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Camping mac and cheese is rich, creamy, and flavorful – and made with cheese powder and other no-fuss, self-stable ingredients in just 20 minutes! The only thing you need to add when you’re at the campfire is water.

camping mac and cheese in blue enamel bowls with kielbasa

What are some of your favorite camping foods?

We usually make a giant tub of cold side dishes like pasta salad, tuna mac, potato salad, and maybe a bean salad. Also, we pack up the fixings for garden salads and other summery sides, such as sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob. And for main dishes, things like burgers, hot dogs, chiavetta’s chicken, and kebabs.

We don’t typically make hot side dishes while camping, only because until now I didn’t realize that they could be convenient. But how about a dry macaroni and cheese sauce mix that you make at home with completely shelf stable ingredients? That way, the only thing you need to add is water when you want to cook and eat it!

Bring a Dutch oven and your homemade mac and cheese mix and get ready for everyone’s new favorite camping meal.

macaroni and cheese in dutch oven

Why This Recipe Works

  • It’s even easier than boxed Kraft mac and cheese. When you get the blue box, you still have to add perishable items that need refrigeration (i.e., margarine and milk). That’s not the case here! For this recipe, we use all self-stable ingredients to make our cheese sauce mix for the ultimate convenience. When you whip this up, the only thing you need to add to the pasta and cheese sauce mix is water!
  • This mix is convenient to take camping or to keep stashed in your pantry for a quick side dish at home. This is deliciously creamy, the way mac and cheese should be. You’ll never buy the pre-made boxed stuff again!
  • It’s budget-friendly. If you buy in bulk and get a big bag of each of the ingredients, you can make a ton of these homemade cheese mixes very affordably and keep them stashed in your pantry for a quick side dish anytime. (Heads Up: If you’re looking for a bargain, I’ve seen cheese powder available on Amazon for as low as $0.39 per ounce!)

Ingredients

Ingredients Explained

In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.

homemade instant mac and cheese ingredients

Dry Mac and Cheese Sauce Mix Ingredients:

  • White cheddar cheese powder – White cheddar is my personal favorite, but you can use any type of powdered cheese you like. A few of my favorite brands that have clean(er) ingredients are: King Arthur, Judee’s, and Healthier Comforts. And friends, I say cleaner instead of clean because let’s be realistic; this is still a processed, shelf-stable food. It won’t be for everyone; however, if you buy the boxed mix anyway or if you’re looking for shelf-stable camping meals, give this a try!
  • Milk powder – You can use 1/3 cup whole milk powder, or substitute with 1/2 cup reduced-fat milk powder or 1/2 cup nonfat milk powder.
  • Butter powder – For rich flavor and creamy texture.
  • Garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper – This blend of pantry-staple spices adds a ton of flavor to our macaroni and cheese. Feel free to omit the cayenne, or bump it up if you want this spicy.
  • Salt – Salt is a natural flavor enhancer that makes sure this isn’t bland. However, there is a lot of sodium in the ingredients that go into this recipe, so we only add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. However, you can omit or reduce the added salt if you want.

Ingredients When You Want to Cook the Mac and Cheese:

  • Small pasta – Such as elbows, shells, bowties, etc. (I used vesuviotti pasta).
  • Water – Instead of using regular milk (which needs to be refrigerated), we use milk powder and water to make our lives easier. Because not everyone has access to a fridge when they’re camping!

Optional Ingredients:

  • Shredded cheddar cheese – This is completely optional, but to get a cheese pull and some extra cheesy flavor, I like to add a little bit of shredded cheddar on top once this is made. (If you don’t have it on hand, don’t worry about it!) I just sprinkle it on, cover the pot, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. During this time, the cheesy sauce thickens and the shredded cheddar melts.
  • Minced fresh parsley – This is also optional, but adds a nice pop of contrasting color if you have it. Another alternative is to add a teaspoon or so of dried minced parsley to the cheese sauce mix.

How to Make Camping Macaroni and Cheese

To Make Dry Cheese Sauce Mix

Add all ingredients to a jar or zip-top plastic bag. Cover the jar or seal the bag, and shake to combine. Label the outside with the date and contents.

To Make the Mix Into Cheesy Mac

how to make campfire mac and cheese in a dutch oven
  1. Add the pasta and water to a medium pot.
  2. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, the water level should be just under the top of the pasta.
  3. Add the dry mac and cheese mix.
  4. Stir until creamy, and cook until the sauce is thickened and the pasta is fully tender, about 4 to 6 minutes more.
  5. Remove from the heat. If you’re using the optional shredded cheddar, sprinkle it evenly across the top. Cover the pot and let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken (do this even if you don’t add the cheddar topping).
  6. Serve garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

Storage

The dry mac and cheese mix will stay good for as long as all the ingredients in it are good. Check the expiration dates on the packages so you know, and be sure to label the mix.

Once you mix it up, store the powder in a cool, dry place at room temperature, such as the pantry. I like to add the pasta to a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag and keep the dry mix in smaller zip-top bag right in the same bag with the pasta. That way, I when I cook it the only other ingredient I need is water.

homemade dry mac and cheese mix with sauce powder

Once you cook the pasta and make the macaroni and cheese, you can store it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will thicken in the fridge, so you may want to stir in a splash of liquid (such as water or milk) when you reheat it.

Reheating

You can reheat this in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in a standard (not enamel-coated) cast-iron Dutch oven on the campfire.

Recipe Tips

  • Just because this is a shelf-stable recipe doesn’t mean it has to be basic. You can experiment with the ingredients to customize the flavor profile. For example, for the cheese powder, use white cheddar, yellow cheddar, mozzarella, asiago, etc., and change the dried herbs and spices.
  • You can make the cheese sauce as thick or as thin as you like. To make it thicker, simply boil the pasta in the water a little bit longer to evaporate off more of the liquid. (Don’t cook off too much of the liquid though; the sauce will thicken once you add the cheese mix, and it will thicken even more as it cools.) And to make it thinner, simply add a little more water.

Make It a Meal

There are a ton of different camping foods you can serve with this to make it a meal! Here are a few ideas:

  • Hot dogs, hamburgers, or kielbasa
  • Garden salad, or easy chopped cucumber + tomato salad
  • Sliced vegetables, such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli florets, etc.
close up top view of camping meal of mac and cheese on blue enamel plates

Cheese Powder Mac and Cheese FAQs

What is Cheese Powder?


Cheese powder, aka powdered cheese, is dried or dehydrated cheese. There are a few different ways to make it, including spray-drying, freeze-drying, and dehydrating.

One of the biggest benefits to cheese powder is that because so much of the moisture is removed, it has a much longer shelf life and it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Can You Use Cheese Powder Instead of Cheese?


It depends on the recipe. Cheese powder is a good option for making cheesy macaroni because we have to rehydrate the pasta anyway! Along those lines, cheese powder can also be a good stand-in for shredded cheese in soup recipes.

What Can I Use Cheese Powder For?


Now that you bought a bag of powdered cheese, you’re probably wondering what else you can make with it! It’s surprisingly versatile; here are a few foods you can add it to: popcorn, mashed potatoes (or any root vegetable mash), homemade croutons, meatloaf, burgers, scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables, etc.

Does Cheese Powder Need to Be Refrigerated?


Nope! You can store the rest of the bag of cheese powder in a cool, dark place, such as your pantry.

Can You Use a Dutch Oven Over a Campfire?


A standard cast-iron Dutch oven – not an enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven – is a good choice for using over a campfire.

How Do You Heat Up Mac and Cheese While Camping?


If you have a standard cast-iron pot, skillet, or Dutch oven, you can use that to heat up your mac and cheese over a campfire.

A grill grate or a pothook (if you have a sturdy handle on your pot) placed over the fire are both good options. Just wait for the flames to die down a bit so it’s not too hot. If you don’t have a grill grate or a pothook/handle, you can cook directly on the coals with cast-iron cookware. Use potholders and be careful.

Also, make sure to stir frequently to avoid burning on the bottom. Additionally, you may want to add an extra splash of liquid (water or milk) to achieve the right consistency.

More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes to Try

top view of macaroni and cheese in dutch oven and on blue and white camping plates

Let’s Connect

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Camping Mac and Cheese Recipe (Cheese Powder Mac and Cheese)

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Other Time10 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
This recipe will blow you away! You'd never guess that this rich, creamy mac and cheese is made with only cheese powder and other shelf-stable ingredients. It's perfect for camping (or for stocking your pantry), and it whips up in just 20 minutes!

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Ingredients
 

Dry Mac and Cheese Sauce Mix:

When You Want to Cook the Mac and Cheese:

  • 8 ounces small pasta such as elbows, shells, bowties, etc. (I used vesuviotti)
  • 4 cups water

Optional Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Instructions
 

For the Dry Mac and Cheese Sauce Mix:

  • Add all ingredients to a jar or zip-top plastic bag. Cover the jar or seal the bag, and shake to combine. Label the outside with the date and contents.

To Make the Mac and Cheese:

  • Add the pasta and water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, the water level should be just under the top of the pasta.
  • Stir in the dry mac and cheese mix, and cook until the sauce is thickened and the pasta is fully tender, about 4 to 6 minutes more.
  • Remove from the heat. If you’re using the optional shredded cheddar, sprinkle it evenly across the top. Cover the pot and let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken (do this even if you don’t add the cheddar topping).
  • Serve garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

  • Storage: The dry mac and cheese mix will stay good for as long as all the ingredients in it are good. Check the expiration dates on the packages so you know, and be sure to label the mix. Store it in a cool, dry place at room temperature, such as the pantry. I like to add the pasta to a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag and keep the dry mix in smaller zip-top bag right in the same bag with the pasta, so I when I cook it the only other ingredient I need is water.
  • Cooking Time: Note that the exact time it takes to cook the pasta will vary slightly based on the pasta you use.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 307mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Campfire Mac and Cheese, Camping Mac and Cheese, Cheese Powder Mac and Cheese, Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese

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camping macaroni and cheese recipe pin
Faith, author of An Edible Mosaic.
About Faith

I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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