Staying in a DVC Villa...Do you ever cook dinner?

[ali in wonderland]

My family of six are heading to WDW for 10 days in July. Since it's a long trip I'm looking to save some money by making a few dinners in our two bedroom villa. I usually order some groceries from Garden Grocer. I'm thinking alternating cooking nights with dining out nights. I cook a lot at home, and I enjoy it. However, since this is my vacation, I am looking for quick and easy ideas. Things that don't take a lot of ingredients since we fly home and what is not used will go in the garbage. I will make pasta one night. Any suggestions of what else I could make?

 

[mjbaby]

However, since this is my vacation, I am looking for quick and easy ideas. Things that don't take a lot of ingredients since we fly home and what is not used will go in the garbage. I will make pasta one night. Any suggestions of what else I could make?

Taco salad is one of our vacation favorites. Order a taco kit along with your groceries, a bag of salad mix, and some ground meat (we've used turkey and beef with equally good success). Cook up the meat and season, and use it to top the lettuce (we tear it into little pieces, but you don't have to), along with crunched up taco shells, grated cheese, and taco sauce or salsa. If you're up to it, dice up half a bell pepper and drain a can of black beans to add in (use half the can for four people).

You can use the rest of the pepper, beans, and some cheese to make a quick pasta salad on another day. Mix up with some italian-style dressing and serve on top of (another bag of lettuce). I love these kinds of recipes where ingredients can do doubly duty!

You might also consider a "cocktail party" night with crudites and dip, cheese and crackers, pepperoni and olives, etc. These little nibbles can fill up just as much as a full meal can but are virtually effort-free. If you're feeling like you want something more substantial, order a box of some kind of heat-able hors d'oeuvres like spanikopita or pigs in blankets.

 

[artemis4]

We vacation in time share condos all the time, and I do a lot of cooking while in vacation. We only eat out 2-3 nights of our vacations, ethnic cuisines we can't easily get at home, and we usually pack lunches (Disney was an exception to the packing lunches for us, but we still brought snacks in). Now, we drive, so we can easily bring along a crockpot, small amounts of spices or ingredients I would necessarily buy at the destination, so some of what I do may not work for you.

Some of the things I do on vacation:

Sloppy joes
Homemade mac and cheese
Variety of pasta dishes (ziti, spag with meatballs, alfredo with a protein, wine sauce with a protein, "sauceless" pastas with sausage and broc)
Marinaded chicken breasts with rice or a salad
Tacos
Sweet & sour meatballs with rice
BBQ shredded chicken sliders
Broiled pork chops with starch and veg
Stir fry (bring soy from home via the many leftover packets we seem to acquire even though we rarely get Chinese takeout)

We always build in a leftover night or lunch near the end of the trip, to clean out the fridge.

I email recipes to myself and keep them in my webmail for easy reference if I don't have them online already.

If I was flying, I'd probably think ahead to an exact menu plan and ingredient list. I'd stick small amounts of spices, labeled for the meal, into zip lock on my check in luggage. I'd try to build multiple meals around the same starch (pasta, rice or potato) and same protein (chicken, beef or pork) to simplify buying and cooking. If possible, on the first night, I'd do a quick OAMC cooking thing and prep all the basics for the meals (cook and shred chicken, chop veggies, bag stuff together, etc). Driving lets me do this in advance, but taking a little time on the first night to prep can make all the rest of the evenings where you cook so much easier.

 

[lovin'fl]

Members since 2006 with 9 DVC trips under our belt and never cooked a dinner.

But suggestions: grilled cheese and soup or rubens (though more ingredient intensive). Or breakfast for dinner. Naan bread BBQ chicken pizzas.

 

[ali in wonderland]

Taco salad is one of our vacation favorites. Order a taco kit along with your groceries, a bag of salad mix, and some ground meat (we've used turkey and beef with equally good success). Cook up the meat and season, and use it to top the lettuce (we tear it into little pieces, but you don't have to), along with crunched up taco shells, grated cheese, and taco sauce or salsa. If you're up to it, dice up half a bell pepper and drain a can of black beans to add in (use half the can for four people). You can use the rest of the pepper, beans, and some cheese to make a quick pasta salad on another day. Mix up with some italian-style dressing and serve on top of (another bag of lettuce). I love these kinds of recipes where ingredients can do doubly duty! You might also consider a "cocktail party" night with crudites and dip, cheese and crackers, pepperoni and olives, etc. These little nibbles can fill up just as much as a full meal can but are virtually effort-free. If you're feeling like you want something more substantial, order a box of some kind of heat-able hors d'oeuvres like spanikopita or pigs in blankets.

Thank you for the ideas. Tacos are one of our favorites so I will defiantly do that.

 

[ali in wonderland]

We vacation in time share condos all the time, and I do a lot of cooking while in vacation. We only eat out 2-3 nights of our vacations, ethnic cuisines we can't easily get at home, and we usually pack lunches (Disney was an exception to the packing lunches for us, but we still brought snacks in). Now, we drive, so we can easily bring along a crockpot, small amounts of spices or ingredients I would necessarily buy at the destination, so some of what I do may not work for you. Some of the things I do on vacation: Sloppy joes Homemade mac and cheese Variety of pasta dishes (ziti, spag with meatballs, alfredo with a protein, wine sauce with a protein, "sauceless" pastas with sausage and broc) Marinaded chicken breasts with rice or a salad Tacos Sweet & sour meatballs with rice BBQ shredded chicken sliders Broiled pork chops with starch and veg Stir fry (bring soy from home via the many leftover packets we seem to acquire even though we rarely get Chinese takeout) We always build in a leftover night or lunch near the end of the trip, to clean out the fridge. I email recipes to myself and keep them in my webmail for easy reference if I don't have them online already. If I was flying, I'd probably think ahead to an exact menu plan and ingredient list. I'd stick small amounts of spices, labeled for the meal, into zip lock on my check in luggage. I'd try to build multiple meals around the same starch (pasta, rice or potato) and same protein (chicken, beef or pork) to simplify buying and cooking. If possible, on the first night, I'd do a quick OAMC cooking thing and prep all the basics for the meals (cook and shred chicken, chop veggies, bag stuff together, etc). Driving lets me do this in advance, but taking a little time on the first night to prep can make all the rest of the evenings where you cook so much easier.

Thanks for responding. I didn't even think of saving our condiments from takeout. I better start saving now. We could easily have ketchup, salt pepper, and soy sauce to bring. Also great idea about brining some spices from home in my carry-on. Lucky you getting to bring your slow cooker. How nice it would be to have dinner cooking while we are at the parks, and ready to eat when we got back.

 

[AndreaDM]

Use one of those 7 day pill box things for small amounts of spices.

 

[crisi]

We don't but its easy to do. (We do make eggs for breakfast every morning, but not dinner).

If you are driving down, consider bringing a crockpot. Since you are flying back, you could ship it back home. Or buy one at goodwill and leave it behind.

Consider the weather, chili is easy crockpot food, but to my Minnesota mind, is more of a Winter food, where pulled pork is more of a summer food. Menu plan around "will I want to eat this when its hot?"

Many of the DVC resorts have grills, but you'll need charcoal, which adds hassle and expense. But if you are driving.....

DVC kitchens are pretty well stocked, but don't have an endless stock of mixing bowls, etc (I wouldn't want to cook Thanksgiving dinner out of one). Here is a list of what is in the kitchen (its the same all over)....

http://allears.net/acc/bwv_kit.htm

Cook family favorites that are fast and you can make with your eyes shut - it isn't a good time to try some strange curry dish you've heard about.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We are at aulani now and I have cooked pasta, chicken and pizza. Plus salads, chips and salsa and cheese and crackers. And wine of course. Plus breakfast every day and a few lunches. Leftovers from dinner make a great lunch in the microwave. If you are going to cook recommend you get extra dishwasher soap, paper towels and napkins because you will need them. I do dishes after breakfast and again at the end of the day. I also buy extra toilet paper and detergent. Run out of both quickly and you don't have to run around looking for extra. We have a one bedroom and with the washer and dryer I can bring less underwear, etc but usually wash every day.

 

[rentayenta]

We like to use the grills.

 

[tigger51276]

I do a lot of cooking on our DVC trips every year. We do a few table service and counter service, but we are there for 2 weeks and I prefer to make most of our meals. We do all our breakfasts except for one in the room also. My kids eat while I get ready and have my morning coffee. This is what I have planned for this trip with a bunch of meals being made twice while there:

Chicken Patty Sandwiches,Pasta w/alfredo sauce,Mac and Cheese,Subs (chicken breast, ham, bologne and cheese),Hot dogs,Cheeseburgers,PBJ and fluff,Chef boy-ar-dee,pizza,grilled cheese,cesar salad,steak and cheese subs,Chicken fingers

 

[louanneyis]

I would necessarily buy at the destination, so some of what I do may not work for you.

 

[Marionnette]

My family of six are heading to WDW for 10 days in July. Since it's a long trip I'm looking to save some money by making a few dinners in our two bedroom villa. I usually order some groceries from Garden Grocer. I'm thinking alternating cooking nights with dining out nights. I cook a lot at home, and I enjoy it. However, since this is my vacation, I am looking for quick and easy ideas. Things that don't take a lot of ingredients since we fly home and what is not used will go in the garbage. I will make pasta one night. Any suggestions of what else I could make?

The DVC kitchens are not as fully-equipped as the kitchens you would have in a house or some of the other condos in the area. Things that you might take for granted at home like mixing bowls, more than one skillet and sharp knives just aren't there for you to grab quickly. So you need to plan to use more convenience foods than you would at home.

Tubs of shredded BBQ pork or chicken with rolls and a tub of cole slaw and frozen french fries worked for us for one quick meal.

We did a frozen lasagna with a loaf of Italian bread and bagged salad another night.

For another dinner, we used tubs of pre-made mashed potatoes, beef tips in gravy and bags of mixed vegetables that can be steamed in the microwave.

For every meal, I made it a point to put out cheeses, crackers, cut raw vegetables and dip for everyone to munch on while dinner was heating up. It prevented them from turning to the chips and cookies that we had for snacking.

I also kept a large bowl of cut-up fruit for both breakfast and after-dinner dessert. But we often walked to the QS location for something sweet.

 

[Suger Mag]

we use our DVC kitchen a lot... not a big fan of WDW food... across the board way too much money for the quality... even at the signatures. One or two special meals or snacks. We do a lot of sandwiches... I buy perishbles like milk, cheese, half and half when we get there... but I bring a bunch of our own food from home in my suitcases. Stuff that travels well like coffee, canned foods, bagels, and boxed stuff like cereals and Annie's macncheese... but also less obvious stuff that can also travel well like frozen steaks and Trader Joe's mandarin chicken in a small soft cooler with ice packs... We only have a 3 hour flight, and the meats have always been nice and cold when unpacked... and since we pack lunches for the parks the small soft cooler and ice packs are handy.

 

[Marionnette]

we use our DVC kitchen a lot... not a big fan of WDW food... across the board way too much money for the quality... even at the signatures. One or two special meals or snacks. We do a lot of sandwiches... I buy perishbles like milk, cheese, half and half when we get there... but I bring a bunch of our own food from home in my suitcases. Stuff that travels well like coffee, canned foods, bagels, and boxed stuff like cereals and Annie's macncheese... but also less obvious stuff that can also travel well like frozen steaks and Trader Joe's mandarin chicken in a small soft cooler with ice packs... We only have a 3 hour flight, and the meats have always been nice and cold when unpacked... and since we pack lunches for the parks the small soft cooler and ice packs are handy.

And if they lose your luggage for a few days, you have a real smelly mess on your hands. I would NEVER pack perishables in my checked luggage!

 

[tasha99]

And if they lose your luggage for a few days, you have a real smelly mess on your hands. I would NEVER pack perishables in my checked luggage!

Having lived in Alaska, I've traveled with fish several times. Frozen fish tightly packed in a cooler down, fresh fruits and vegies up. You use a separate cooler and duct tape it shut. No regular ice is allowed though I think dry ice is.

 

[pjlla]

I haven't read all of the responses, but I will say this..... CROCKPOT, CROCKPOT, CROCKPOT!!

It can be SUPER EASY and dinner will be ready when you walk in the door, tired and hungry from a long day in the parks!!

If you have a crockpot, consider shipping it down ahead of time or even just checking it as luggage (as long as you don't have to pay for it). You could also buy a used one at a thrift store or yard sale (I've seen really nice ones for $5) and ship it down and then just leave it.

A piece of pork loin cooked on low all day, shredded, and then topped with bbq sauce. If I was home I might add some spices or onion at the start, but could easily be done without to make things easier. A bag of bulky rolls and a side of green veggie and/or applesauce and you are good!

Boneless chicken thighs (preferably skinless), topped with chunky spaghetti sauce and a bag of frozen sliced onions and peppers (usually labeled for fajitas)and cooked on low for several hours.... serve with cooked pasta and you have some pretty easy chicken cacciatore. Again, if I were home I would probably use fresh onions and peppers and maybe add some parmesean, but trying to keep things easier.

I actually have several quick crockpot recipes (including breakfasts and desserts) I could share, but I don't want to clog things up here..... but let me know if you would like any other ideas. Or there is always Pinterest.... but I would suggest TRYING these recipes at home at least once before counting on them on vacation.

BTW, if possible, use a crockpot that automatically goes to WARM after the allotted cooking time, just in case you end up staying in the parks longer than intended.... at least that way the food isn't dried up or burned to a crisp when you get back.

Have a WONDERFUL TRIP!......................P

 

[Suger Mag]

And if they lose your luggage for a few days, you have a real smelly mess on your hands. I would NEVER pack perishables in my checked luggage!

Not if it is packed correctly. The idea spawned on me when I bought salmon at Pikes in Seattle and had it shipped home. That fish was packaged so it could travel safely for a couple for a couple days. I am doing steak which is much more resiliant than salmon.

1) packaging: all out meat is vacumn sealed.

2) temperature: sufficient cold packs and starting with frozen meat in a solid insulated cooler makes keeping it cold for a day or two a possibility.

3) use a suitcase /box you do not care about and do not pack it with your clothes... we fly southwest so with 2 suitcases per person and a family of 4 makes havning a food suitcase not a space hardship.

Have you ever gone camping where you do not have the luxury of a fridge?

Finally this is not just about cost... we do not like to eat commercial meat. All our meat comes from a local CSA... I know where and how it was raised.

 

[cockermon]

I like to get the rotissiere chicken meal at Publix- yum!
Then we use leftover chicken mixed with pre-packaged Caesar salad & bread the next day. We sometimes lunch at the parks and have a salad or sandwich supper at dinner back at the resort.

 

[puffkin]

I have 18 DVC stays under my belt. We always eat breakfast in the room. Usually just cut up fruit and cereal or bagels/waffles. We also buy snack/drinks for the room and to take in the parks. Nothing fancy. However we have never ever cooked a lunch or dinner and always ate out.

But now that we have to pay for 4 people, and the constant rising prices, we just can't afford to eat out anymore. My last trip when my DS8 was begging to eat Uncrustables at every meal or getting expensive table service meals and eating 2 bites, I realized how stupid this all was. We have a stroller, is it really that hard to do our own food?

So this trip we are planning on doing 3 dinners (out of 7) in the room. I am keeping it easy, spaghetti (which we never have at home since I don't like it), grilled cheese and soup, and tacos. I plan on making sure I buy all the extras to make it more "special" like salad and bread, etc. But still quick, easy and limited ingredients. I am also planning on taking lunches into the parks for my kids. Probably PBJ on sandwich thins. I never buy the pouches of applesauce/fruit at home but I will there. Some juice boxes. And some cookies or something like that. They will be thrilled since it is a lot of things they don't normally get at home. Easy for me to take with. The kids can still share off our plates or get a side if we do counter service, but that will save me a lot of money during the week.