Let’s be honest—half the reason we go camping is to show off our fancy kitchen gadgets in the wild like a Backcountry Bobby Flay. Sure, we tell people it’s about nature, stargazing, and “disconnecting,” but deep down, it’s all about making a perfectly charred wood-fired pizza, a soup that warms the soul on a cold day, or a ten-plus hour smoked pork butt out in the woods. Whipping up gourmet camp cuisine will certainly make you a hit at the campsite and leave your friends wondering if you’re secretly sponsored by Food Network.
So, grab your spork and your emotional support cast-iron skillet—let’s talk about our favorite gear for cooking like a rugged gourmet and some delicious ideas that’ll leave you excited to meal plan for your next camping trip!
Gadgets That’ll Take Your Camp Kitchen to the Next Level
Blackstone Griddle
A flat-top griddle that takes Kendrick back to one of his first jobs as a burger flipper at Sonic Drive-In. The Blackstone screams, “I take breakfast very seriously.” Bacon, pancakes, hashbrowns, smash burgers, pancakes, and so much more—it’s basically a diner on legs!
Ooni Pizza Oven (Propane or Wood)
Want to cook a Neapolitan-style pizza in about 60 seconds in the middle of the woods? Of course you do. Our Ooni runs on propane or wood, gets hotter than the sun, and produces legit pizzas with perfectly charred crusts. These pizzas are made even better with Mandy’s homemade sourdough crust (Who here didn’t get into sourdough during Covid?)! Fire up the oven for just one pizza or get your friends together to make 100+ pizzas like we just did in our Northeast nuCamp Rally.
Omnia Stovetop Oven
This magical Swedish invention lets you bake—yes, BAKE—on your nuCamp stove or any other type of burner. Quiches, pasta bakes, cinnamon rolls, roasted veggies. It’s like a tiny Bundt pan and a Dutch oven had a highly efficient Swedish baby. Mandy has pretty much perfected baking in the Omnia!
ASMOKE Essential Battery-Powered Pellet Smoker
Yes, it’s a pellet smoker. Yes, it’s both battery and electric-powered. And yes, you can smoke a pork butt while sitting by a campfire. Heck, Kendrick has even smoked two pork butts at once on the AMOKE, completely powered by the TAB 400! This smoker is lightweight and travel-sized, making it the perfect addition to your camp kitchen.
Jetboil Genesis 2-Burner Stove
This is like the Swiss Army Knife of camp stoves—compact, folds like origami, but somehow boils water faster than you can say “instant ramen.” Perfect for cooking anything that requires a low-and-slow simmer all the way up to a ripping hot sear. The full kit includes a 5-liter pot, 10-inch skillet, lid with build-in strainer, and a 2-burner stove that all nest together in a perfect travel size!
Rock Pot Stone Slow-Cooker
This slow-cooker uses a stone heating tablet to harness heat like a cozy rock sauna for your stew. Toss in all your ingredients then leave it alone for several hours while you go for a hike, have a 4×4 adventure, or even pretend to fish. This thing is fully sealed to keep it from leaking. So, you can take it with you wherever you go. Open the Rock Pot later to an amazing meal that tastes like effort, without putting in any actual effort.
Single Butane Burner
The OG of portability. It’s simple, no-fuss, and perfect at boiling water for coffee, cooking a single pot meal, using with the Jetboil 2-burner stove to create a feast, or baking something in the Omnia.
Fire Grate for Open Fire Cooking
For the purists. No batteries. No fuel canisters. Just hot coals from the campfire, a metal grate, and the ability to get in touch with your primal urge to cook over an open flame. You’ll feel like a pioneer—you know, if pioneers cooked ribeye and rosemary vegetables instead of squirrel.
Bedouri Camp Oven and Aussie Bushcooker
These are for folks who want to cook like Chuck Wagon Chef that went to Culinary School. Basically, they’re traditional cast iron Dutch Ovens reimagined. Made from spun-steel, these pots/lids are much lighter than cast iron and more durable. To top it off, the lids also double as frying pans! These are great for cooking on the open fire, inside our TAB 400, or on any of our outdoor burners.
Camp Cooking Ideas to Put that Gear to Work
Smash Burgers on the Blackstone
Always a crowd favorite! Crispy edges, melted cheese, butter-toasted buns, and caramelized onions—all cooked on the Blackstone while your buddy burns a hot dog beyond recognition over the fire. The secret? Smash that patty like it owes you money. Add cheese, onions, and watch other campers gather like you just rang the dinner bell!
Homemade Quiches & Pasta Bakes in the Omnia
Yes, you can make quiche at camp. Eggs, cheese, spinach, bacon, and a flaky crust—whisk, pour, bake. Or wow folks with a pasta bake: fresh tortellini, sauce, cheese, maybe some spicy sausage. The Omnia makes fresh-baked, delicious dishes a reality at the campsite.
Soups & Stews on the Jetboil, Rock Pot, Single Burner, or Fire
Chili, gumbo, and beef and Guinness stew are just a few of our favorites. These meals are a perfect way to warm the soul on those chilly nights. There’s also the added bonus of being able to cook soups and stews using several of our favorite gadgets mentioned above.
Camp Pizza in the Ooni
Start with Mandy’s famous sourdough (or store-bought, no shame), slap on sauce and toppings, and launch it into the Ooni like you’re sending it to flavor heaven. In about 60 seconds, you’ll have a perfect pizza and win the respect of your fellow campers.
Steak & Veggies Over Open Fire
You, a fire grate, a thick-cut ribeye, some seasoned veggies, and hot-and-ready coals. Honestly, anything over an open fire is hard to beat, but the simplicity of steak and veggies is probably our favorite. Just make sure the steak comes out no more than medium rare! Bonus points if you wear flannel and say things like, “This is how our ancestors ate.”
Smoked Deliciousness on the ASMOKE
An entire prime rib roast, beef briskets, juicy steaks, racks of ribs, chicken wings, pork butts, spatchcocked chickens, burgers, brats, and even veggies—if it fits, you can smoke it. Low and slow is usually the way to go. You may become emotionally attached to your smoker. That’s normal.
Final Thoughts (Before the Bears Smell the Bacon)
Camping food doesn’t have to mean boring, uninspired meals. With the right gadgets—and maybe a little planning—you can feast like one of those judges on the Food Network.
So, next time one of your fellow campers tries to roast hot dogs over the fire or heat up a can of soup, hand them a slice of homemade wood-fired pizza, point to your impressive camp kitchen, and say, “Not on my watch.”
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