cooking ideas?

[disfanRN]

We are camping for the first time with our new travel trailer at Fort Wilderness in June. I am trying to figure out what to cook while we are there.
We have some PS (or AR's now) but plan on eating at the campsite most of the time to save $$ becasue we are staying so long- 17 nights. I thought of doing some make ahead frozen spaghetti sauce, etc, but don't know if it will save much time anyway, and we sort of need something to keep us at the camp site for a few hours because our doggie is coming. She sleeps most of the time (she's 14) but if I have to actually cook, we will spend more time with her.
So, what do you cook while camping? I'd love some ideas, we have an oven, stove top and I thought of bringing the crock pot. Thanks for any ideas!

 

[campingcorgi]

I take an electric skillet, too, and can make lots of things in it. Hamburger helper, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, hot dogs and beans, grilled cheese sandwiches--I've done all these. In the crock pot I make chicken casserole and other things like that.

 

[ugadog99]

Let's see, we plan on spaghetti a couple of nights, tacos with chips and salsa, grilled hamburgers, grilled sausages, and we have thought of grilling chicken breasts and making salads with the chicken tossed in. I may take my crockpot for the spaghetti. I have also thought about browning up the meat for the tacos and spaghetti ahead of time and just freezing it. We want to spend time at the camper, but I don't want a lot of time spent cooking.

 

[grumpy's Mrs.]

Food Planning. .....Now that we are doing the dining plan I guess I wont have to cook much. RV staple...Breakfast burritos.....cook in electric skillet......brown sausage and onions , mushrooms, potatos, whatever add eggs and cheese.My kids love these, We also take steaks potatoes and salad, hotdogs for the kids and if we see a seafood store we buy fresh shrimp to boil or grill.Oh and don't forget the brownie mix and some disposable aluminum pans. My DH wants me to start using the electric fry pan outside so the fire alarm doen't go off ..not burning anything just bacon fumes set it off.

 

[mrsgus06]

Pork roast in the crock pot is good. I take the juice from the crock pot and cook my rice in that, making "greasy rice". The next day I shred the left over roast and add bbq sauce and reheat it in the crock pot for bbq sandwiches and baked beans. I always cook my spaghetti ahead of time and freeze it. I have not had much success with Fl water and spaghetti noodles. I have a water filter in the new camper so I may try it again while down there. I also cook a regular roast with potatos and carrots in the crock pot. On the nights we go to the campfire/movie, I will take hotdogs for the kids to roast and eat with chips. I also take my griddle for bacon and pancakes. My kids love breakfast for dinner. The griddle is also good for grilled cheese, steak ums, fried bologna and philly steak sandwiches or any other concoction the kids can come up with and you don't have to use the stove inside the camper.

 

[campingcorgi]

I do most of my cooking outside the rv. I don't like to heat up the rv or set off the smoke alarm. It also gives me a little more space. I got one of those outdoor kitchens and keep the toaster oven and electric skillet on it and just cover it with a tarp when I'm not cooking.

 

[disfanRN]

This is our first trip, as I said, and reading these posts it sounds like many don't enjoy cooking inside the camper- are there problems cooking inside? I specifically looked for a trailer with an oven and nice stove so I could cook- do you think it will be a waste?

 

[mrsgus06]

The only reason I cook outside is so I can keep an eye on the kids. I have found that very rarely do I spend time in the camper except when sleeping. I think it is because it becomes small after a while and kind of cramped. We even take our board games over to the covered porch at the pool to play them there instead of the dining room table in the camper. Now I have to think about why we spent so much money on our camper and never enjoy it. I don't think it is a waste to cook in the camper, but but the smell sure would linger. Plus if you were frying hamburgers instead of grilling them the neighbors around you would not have watering mouths. Nothing beats an afternoon of golf cart riding to smell what others are grilling!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

We use the grill most of the time for dinner, I cook at home with charcoal so I am used to it. We also have a 10qt cast iron dutch oven that will fit in the grill. We have made everything from casseroles to deserts in it.
for lunch we usually just have sandwiches and for breakfast we use the electric skillet. Breakfast can vary from quick cereal to a full blown pancake, ham, eggs, potatoes conflabulation.
everything taste better at FW

MrsGus... shouldnt you be packing soon ?
be sure and say "howdy" to everyone at FW for us.

 

[ugadog99]

The reason I don't want to cook in the camper is because it is just a popup! Too smelly for me. I take my griddle and other items outside and use the outside stove for my cooking. When we camped in a "real" TT, my mom always cooked inside and it was fine. If I had something besides a popup, I would probably cook in.

 

[mrsgus06]

BigDisneyDaddy,

Sadly, the new fifth wheel is in the driveway and already packed. I was all ready to go until hubby decided we needed a surburban instead of the conversion van so now I have an appointment to install a tow package on the new vehicle. Other than that, I am just waiting for the girls to come home (they have been gone over a week with my parents camping) and counting down the days! I think I am down to 13 now, but who's counting? ME!!!!!!!!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I am confused, why would you need a tow pkg on a suburban when you have a fifth wheel ? dont let them charge you big $$$ to put a brake controller in the sub. its probably the easiest vehicle in the world to install one in.

BTW, my apologies for highjacking the post

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I am confused, why would you need a tow pkg on a suburban when you have a fifth wheel ? dont let them charge you big $$$ to put a brake controller in the sub. its probably the easiest vehicle in the world to install one in.

BTW, my apologies for highjacking the post

The closest I will get to anything Disney this summer is the concert I went to last night. We saw Off Kilter play at the Highland games in Alma. A good time was had by all

 

[lab_girl]

This is our first trip, as I said, and reading these posts it sounds like many don't enjoy cooking inside the camper- are there problems cooking inside? I specifically looked for a trailer with an oven and nice stove so I could cook- do you think it will be a waste?

Just the smell thing mainly for us...we cook mostly on the small BBQ/Grill we bring with us.
Good BBQ website is http://www.qscene.com/

 

[mrsgus06]

Sorry, did not mean to confuse you. Because I am staying so long, I need my vehicle down there. Because my vehicle is going down there, I can pull the golf cart down on our utility trailer. My conversion van had the hitch but the surburban does not. Hubby will tow the fifth wheel with the dually, leaving on Friday, staying at Lazy Days so they can do one more thing to the camper and then going to Ft. W on Sat to set up. I will leave Sat morning with the kids and golf cart so, hopefully, he will already be set up and waiting on us. By the way, last weekend, we had to extend our stay at Lazy Days (in Tampa) and you guessed it, I rented a car for the day and went to Disney by myself. My kids would kill me if they knew that. I parked at Ft. W because I wanted to surprise Ms. Sundee (I did) and spent 8 hours in the MK BY MYSELF!! I have never done that in my whole life. I shopped till I dropped. SHHHHHH.....don't tell the kids!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

These complex explanations make my head hurt

 

[Laura_Lewis]

This is our first trip, as I said, and reading these posts it sounds like many don't enjoy cooking inside the camper- are there problems cooking inside? I specifically looked for a trailer with an oven and nice stove so I could cook- do you think it will be a waste?

We have always cooked outside for the most part come to think of it. My inlaws have camped for years and have always done the same. My husband sets up a grill, several skillets and two tables and we are set. I have a microwave/convection oven inside so I may use it to bake or heat already prepared items. It helps to keep the mess down in the MH. Keep in mind that when frying or cooking foods that give off strong odors (onions) the mess just doesn't stay contained in the galley area - even using the exhaust fans. We also like to eat outside (we are still 'camping' afterall ) so it's not as far to carry the food. Besides by cooking outside my husband does the majority of the cooking

As others mentioned electric skillets/griddles are a must. I don't know if your family likes breakfast foods, but a trick we have discovered is making 'camping omelets'. We have an outdoor campstove on which we boil a large pot of water. Basically, you take 2 quart freezer bags and add eggs and what ever else strikes your fancy into the freezer bags and boil the bags. This works well, everyone eats at the same time and has a customized omelete. Didn't mean for this to be so long, so if you want more details let me know and I'll provide the instructions. Whatever you decide, as my MIL always says "I don't care what you cook while camping, it just tastes better" Bon Apetit!

 

[jdk5672]

One of our favorites is Chicken Packets. We do these on the gas grill at home, but they can easily be done anywhere you have heat...

Cut Chicken breasts into strips and pour a bit of italian dressing over them.

Slice any veggies you want thinly. I usually use squash, carrots, red potato, and onion.

On a sheet of foil (I use the Reynolds Wrappers $1.00 per box at WM) place a couple of strips of chicken, cover with veggies and roll to seal the packet.

If you run out of chicken before you run out of veggies make some veggie packets, but add a small amt. of butter or olive oil.

Toss them on the grill or in the over for about 30 minutes. Pull one to check and either eat or cook a little longer.

Yummy!

 

[FletchFab5]

We eat spaghetti alot when we're camping--I always make a big pot of sauce and put half in the freezer, then when we camp I bring the sauce (frozen) and a gallon jug of bottled water to cook the noodles on the stove. (I'm a little particular about water and you never know what you're going to get at the campgrounds, even with a filter so I don't take any chances!) I microwave the sauce and my husband cooks the garlic bread on the grill.

I also marinate chicken breasts in a ziploc bag when I buy them, throw them in the freezer, then when we're camping my husband grills them. The easiest and the best--I think--is just using Kikkoman's Teryikai Marinade--not even any mixing. My kids love that. I make pasta salad at home and bring it with us in the fridge to eat with it. The microwave can be used for veggies too--or the Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil bags. I have found the Reynolds Wrap website to have tons of recipes that are really good for camping since everything's disposable!! (The board won't let me post the site, but if you Google Reynolds Wrap it'll get you there)

 

[PixieDust32]

WOW!

Thanks for all the ideas!

I normally cook, Hamb helper, Mac n Cheese, Hamburgers, dogs, fajitas, pancakes, eggs n bacon.