what to cook at the villas

[momtoleasawav]

help me I am stuck!! this is a budget vacation so I plan on doing some cooking. Any ideas on what to make. I am trying to simplify things with not a lot of ingredients and my mind is drawiing a blank. I was hoping getting some ideas here would jump start my brain.
thanks!
Christine who is leaving in 18 days for the AKL with her family

 

[spiceycat]

my suggestions work best if you are driving.

the week before (you can start now if you want) - start cooking more than you need (twice as much) - store the extra in the freezer.

then just take an ice chest with you with the stored food inside. (now you may have to remember to buy ice on your way).

otherwise just take a few seasons - (like garlic, salt - allergic to just about everything else)

an get a grocery list for
www.wegoshop.com

 

[MinnieGi]

We do easy stuff like tacos, sandwiches, seasoned chicken and salad, pasta. We buy everything at the Publix or Super Target down there as we fly but rent a car. Last year we did the dining plan but this year we are also going to cook in the villa again. It not only saves money, but my kids prefer it rather than eating out every lunch and dinner.

 

[spaddy]

I saw these Bertolli (sp?) lasagna in the frozen food section the other day. It was like lasanga rolls. They looked really good and it would be something easy to throw in the oven from the freezer. I guess maybe that is not very budget.

Macaroni and cheese (I know my kid loves this)
Pasta
Chicken ceasar salad

 

[OurDogCisco]

My dh is spoiled and wants to eat like a King on vacation. I find Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals fits the bill. She uses a lot of packaged type foods and adds spices, etc... We have timeshares outside of Disney that we visit and I always make a rough menu of what I'll be serving for the week. So, that I can pack the spices in my suitcase (because most of the time that will kill the budget). My family also likes to eat lowfat so, we tend to avoid burgers & hot dogs as a quick meal as you can get those in the park. Good luck!!! My menu came with years of practice. Some things I'll make are Shepard's Pie, Marinated Flank Steak (Fajitas), Marinated chicken with lime, Marinated Kabobs, for lunches we make a lot of sandwich wraps as they are easy to transport.

 

[Cinderella1122]

We use garden grocers. This past trip we ordered lots of lunch meat, rolls, frozen pizzas, frozen chicken fingers, etc. We had lunches in our rooms and had dinner out in the parks. It worked out great for us.

 

[Gracesmom]

I cook breakfast and dinner for our trip....We do easy basics. Hamburgers, taco salad, spaghetti, hot dogs, grilled cheese, hot dogs and marinated chicken. I order everything from garden grocers and have them deliver. My bill for 7 dinners and 7 breakfasts totals about 200.00 for 6 people and includes all my basics from shampoo, body wash, sunscreen, water, soda, beer and all my food. Delivery is free when your total is 200 or more. Hope this helps!

 

[iluveeyore]

Are you driving or renting a car so you can get groceries yourself? We fly down and rent a car for one day so I can do the grocery run to Super Walmart (about 5 min. from OKW). I shop for 12 days worth of food, so I make a list before we leave. I buy the small size in condiments we must have, like mayo, ketchup, plus peanut butter, butter, etc. I buy bread, hot dog and hamburg buns, and we get small sub buns to make subs for lunch a few times with deli meat and cheese. Lunches are soup, grilled cheese, subs, fried egg sandwiches, whatever we feel like throwing together. Our usual dinners include pasta, chicken parm, mini pizzas, hamburgs and fries, tacos, chicken tenders, boxed casserole dinners, whatever's easy but filling. I've even made a couple pans of corn bread, and baked a cake! I get cereal and bagels for breakfast, and buy lots of snacks, especially ones we can throw in a bag for the parks (fruit snacks, granola bars). Chips, popcorn, pop and water and juice boxes, and of course beer and wine for enjoying evening on our patio. And don't forget salt and pepper!
Cooking at the villas can be as simple or as in-depth as you want. We tend to do simple, but still enjoy taking the time to spend preparing a meal, eating it together and relaxing in the villa with full tummies listening to the sweet sound of the dishwasher
Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Disney_Villain]

On our former "bargain minded" trips, we used to stun pidgeons with our suitcases in the parking lot on the way to our villa - then fry them up with a travel iron.

 

[disynut]

On our former "bargain minded" trips, we used to stun pidgeons with our suitcases in the parking lot on the way to our villa - then fry them up with a travel iron.

There's also that alligator in the canal off BCV... LOL?

Sorry---that was just too funny.

Now to answer your question: We do things we probably wouldn't do at home....i.e. not so healthy. I also don't do a lot of heavy cooking....Donuts/cinnamon rolls/breakfast sandwiches for breakfast, lunch is a variety of lunch meats on good bread or maybe a frozen pizza and dinner in the parks or at a resort restaurant. But the older I get, the healthier I need to eat, so this is probably going to have to change. You'll definitely want to hit a grocery store as the stores in the resorts are pretty high.

Good luck!

 

[twinklebug]

Even if you're flying you can still pack & check a box of dry goods and include a small cooler filled with refrigerated items. I did this on our last trip as we're pretty picky about our brand names ... I supplemented with a trip to the resort store. OK, so they're a little expensive (OJ & milk particularly), but I kept the trip under $20.

If we had a longer trip, had more people and easy access to a grill I probably would have done a wegoshop order, but it was just the 3 of us for 5 nights.

 

[kikiq]

We had 10 people in our group this summer. So we ate as much as possible in the room. For breakfast, we had cereal, toast, eggs, fruit and yogurt. Lunch was sometimes breakfast foods or sandwiches or salad. We made 4 dinners, spaghetti, chicken salad made from a store bought roast chicken, steak fajitas and pizza. We had trail mix and jerky for park snacks and froze water bottles.

I have to admit one morning, every one wanted mickey waffles.

 

[patsal]

A few things I do on the quick and cheap!
Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, high quality frozen pizzas, spaghetti and meatsauce, fettucinni alfredo with chicken and broccoli, chicken and cheese quesidillas, loaded nachos, tacos--you'll notice a pattern--the chicken for the q's and the fett can be cooked up at the same time then divided up, same with the hamburger for the tacos/nachos/spaghetti (just get three pounds and brown it all down at the same time and divide it into three containers for later use.)
I usually cook this stuff up when we come back for a break or fist thing in the AM while everyone else gets ready.
For breakfast I prepare eggs and cheese on English muffins, bagels and cream cheese, cold or hot cereal or frozen waffles and sausage.
Lunches are only eaten in the villa if we are going back--if we stay in the park we grab TS or CS. But if I was on a tight budget, I'd make sandwiches, mac and cheese, salads, cheese and crackers, and wraps supplemented with fruit and yogurt.

 

[mgilmer]

I have two words for you:

crock pot.

Here is a thread here on the dis of crock pot recipes. We love using a crock pot at the villas. You load it up in the morning and in the evening you have dinner ready when you return. If you use the Reynolds crock pot liners, you also have no mess to clean up.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=275509

 

[OlderMan]

Don't forget the grills (if your resort has them)!!!

We almost always grill one night during our stay--steaks, burgers, chicken, fish, corn, potatoes or whatever suits our fancy.

Most resorts (but maybe not all) have grills by the quiet pools, but they rarely seem to get used.

 

[twinklebug]

Don't forget the grills (if your resort has them)!!!

We almost always grill one night during our stay--steaks, burgers, chicken, fish, corn, potatoes or whatever suits our fancy.

Most resorts (but maybe not all) have grills by the quiet pools, but they rarely seem to get used.

I need grilling tips. The next few trips will be in studios (no stove ) and If any guys (and I say this as we all know how proud men are of their 'superior' grilling skills ) would like to share how exactly to cook with charcoal I'm all ears. every time I've tried cooking anything seemed to take 2 hours.

 

[dopeygirl76]

I am a fan of cooking in the villas - DH thinks of nuts!!! I do have a crock pot in my owner's locker so in that I do spaghetti sauce and meatballs (sorry I am Italian and can't handle jar), chicken, pot roast, Italian beef (soooo easy) 2-3 lbs of chuck roast cut into cubs, 1/2 cup of juice from mild pepper rings, 1/ cup of mild pepper rings, 1 tbs minced garlic, salt and pepper. Put all in crock pot and let it go!!!! Shred meat with two forks before serving and put on some nice rolls!!! YUM!!!

Other things I have made - meatloaf, tacos, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork tenderloin. I use Garden Grocer and even though their meat is more pricey than the sale stuff I can get at home it still beats paying to eat out every meal!!

I also keep the spices simple - salt, pepper and garlic salt. And for sides, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, buttered pasta or the Lipton pasta sides are simple and good!!!