As a full-time guide I have to maximize time between trips prepping lunches for my clients and many times need to plan out a weeks’ worth of meals. I have a bunch of tried-and-true menu options that I can make easily and are tasty and filling. I made a conscious decision to ensure that my clients would have plenty of options for their lunch and not just pack a bag lunch. Not to say that a bag lunch isn’t an option if a client requests it, but it’s just not part of my regular offerings. Depending on the season I give my clients a few options to choose from that make sense for the weather and conditions that we will encounter. No matter how simple a meal is it needs to be tasty and easy for me to execute quickly.

Lately I have been on a soft taco kick, which started during the ice fishing season for me. These are prepared on a propane griddle that I can easily pack onto the boat and the prep can be done a couple days in advance. For chicken and steak all you need to do is brown the meat in a high sided pan, add the seasonings and water and cook it down until there is a little liquid left. Let the meat cool and place in a freezer bag and it only gets better with time. One time saving tip is to buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that into your taco seasonings instead of handling raw chicken.

Lunch options shouldn’t be difficult. During the colder days of the spring and fall any warm meal goes a long way for my clients. For chicken tacos all you need to do is re-heat the meat on a propane griddle top. I use the Blackstone griddle and I have been very happy with it so far. When the meat is hot, I put the flour tortillas on the griddle to lightly toast and warm while adding ingredients. One option is to put a shredded cheese blend on right after the chicken, then add salsa and sour cream. To add some flavor and spice I cut up a jalapeno pepper and sprinkle that on top. Other options would be to pickle some cabbage and shallots and add the juice of a fresh lime. All of this can be prepared early as well.

The possibilities are endless as to what you can do with these taco recipes. Just remember that whatever you do, make it fun and tasty. Just recently a group of fellow guides got together to kick off our season with some fishing and I made up a bunch of these tacos. The joking and bantering amongst us was that I had been looking forward to preparing food for everyone and they were absolutely correct. Each trip out onto the water is a gift and I am one of the lucky ones that gets to do this for a career. So, make it special and have fun whipping up your own creation for those that you spend time with outdoors!