OUR SECRET CAMP RECIPE - THE BUCKET LUNCH

At the Outdoor Education Group, food plays an important role for us during program; it allows us to come together, share in a daily practice, learn some handy skills and reflect on our day. It’s also about having fun!

The Outdoor Education Group’s bucket lunch is famous for being an exciting and delicious way to end a program. Till now, our bucket lunch recipe has been kept a secret, but due to popular demand, we share it with you so you can enjoy it with family and friends at home or in the great outdoors.

GREAT FOOD, GREAT CAMP

We know food is one of the most important elements of a school camp or outdoor education program. Ask any student or educator who attends a school camp for their feelings about the experience, and many will mention the food. The Outdoor Education Group recognises the importance of providing well-balanced and delicious meals. Food converts to energy and gives students (and us) an extra boost when they are faced with a long hike or a challenging cycle route. We also recognise preparing and sharing food doesn’t always have to be approached with control and precision.

A FUN AND EASY CAMP LUNCH IDEA

The Outdoor Education Group’s bucket lunch or ‘The Almighty Bucket Lunch’, as it is affectionately known, is an opportunity for students and facilitators to enjoy something a little different, a little messy and very delicious! While many lunches on program will consist of sandwiches or wraps prepared in an orderly and tidy manner, the bucket lunch invites students to get creative and work together to enjoy a very playful and fun meal.

The bucket lunch is something participants on our programs look forward to from year to year. It’s the crunch of the corn chips, the smoothness of the avocado, the joy in preparation and the ease of clean-up that makes the bucket lunch a staple of our programs.

We think it’s time to share our famous bucket lunch recipe so you can enjoy this fun and easy meal.

THE BUCKET LUNCH

INGREDIENTS

Recommended amount for 10 people.

2 avocados
2 400g tin red kidney beans
1 100g Tasty cheese or similar cheese
1 green capsicum
2 500g packets of corn chips
2 250ml packs of UHT cream
20 slices of Mountain Bread or similar wrap
1 Spanish onion
1 35g packet of taco mix
3 tomatoes
1 lemon

Method

Step 1 - Prepare your ingredients
To make the sour cream, add the juice of one lemon to the cream and mix. Drain bean tins. Dice avocado, tomato, onion and capsicum.

Step 2 - Prepare your filling
Place cheese, diced avocado, tomatoes, onion and capsicum together in a large bowl. Add taco mix to taste. Break up corn chips and add to the bowl along with sour cream. Mix well.

Step 3 - Assemble
Place 2 slices of Mountain Bread on top of each other, spoon mixture on top of your bread evenly and roll-up. It's as easy as that!

PRO TIPS

• If you are enjoying your bucket lunch in the outdoors (we recommend this) and do not have access to appropriate equipment, you can use the empty bread bags as a substitute for a bowl – they will make an excellent ‘bucket’ for your bucket lunch!
• Your empty bean tins can be used to mix your cream.
• Add a can of corn for a bit of sweetness.
• Our recipe can we deconstructed or altered to cater to your dietary needs. For example, cream and cheese can easily be substituted for vegan alternatives.

We love the bucket lunch because it summarises the experience of being on program in the outdoors; its unpredictable, requires problem-solving, teamwork and creativity. It takes us out of our comfort zone. It can be a little bit messy, but it’s always fun!

The Outdoor Education Group works with schools across Australia and provide the right experiences to strengthen curriculum and student engagement. From camps, incursions, extended journeys to sequential programs and more.