Cooking for a camp?

I'm not that kind of cook but I cook and I own a business, which means problem solving. I would think breakfast could be your standard brunch fare - a bin of scrambled eggs, one of bacon, one of sausage, toast and maybe pancakes. Fruit, juice and maybe yogurt and don't forget the coffee. That's pretty much arithmetic - 2 eggs x 30 people = 60 eggs, etc. Next do your dinner menus. That's where your budget will come into play. Roast chicken and potatoes, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, maybe burgers one night. People like meat and potatoes as opposed to casseroles, so you can't make bulk food every night. Asian themed faux stir fry (baked) over noodles or rice. Lunch can be sandwiches, potato or pasta salad, hot dogs and as the other said you can recycle some of dinner at times. Spaghetti is almost a better lunch than dinner, I'd think. You know there's a major farmer's market by Marin civic center on weekends, right? Understand that spaghetti can be your own, gourmet spaghetti with handmade meatballs, if you like - the twist you put on the flavors is up to you.

One of my favorite jobs when I was younger was head cook at a lodge up in the mountains. The job required me to plan menu's and have staples on hand for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and snacks. And, I had to be prepared to cook any guest's fresh catch that morning for breakfast too!. At times we were pretty full and it got hectic. Thank goodness for the teen waitresses and dishwasher! So, here are some ideas:

For Breakfasts:

Buttermilk or Buckwheat and Blueberry Pancakes

Artichoke and goat cheese frittata

Eggs, bacon, sausages, smoked ham

Whole grain toast with jam and butter

Stuffed french toast with warm citrus syrup

Orange scones with nutella

Warm corn casserole with salsa

Scrambled eggs with green chili's and cheese

Fresh orange juice, fresh fruit

Breakfast crepes with strawberries and yogurt

Lunch:

I would often make brown bag lunches for guests that were going to be out. These consisted of gourmet sandwiches, chips, fruit and homemade cookies or brownies.

For guests that were staying at the lodge menus also included:

Cheeseburgers,Potato and Macaroni Salad, Chips, Pickles, olives, carrots and celery

Sandwich buffet including cheeses, coldcuts, condiments, salad

Salad Bar: spinach, Chinese Chicken, Antipasti Pasta Salad, warm rolls

Barbecued chicken sandwiches, homemade cole slaw, oven fries

Shepards Pie with veges, tossed green salad, rolls

Dinner Menus sometimes Included:

Meatloaf, mashed potatos, fresh green beans with bacon and onion, rolls

Grilled chateaubriand, sauteed mushrooms, mixed green salad with blue cheese, baked salted potatos.

Oven fried chicken, mashed garlic potatos, gravy, fresh tomato and cucumber salad, rolls

Oven baked meatballs and macaroni and cheese, sauteed green beans, salad

Roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos, peas and onions, fruit salad, rolls

Desserts were fun:

Mississippi Mud Cake

Chocolate sundaes and cookies

Carrot cake squares

Fresh strawberry and cream cheese cake

Double chocolate silk pie

Oatmeal cake with ice cream

We always had ice cream and sorbet on hand in case a guest didn't want the other. And, there were dozens of homemade cookies on hand, along with brownies, blondies, lemon bars, etc.

Organizing your meals and time will help a whole lot. I was up before 6 and not finished until after lunch.....then had a 3 hour break before dinner. Long days but oh so nice!

Regardless of what you specifically plan to cook on your next camping trip, there are a few food preparation staples that you shouldn’t forget. First and foremost is a box of matches and some lighter fluid. Most prefer to do their campsite cooking over an open fire, so you’d be out of luck without a way to start one. As for dishes, the true necessities are a medium to large lightweight pot, a pan of similar size, aluminum foil, and a portable grate that can be placed over a fire pit. This combination of cooking equipment can be used to prepare just about anything from bacon and eggs to beans and pasta. Lastly, don’t forget your spatula and tongs – pulling food off a fire bare-handed is far from pleasant.

It depends where you're cooking it. I'm guessing you're just using a cooker?... It's best to do it healthily so I'd make something slightly different like stir-fry. Two other options could be spaghetti/pasta bolognese or chilli con carne, they pretty easy and most people like those. Make sure you include a vegetarian option too, though. If you are including drinks you should just take soft drinks like lemonade or orange cordial. I'm sure you'll get lots of other ideas if you type it in on Google. Hope this helps! :-)

I would say limit items that are highly perishable...like strawberries. Only buy those things and use them up on the same day. I think that you might want to use alot of ingredients that are very versatile to use and or don't require a great deal of refrigeration: Potatoes, onions, canned items. Example: Potatoes can be used for homefries at breakfast and then leftovers can be translated to a "Roasted Potato Salad". Eggs can be hardboiled for breakfast and any leftovers can be translated to "Egg Salad" or garnish for a salad bar. I think that maybe you should only buy 1/2 of the week's worth of ingredients and see how you are doing. Then, go shopping for the remainder to supplement. This way you will have working knowledge of what is working...what is not and how best to address any problems or shortages. IF you can find a "Smart & Final" they offer products for large crowds and you don't have to be a member. I live in the Bay Area....I found this for you: Smart & Final -935 Andersen Dr, San Rafael, CA