A Camper's Guide To Breakfast Burritos
Updated: Feb 17, 2021
I don't know about you, but I can't believe it's nearly June! I have no clue where the time has gone. I feel like this pandemic has made all the past few months blend together into one giant suck fest. Finally some warmer weather has greeted Northeast Ohio and I've been absolutely loving it. June means summer and summer means camping- one of Colton and I's favorite things!
For starters, you'll have to accept my apology for not being a food blogger. I just thought that since I've tried and failed at breakfast burritos while camping more than once (ask my best friend, Mady) it might be a fun addition to the blog to hear how I've finally perfected the meal!
Reasons Why Burritos Are The Tops
When I think of breakfast options for camping and backcountry hiking, my mind usually wanders to something along the lines of instant oatmeal or granola bars. Because I'm usually excited to get the adventuring started, we don't always take the time to start a fire just to cook a breakfast that takes multiple steps to make. When we have, though, we've have gotten into pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon- you name it. Working nightshift at the hospital for 2 years taught me the true appreciation and love of a hardy breakfast.
Burritos are a great option for a healthier and quick alternative to breakfast because they can be pre made! They don't have to be, of course, but I've gotten into this habit because of my desire to get to the fun activities of the day as soon as possible. I will forever choose kayaking during sunrise over rummaging through our cooler trying to prepare breakfast!
I also think breakfast burritos are nice to make in general because of their versatility. Colton will pretty much eat anything, so I don't have to worry about him. I'm mostly referring to when you camp with pickier eaters (cough, cough my best friend). Cooking ahead of time allows you to separate ingredients and label each burrito individually so you can appease anyone camping with you.
Reminder: Make sure wherever you're camping allows fires prior to lighting one!
Ingredients
Because Colton and I aren't picky when it comes to what I put in eggs for breakfast, I usually don't have to make a big grocery run prior to making these burritos. For the most part, we're pretty healthy eaters- so I usually have some veggies available to cut up for them, too!
You'll obviously need some eggs and tortillas, but other than those ingredients- the rest is up to you! That's what's been fun about making these over the years, too- no two batches have ever really been the same!
Add-In Ingredient Ideas
Your favorite kind of cheese
Chopped Onions
Ham
Bacon
Sausage
Peppers
Spinach
Avocado
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Potatoes / Hash browns
Spices
Just like the add-in ingredients, this section is unique to you as well.
Prime Example: While I know it is super common for people to put hot sauce on eggs, the thought totally grosses me out! I don't eat spicy things often and the thought of adding it to my first meal of the day already gives me a stomach ache. I grew up putting ketchup on eggs and I know that's a little weird, too. We all have our way of doing things and I like that breakfast burritos are no different!
My Burrito Process
Below is a step by step of how I made my last batch of burritos. They were the best I've created yet, if I do say so myself!
For this batch, I used what we had around the house- bacon, tomato, avocado, onion, potato, spinach, and gouda cheese. Usually we stick with my beloved, cheddar cheese, but I felt like mixing things up and it ended up being a delicious change!
Step 1: Cook any meat or veggie that may take awhile to cook compared to others.
For this batch, I made sure to cook up the bacon first. I used 4 pieces and cut each piece into small pieces.
Step 2: Place all add-in ingredients into skillet to cook- except spinach! Spinach wilts fast, so I don't put it into the skillet until I'm just about to add eggs. This step really just softens certain add-ins like the tomato, onion, and potato. Because potato takes longer to cook, I make sure to cut it into smaller pieces. This step only takes a few minutes and while the skillet is warming up, I whisk together the eggs in another bowl, adding my desired spices.
I used 5 eggs for this batch!
Colton's family lives in Naples, Florida and gave us Everglades Seasoning once early in our relationship. Colton now puts it on nearly everything. It's an all-purpose seasoning advertised as providing a "down-home southern" taste.
Everglades Seasoning Ingredients; Salt, Spices, Monosodium Glutamate, Dehydrated Garlic and Onion, Sugar, Papain
Try a bottle for yourself here: https://amzn.to/2ZSbSus
Step 3: Pour the whisked eggs into the skillet and scramble.
Step 4: The other steps have been a bit self-explanatory, but here is where I've made crucial mistakes in the past! I rip off pieces of aluminum foil a few inches bigger than either side of the tortillas. Before laying each tortilla on its corresponding aluminum foil square- make sure to use nonstick spray!
When I made the mistake of forgetting to spray the aluminum foil- the cooked burritos pulled apart when trying to open them from the foil to eat! It's such a simple mistake to make and can totally ruin all your hard work!
Step 5: After all burritos have been rolled up, it is essential to have a dry place to keep them while camping. Another big mistake I've made is putting the finished burritos into a Tupperware container and placing them in a cooler with loose ice. While this could potentially work out, I've opened the container up to soggy burritos every time I've done it- the ice melts and sneaks its way into our breakfast- somehow even with high quality Tupperware.
I've even placed the burrito container at the very top of the ice-filled cooler and they still ended up soggy. The only explanation I came to is the melted ice sloshed around to when driving or carrying the cooler to our campsite.
What's easiest and what I recommend is using a separate cooler kept cold with reusable ice packs instead of loose ice or thinly-bagged gas station ice. I'm all for drinks being kept chilled by loose ice, but now we always dedicate a smaller cooler to foods we want chilled, but not soggy!
Browse some reusable ice packs here: https://amzn.to/2MabkZ3
Remember you can easily label each burrito with a marker to differentiate by ingredient here, if needed!
Step 6: The aluminum foil makes for easy labeling of burritos, but also helps with cooking versatility. There have been times we choose to place the wrapped burritos directly on the fire to cook (after its died down a little). This is an option, but our main way of cooking is with a cast iron skillet. Usually when we do this, we will unwrap the burritos before placing them in the cast iron skillet to brown.
A cast iron skillet is a great addition to any essential camping list. We've been able to use ours for years to cook at home or outdoors- baking, grilling, frying, or sautéing!
Just make sure to have some kind of handle cover and/or gloves around so you don't burn your hands!
Browse cast iron skillets here: https://amzn.to/2BeIg05
Browse handle covers here: https://amzn.to/3eyk2MD
Browse cooking gloves here: https://amzn.to/2Xh5VFZ
Check out my blog post, "4 Camping Supplies You Didn't Know You Needed" for more items we use to make the most out of each of our camping trips!
Step 7: ENJOY!
Indulge in the fruits of your labor over a gorgeous view of nature! It's a great way to start the day and should keep you full and energized for whatever outdoor activities you have in store!
