Setting off for a weekend away or a longer road trip no doubt means lots of preparations. Certainly, part of the “get ready” strategy includes meal planning and food preparations, aka camping cuisine. For instance, breakfast cereal and snacks such as chips are easy to store in the RV ahead of time. Of course, eating meals in the RV will require additional planning to ensure you have all the essentials; however, most people don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. Therefore, we’ve made it easy with 15 foods to make before your trip.
Heat and Eat Meal Ideas:
- Lasagna or Ziti. Freeze an entire pan of lasagna ahead of time or pre-cook and portion into individual containers. Store in the freezer or refrigerator.
- Hamburgers. Mix your favorite ingredients and form into patties and freeze. Be sure to use parchment paper or aluminum foil between the patties so they don’t stick to each other. Don’t forget the buns and condiments!
- Chicken Alfredo. Pre-cook, cool, and then freeze the baking dish or similar to the lasagna, portion into containers.
- Fajitas or tacos. Pre-cook your favorite meat. Once at camp, all you need to do is reheat and serve with tortillas and favorite toppings.
- Bacon! Great for breakfast, a sandwich (think BLT), or on a burger. Pre-cooked bacon will make meals faster to the table. Additionally, won’t have to worry about what to do with the grease. Even reheated bacon smell is sure to wake even the sleepiest camper.
- Chicken Salad. Lasts for several days in the refrigerator or can be frozen. Great to put on a salad, sandwich, or just eat with crackers as a snack or meal.
- Soup. In small or large quantities, a favorite soup can be frozen or refrigerated. Keep in mind that broth-based will last longer both in the refrigerator.
- Meatballs and/or Meatloaf. They are great as a stand-alone meal or with other favorites
- Shephard’s Pie or Cottage Pie. A fan favorite especially in cooler weather. Make a large pan or smaller portions this hearty meal will fill up even the hungriest travelers. Note: a true Shephard’s Pie is made with lamb. Using ground beef makes it a Cottage Pie.
- Tikka Masala. Chicken, veggie, or paneer you can make the entire thing in advance or just the sauce. Typically, tikka masala tastes better when reheated than it did freshly made. Don’t forget a packet or two of heat and eat rice.
- Pulled pork or any grilled/smoked/cooked meats. These are easy to reheat and can be used stand-alone or as part of a meal, sandwich, or salad.
- Stuffed green peppers. There are lots of great variations of what to use for stuffing. Pick your favorite. These reheat nicely and are great as a meal or side dish.
- Cabbage rolls. Just like Grandma used to make. Pre-make this dish for a quick heat and eat meal on the road. Beware, in close quarters, you may want to serve with a side of gas-x.
- Irish Stew. According to most Dad’s the longer the stew cooks, the better it tastes. Easy to make ahead of time, freeze and take on the road.
- Chili. Great around a campfire or heating in the microwave. Your favorite chili is an easy meal on the go and can feed a lot of people very easily.
Final Thoughts
Step up your camping cuisine. Planning and preparing a few meals before you leave will give you more time to enjoy the things you love while camping. In short, no matter if you are feeding a hungry group or it’s just a meal for one or two, these easy to heat and eat foods will make eating on the road a lot faster and easier.
