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CampFare Beef Burgundy with Field Vegetables

photo: CampFare Beef Burgundy with Field Vegetables meat entrée

Awesome outdoor meal that gave our family (ranging from 6 years to 68 years) energy for multiple hours.

Pros

  • Tasty
  • Pleased young child
  • Visually appetizing
  • Quality ingredients

Cons

  • Difficult to tear open
  • Requires pot and water

CampFare Beef Burgundy with Field Vegetables

$11.99

My family recently had the opportunity to try some meals from Camp Fare while we were camping at Oak Hollow campground in North Carolina. We’re always looking for meals that are tasty and quick to prepare. They’re not freeze-dried, fairly lightweight and shelf stable for 5 years. We spend much of our time outdoors each season and when we heard about the premium meals from Camp Fare we were eager to try them out.

We prepared the food by submerging the pouch for 3-4 minutes in 6 cups of boiling water (using our inversion cooktop on our picnic table). These were perfect to prepare on a hot summer day when we didn’t want to cook over the fire.

The Beef Burgundy is made with natural beef, potatoes, pearl onions and peas in a burgundy sauce. It tastes a little like the canned beef stews you’ll find in the big box stores but it had a little more meat, veggies and wine sauce. I especially like that there were not as many preservatives.

My husband and I enjoyed this more than the Salmon we tried. This one really stuck with us for the longest period, we didn’t feel hungry for quite some time. Our 6-year-old gave it two thumbs up and is ready for more. She specifically wants it tomorrow for her birthday! My mother even enjoyed this one and mentioned she’d love to have it in the house for when she doesn’t feel like cooking.

The cost of a single serving seems a little high, however the packaging and shelf stability show this is a good investment to have for those emergency situations.

Background

As full-time travelers we spend much of our day outdoors or camping.

Source: tested or reviewed it for the manufacturer (Keep)

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

The beauty of these types of heat-and-serve meals is they're perfect for backcountry excursions, boat trips, car camping, and RV life. All you need is water, a heat source, and a pan or pot large enough to heat the small pouch. Highly recommend this product.

Pros

  • Excellent flavor and aroma
  • All-in-one, self-contained meal (don't have to worry about spilling water when making it)
  • Fast! A five-minute meal, at the most.

Cons

  • Need a pot or pan to heat the pouch (not a pour-in-water type of meal)
  • Heavier than a typical freeze-dried meal

First off, these meals taste great. Even if we're away from home and our stocked kitchens, we still want food that is tasty, flavorful, and hot or cold, as the case may be. Specific to this Beef Burgandy with Field Vegetables meal, the burgandy wine added a gourmet touch to this stew. Anyone can bring a cheap can of stew and heat it up on the trail, but this Campfare meal was top notch.

I added the pouch to an MSR Windburner Duo 1.8L pot with fully boiling water; folded the pouch down 1/3 of the way so it would fit in the high-sided pot. After about five minutes removed the pouch and placed in a plastic bowl (didn't pour the contents in, just used the bowl to keep my hands safe from the hot pouch). The top of the pouch has notches so it's easy to tear across and off; it's also not super tall, so a normal-length spoon will reach to the bottom without much effort. 

For the cost, my family agreed these meals were high quality and high value, as compared to those widely available from mass retailers and other speciality pre-packed meals. These do weigh more than freeze-dried options, so if you're packing ultra-light they might not be a good fit. 

Background

We tried these meals in our home kitchen, and on a remote boat trip in Alaska using an MSR Windburner Duo set. We typically bring Mountain House or Heather's Choice meals in our camp kitchen when not eating meals we pre-made at home.

Source: tested or reviewed it for the manufacturer (Kept it)

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

When ordinary boring old camp food won't satisfy, try Campfare! Fresh ingredients and unique preparations.

Pros

  • Easy to cook
  • Just need boiling water
  • Ready in minutes
  • Fresh food sealed for camping
  • Gourmet ingredients

Cons

  • A little bit soupy from a lot of sauce, but all the more perfect to pair with Campfare's Quinoa Beans and Rice!

We tried the Beef Burgundy with field vegetables, along with the Quinoa with Rice and Beans. These camp meals are quick and easy because they come in heatable disposable  pouches—just boil water and heat the pouch and let it sit in the boiling water, then eat from the pouch itself or pour onto a plate. No messy pots to clean, and unlike some camp food this is a fully cooked meal that hasn't been freeze dried, so the quality of the food is much nicer.

There is good quality meat in a very nice wine sauce (so yes, it will look like brown gravy but taste different because it is Beef Burgundy, not beef stew!).  Very nice tasting and very easy prep.

Note: the directions say it warms up in just a couple minutes, but we heated two pouches for a good 6 minutes because it was still a bit lukewarm after just a few minutes.

Also, I didn't give it a full 5 stars because it is a bit soupy, and I wish it was a bit heartier with more meat and veggies. HOWEVER, it does work well to mix two pouches of the Beef Burgundy with one pouch of the quinoa beans and rice, and that made for a perfect combo meal.

These products are definitely better than any freeze-dried meal, or your usual boxed mac and cheese type meal, so a nice treat for camping!

Background

Have tried many different brands of camping food, this is the first time trying Campfare products.

Source: received it as a sample, freebie, or prize (Gift certificate from the Dyrt)

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

Pros

  • Good packaging
  • Good variety of vegetables and beef
  • Flavor is strong, not watered down

Cons

  • Hard to clean up after in the backcountry
  • Should be paired with some starch or grain to complete the meal

I occasionally get to test out meals and new gear in our own camping environment. I was asked to review Campfare meals. There were three of us and we brought out three Campfare meals  to eat for one night and ended up using all of these meals in conjunction with each other in order to have a rounded meal (and due to amounts of food in the packaging).

This "stew" has great well rounded flavor and is jam packed with veggies and beef. It is definitely our favorite out of the three we tried. The soup like texture is perfect for pouring over a side dish of mashed potatoes or the quinoa and brown rice Campfare meal. It is very filling and thick so make sure to be hungry when you open this meal or else it would be hard to dispose of that strong of a scent and soup like texture in the backcountry.

We determined that this would make an excellent backpacking meal in cold weather but that it needs a direction modification. It needs to sit in boiling water for at least twice as long as the directions say in order for it to be heated up properly. Just 2-3 mins in hot water did not fully heat it through. It was lukewarm when we opened the package even after letting it sit in the water for an extra minute or two.

Background

We were backcountry camping and brought along three Campfare meals that ended up being one total meal when we put them together due to amounts in the packages. This was my first time trying this company's product.

Source: tested or reviewed it for the manufacturer

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

This is a hearty dish that will surely please a very hungry hiker, even more so if served over rice, potatoes, or other grain options.

Pros

  • Beefy
  • Generous chunks of tasty vegetables
  • Boil-in-bag prep
  • Great overall flavor
  • Generous portion

Cons

  • Does take a bit longer to warm up than directed on package

This is one super easy meal to prepare that is wonderfully tasty! Advertised as a gourmet alternative to camp fare, it sounded like a great option for my backpacking trip.

I really like that it was boil in bag—easy cooking and easy clean up.I did have to heat a bit longer to get to my desired temperature to eat. Once the package was opened I had three other campers come over to see what smelled so good.

As I dished meal out from pouch I immediately noticed the generous amount of beef in this meal and clearly identifiable vegetables. This is a hearty dish that will surely please a very hungry hiker, even more so if served over rice, potatoes or other grain options. I was happy that it was not overly spicy as I like to season my food lightly.

Well done, Camp Fare! 

Background

For me it has been hard to find a well flavored meal because I do not like spicy food. I really am impressed with the flavors and "freshness" of the Camp Fare meals!

Source: tested or reviewed it for the manufacturer
Price Paid: $12

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

Pros

  • Surprising amounts of beef
  • Great taste
  • Not bland

Cons

  • Cost

This review is written by someone who doesn’t usually eat MRE-type meals, but is also a huge foodie! I was excited to try these meals to give myself options for more long-distance hikes and off-grid camping.

I tried the Beef Burgundy first. I was impressed by how easy it was to heat up and the durability of the pouch. I poured mine out, but it was definitely sturdy enough to eat in the pouch!

The taste was really good. There was a decent level of spices and salt, not bland at all. I was impressed with the amount of beef in this mixture. The veggies and meat were about 50/50, all surrounded by the sauce. The peas and carrots also outnumbered the potatoes, so that’s good quality in my book. The meat was a little dry, but still tender enough to eat! It was a good portion as well and satisfied me. I would purchase again!

Note: I did receive a code to sample some of these products for free.

Background

First-time user, one-time use.

Source: tested or reviewed it for the manufacturer (Keep it )

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

It's just "fine." Good for people who have limited space, equipment, and time to cook, but plenty of money to spend on trail food.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Sturdy container
  • Easy to heat up in hot (not boiling) water

Cons

  • Too expensive
  • Taste is just "fine"

I'm not hard to please. But I do consider cost and value when I rate a product.

The beef burgundy with field vegetables tastes like veggie soup with canned beef cubes added. For one serving to cost as much as it does, I cannot recommend. My other family members agree.

I'd recommend buying Tasty Bite or Taste of India food packs, instead.

Background

Have tried a competitor's brand of freeze dried food, and like eating Tasty Bite food packs.

Source: tested or reviewed it for the manufacturer (Keep it (haha!))

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

Delicious and hit the spot! We will buy again!

Pros

  • Flavorful
  • Hearty
  • Filling

Cons

  • No real complaints—it is filling, but my family likes bigger portions. We are not backpackers though and I see how smaller portions are good for most.

After a day of swimming and riding ATV’s, we were thrilled to have a quick and easy solution to camp dinner. This one really hit the spot. 

Warm delicious and flavorful, my mouth is watering thinking about it honestly. Tender beef and plump veggies in a delicious thick “gravy” is a great comfort food at the end of a long day. Even my teenager liked it, we will buy again! 

Background

We are new to preparing camp meals, but this one pleasantly surprised us!

Source: bought via a "pro deal"

Disclosure: The author of this review received a sample of the product from the brand or its representative in exchange for a review.

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Specs

Price MSRP: $11.99
Reviewers Paid: $12.00
Product Details from CampFare »

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