what's for dinner?

[anna08]

Going for our first stay in a 1BR and so psyched about a kitchen! Sounds silly, but life is too hectic at home for a lot of cooking, and it is something I look forward to when I don't have 14 hour workdays!! In addition, it is a bit tedious to eat every meal out with DS's food allergies, even at Disney, so I am planning on dinners in the room for our next trip. Curious to find out what y'all like to make for dinner when you are using your DVC kitchen? Suggestions?

 

[edk35]

WE have never cooked a real meal in the room. We did a frozen pizza once and grilled cheese. We usually use the kitchen for quick breakfasts and snacks. I find that the kitchens lack in kitchenware for me to want to really cook a meal. The lack of non stick stuff makes it harder plus you would have to buy stuff that you might not use up in a week's stay too. I don't know...I am sure there are plenty of people that do more cooking than we do. I hope you get some good ideas. If I were going to cook more....like real dinners...........I would do an owner's locker and have items I use for cooking in there.

 

[chepic]

We have stayed many times, and always use the kitchen to save money. We have made: tacos, pizza, shephard's pie, shrimp scampi, baked chicken/BBQ, chicken parm., french fries and chicken fingers, all forms of Macaroni, meatballs and meatloaf, and big breakfasts to fill up before we leave. Last visit was the first time we used the food plan; but even though you are cooking on vacation, you are still on vacation so it doesn't seem like a chore to me.

cheryl

 

[LIFERBABE]

Going for our first stay in a 1BR and so psyched about a kitchen! Sounds silly, but life is too hectic at home for a lot of cooking, and it is something I look forward to when I don't have 14 hour workdays!! In addition, it is a bit tedious to eat every meal out with DS's food allergies, even at Disney, so I am planning on dinners in the room for our next trip. Curious to find out what y'all like to make for dinner when you are using your DVC kitchen? Suggestions?

Im like you. I work long hours and really enjoy the slower pace of our DVC vacations and enjoy cooking for my family. We are long past spending all day in the parks. We purchased DVC in lieu of a 2nd home so we treat it more like a home and less like vacation. I'd rather have more points than food.

I have a Dh and 2 boys and they never liked eating at restaurants. Not when they were small and not now that they are 10 and 12. They have very few favorite meals at WDW, so we hit their favorites and cook.

We like to grill at SSR. Steaks, Chicken mainly. They dont like burgers or hot dogs so we dont bother. Normally grill enough chicken for salads.

We keep side dishes light and easy. Mostly Green salads or green beans. Baked potatoes are easy in the micro.

Spaghetti, Ragu, and those appetizer size meatballs make a great restaurant style spaghetti. They are picky so i dont add anything else to it at all not even salt or pepper.

They love seafood, so I saute shrimp or steamed crab legs to go with the steaks.

Dh is the breakfast cook and we have breakfast of pancakes, eggs and sausage.

I find the kitchens are pretty well stocked. I have seasonings, a whisk, and a pizza cutter in my ownerslocker. And a coffee grinder.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Well I love to cook period so I cook a lot in the villas. Some of my family's favorites, are spaghetti & meatballs, followed by meatball subs for lunch later in the week. Shrimp Scampi or BBQ Shrimp wrapped in bacon w/ bbq sauce (the resorts have grills) Steaks/Marinated chicken breast on the grill w/ baked potatoes. Salad and more salad, my 12 year old has to have one every day. When we do an entire day at Typhoon Lagoon and I'm too tired to cook, we pick up rotiserrie chicken from Winn Dixie/Publix, add a tossed salad and boom! Dinner. We eat out a couple of times out at the parks etc. but we really get tired of restaurant food, besides the dining plans are way too much food for us and we aren't desert people.

Enjoy cooking!

 

[carol1231]

Most mornings I cook breakfast. And dinners will vary. Some of our favorites are: spaghetti, casseroles (that I can fix in the morning and refrig until ready to cook), broiled steaks with baked potatoes, fried hamburgers, tacos. I make a menu before we leave and bring a couple of coolers with the groceries so I don't need to shop when I get there. Since we drive, this is easier.

 

[nappingbeauty]

we have done both... the dining plan and cooked in the room. with eight of us going this summer... and with the august heat... i am definitely cooking. Big breakfasts... come back at lunch having something light... and then steaks, chicken, spaghetti, and some barbecuing by the pool. Both my husband and I love to cook (he is the better cook ) so we won't mind at all. We are staying 12 days and with eight people the saving will be huge! We get to have some great quality time together and then back out to the parks for the evening

 

[mrsswat]

we're with Nappingbeauty!! Happy hour during the afternoon shower followed by a light dinner and we're ready to go back to the parks (sometimes!). It's actually sometimes more relaxing than trying to get everyone ready for a restaurant dinner! We've done all that have been mentioned, and would like to add "boxed chicken" as my DD calls it. It's out by Campbell soup company and includes several choices, lemon chicken with rice, chicken with stuffing, southwestern chicken. I think that even have a few for pork chops. You just have to buy chicken (pork) to add, it bakes in a large baking pan, and I haven't had any negative comments on that meal yet.

 

[nappingbeauty]

Mrsswat... i have made the campbells supper bakes! they are great and easy!!!! (told you my husband was the better cook ) and happy hour on the balcony enjoying the view is one of the highlights i am looking forward to!!!!

 

[buzz5985]

Im like you. I work long hours and really enjoy the slower pace of our DVC vacations and enjoy cooking for my family. We are long past spending all day in the parks. We purchased DVC in lieu of a 2nd home so we treat it more like a home and less like vacation. I'd rather have more points than food. .

In a previous life I traveled a great deal, 3 weeks out of the month. When I got home on the weekends DH would want to go out to eat!!! It was the last thing I wanted to do after eating out all meals for a week.

Now I work nights and never get to sit down for a family dinner - especially since weekends are so crazy with sports and family obligations. So we don't mind cooking while on vacation since we rarely do it together at home. Especially if we drive down - then we take our famous frozen sauce and meatballs, grill steaks and chicken, burgers, salads - things like that.

Enjoy your time together.

Janis

 

[dopeygirl76]

I am another doesn't mind to cook on vacation - DH and I alternate work schedules so someone is always home with our girls so family dinners are very important to us and I LOVE to cook!!! I have also added a crockpot to our owners locker which allows for meals ready (or nearly ready) after our days in the parks. I make mostly anything I would at home - I'm not a fancy cook - homestyle so I keep garlic salt, salt and pepper, cooking spray and a few non perishables in the OL for each visit - I use up the old and add new!!! We order from Garden Grocer every trip - so I can plan in advance and don't have to grocery shop!!!

 

[jamie&Greg]

I love having the kitchen at the villas. We usally don't do anything crazy but we always bring fresh shrimp for shrimp coaktail!!! Then we do stuff like tacos / fajiatas / nachos etc. Have fun!!

 

[ILuvTigger]

I love having the kitchen. We eat out and cook during our trips. Our last trip was a couple of weeks ago. On the days we cooked this was our menu. Breakfast: BLT's with egg (we love egg on the sandwich), french toast, ham and cheese croissants, sausage, toast and eggs. Lunch: sub sandwiches (roast beef or ham), meatball sandwiches w/melted mozzarella cheese, chicken caesar salad, taco salad or left overs from dinner the night before. Dinner: Spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and broccoli fettucini alfredo, tacos, spanish rice, guacamole, salsa and chips, Grecian chicken with potatoes.

Have fun!!

 

[yasuern]

We go to the grocery store and buy all the basics (milk OJ bread bagels etc) but then always pick up some precooked (both roasted and fried) some premade side dishes and some fresh salad fixings and fruit, hummus and a premade dip chedar cheese crackers. Okay I go on to far

We usually have a good breakfast every morning and either lunch or supper consisting of salad precooked chicken and sides or hotdogs or pasta at the resort depending on which park we go to.


and upon returnng at night a little snack on the deck with your beverage of choice is soo relaxing we just love it!


Sue

 

[nappingbeauty]

We were also thinking of ordering a heavenly ham and having it delivered to the resort... that and some of my husband's famous potato salad and we have an effortless dinner one night and fixin's for sandwiches the next day or so!

 

[anna08]

Thanks for all the great ideas!! It looks like I should probably invest in an Owner's Locker. It would be nice not to have to lug the 4 different kinds of sunscreen along...Yes, I agree, a nice part of DVC is that we can relax while we're at WDW and not feel bad when we're not in the parks. The next trip for us is SSR. Where are the grills located? I don't recall seeing any at the resorts but I haven't really looked for them before. Has anyone taken a cab to the grocery store before? I love the idea about the Honeybaked Ham! That would be great for a large family gathering too. Thanks again everyone!

 

[nappingbeauty]

I wouldnt go to the expense of a cab.... check out garden grocer. I had a wonderful experience with them 2 summers ago. just be specific. Type of beef... cut of beef... desired size..2lbs etc. I ordered everything.. milk,cereal,juice,cold cuts, dinner items.. go to their web site. Plus they deliver right to your room!

 

[lovewdwdvc]

We are fans of wegoshop.

 

[nappingbeauty]

Any other menu/recipe suggestions... 12 nights I don't want to be eating the same thing too often... would love the kids to have some variety and great meals since we wont be doing the restaurants this year

 

[La2kw]

We have always cooked a few meals over the past 15 years we have been staying at OKW. We usually make it simple. Baked chicken, mac & cheese, burritos, hot dogs, salads, sandwiches. We always do breakfast in the room as well.