When I first went gluten and dairy free, it was hard to imagine taking my new GFCF lifestyle on the road. Everything seemed so overwhelming at first. Now after five years, I’ve transitioned all our essential recipes/dishes and treats to gluten and dairy free. For the most part, we don’t miss the gluten or dairy and camping is no exception. One of my strategies is to make dishes that everyone can eat including my older kids who are still gluten and dairy consumers. One day, I’ll convert them but meanwhile choosing meals that are naturally gluten and dairy free helps immensely. One of our favorite camping meals is either chicken or beef stew. I prepare it at home and take it in large glass containers (a large half-gallon size Mason jar is perfect) that can stay in the cooler surrounded by ice. All you have to do is heat it up on the camp stove or fire and you have an instant GFCF meal. I’ve included the recipe at the end of this post.

Another family favorite while camping – grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. I made these organic hamburger patties at home, froze them (with wax paper between the patties) for 24 hours before the trip and then cooked them on day two of the camping trip. Stored in the cooler on ice, they thawed perfectly for grilling on the second day. We used our favorite gluten-free hamburger buns by Canyon Bakehouse. Our favorite hot dog bun is Udi’s although it is a little dry and falls apart easily. Mariposa Bakery makes a GF hot dog bun I’d like to try someday. We used GFCF organic, nitrate-free hot dogs by Applegate. My older gluten-eating kids ate them without complaining. I think they taste very good. We also added some organic corn-on-the-cob, watermelon and baked beans for the perfect outdoor meal.

On day three, the family ate leftover chicken stew while I opted to try a dry soup I found at Sprout’s Farmers’ Market. You simply add hot water. I added a simple salad made with fresh organic greens I bought from a farmer along Highway One. I used a vinaigrette dressing from Harley Goat Farm which we visited earlier in the day.

To add bulk I added a precooked organic brown rice you can buy for traveling. I opened it and spooned some into my hot instant soup. It made a hearty and easy GFCF meal.

Breakfast is always a challenge for me while traveling. This gluten-free instant oatmeal is perfect for away from home meals. The ingredients are simple and all you do is add hot water.

I like to add nuts/seeds or fruit to the oatmeal. The seed and fruit mixture below by Enjoy Life is perfect for this. It works well in airplanes when traveling since it does not contain nuts and won’t affect anyone with nut allergies.

What camping trip would be complete without S’mores? Below are the products we used to enjoy GFCF, dye-free S’mores (mainstream marshmallows contain blue dye). We make ours, but you can buy a few good brands nowadays.

Chicken Stew Recipe

1 whole, organic chicken cut into six parts
2 tbl oil with a high smoking point (avocado, tea seed or rice bran are good options)
4 organic russet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 organic carrots, peeled and sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large yellow onion plus one-quarter cup, diced
3 – 4 garlic cloves, crushed (1 tbl)
1 – 14 oz can organic diced tomatoes, Italian flavor
1/2 – 1 cup frozen lima beans or edamame
1/2 – 1 cup frozen organic sweet corn
1 – 14 oz can gluten-free creamed corn
1 tbl chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper hot sauce (gluten-free), optional
1 box organic gluten-free chicken broth (only if needed)

In a 12 quart stock pot, heat the oil and brown the chicken parts. Do not cook thoroughly, just brown the skin nicely and then set aside on a plate. Add the 1/4 cup diced onions to the rendered fat in the pot and cook until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add approximately two quarts of filtered water and bring to a boil. Add chicken back into pot and cook until chicken meat is thoroughly cooked. This takes several hours. Meanwhile, prepare all your vegetables. See note below.
When the chicken is done cooking and falling off the bone, remove the chicken pieces and place on a plate. Pour the broth through a sieve or strainer into a very large bowl to remove any small chicken bone pieces from the broth. Pour the filtered broth back into the stock pot and bring to a boil. If needed, add additional boxed broth to bring the liquid level to about 2/3’s to the top of the pot. After chicken has cooled enough to handle, pull all the meat off the bones and put into a bowl. Set the meat aside.

When the broth comes to a boil, add prepared carrots, russet and sweet potatoes, can of diced tomatoes, garlic and remaining onion. Let boil until vegetables are slightly tender. Add the lima beans (or edamame), corn, chicken meat, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Cook until thoroughly warmed and then add can of creamed corn. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste. For those who prefer a bolder taste, add hot pepper sauce to taste. This soup is great with GF crackers or corn bread.