Mexican handhelds: tacos and quesadillas, the perfect campsite meal.

One of my favourite camping meals is tacos. Quesadillas are just a (also-delicious) variation of nearly the same thing. When the three generations of my kids, their kids and the in-laws get together on a camping weekend, there are 13 of us. We usually share meals, meaning one family cooks a dinner or two for everyone else. This means that you’re on the hook for 25% of the meals, which is a great deal to me.

When we do tacos, everyone raves about them, and I feel like I stole something––because the preparation is easy. Nearly all the ingredients are purchased and ready to serve. We cook the seasoned meat filling sometimes weeks in advance and freeze it in packets prepared to reheat in the skillet over the fire.

The tortillas are heated in a skillet, on the grate over the fire pit, or on the bbq grill for tacos. Then we add the fillings. For quesadillas, cheese and meat are added first, spread out over half of a large tortilla, then folded and grilled over the fire or bbq to melt the cheese inside and make pretty grill marks on the outside, which also crisps up the tortilla. The quesadillas here were made with two small tortillas sandwiched together, and the garnishes are similar.

Tacos for four

Tools and Equipment

• Frypan, griddle or grill
• Tongs
• Wooden spoon
• Campfire or alternate heat source
• Tortilla keeper
• Taco holders (if you have them)

Ingredients

(Makes eight tacos)

For meat filling

• 450 grams of ground beef, pork, turkey or a combination thereof (your choice)
• Taco seasoning (I used Old El Paso brand mixes to keep things simple and easy.)
• one tablespoon of olive oil

For peppers and onions

• Half a red onion, sliced finely
• Half a yellow sweet pepper sliced finely
• one tablespoon of canola oil

For tacos, quesadillas and garnishes

• 8 (or more) small fresh corn tortillas
• 200 grams of shredded cheese (I prefer old white cheddar)
• Guacamole
• Prepared Salsa
• Sour cream
• Coleslaw mix
• Hot sauce (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the meat in advance. Scramble fry medium ground beef to 165F or well browned, seasoned with taco seasoning. Let’s keep this simple.
2. Feel free to substitute and season your favourite protein from pulled pork to store-roasted chicken to leftover roast beef. You get the idea.
3. Set out the garnishes in small serving bowls.
4. Give your dinner guests a five-minute warning and start heating tortillas for tacos. (Alternatively, assemble the meat and cheese for quesadillas and give that same warning.) And get cooking.
5. Place warmed tortillas in a lidded tortilla holder as they come off the grill or out of the pan.
6. Demonstrate how to assemble the taco and let them garnish their own to suit.

All these ingredients can be purchased ready to serve. The point is to make it easy on yourself and your guests while enjoying an easy-to-prepare better-than-average camping meal. Tacos keep the focus on enjoying the time camping with family and friends.