5 Tips To Become the “Iron Chef” of Your Campsite
Cooking on the go can be a challenge, but it’s as easy to make tasty meals in an RV as it is at home, as long as you know a few tips and tricks along the way.
While RV galleys are designed to be spacious and allow for gourmet cooking, there usually isn’t as much room as in full-sized kitchens. Smart packing and preparation make a big difference. Do those right, and you might eat better in an RV than at home!
Nearly every Fleetwood RV is stacked with a fully-functional kitchen so you can feel right at home, no matter where your journey takes you.
Additionally, being in a new environment can make a familiar meal feel new again. Who wouldn’t want to eat their favorite meal under the stars, or in the shadow of a high mountain?
For those who want to elevate their foodie experience in their RV, here are a few tips and tricks to simplify cooking on the go:
1. DEVELOP A MEAL PLAN
Before your RV trip, take a little time to plan some menus. This takes a lot of stress out of cooking, especially if you have picky eaters in your group. You can make your meals as simple, like traditional hot dogs and s’mores, or you can stick a small roast in the oven and have leftovers for a few days. It’s a good idea to know what you want ahead of time so you can make sure you have all of the supplies you will need. It will also help those picky eaters put their suggestions into the hat so everyone in your group can enjoy the menu.
A quick and easy way to jot down your food choices is to write out the meal plan beforehand and distribute it to everyone traveling with you. This way you can switch things around if you’d like, but you’ll still have everything you need. Once you have your menus planned, make a shopping list and print out any recipes you need, which will make sticking to the plan much easier if something unexpected comes along.
2. CHOOSE EASY-TO-MAKE MEALS
Simple meals are a staple when going out camping, and you can make them in lots of different ways. One option is to put together premade ingredient mixes. Having these mixes on hand is an easy way to whip up a quick meal that would usually require additional cooking time. This could include things like:
- Soup with dehydrated vegetables
- Vegetable mix to form veggie burgers
- Pancake mix or batter
- Premade salad mixes
- Frozen Crockpot meals
3. UTILIZE YOUR AT-HOME CROCKPOT EXPERTISE
If those aren’t your thing, you could try one-dish meals, or even sheet pan meals. Basically, anything you can make in one big pot or dish is fair game – a pot of pasta, a stir fry, or maybe a kettle of potluck soup. While everyone has a crockpot or two in their kitchen at home, having one on the road can be a lifesaver.
Just turn on the pot, go do something fun, and when you get back, dinner is ready. And, of course, there isn’t much better than leftovers after a big crockpot meal. Spaghetti sauce, beef stew, and tons of other things always seem to taste great the next day. Use your existing crockpot expertise on the road for a simpler way to make dinner. Again, with a Fleetwood RV, you will have access to a full kitchen – But who wants to waste time prepping food when you’re out on the go?!
4. PORTION, PORTION, PORTION
After you have decided on which foods you will bring along, it’s always a good idea pack extra spices. Don’t bother bringing along big bottles if you can help it. Instead, put what you need in a labeled plastic baggie to save space. Premix and measure whatever you can from home, to save time and space. This could be a small tin of dry ingredients for cookie dough or a thermos of milk instead of a whole gallon.
As you have probably encountered in your travels, bringing more than you need can quickly turn into a hassle, especially if things are in containers that aren’t easy to move around.
This idea also works for when you’re picking up stuff at the store, like fresh fruits and vegetables, or a new loaf of bread. Not everything can be bought in travel sizes, but it’s usually better to get what you need in travel size packs than to get more than you need in economy packs. It won’t do campers any good if you don’t have anywhere to put everything you’ve bought.
5. EXPERIMENT WITH OTHER TRAVELERS RECIPES
Most important of all, don’t forget that you can learn new recipes wherever you go. Sometimes, you can have all your meals planned out, in perfect portions, and then you learn about amazing local food that you just love and have to have again. Just because you have meal plans, you don’t have to stick to them perfectly all the time. This also gives you great conversation starters with nearby travelers. If you get a chance to try new cuisine, go for it – you might find your new favorite! There’s always a way to make meals fun on an RV trip.
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