Vacation rental meal planning

[nw6675]

We rented a cabin in the TN mountains for our fall trip. It is a 7 hour drive for us and we will be there 9 days. For this trip I am tentatively planning to bring some/most of our groceries/meals instead of dealing with stores when we get there.

Hoping for ideas and experiences so we are not stuck in our usual rut -

1. Any packing tips?
2. Do you preprep ingredients, bring ready for the oven casseroles, etc?
3. Any tried and true simple ingredient, but tasty meal ideas?

Thanks!

 

[PollyannaMom]

As far as I'm concerned, it's not a vacation if I have to cook and do dishes.

So take these tips as the guesses they are, not "tried and true" advice:

More sandwich stuff than you think you need - lots of deli for the early part of the week, then things like canned tuna and PB&J for later in the trip, because the deli won't keep well for nine days.

Hot dogs and frozen hamburgers if there is a grill.

Lots of snacks, healthier "chips", cheese and crackers, that sort of thing.

Fruit - again, prep some fruit salad or something for the early part, and bring apples and oranges that will still be fine at the end of the trip.

Look on line to see how far it is from town - maybe you can order pizza one night?

 

[nw6675]

As far as I'm concerned, it's not a vacation if I have to cook and do dishes.

True, but this is for quality family time - meeting our son, daughter in law, and 1 year old granddaughter at a cabin in the mountains. They live 10 hours from us so we do not see them as often as we would like.

 

[Southernmiss]

I bring some things from home-spices, paper goods.

But I do a well planned grocery shop as soon as we get to our destination.

I also bring our crockpot express and plan several meals for it. A good pot roast, chicken recipes, etc.

These work well for us.

 

[unrequited23]

We usually go to a cabin 3 hrs away for 2 nights and I will bring our groceries since we have such a short amount of time. If my trip was as long as yours I would probably grocery shop near the cabin while bringing some essentials with me--a dinner for the first night and breakfast at least.

I bring my own salt, pepper, spices, coffee and sugar in small resealable containers. We don't have a grill at home, so I take full advantage of that at the cabin for my meal planning. I like to bring boxed couscous as a side because it cooks fast and can be made with just water. We will bring cut veggies and dip, cheese & crackers, some nuts to make a big snack plate to graze on. Lunches are simple sandwiches since we spend a lot of time hiking.

If your cabin has a crock pot mississippi pot roast is pretty reliable and the left overs can be used for sandwiches or quesadillas.

If your family likes specific brands of items--salsa, spaghetti sauce, salad dressing, chips, etc. I would bring that from home because you can't guarantee you would be able to buy them near your cabin. You should be able to find milk, bread, cereal, produce and proteins at the store.

 

[kymom99]

I was going to suggest the crock pot. Hopefully there is a grocery store within a reasonable drive to get started and restock perishables. We would certainly need milk.

So we do canning at our house. With that in mind, I would bring a jar of our pasta sauce, some frozen meatballs, a couple boxes of spaghetti, and some bread. I would also bring a couple cans of skyline chili, which is popular where I live. That would make another meal with the spaghetti and you could also make cheese coneys with some hot dogs. You would either need to pack or buy cheese. Another thing I would bring would be a jar of our green beans. I make a simple meal with polish kielbasa, beans, and cut up potatoes boiled in some water. Everyone loves it. Grilled burgers and brats would be easy. Ground beef would make chili. We can a chili base which makes it real easy to make chili. A couple pre made pizzas if you can get to a grocery would be easy for a busy day. I would buy the trusted rotisserie chicken from the grocery if possible. I like to put those in the crock pot to reheat if we don’t eat them right away.

We do like breakfast occasionally so a box of pancake mix would be nice along with a bottle of syrup and some eggs.

 

[Minniebee]

I like to bring groceries too-easier than shopping in an unfamiliar store! A few ideas:
-plan meals with minimal condiments/additions or plan for multiple uses of condiments
-to avoid taking multiple coolers, plan meals that use mostly shelf stable ingredients
-avoid meals that require special equipment (mixer, blender, etc.) You never know if your rental will have these and if they will be working!

Easy meals we like for rentals--
-Build a pizza with prebaked crusts (Boboli or similar) Other than the cheese, many toppings don't have to be refrigerated (olives, pepperoni, sun dried tomatoes, etc. ) This is also great if you have a group with varied tastes-you can make plain pizzas or load on the toppings.
-spaghetti with ground beef and jarred sauce
-hot dogs, chips and bagged salad
-Bagged soup mixes (Bear Creek is one brand) you can add canned chicken, veggies, etc.
-pre-made or home made chicken salad and pimento cheese spreads (we like the pre-made from Sam's Club) Make sandwiches/wraps or eat with crackers.

 

[PollyannaMom]

True, but this is for quality family time - meeting our son, daughter in law, and 1 year old granddaughter at a cabin in the mountains. They live 10 hours from us so we do not see them as often as we would like.

I get it - not wanting to haul a baby out to dinner every night makes sense too.

I posted quickly and then edited in my tips.

I also like the crock pot suggestions so far!

 

[dazedx3]

I usually take a few frozen meals like lasagna or shredded beef. They keep the cooler cold and eliminate the need to waste space on ice packs. Usually we do a lot of grilling which keeps the number of condiments and spices to a minimum. We usually do a shopping trip at the destination for drinks and fresh items, it is something to do and nine days is a pretty long time.

 

[dazedx3]

Oh…. I also take my own non- stick frying pan along because the ones in rentals are usually pretty bad. Just don‘t forget to bring it home, did that once. That being said, I have started taking less with us because I was duplicating so many items already at the rental. So I like to go and see what is needed. I guess that would depend, however, on how near to a market you will be.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

My family does a lot of RVing. A lot of times I'll pack the RV freezer with casserole/crock pot/instant pot type meals that I cooked ahead and froze into dinner-size portions for 4. So once we're on the road, at worst I'll only have to cook the side of rice in the rice cooker or boil noodles while I defrost and then reheat the entree in the microwave. Serve it all with a side of a green salad. The menu is usually some variation of things like this:

Chicken ala king with white rice
Chicken or beef curry with white rice
Chicken and dumplings
Chicken bot boi (PA Dutch style)
Shrimp creole with white rice
Baked ziti with ground beef
Spinach lasagne
Baked macaroni and cheese with ham
Beef chili with beans and elbow noodles
Slovak beef goulash with egg noodles
Slovak chicken and mushrooms (kura na sampinonoch) with egg noodles
Slovak stuffed cabbage
Bulgarian Varna-style chicken with white rice

If we want to grill something for dinner, I'll have the fixings for things like:
Fresh kielbasa, frozen, pierogies, onions, green beans
Flank steak, marinade mix, Spanish rice mix, tomato-corn salsa
Chicken thighs, marinade mix, rice pilaf mix, zucchini or squash

For lunch, we always have pickles and chips on hand, I'll pre-make a couple of cold salads to serve with basic lunch meat/egg salad/tuna salad/tomato/peanut butter sandwiches, usually two of the following:
Four bean salad
Pasta salad
Macaroni salad
Potato salad

Breakfast:
Cold cereals
Oatmeal packets
Berries
Yogurt
Granola
Eggs
Bacon
Sausage
Pancake mix
Syrup

Make sure you have butter, salt, pepper, hot sauce, mustard, mayo and catsup. And your largest tin of Old Bay if you're from Maryland.

 

[QueenIsabella]

If you have a crockpot available, consider prepping meals for it ahead of time and freezing them. Then, just pop one in when you get up, and all you need to add is maybe a salad and rolls (or, garlic bread and pasta, if it's a nice bolognese).

Stouffer's lasagnas are another great, easy choice. Their mac and cheese is super popular with my gang, too, but the lasagnas come in a selection of flavors--vegetarian, cheese-lovers, etc.

I typically use a pill container to hold small amounts of spices (I put the spices in little bags, then in the container).

Break and bake cookies! These are a huge hit with my gang. Easy-peasy, and they make the house smell like home! Alternatively, you could make up dough ahead of time, then thaw, scoop, and bake.

Check to see if there's a farmer's market near your destination--not only for fresh produce, but artisan bread, local butter or cheese or honey--yum!

 

[jdb in AZ]

I assume your DDIL is planning to bring in food for the baby. Just wondering how much meal planning that will involve on your part.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

• Picking up a couple of rotisserie chickens plus sides can give you a meal plus leftover chicken to make Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps or Chicken Quesadillas for lunch the next day.
• The frozen brown and bake rolls are an easy and fresh addition.
• I make things like pulled pork (recipe follows) ahead of time and freeze it. It helps keep other foods cool during the drive, but can be reheated easily on the stovetop when we need a quick meal the first night. Just add buns and a salad or whatever. I also make and freeze foods like lasagna or chicken broccoli alfredo, butter, wrap, and freeze the garlic bread, grate the parmesan cheese for the Caesar salad, etc. ahead of time.
• Make and freeze (or purchase) meatballs to use for spaghetti and meatballs or meatball subs. Just add a jar of Rao's and some cheese.
• If making use of a crockpot, absolutely invest in the crockpot liners to make clean-up a breeze.
• Chicken can be put in a gallon bag with marinade (we love the McCormick GrillMates Mesquite) and frozen. The meat marinates as it thaws. Goes great with corn on the cob.
• You can toss foil wrapped baking potatoes into a crock-pot (look up method online), and make a potato bar with chili, cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives, leftover pulled pork, or whatever else you want. Pre-grate the cheese and fry and crumble the bacon ahead of time.
• We always seem to go through lots of cold drinks and snacks.
• Cookies, brownies, and other cakes don't require refrigeration and can be made ahead.
• If you have favourite knives or kitchen tools you like to use, bring them along. Rentals often have dull knives and are limited in what they provide. Likewise, if you think you will need a giant bowl to make salad for everyone, or multiple pans for various parts of the meal, etc.
• Make note of the little things that you will need, but might not think of, like butter for toast, favourite hot sauce, mayonnaise, preferred coffee or tea, etc.

Beef dip sandwiches

Thinly sliced deli roast beef
Good quality buns
Boursin cheese (optional but good)
Onion (sautéed)
Provolone cheese (also from the deli)
Au jus mix (Lawry's, Seasoning Blend, Au Jus, 1-Ounce Packet)

Pulled Pork on Buns

1-4 lb. pork tenderloin or 2-2 lb. pork tenderloins
1-12 oz. can of root beer
Good quality bottle barbecue sauce (or make your own)
1 dozen hamburger buns
Coleslaw, if desired

Place tenderloin into the crockpot. You may have to cut up the meat a bit if it is a larger pork loin. Pour can of root beer over top, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove meat from the crockpot to cool slightly and pour liquid into a measuring cup. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred meat with a fork and return to the now empty crockpot. Pour barbecue sauce over meat to taste and stir to coat, adding some of the cooking liquid back for moisture and to loosen the sauce. Continue to cook on low for about half an hour, until heated through. Serve piled on hamburger buns with coleslaw if desired.

Peach Cobbler

2 large cans (28oz. each) sliced peaches in juice or light syrup, drain one can
1 box of white cake mix
1 cup melted, salted butter
Ice cream for serving

Pour peaches into 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle cake mix over top. Pour butter over top of cake mix. Do not stir! Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

 

[nw6675]

I assume your DDIL is planning to bring in food for the baby. Just wondering how much meal planning that will involve on your part.

Yes, they will handle her needs.

 

[mjkacmom]

We rent a beach house every summer for a week, since we are still in civilization we started using Instacart for groceries instead of dealing with unfamiliar stores and crowds. Always have a taco night, pasta night, grill night, and have the makings for sandwiches and salads.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I like to cook when we're staying in a place with a kitchen. I have a general idea of what I want to make so I can make sure I have the hardware (knives, pans, dishes) to make it. I might also bring spices because they can be expensive.

For a fall trip I'd be thinking about grilling a lot and also making some stews. And I like to start the vacation day with a big breakfast so I'm usually thinking about omelettes, grits, blueberry pancakes, etc. on a rotational schedule.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I just wanted to post a few other things I remembered.

These Baked Chicken Tacos are super easy to make and taste great. (You can cook, shred, and freeze the chicken ahead of time. Likewise with grating the cheese. Then all you need to do is pack the other canned/shelf stable ingredients.

Crunchwrap Supremes are also super good. We prefer them made with diced cooked chicken...pro-tip, grill and chop some chicken breasts ahead of time that have been marinated in the McCormick Mesquite marinade. These are very adaptable. If you don't want nacho cheese sauce, just sprinkle extra Mexican cheese blend, etc. The biggest issue is finding the super large tortillas to make them with.

Ina Garten has an AMAZING overnight macaroni and cheese recipe. I would honestly assemble it, freeze it, then let it do its "soaking" as it thaws in the refrigerator, but I haven't tried doing this before. HUGE SUGGESTION...I have found that I need to just halve the amount of cheese, as it is TOO MUCH (even for this cheese obsessed family). I keep the cream though. I also just melt 1/4 cup of butter and stir in 1 cup of panko bread crumbs for the topping (add right before baking). You could make those ahead of time and just keep in a container in the fridge.

Barbecued or roasted salmon is super easy. Just make a rub ahead of time, or grab some McCormick salmon rub (we found ours at Costco, and it is really good). Add some barbecued or baked asparagus spears, which you have washed and snapped the ends off ahead of time. Asparagus doesn't keep for long, so perhaps serve that dish earlier on.

Now for one of my easiest, but most requested recipes. Ha! I buy packages of Saffron Road Tikka Masala and use two packages for three people, so we have enough extra sauce to go over our rice. You will want to adjust amounts accordingly. Dice and cook chicken breast (you can do this ahead of time and freeze). When you want to make your meal, dump the chicken in a pan, add a bunch of packets of the sauce (ha! like I said, I use two pouches for about 1 lb. of meat for 3 people). While that heats, make rice using 1 can of Taste of Thai Coconut Milk (not the Lite variety), one can of water (the empty can filled to the top), 1/2 tsp. of salt, and 2 cups of jasmine rice. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Do not remove lid, but let rest for 15 more minutes. Fluff with a fork. This rice will make enough for at least 6 people. I always make roasted broccoli to go with this (broccoli tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, spread on a baking sheet and roasted at 425 until it is getting browned/dark on the edges).

Paninis make an easy lunch. Having a griddle allows you to make more than a couple at a time, but a griddle is also good for pancakes, French toast, and other things, so might be worth bringing if you have one. We have a couple that we make often. Some suggestions:

1 loaf Pane Mediterranean bread cut into an even number of thin slices (16 if possible)
8 slices of prosciutto
Fresh mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup of basil pesto
3 or 4 roma tomatoes, sliced
Freshly cracked black pepper

OR

Sourdough bread cut into an even number of slices
Tomato, sliced
Bacon, crisp-cooked
Avocado, sliced
Cheddar cheese, very thinly sliced
Freshly cracked black pepper

If it is cool out, you could also add a couple of tetra-pack boxes of tomato soup (or whatever variety you would prefer).

Burrito bowls a la Chipotle work really well for mixed groups, as all of the items can be laid out and people can build their bowls how they like. I, again, use the grilled mesquite chicken marinade on boneless, skinless thighs. I make cilantro lime rice (make rice, then stir in some cilantro and lime juice when it is done), salsa, corn (we like the frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe's), guacamole, grated cheese (a mix of white cheddar and Monterey Jack), sour cream, etc.

I make a different chicken bowl recipe, which is for Chicken Schwarma (this recipe is soooooo good!) and make Lemon Rice Pilaf to go with it. You can add tzaziki sauce, chick peas, diced tomato, kalamata olives, feta cheese, hummus, etc. For those who don't want bowls, you can also use it in pita bread. Another option is to grill the chicken, just serve it with the rice as a side dish, and then do a nice Greek salad (bring a bottled dressing, some feta and kalamata olives).

 

[TwoMisfits]

Not sure if this is "hot" fall or "cool" fall timeframe, but with the amount of hiking a lot of folks do, I would plan to have "picnic basket options" as lunch for multiple days. And I'd bring a basket/cooler and the requisite cold packs.

And knowing how hot and tired folks get from the type of excursion, I'd plan to have the making of fruit smoothies (alcohol or alcohol-free) for after the event. You can't pack ice cream, but you can pack berries and bananas to freeze and some juice or milk and sweetner. And if you pick up moonshine, this would be a great end of day/hot tub treat, too!

I am a huge produce lover, so I would shop there. But if I didn't, I'd go down with an acre of fresh fruit and veg and for "prepared dishes", some homemade pulled pork (only s&p seasoned), some rotisserie or shredded chicken, and some bacon (cooked or microwavable). So many options open up with just those 3 options (BBQ, Mexican, sandwiches, pasta salads/green salads, potato bars, etc). And these aren't uber-pricey right now, unlike beef and fish.

I'd also buy a stouffer's mac and cheese, which can work as side dish or main dish or toddler lunch...

 

[barkley]

We rented a cabin in the TN mountains for our fall trip. It is a 7 hour drive for us and we will be there 9 days. For this trip I am tentatively planning to bring some/most of our groceries/meals instead of dealing with stores when we get there.

Hoping for ideas and experiences so we are not stuck in our usual rut -

1. Any packing tips?
2. Do you preprep ingredients, bring ready for the oven casseroles, etc?
3. Any tried and true simple ingredient, but tasty meal ideas?

Thanks!

some great suggestions already! i'll add some we do-

we plan meals to minimize the number of different ingredients we have to bring-

burger buns can be used for burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, sloppy joes...

french bread can be used for sandwiches, garlic bread, french toast...

ground beef can be used for burgers (though i prefer pre-made patties), sloppy joes, chili, in pasta sauce...chili can be used for bowl servings, chili cheese fries (i would get frozen at the closest store to the location), chili dogs, in omelettes...

chicken can be grilled, shredded, cubed for kabobs...left over cold chicken is great on it's own but can be used for omelettes, chicken salad, on a pizza (love bbq chicken pizza using a pre-made crust)...

shredded (pulled) pork can be used for sandwiches, enchiladas, burritos/burrito bowls...


loosely meal plan with an eye to minimize the number of ingredients you have to take.


spices for any known recipe you will do (that require multiple)-pre-measure into a snack size ziplock.
other than salt and pepper which travel in their containers i put the spices we will need in ziplocks (i can pour them back into their containers when we get home or just use them up before defaulting to the containers at home). the dollar (well-now dollar and 25 cent) store is your friend! i get their smaller rolls of foil, kabob sticks, aluminum pans, cheap ziplock bags, condiments (they have brand name-i get A1 there at a massive savings), small bottles of cooking oil...that way if there's a little bit left i don't feel guilty about tossing it when we leave (they are also a cheap resource for vacation snacks-little packs of cookies, snack crackers, freezer pops...since they are individually packaged i just bring home whats left).


i agree about the crockpot (YES to the liners-great invention!) b/c you can set it up to do the work while you enjoy your vacation. you can also cut down on cooking time by preparing some key ingredients ahead of time. ground beef can be cooked, drained and frozen at home, just don't season it. put it up in ziplock bags (if you want you can measure it out in specific weights for recipes) and then season it when you go to make your tacos, pasta sauce (doctored jar works great on vacation), chili... shredded pork (or beef) freezes well too, just add the sauce when you go to heat it.

i know you don't want to have to shop on the way but remember, you can always research the route and see if there's a store near the end of travel that lets you do online ordering and pickup. we've done this with walmart-the stuff i don't want to pack i order and while dh waits at the pickup area i run in and grab the stuff i refuse to travel long distances with (milk, produce, prepared salads like potato, sliced cheese...).