Breathing Life Into Your Breakfast Leftovers: The Camping Burrito Recipe

Camping burritos are the camper’s version of the classic Tex-Mex burrito. They’re the holy grail of camping recipes, being easy to make, very transportable (you can make it ahead of time then just heat it in the campsite), and tastes heavenly.

They’re usually pre-cooked at home, but you can also cook right at your campsite. However, it would be a hassle to do the chopping, cooking, washing the cookware, and all the messy things while you’re out camping. It’s best to make them at home and just reheat them over your fire at the campsite.

What’s the difference between a regular burrito and a camping burrito?

The camping burrito recipe that we’ll make in a while is slightly different from the regular burrito.

A regular burrito usually consists of fresh meats, such as chorizo or sausage, a wide range of Mexican spices, beans, fresh tomatoes, and vegetables such as lettuce and peppers.

On the other hand, our recipe is simple, but still delightful. We’ll be using common ingredients we can find in our kitchen; spices, some vegetables, and the most important ingredient – breakfast leftovers.

The not-so-secret ingredient: Breakfast leftovers!

If you’re like me, who cooks more than your whole family can eat but don’t want to waste all the leftovers, then this recipe will help you make use of all that excess food sitting in your refrigerator. There’s no reason to let all that extra food go to waste.

Do you ever get that dry and dull feeling when you eat leftover sausage, eggs, and other meats? Or is it just me? I got that feeling often before my camping fanatic dad introduced me to his brilliant camping burrito recipe. Surprisingly, the dry taste of all the leftovers is brought back to life by all the strong spices and cheesiness of the camping burrito.

What you’ll need:

Serving size: Serves up to 8-9 people

• 15 Eggs (or leftover scrambled eggs)
• 1 lb. ground sausage, pork or beef (or other meat leftovers)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 White Onions
• 4 Cloves minced garlic
• 5 medium potatoes, chopped
• 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 Chopped green onion sprigs
• 3 tsp. chopped parsley
• 8 or 9 tortillas
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Aluminum foil
• Salsa and/or hot sauce (optional)

For cooking at the campsite, you’ll need:

• Grill Grate
• A good bed of coals

Directions:

Step 1. Gather all your leftovers after breakfast.

Step 2. Mince the leftover sausage, bacon, ham, and other meats as finely as you can. Mix it all in a deep bowl then set it aside. If you don’t have leftover meat, take out the 1 lb. ground sausage, pork or beef, remove the plastic wrap, and break it up in your bowl.

Step 3. More chopping and peeling! Chop the garlic, onion sprigs, and parsley. Peel the potatoes. The garlic, onion, sprigs, and parsley should be chopped finely whereas the potatoes should be chopped into small cubes. Group the onions and garlic together in a small bowl.

Step 4. Boil the potatoes until they’re soft, but not mushy.

Step 5. Saute the onions and garlic with olive oil in a frying pan until fragrant. Add the potatoes and saute it too.

Step 6. If you use raw eggs, whisk them in a bowl before frying. If you have leftover scrambled eggs, add them to the frying pan together with the minced leftover meats/ground sausage/ground meat. Cook thoroughly.

Step 7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Also, add the paprika and cayenne pepper for a touch of spiciness.

Step 8. After you’re done heating all the burrito mix in the frying pan, pour it into a large bowl. Let it cool for about ten minutes.

Step 9. Pour the shredded cheese into the bowl then mix.

Step 10. Lay out the tortillas on a flat table. Put just enough of the burrito mix in the center of the wrapper then roll the wrapper evenly. Using just a dash of butter will help seal the tortilla closed.

Step 11. After you’re done wrapping your burritos, get a small sheet of aluminum foil for each then roll it around your burritos. Put it in the fridge after.

You can heat it in the microwave for a quick snack or put it on top of a metal grid with coals underneath if you’ll cook it in the campsite (don’t forget to take off the foil).

Grab some hot sauce or salsa for a kick of spice!

You can also use your leftover lunch and dinner meat for this. Just chop it nice and fine and use the other ingredients listed in this post to make it into your favorite camping burrito.

I’m pretty sure you’ll be hooked with the camping burrito’s rich and distinctive taste! It’s even better heated over a nice bed of coals while out at your campsite. Of course, every meal’s better when served hot.

What about you? Do you have a unique way of re-purposing leftovers into camping burritos? What made it different from our camping burrito? Speak up below!

Guest Post by Cindy at Hunt and Lunch:  Cindy is an avid outdoor enthusiast who shares her knowledge, experiences, and wildlife survival tips gained through the years in her blog, Hunt And Lunch. She’s now busy being a mother to two wonderful kids. She finds time to write about her passion and experiences in the hopes of helping her fellow outdoor enthusiasts and to relive the joy of being outdoors.