For those who cook during your WDW trip

[sarahothomas]

What are your favorite recipes to cook during your trip? I am staying at the Fort Wilderness cabins for 7 days/6 nights, and I will be cooking dinner at least 4 nights.

 

[robinb]

We are DVC members and we occasionally cook meals. It looks like you'll have a full kitchen (except oven) and a charcoal grill. You're on vacation, so I would keep it simple. I would plan on grilling out at least once, so plan to buy some charcoal. When we've grilled at DVC resorts, we do our sides in the microwave. There are a ton of microwave pouches of rice, potatoes and veggies now that are easy to make. I would also plan on a pasta night. Pasta, sauce, frozen meatballs or italian sausage, bread, quick bag of salad and you're done. I bring any herbs and spices I need in small plastic bags. You may also have to plan to buy a small bottle of oil if you use that kind of thing.

That's all I have for now! I bet others will chime in as they wake up .

 

[sarahothomas]

We are DVC members and we occasionally cook meals. It looks like you'll have a full kitchen (except oven) and a charcoal grill. You're on vacation, so I would keep it simple. I would plan on grilling out at least once, so plan to buy some charcoal. When we've grilled at DVC resorts, we do our sides in the microwave. There are a ton of microwave pouches of rice, potatoes and veggies now that are easy to make. I would also plan on a pasta night. Pasta, sauce, frozen meatballs or italian sausage, bread, quick bag of salad and you're done. I bring any herbs and spices I need in small plastic bags. You may also have to plan to buy a small bottle of oil if you use that kind of thing.

That's all I have for now! I bet others will chime in as they wake up .

Yes, definitely going the simple route! Simple but also not junk food or all pre-packaged (but the microwave veggies or rice is a great idea!)
Thank you

 

[Action City]

We are DVC members and we occasionally cook meals. It looks like you'll have a full kitchen (except oven) and a charcoal grill. You're on vacation, so I would keep it simple. I would plan on grilling out at least once, so plan to buy some charcoal. When we've grilled at DVC resorts, we do our sides in the microwave. There are a ton of microwave pouches of rice, potatoes and veggies now that are easy to make. I would also plan on a pasta night. Pasta, sauce, frozen meatballs or italian sausage, bread, quick bag of salad and you're done. I bring any herbs and spices I need in small plastic bags. You may also have to plan to buy a small bottle of oil if you use that kind of thing.

That's all I have for now! I bet others will chime in as they wake up .

There are potatoes that are grill ready, if they are available around WDW. We love Little Potato for anything...grill, oven, stove. https://www.littlepotatoes.com/en/products/

 

[Klayfish]

We always stay offsite and we don't eat in WDW restaurants...we pack all of our food, and I mean all of it...full dinners for 5 sometimes. We will do very simple things and we do it in bulk. For example, we'll buy two family sized packages of boneless/skinless chicken breast. We often cook it plain, but if you want you could throw bread crumbs on it or something like that. Minimal prep time and it will give you meals for days. We'll cut some of it up and DW will put it plain in her salad (she buys salad mix from the grocery store, so no prep work), we'll put BBQ sauce on it for the kids, and I'll put something else on it for me. We used bagged frozen veggies a lot. We also use baby carrots...no peeling, no prep, just open and eat. For the kids, we'll also do things like pasta and meatballs, as previously mentioned. We will also do some boxed stuff, like mac and cheese for the kids, to use as a side dish.

Cooking in bulk works really well for us. We only have to cook once every 4 or 5 days, and the things we do are really simple.

 

[Action City]

What about breakfast for dinner? That is typically something that is easy and relatively inexpensive...pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, etc.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I had planned to ask the same thing before our trip. We are renting an off-site condo at WDW, and we will eat breakfast and probably either lunch or dinner there each day. This is what I'm thinking so far:

Buffalo chicken (chicken breasts, packet of ranch dressing mix, bottle of wing sauce, in crockpot on low for 6-7 hours, then shred with forks), mac and cheese, veggies
Grilled chicken on salads
Steaks and baked potatoes (if we have a grill)
Frozen lasagna, garlic bread, salad

 

[TwoMisfits]

What are your favorite recipes to cook during your trip? I am staying at the Fort Wilderness cabins for 7 days/6 nights, and I will be cooking dinner at least 4 nights.

Think less "recipes" and more "easy few ingredient options"...

Like the PP's buffalo chicken idea, but I'd change it to baked chicken tenders...buffalo glaze is pretty much a bottle of wing sauce mixed with some butter and then the dish is served with either ranch or blue cheese and some celery or carrot sticks...it's a great idea b/c it takes 1-2 minutes of prep, very few ingredients (and of those ingredients, all can be used in other dishes - another big plus), and cooks without you so no effort there, either...and it's one bowl/one cookie sheet mess ready for a dishwasher...

I'd do baked buffalo chicken tenders, celery/carrots with blue cheese dressing, hawaiian sweet rolls (or a biscuit) so folks can make sandwiches if they want...and I'd add a fresh fruit (or a smoothie if coming from the parks, b/c I always make smoothies after park days)...

So, now you'd have extra butter (easy to use), blue cheese dressing (iceberg wedge salads with bacon crumbles, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, and the dressing - done), and carrots and celery (more veg trays) - so nothing really to use up...

So continuing...since now I have bacon and blue cheese crumbles, I'd make bacon and blue cheese burgers with some baked sweet potato fries (sweet potatoes offset the "funk" of blue cheese, and give some extra nutrients) and some more fresh fruit...

See how the idea works - what you like, keep using in new ways til it's gone...

 

[sarahothomas]

Think less "recipes" and more "easy few ingredient options"...

Like the PP's buffalo chicken idea, but I'd change it to baked chicken tenders...buffalo glaze is pretty much a bottle of wing sauce mixed with some butter and then the dish is served with either ranch or blue cheese and some celery or carrot sticks...it's a great idea b/c it takes 1-2 minutes of prep, very few ingredients (and of those ingredients, all can be used in other dishes - another big plus), and cooks without you so no effort there, either...and it's one bowl/one cookie sheet mess ready for a dishwasher...

I'd do baked buffalo chicken tenders, celery/carrots with blue cheese dressing, hawaiian sweet rolls (or a biscuit) so folks can make sandwiches if they want...and I'd add a fresh fruit (or a smoothie if coming from the parks, b/c I always make smoothies after park days)...

So, now you'd have extra butter (easy to use), blue cheese dressing (iceberg wedge salads with bacon crumbles, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, and the dressing - done), and carrots and celery (more veg trays) - so nothing really to use up...

So continuing...since now I have bacon and blue cheese crumbles, I'd make bacon and blue cheese burgers with some baked sweet potato fries (sweet potatoes offset the "funk" of blue cheese, and give some extra nutrients) and some more fresh fruit...

See how the idea works - what you like, keep using in new ways til it's gone...

LOVE this!! I even love the "options" you listed here, although I'd have to modify things a bit for my BIL. Great ideas!!

 

[sarahothomas]

What about breakfast for dinner? That is typically something that is easy and relatively inexpensive...pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, etc.

Breakfast for dinner is ALWAYS a sound decision in my book! Thank you

 

[sarahothomas]

I had planned to ask the same thing before our trip. We are renting an off-site condo at WDW, and we will eat breakfast and probably either lunch or dinner there each day. This is what I'm thinking so far:

Buffalo chicken (chicken breasts, packet of ranch dressing mix, bottle of wing sauce, in crockpot on low for 6-7 hours, then shred with forks), mac and cheese, veggies
Grilled chicken on salads
Steaks and baked potatoes (if we have a grill)
Frozen lasagna, garlic bread, salad

Love it!! I make a very similar buffalo chicken dip at home already
I'm thinking steaks and potatoes will have to be on the menu for us, too. Steak is my husband's specialty, so not only is it delicious but it also gives me a break from cooking one of the nights

 

[robinb]

Speaking of baked potatoes, you can also do a baked potato bar type of thing with cheese, sour cream, pre-cooked bacon, canned chili, etc.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I keep it easy

Chicken tacos and fajitas
Tuna steaks with microwave veggies and rice
Rotisserie chicken with salad and microwave mashed potatoes
veggie burgers and baked potato wedges
Spaghetti with jarred sauce and garlic bread, salad

Basically anything I think of as a weeknight meal, I cook it while.on vacation too. I try to keep clean up easy.

 

[QueenIsabella]

We tend to do "at home, but simpler", if that makes sense. That means, I don't do so much from scratch. So, we're all about jarred spaghetti sauce and frozen meatballs, for example.

Some of the other things we do are: throw some extra marinated chicken breasts on the charcoal if you're grilling--use them later in the week, in salads or as a good base for sandwiches or other dishes. On the first day, I make a big batch of my pasta salad, which then becomes a snack or a side. Ironically, I don't care for it, but my family gobbles it up. Taco meat is quick, and I know my gang would have them twice in a week, no problem. You could do tacos one night, then burritos another time, or taco salads, etc.

You probably won't have a crockpot, unless you bring one, so skip those kinds of meals. Instead, I would do big batches of stuff--if you cook double the burgers, you can have them again for another meal, super quick.

We do break-and-bake cookies as a nice treat, but also have a bowl of fruit out. I do get some snack foods, because it's vacation, but try to have ones with some redeeming value--pita chips and hummus, apples with nutella or peanut butter, that kind of thing.

 

[sarahothomas]

Thanks everyone ya'll have some great ideas for dinners.
All I need now is a live-in chef to cook for me on vacation!

 

[gmar1210]

For those who bring all this food to the parks, where do you eat it in the parks?

 

[queenofthehive]

For those who bring all this food to the parks, where do you eat it in the parks?

MK- Tom Sawyers Island: go to Aunt Polly's restaurant (fake structure) by the river and there is gazebo there with tables. You can have nice picnic there and watch the riverboat go by. Also, the hub benches are nice - good view of castle.
Epcot - love the benches along water in world showcase. UK has lots of nice benches to eat behind the shops. Pretty garden area.
AK - lots of tables along the river between Africa and Asia.
HS - this one is the hardest- maybe benches along Sunset Avenue and maybe the tables outside of where Starring Rolls used to be.

 

[Klayfish]

For those who bring all this food to the parks, where do you eat it in the parks?

QS places. And no, we don't take spots away from paying guests. The larger ones always have open tables. Or during super busy times, like Christmas, some of the smaller ones that have outside tables that nobody ever uses.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

A roasted chicken from deli. Add a side of those mini potatoes -boil and toss with butter and add a microwave veggie side. That's one of our quick go to take out kinda meals at home.

 

[jsmla]

We usually drive and I make ahead and freeze things like lasagna, gumbo and taco meat. Once there I buy produce, dairy and sandwich fixings.

Even if flying I recommend packing your spices. It gets pricey buying them there.

I use disposable pans and crockpot liners for easy cleanup.