Freeze-dried meals have their place — mile 18 of a thru-hike, mostly. But at a drive-up site with a real fire ring, you owe yourself better. Here’s how to cook like you mean it.

The one-pan wonder

A cast iron skillet over a bed of coals is the whole kitchen. Start with a campfire hash: diced potatoes, peppers, onions and sausage, finished with eggs cracked right into the pan. Cook over coals, not flames — coals give you steady, even heat you can actually control.

Foil packets are your friend

Salmon with lemon and butter, or chicken with fajita vegetables, sealed tight in double foil and nestled in the coals for 15-20 minutes. Zero dishes, restaurant results.

Don’t skip the classics — upgrade them

Skewer halloumi and cherry tomatoes next to your hot dogs. Toast tortillas over the grate for campfire tacos. And the s’more? Swap the chocolate bar for a peanut butter cup and thank us later.

The rules that matter

Prep and chop everything at home. Keep a water bucket next to the fire. And let the fire burn down before you cook — patience is the secret ingredient every camp cook learns once, the hard way.