Quick travel day meal ideas

[JHH4198]

Looking for ideas on quick meals after a travel day and set up. We normally have sandwiches during the day and neither of us want to cook a meal (or do dishes) afterwards. Thanks

 

[livinthelife]

Looking for ideas on quick meals after a travel day and set up. We normally have sandwiches during the day and neither of us want to cook a meal (or do dishes) afterwards. Thanks

How long do you travel in a day? The "I don't want to prepare a meal" after setting up is one reason we always try to arrive at a campsite around 1-3 pm. Gives me time to sit for a while after setting up before doing dinner.

There are easy boxed dinners called Suddenly Salad. You boil the pasta and mix in seasoning/sauce that are pretty good. Takes about 15-20 minutes.

 

[JHH4198]

How long do you travel in a day? The "I don't want to prepare a meal" after setting up is one reason we always try to arrive at a campsite around 1-3 pm. Gives me time to sit for a while after setting up before doing dinner.

There are easy boxed dinners called Suddenly Salad. You boil the pasta and mix in seasoning/sauce that are pretty good. Takes about 15-20 minutes.

Good idea. Thanks. We try to keep it under 5 hours of travel. I guess my biggest struggle is the multiple back to back travel days.

 

[Harvestmoon]

We keep a couple of frozen box singles in the freezer for just such occasions. Our go-tos are Health Choice Cafe Steamers. 5 minutes in the microwave each, and they're not too bad for flavor and nutrition. Slice up an apple on the side.

 

[el Rojo]

Good idea. Thanks. We try to keep it under 5 hours of travel. I guess my biggest struggle is the multiple back to back travel days.

There's a lot of full timers that travel for 2 days then stop for 2 nights for that reason. We do that if we can leave a day or 2 early.

 

[Ynot4me2]

Sushi or grilled cheese and chip is our go to don't want to cook meals and reheated leftovers. There's also fully cooked bbq chickens. Eat as is or make hot chickens and chicken sandwiches the next day.

 

[WhittleBurner]

I like to freeze home cooked meals (leftovers from dinner ) that can be popped in the microwave or toaster oven. Depending on how much is frozen, you can both have the same thing or different meals. Sometimes I'll grab a Costco Rotisserie chicken and potato salad for road tripping. Or theres always pizza delivery

 

[trailrydr]

Would recommend highway engine cooking! As a offroad Jeeper, done it many of times. Some of the best tasting food after wheeling all day! Can do just about any dish in a 4hr drive - just might need a little prep and freezing before hand. Steak, chicken, fish, vegies...... its a hot meal when you are ready to pull over. Heres an article on it. No affiliation just sharing. Dont really need the book IMO, just common sense and a little cooking experience helps.

https://www.wisebread.com/cooking-great-meals-with-your-car-engine-the-heat-is-on

 

[Gronk1]

Cardboard box meals or my favorite, In & Out Burger

 

[traveldawg]

The DW freezes meals like lasagna and meatloaf; since we can't nearly eat all she makes in one sitting there are is always some left over. Sometimes it is left overs from a day or two in the past purposely saved for that quick meal when traveling back-to-back days. Soup and salad is also a go-to. Sometimes we have "breakfast" - eggs, toast, maybe a meat or potatoes. I should ask her (where is she now.... argh - can't keep up with her).... I wonder what we are having for dinner tonight.??...

 

[kb0zke]

We generally prefer to have at least one day of "rest" between travel days, although we have done several back-to-back days when needed. We usually know when we will be traveling (although there was that time we just got to Florida and then had to head back to KCMO for a funeral), so Jo Ann plans for sandwiches for lunch (if we will be on the road then) and something in the Instant Pot for supper. We will also prepare food for the freezer that can be popped into the microwave.

When we had the Foretravel we could pull into a rest area or large parking lot and heat lunch in the microwave (no slides and a generator). Can't do that now, so sandwiches for lunch on travel days.

 

[ocbizman1]

Looking for ideas on quick meals after a travel day and set up. We normally have sandwiches during the day and neither of us want to cook a meal (or do dishes) afterwards. Thanks

I suppose it depends on what kind of travel day it is. If it's going to be leave in the morning and get to your next spot by say 3pm? If we leave and don't pull in to a campground until after dark? Or if there are multiple travel days back-to-back. And, which meal are we talking about? Also, will we have shore power at our next spot? No power means the microwave is out.

Breakfast will always be in-camp since any check-out time isn't until 10 or 11am at the earliest. So that would just be normal breakfast. Maybe just eggs and sausage or cereal. No waffles or anything with lots of prep and clean up.

A typical short-hop to the next stop would be an average breakfast. Home-made sandwiches packed into a small cooler with a cold pack, chips, water and some fruit and trail mix to snack on. We will usually stop at a rest stop or pull out at a scenic view point for lunch and walk the dog.

Dinner choices aren't always predicated on it being a travel day or not. Though things like using the slow cooker would be out. It really is predicated by what do we have on board, and what time do we get in. If we get in by 3pm then we have time to grill up some steaks or chicken, steam some green beans, and if we have power then fire up the rice cooker. If we get in later than 4 or 5pm then we may look to leftovers. Or, if we are near anyplace, head into town and grab something. We love to try out local flavors.

Now if we have a back-to-back trip then things get more complicated. Since we can't use our kitchen or even get into our fridge unless we put the slides out, we may be eating out more on a back-to-back trip. So we will try to keep those to 2 days max. Maybe put the kitchen slide out in the morning to have some cereal and make sandwiches. Then go to a restaurant for dinner or get something to take back and eat in the trailer. Then hit the road the next morning.

And per my wife, she is NOT eating any more MRE's!

 

[JHH4198]

I suppose it depends on what kind of travel day it is. If it's going to be leave in the morning and get to your next spot by say 3pm? If we leave and don't pull in to a campground until after dark? Or if there are multiple travel days back-to-back. And, which meal are we talking about? Also, will we have shore power at our next spot? No power means the microwave is out.

Breakfast will always be in-camp since any check-out time isn't until 10 or 11am at the earliest. So that would just be normal breakfast. Maybe just eggs and sausage or cereal. No waffles or anything with lots of prep and clean up.

A typical short-hop to the next stop would be an average breakfast. Home-made sandwiches packed into a small cooler with a cold pack, chips, water and some fruit and trail mix to snack on. We will usually stop at a rest stop or pull out at a scenic view point for lunch and walk the dog.

Dinner choices aren't always predicated on it being a travel day or not. Though things like using the slow cooker would be out. It really is predicated by what do we have on board, and what time do we get in. If we get in by 3pm then we have time to grill up some steaks or chicken, steam some green beans, and if we have power then fire up the rice cooker. If we get in later than 4 or 5pm then we may look to leftovers. Or, if we are near anyplace, head into town and grab something. We love to try out local flavors.

Now if we have a back-to-back trip then things get more complicated. Since we can't use our kitchen or even get into our fridge unless we put the slides out, we may be eating out more on a back-to-back trip. So we will try to keep those to 2 days max. Maybe put the kitchen slide out in the morning to have some cereal and make sandwiches. Then go to a restaurant for dinner or get something to take back and eat in the trailer. Then hit the road the next morning.

And per my wife, she is NOT eating any more MRE's!

Thanks, we're trying to stay away form the high carb frozen meals. The biggest struggle is back to back travel days. I've cooked and frozen several proteins (chicken, pork and beef), the issue is what for sides. We're not full timers and try to travel a couple of hundred miles in a day. Generally one night, then two nights, one night and so on until we reach destination. Then repeat towards home.

 

[Redapple63]

Sometimes we will cook before we leave and just reheat, sometimes just go out to eat.

Bill

 

[Najataagihe]

Thanks, we're trying to stay away form the high carb frozen meals. The biggest struggle is back to back travel days. I've cooked and frozen several proteins (chicken, pork and beef), the issue is what for sides.

Ah, you are local.

Howdy, Neighbor!


If you are freezing meats, beforehand, canned vegetables are your friend.

Toss 'em in a bowl and nuke 'em or put them in a boiler and use the stove.


Make some cornbread or corn pone and put it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Meat, french cut string beans and cornbread make a good meal, I don't care who you are.


Take some hominy, some english peas, even frozen field peas and you are all set.

You can nuke or boil any of them.


Freeze some spaghetti sauce, before you leave.

Vegetable soups freeze and travel well, too (add the meat when you cook it, not before freezing).

Be sure to toss the frozen stuff in the sink, before you leave, so they are thawed, when you get there.


None of those meals takes more than ten minutes to cook.



The biggest thing for us non-full-timers is to get all the prep work you can done, before you leave.


Drop by, some time, and say howdy.

I'm over by the Grand Design dealer in Calera.


Stay safe and eat well!

 

[JHH4198]

Ah, you are local.

Howdy, Neighbor!


If you are freezing meats, beforehand, canned vegetables are your friend.

Toss 'em in a bowl and nuke 'em or put them in a boiler and use the stove.


Make some cornbread or corn pone and put it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Meat, french cut string beans and cornbread make a good meal, I don't care who you are.


Take some hominy, some english peas, even frozen field peas and you are all set.

You can nuke or boil any of them.


Freeze some spaghetti sauce, before you leave.

Vegetable soups freeze and travel well, too (add the meat when you cook it, not before freezing).

Be sure to toss the frozen stuff in the sink, before you leave, so they are thawed, when you get there.


None of those meals takes more than ten minutes to cook.



The biggest thing for us non-full-timers is to get all the prep work you can done, before you leave.


Drop by, some time, and say howdy.

I'm over by the Grand Design dealer in Calera.


Stay safe and eat well!

Hey! good to hear from you. Great suggestions. Thank you. We're heading to south Florida for a couple of weeks. Leaving in about 30 minutes. We're in the Chelsea area.

 

[ajg617]

There's a lot of full timers that travel for 2 days then stop for 2 nights for that reason. We do that if we can leave a day or 2 early.

We aren't full-timers but this is exactly how we plan trips - two one night stays followed by a two night stay.

 

[orbiker]

We are full timers.
If we are going to be hopping from spot to spot for 2, 3, 4 days. We try to stay 2 or more nights after 2 or 3 moving days. Hopefully we are staying hitched overnight (s).
Before we start the moves, we will cook a couple dinners and save the leftovers for the travel days.

Most of our travel days will be 100 to 150 miles a day. 200 would be huge for us these days. The price of diesel has slowed us down and try to only do 1 refill a day or less (tank gets us a bit over 200).

Some travel days might include a walmart stop and a whole cooked chicken and something else will be on the dinner menu. We will put the cooked chicken in the microwave and that can help it stay warm.

Don't be in a hurry. We leave around 10 or 11 and try not to get to the next place before 1 (because some place don't like check in before 1).

KEN

 

[jkwilson]

We have come to like a bag of soup.

When we fix soup at home, we’ll put two servings in a freezer bag and freeze it. Warms easily. We also put the fixings for chili (minus the meat) in a freezer bag and freeze for when we have a little more time to cook it in the Dutch oven.

 

[Keebler]

We will buy four or five wedges of our favorite cheeses, along with some Italian meats (prosciutto, salami, capocollo, etc.), crackers, grapes, etc.

Along with a nice bottle of wine makes for a simple, no effort meal.