What do you cook in hotel kitchen when on vacation?

[jessmsw]

Hi everyone--

We're going on our first WDW trip in three weeks-- DH, myself, DS (6) and DD (4). We're staying at the Vacation Village at Parkway and are supposed to have a full kitchen. I'm trying to plan what to cook for dinners, since we'll be eating most of our breakfasts and dinners in the hotel to save money (and bc our kids get SUPER antsy in restaurants-- they are very high-energy!!). I want to make dinners that are really quick, though, and so far have just thought of a few: the omnipresent (in our house) frozen pizza, chicken and rice, frozen meatballs and rolls and vegetable, and Annie's mac and cheese. I'm curious about what others have found to cook on vacation that's not time-consuming or expensive!!

Thanks so much. We are SO excited!! (I think me moreso than the kids!! LOL!!)

Jess

 

[Darcy03231]

Lasagna, chicken fingers and fries, tacos, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, salad, potato salad, macaroni salad (I do a big one and then we have it for a few days).

 

[Frantasmic]

Chilli
spaghetti
grilled cheese sandwiches and soup

Here's a good recipe if you want to throw something together
then swim and then come back and eat.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (tenders or filets)
1 large can green beans, drained
6-7 new/red potatoes
1 stick butter or margarine
1 pkg Italian dressing mix

Place chicken on one side of 9x9 inch pan, put drained
green beans next to chicken, then place diced new
potatoes next to green beans. Melt butter and stir
in the Italian dressing mix. Pour butter mixture over
other ingredients and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

One dish, healthy dinner, easy cleanup.

 

[jessmsw]

Hey!!

Just wanted to say a quick thank you for your yummy ideas!! That recipe sounds awesome. I think that we will save a lot by avoiding the WDW restaurants at dinner-- plus, with the exception of my 6 year old son who already eats as much as I do, we all have small appetites, so there would be quite a bit of waste from the restaurant meals from the sounds of it!!

Thank you again,
Jess

 

[kgilchri]

It really is nice to have a full kitchen to come back to. We've stayed at several different types of places and I always enjoy the kitchen. My mom and sister both have SEVERE food allergies so having a kitchen is helpful for that too. We'd generally cook the easy standbys like:

-Tacos
-Spaghetti
-Hamburger Helpher (yeah, we're not the healthiest )

 

[drivencrazy]

Chilli
spaghetti
grilled cheese sandwiches and soup

Here's a good recipe if you want to throw something together
then swim and then come back and eat.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (tenders or filets)
1 large can green beans, drained
6-7 new potatoes
1 stick butter or margarine
1 pkg Italian dressing mix

Place chicken on one side of 9x9 inch pan, put drained
green beans next to chicken, then place diced new
potatoes next to green beans. Melt butter and stir
in the Italian dressing mix. Pour butter mixture over
other ingredients and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

One dish, healthy dinner, easy cleanup.

New potatoes?? Meaning just bought from the store or is there a kind that is named "new potatoes"? Or ? I think that sounds good and would like to try it out... just wondering about the potatoes? Just usually get whatever is on sale and pill and cook or fix however we are eating them that night!

 

[LorieR]

New potatoes?? Meaning just bought from the store or is there a kind that is named "new potatoes"? Or ? I think that sounds good and would like to try it out... just wondering about the potatoes? Just usually get whatever is on sale and pill and cook or fix however we are eating them that night!

Also known as "red" potatoes

 

[Vivianne]

Shrimp and pasta with parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, olive oil and crushed garlic (optional).

 

[4MCMICKEY]

Take a crock pot and throw a meal in and when you get back at night to the villa your supper will be ready. There is a good crockpot cookbook called fix it and forget that I use all the time.

 

[englishteacha]

Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread are tasty and quick. What about breakfast for supper? Pancakes and bacon, some fresh fruit...yum!

As for the "new" potatoes, here in Maine they're the tiny potatoes you get in late summer before they've grown into big spuds. Red potatoes work as well, though.

 

[Twende]

If you are taking groceries with you or you are taking a cooler then I suggest the following:

I make up a nice batch of chicken salad. I buy cantelopes and plan on 1/2 a melon per person. To prepare the meal you fill each half with chicken salad and serve. Sometimes I add grapes, water chestnuts or almonds to the chicken pieces, mayo, chopped celery, minced onion and chopped sweet pickles or relish.
It makes a great, refreshing and quick meal.

We also like chili served over Chinese rice noodles. I either cook the ground meat and then freeze it and then add the rest of the ingredients when I get where ever we are going or I cook the entire pot of chili and then freeze it defrost and reheat it.

 

[PaMom001]

I made this up awhile ago and keep it handy for when planning a trip to WDW or the beach.

Breakfast
Cereal & toast
Cinnamon Rolls
Donuts
Eggs, homefries
Eggs, toast, sausage/ham
French toast, sausage/ham
Jimmie Dean breakfast sandwiches
Pancakes
Waffles

Dinners
Cheesesteaks
Chicken (bake whole, make night before)
Chicken meal (boxed)
Chicken Parmesan & Spaghetti
Chicken patty sandwiches
Chicken with Soup Sauce & Noodles
Chili
Fajitas
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
Kielbasa
Lasagna (frozen)
Mac & cheese
Manwichs
Meatball Subs
Meatloaf
Pierogies
Pizza
Pork chops
Quesadillas
Ravioli
Ravioli Lasagna
Roast with Potatoes
Sausage & Potatoes
Sausage Subs
Soup & sandwiches
Spaghetti
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Spaghetti & Sausage
Stew
Stromboli (homemade)
Stuffed shells
Subs
Tacos

 

[jessmsw]

Gosh, you are all full of ideas!! Wishing I could invite you over to cook and eat with us on our trip!! Thanks so much.

And a special hello to "englishteacha" from a fellow Mainer. I live in Vermont now, but grew up in Maine and my parents are still there (my heart is there, too!! I LOVE Maine. I'm from the Oxford Hills area).

Love,
Jess

 

[ducklite]

Cut chicken breat into cubes or strips, throw in a wok with some sesame oil on high heat for about four minutes. Remove the meat from the pan, drain any fat. Toss in a package of Birds Eye stir fry veggies and cook on high for about three minutes, drain off any excess liquid. Toss the chicken back in with teh veggies, add some terriyaki or stir-fry sauce, and cook for another two minutes. Serve with steamed rice (you can buy it take out from any Chinese place for about $1 a quart.) Easy, tasty, fast, and only one pan.

You can make it cheaper by using whole chicken parts as opposed to breast meat, and buy using a boil in the bag type rice, but IMHO it's a lot better with the steamed sticky rice, and the price difference isn't really enough to worry about.

Anne

 

[Frantasmic]

Sorry, new potatoes are red potatoes.

 

[swilshire]

Around here, new potatoes mean the ones just dug up during the growing season, as opposed to the ones that have been harvested at the end. They can be any variety, red or white.

The big difference is the peels are very soft. You can basically scrub the peels right off if you want to, or they are very tasty if left on. Much better than the tougher peels at the end of the year (and that most people get in the grocery store).

Any potato would work, I'm sure.

Sheila

 

[marthachick]

This last year when we went to the beach we ate in a lot. DS & DH loved it! I took easy to fix meals & saved a bundle & didn't have to get ready to go out.

We took frozen taco meat & homemade frozen baked spaghetti. Also, we did BBQ chicken. Take chicken breasts (or whatever you prefer) & pour you favorite BBQ sauce & make at 325 for about an hour. I got disposible aluminum pans at Dollar tree to cook in so I didn't have to scrub nasty pans on vacation. Also took country ham & frozen biscuits for supper (yes I'm a Southerner) one nite. Baked the biscuits on the aluminum pans too. Worked like a charm.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

I made this up awhile ago and keep it handy for when planning a trip to WDW or the beach.

Breakfast
Cereal & toast
Cinnamon Rolls
Donuts
Eggs, homefries
Eggs, toast, sausage/ham
French toast, sausage/ham
Jimmie Dean breakfast sandwiches
Pancakes
Waffles

Dinners
Cheesesteaks
Chicken (bake whole, make night before)
Chicken meal (boxed)
Chicken Parmesan & Spaghetti
Chicken patty sandwiches
Chicken with Soup Sauce & Noodles
Chili
Fajitas
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
Kielbasa
Lasagna (frozen)
Mac & cheese
Manwichs
Meatball Subs
Meatloaf
Pierogies
Pizza
Pork chops
Quesadillas
Ravioli
Ravioli Lasagna
Roast with Potatoes
Sausage & Potatoes
Sausage Subs
Soup & sandwiches
Spaghetti
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Spaghetti & Sausage
Stew
Stromboli (homemade)
Stuffed shells
Subs
Tacos

OMG! I was in a hurry (or maybe wishful thinking...) I thought that first line said CHEESECAKE! I'm thinking "cheesecake for dinner? ok! COOL!"

 

[PURTYPAT1]

We go twice a year. Each time, I actually pack some spices in my suitcase from home onion powder garlic salt, lemon pepper & bread crumbs.

When, I get to Orlando I go to Walmart. The prices are great. I buy a chicken roster & stuffing or rice with can corn & cranberry sauce, & biscuts in the can. Doesn't cost very much, but what a great meal.

I use my spices & cook the chicken with the stuffing in the middle.

I try to cook the chicken early in the morning before the parks, so when we get home, I just have to heat it up in the micro. It takes minutes to cook the biscuts & corn. Everyone is tired, & you got a great meal.

The next day, I use any left over chicken & put it on a roll, with a little mayo cranberry sauce & salt pepper & lemon pepper & if I have it swiss cheese. This is the best sandwich. I would never think to eat chicken with cranberry sauce & mayo, but trust me, it all works together. It is so....yummy in the parks.

The night before I reuse my finished water bottles & fill it with pink lemonade, & put it in ther freezer. The next am they are frozen & ready for the hot parks. (tip put the frozen lemonde in a baggie so it doesn't drip in your back packs)

I also buy in the supermarket toll house pre made choclate chip cookies. I let the kids make them in the condo, & we pack them for the lunch the next day (if there are any left)

I buy the kids, Swansons chicken strips, frozen dinner, usually, for $1.00 It comes with FF & brownie. Before the parks, I cook them early in the am. I then put it back in the box, into my backpack & bring for the kids to eat in park. All I need is ketcup. My DD is so fussy, she is very happy with the chicken strips above.

These are my tips.

Patricia

 

[PaMom001]

OMG! I was in a hurry (or maybe wishful thinking...) I thought that first line said CHEESECAKE! I'm thinking "cheesecake for dinner? ok! COOL!"

Ummmmm.........cheesecake................