear or the thought of sleeping outside, it’s actually the food.  If you have never been camping, cooking over an open fire and cooking outside can actually be very rewarding. Peter and I have three kids, and while it might seem overwhelming to get dishes dirty, and spend time cooking, we have found that our kids get such a sense of purpose and fullfillment from being a part of the action, making the fire, and even washing dishes in the sink by the bathhouse. 

Here are a few recipes that our family loves and have turned into cooking staples for our camping trips at Firefly Ridge. 

Breakfast

Pancakes and Eggs

Prepare your pancake mix before you leave home! You can easily put all of the ingredients into a plastic bag and mix the ingredients together when you’re ready to cook! Eggs can be made on the Blackstone easily [we keep them seasoned].

Pancake Mix

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Instructions: Place these ingredients in a plastic bag and pack it.

Make the Pancakes

1. In a bowl, stir together the milk, egg, and oil until combined, then add the pancake mix and stir [do not overmix, small lumps are ok!].

2. Heat the griddleside of the Blackstone and put a little oil on it so the pancakes dont stick.

3. Pour a ladle of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown.

4. Serve warm with syrup!

Eggs

On the Griddle side of the Blackstone place a little oil and crack eggs right on top. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cook until you’re happy.

Enjoy! 🥞😋

Lunch

When camping you dont always have time, or want to make time, to make a warm lunch. This can be made in the morning and brought with you on an adventure, or made when you get back as a quick hand-held meal. 

Camping Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 6 large flour tortillas

• 3+ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or a mix)

• 1 can of beans (we like black beans or pinto beans)

• 1 cup of salsa

• 1-2 avocados

• 1 tablespoon oil

Make the Quesadillas

1. Heat the griddle or start your fire and let it burn to embers [use a skillet if your cooking over the fire].

2. Put a little oil on the skillet or griddle and place a tortilla in the pan, sprinkle cheese and beans on half of the tortilla and let the cheese melt a bit. 

3. Add sliced avocado and a dollop of salsa right before you fold it over to flip it.

4. Fold the tortilla in half and press it gently, so the cheese makes it stick together. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until it’s golden brown and melty.

5. It’s ready to enjoy! Remove it from heat, let it cool slightly, then cut into wedges. Serve with extra salsa if you’d like!

Dinner

Dinner can be so fun to make but after a long day outside it’s nice to do something quick, easy and fun for everyone. This meal is quick, filling, and super easy to clean up! Foil packets are an easy and delicious dinner for camping that can be personalize for each person, depending what they like. Here’s a Garlic Butter Chicken & Veggies Foil Pack recipe that’s delicious and also requires minimal cleanup.

Campfire Foil Pack Meal

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts [cut into bite-sized pieces]

• 3 cups baby potatoes [halved]

• 2 sliced or chopped bell peppers

• 2 zucchini [sliced or chopped]

• 1 head of broccoli [chopped]

• Butter [1 pat per packet]

• 2 cloves garlic [chopped or minced]

• Dash of seasoning blend [I like italian seasoning on mine!]

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1 cup shredded cheese [optional]

• Heavy-duty aluminum foil

Make the Foil Packs

1. Rip off a 12” piece of foil and place it on a flat surface.

2. Using a cutting board and chefs knife, cut and season the chicken and veggies with oil, garlic, herb seasoning, salt, and pepper. 

3. Divide the chicken and veggies onto the pieces of aluminum foil, placed in the center of the foil. Fold and seal the edges to create a packet by bringing parallel sides together over top of the meat and veggies and folding them together, making an envelope. The open sides should be flattened together then folded to make an envelope on the sides. The entire packet should be sealed so the food inside can steam.

4. Place the foil packs over hot campfire coals or on a grill and cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway. The chicken should be fully cooked and potatoes should be tender.

5. Carefully open the packet after cooking, it will be HOT and STEAMY!

6. If you want, sprinkle cheese on top before eating! 🔥🥔🍗

Grocery List

We have cooking oil, salt and pepper onsite.

Room Temperature

• Ziplock of pancake mix

• Syrup

• Large Tortillas (8-10 pack)

• Jar of salsa

• 1 Can of beans (black or pinto)

• 1-2 avocados

• Garlic cloves

• Italian seasoning

• 2 lbs of baby potatoes

• Heavy duty aluminim foil

Cold

• Dozen eggs

• 1 Quart of milk

• 16oz bag of shredded cheese

• 2 bell peppers

• 2 zuchinni

• 1 head of broccoli

• 1 stick of butter

• 2-2.5lbs of boneless chicken

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I hope you enjoy your time at Firefly Ridge! We look forward to having you, and your family, enjoy the mountains as much as we do. 

Talk soon,

Corinne Traub

Executive Director