Grubmaster Tips

• Pay attention to portion sizes on packages, then multiply by the number you’ll be cooking for to figure out how much to buy.
• Figure about 4 oz. of meat as a serving size for young Scouts
• Figure about 6 oz. of meat as a serving size for older Scouts (13+)
• Make sure all Scouts who are going on the outing have input into the menus for the weekend.
• After menus are made at the patrol meeting, make your shopping list from that to figure out what to buy. Don’t buy more than you need!
• Pre-cook bacon, sausage, ground meats, etc. before the weekend, then freeze. You will have foil at campout to reheat on stove or fire, or it can be added to recipe and heated.
• French bread, pita bread, tortillas and hard crust Italian bread travel better on a campout than Wonder Bread!
• Want biscuits for breakfast? Bake them ahead of time, at home, and bring them in a ziplock bag. Wrap in foil to heat, place in covered skillet on stove and turn often until package is warm.
• Try to include vegetables & fruits at each meal. Raw veggies are great, use them as an “appetizer” when Scouts are hungry while dinner is cooking!
• Make a menu for each meal of the outing before the campout so you don’t forget to serve anything. This prevents leftovers and food being taken back uneaten! Put it in a sheet protector and take it with you on the camp-out!
• Don’t forget about drinks at each meal, and water is acceptable. Every Scout should bring a water bottle on every outing.
• Hot chocolate is a nice treat when you’re camping in cool weather, either for breakfast or around the campfire in the evening.
• Plan for a cracker barrel (snack or dessert) on Saturday evening.
• Beef jerky makes a good snack and doesn’t require refrigeration
• Granola bars or energy bars are a quick, neat-to-eat breakfast, and could be combined with fresh fruit or yogurt to make a good meal.
• No donuts, Pop Tarts, or cold cereals—be creative!
• When cooking in a Dutch Oven, each charcoal briquette = about 25 degrees, and you need to put them under the oven (on a bed of foil) and on top of the lid for even heating. Cook times are about the same as for a regular oven.
• For easier clean-up, you can cook in a 9-inch foil pan inside a Dutch Oven to bake things like cornbread or breakfast rolls.
• Before you start cooking at camp, everyone MUST wash hands!
• Think about seasonal foods: corn-on-the-cob is wonderful roasted in the husk in the campfire, watermelon is cool and refreshing on a hot weekend.
• Don’t overlook simple foods like applesauce in a plastic jar, or canned fruits like peaches, mandarin oranges, etc.