Group Cooking

OUTDOOR GROUP COOKING and TRAIL FOOD
Start kids off learning to Toast a marshmallow. Then learn to prepare a snack or a meal for the entire group with a One Pot Meal. Try out different methods of Outdoor Cooking such as Foil Packets, Dutch Oven, Stick, Vagabond Stove, Camping or Backpacker's Stove, or my favorite, a Cardboard Box Oven (there are several different styles of CBOs, choose the one that works best for you). Learn to use Wood Fires, Charcoal, a Buddy Burner, and Propane or Backpacker's Fuel. 
Follow the new food pyramid

BELOW IS A COLLECTION OF RECIPES and TIPS GATHERED OVER THE YEARS FROM EXPERIENCED EATERS : )

NO COOKING REQUIRED (also see Trail Food below) Great for younger kids/scouts, snacks, when the fire index is high or it's just too hot.
Idea List:  Friendship Fruit Salad (each girl brings about 1 c. fruit to add), GORP (Good Ole Raisins and Peanuts/plus pretzels, M&Ms, goldfish, etc.), Walking Salad (cored apple stuffed with PB, raisins, a touch of honey)...

SAFETY S'MORES
Graham Crackers, plastic container Marshmallow Creme, Chocolate Bars or Hershey's Chocolate Cake Frosting.
Spread ingredients on grahams, eat!

S'MORES plus
Add a small spoonful of peanut butter!
Substitutions: use peanut butter cups, Hershey assortment of minis, banana instead of marshmallow
ANTS ON A LOG: Clean and slice celery into 1-2 inch pieces. Spread with peanut butter or cream cheese and top with several raisins
ANTS ON A LIFE RING: Core and slice apples star-ways, spread with peanut butter and line up raisins around the ring.
BROWNIE SMILES: Cut a red apples into 8 sections, longways, & remove the core/seeds. Each Smile needs 2 sections of apple (the lips) spread peanut butter on one cut side of each. Place a few mini-marshmallows (the teeth) on 1 section & top with the other section (peanut butter sides toward the middle).
Substitute green apples for JUNIOR SMILES or strawberry cream cheese for MOOSE LIPS.
WRAPS: with PB & J, cold cuts, etc.
Tools to use: paring knife, cutting board, spreading knife, paper towels
FOIL COOKING
FOIL PACKETS are very versatile and allow each person to prepare and cook their own main dish, vegetable, or fruited dessert. Foil can be folded into flat packets, wrapped around the food (Butcher's Wrap), or formed around a coffee can (to seal it, twist the top to look like a Hershey Kiss. Make certain all the edges are sealed, have a good bed of coals to start with, and check often for doneness. Can add an ice cube for moisture.
Idea List: Hamburger with potato, onion, and carrot slices; Hotdog chunks or Keilbasa slices with cubed potato and carrots; Banana Boat; Baked Apple; Veggie Kisses, Raspberry's Stuffed Hotdogs (mix mashed potatoes, mustard and cheese together/slit HD part way through/stuff, wrap in foil, heat on coals)
HAMBURGERS: In center of foil square, place one hamburger patty, a slice of onion, a slice of potato, and a few carrot slices. Use Butcher's Wrap method to seal the foil packet: Bring opposite edges of the foil together, and fold over about a half inch, two or three times until the fold lies flat against the food. Fold each end in two to three times to seal it. Place the packets on hot coals, checking one every few minutes until done. Approximately 10-20 minutes depending on heat source.
STEW: HOTDOGS can be sliced into one-inch chunks, KEILBASA into half-inch chunks, then add cubed potates, carrot slices, a bit of onion (optional) and at least three tablespoons of water (more is okay).
BANANA BOAT: slice skin on yellow banana, open and stuff with chocolate chips and mini-marshmallows. Seal in foil. Place in hot coals long enough to melt chocolate and warm the banana. Try SOLAR BANANA BOATS, on a hot, sunny day, lay your foil packet in the sun for about 5 minutes.
VEGGIE KISSES: Form a foil pocket or 'kiss'. Cut potatoes into cubed pieces about 1" in size. Clean and slice carrots. - Place inside foil form- add water, enough to cover bottom (less than a 1/4 cup) - sprinkle onion soup mix on top of potatoes (shake envelope first). Twist or fold shut. Place on hot coals 15 to 20 minutes, check one often (conventional oven @350° - 20 min). Use one envelope onion soup mix per 2 to 3 people .
BAKED APPLE: Place chunks of pineapple and apple (cored and sliced) on greased heavy-duty foil (with cooking spray) . Sprinkle with brown sugar and a little cinnamon. Wrap and cook for 5 minutes on each side in hot coals.
Also need: heavy duty aluminum foil, hot mitts, long handled tongs, paring knife, cutting board, clean up supplies

TRAIL FOOD
Trail food needs to be “packable” in and out (minimal packaging or reusable). They should be compact, not crush easily, contain good nutrition (complex carbs, super nutrients, with minimal processed sugar if at all) and be high in calories. Visit Leave No Trace for more planning tips.
  • Bagels, sandwich thins or tortillas
  • Cheese/cream cheese in single-serving packages
  • Sliced pepperoni
  • Tuna packets
  • Peanut butter in single-serving packages
  • Nuts or trail mix
  • Chocolate and nut spreads in single-serving packages
  • Dried fruit: yogurt-covered raisins, dried apples and bananas
  • Hard pretzels, whole wheat crackers
  • Cereal or breakfast bars: granola, oat bran
  • Power, energy or granola bars and chews
  • Seeds: pumpkin or sunflower kernels (shelled)
Meals should be planned with consideration of fuel and water resources. Check local regulations beforehand for allowable fuel use. Freeze dried foods are available for snacks or meals but can be costly.