Need meal ideas for cabin cooking-

[HollyinNNV]

Going on a vacation where I'll be doing all the cooking for a week (family of four). I'll have two small dorm sized refrigerators and a two burner hot plate. I could probably also bring a crockpot (or two). I've never tried this type of vacation before and I'm having a hard time planning meals. I keep thinking of things that would require refrigeration! Any ideas for meals or websites that might help? Healthy meals a plus!

 

TIA,

Holly

 

ETA: The nearest grocery is 30 minutes away, so I can't go shopping constantly, like I usually do at home.

[Lara in Colo]

One of my favorite ways to cook while camping is to pre-cook and freeze as much as possible. Pasta with chicken and mush and onion works well.

For other meals just cook ahead of time the separate ingredients and freeze. This saves cooking space/time and helps avoid the meltdown ice soup in the cooler.

 

Lara

[hmschooln]

Okay don't know if where you are going if you can use a campfire, but one of my favorite things to do when we go. is use a dutch oven and cook over fire or coals. You can make all kinds of things that way, breads, cakes, cinnamon rolls, one pot meals, you name it. I always pre chop everything before we go and stick in baggies and freeze things that can be frozen an have two coolers one for frozen items and one for things that stay refrigerated. Works great. I'd be happy to send you a few recipes if you wanted just pm me. Hope that helps. Have a great vacation.:001_smile:

[Brilliant]

I do cabin cooking a lot, with a full-size fridge available that is unreliable (doesn't keep food very cold).

 

Lara's idea of cooking food and freezing it is a good one. If there's not enough room in the little fridges, you can leave some food in your coolers, and start using the items as they defrost. This is a good technique for beef stew, sausages or hot dogs, and breakfast sausage. If your family eats scrambled eggs, you can even break the eggs into a freezer baggy (however many eggs make a meal for your family) and freeze.

 

Later in the week when your fresh/frozen food is depleted, you can move to more dried/canned foods. Potato/onion soup in the crockpot, bean soup from either dried or canned beans.

 

Canned chicken and tuna are staples for our cabin - great for hot or cold sandwiches.

 

Since your fridge space is so limited, only bring milk for drinking - if you need some for cooking (potato soup), bring powdered.

 

I try to use tortillas in meals at the end of the week b/c they stay fresh longer than bread. Chicken/cheese quesadillas are yummy and easy.

 

Those are all the ideas that I can come up with that don't require an oven or microwave. Hope it helps.

[i.love.lucy]

If you have a campfire available there are all kind of websites devoted to recipes for use when camping. On favorite we made recently on a girl scout camping trip was to pre-make mexican rice, and then have ingredients like grilled chicken (we premade but you could grill there), fajita meat, corn, tomatoes, blk olives, onions, salsa, cheese, etc and made "packets" out of foil. Each kid got to pick what they wanted in their packet. It was fun and yummy. You can also do fish like salmon or tilapia very nicely in packets with whatever veg and spices you like. Serve with pan fried potatoes or rice.

 

I also premake chili and freeze since it heats up nicely over the fire or on a hot plate. Bring fritos and cheese and you have Frito Pie!

 

Quesadillas is a great option as someone mentioned.

 

Just about anything you can premake, freeze, and then heat up in a pan is doable. Jambalaya or gumbo, stir fry, taco meat for tacos or taco salads, roasted chicken you can dice for a fresher chicken salad or chicken n' rice.

 

This is a great site for recipes.

 

Have fun!! We don't head to our cabin until August but I am really looking forward to it this year as the drought here has ended and the river ought to have some water!