Food Saver meal ideas

[needabrk]

We're leaving for WDW in 9 days and I just got a food saver to try to prepare some quick dinners before the trip. We will be camping at Fort Wilderness with 3 kids (2, 4, and 7). Since it is a busy time at WDW we plan on getting up early, going back for naps, and back to parks for the evenings. I thought I'd prepare some meals ahead of time. I can boil them while the kids nap and serve on plastic plates for an early dinner before returning to the parks. I figure it will be quicker than waiting for food in the parks.

So I'm looking for good meal ideas. Has anyone else done this? What did you take? I thought I'd take spaghetti, chicken and fried rice, but then I start drawing a blank. Maybe meatballs or hamburgers (would a hamburger taste right if it is boiled?). Some kind of potatoes or mac n cheese? My mind just can't think. I'm getting too nervous about the trip

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Scalloped potatoes and ham

Chicken or tuna casserole with some noodles, mixed veggies

Deb

 

[piratesmate]

Although you're boiling the bag, you're not actually boiling the hamburger. It's more like sticking it in the microwave - unless the bag gets a hole in it.

Do your children like sloppy joes? I've done this before, but just used fresh rolls. How about chili or burritos - without tomato or lettuce?

At Christmas time I made up a bunch of meals for my parents. (My mother wasn't able to cook & my father finds it stressful.) I did mine as individual servings. To keep foods from combining, I just sealed smaller "pockets" in the bags. That way the turkey with gravy didn't get all over the beans or mashed potatoes.

What about some of the chicken helper meals - made ahead & put in the bags? We like the creamy garlic chicken - but I add a bag of peas to the mix. This is actually one of DS's favorites. You could even do hot dogs cut up in baked beans & bagged for each person.

Have fun (I'm so jealous!)

Deb

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

It just occured to me that a lot of these ideas would work really well when my GS troop goes on our summer camp out. They want to park it and be camp bums! Fine with me. We use bakepackers a lot which is sort of like a steamer so the bag isn't actually down in the water.

Think I'll have to check and see if any of our troop families have one of those devices!

Thanks!

Deb

 

[needabrk]

These are some good ideas. I tried it on the spaghetti and it worked really well. I can't wait to go to the grocery store and get more food to pre cook! I think this will save us a good bit of time and $$. Still, we want some good dinning experiences at WDW. We are booked for breakfast with Cinderella and I think that will be one of the highlights for my girls!

Deb, thanks for the gift idea. My dad is single and impossible to shop for. There are plenty of times I throw out leftovers. I should just bag them and freeze for him. It would also be great to prepare meals for families who just had babies or shut ins.

 

[piratesmate]

I just thought - what about beef or chicken stew? I'm so hungry for that now that I've thought about it!

Another thought for the girl scouts - DS went camping with the jr high group at church last year & each person was to bring along their own pre-made "foil meal." They made them the first night there, but without any fuss. That might work for the girls. We always liked those meals, but to be honest, it's a mess to put together at the camp site.

Deb

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Oh man, did that bring back a memory of a trip last year! Sorry I'm ROFL to myself so...

The girls decided to "show off" their cooking skills for their parents at bridging ceremony and foil dinners or Hobo dinners as we call them were one of the items. The person who put the packets together 1) forgot the gravy and 2) didn't pinch the foil tightly enough. When those babies were hot we ended up with "dinner" in the fire! Fortunately they'd made enough food for the proverbial army!

Deb