Packing Meals for a Trip

How about a home made one pan pasta? Pack a box of pasta and fresh veg and a can of crushed tomato.

I would make a list of simple favorites that don't need any fancy cookware (just a pot and/or skillet) and buy the food at a local grocery store when you get there. That's what I've always done. I can't imagine cooking ahead of time and trying to transport it, that sounds like so much extra work. We only packed coolers for day trips or camping.

I'm not on vacation if I'm cooking! We love great restaurants but that's just us plus we're fortunate to not have allergy issues.

I understand your allergy struggles and using a kitchenette.

Are there no good grocers where you go so you can buy fresh ingredients? It just seems so much like a chore vs vacation when you're meal planning and taking everything with you.

Hopefully you can find a good grocer on your next trip and can avoid some stress and enjoy yourself'!

We traveled to the Mayo Clinic (17 hour drive each way) in 2015 for treatment/evaluation for our daughter. We stayed in a hotel room with a kitchenette, that had 2 small electric burners, a mini fridge and a tiny sink. We were trying to avoid restaurants, too, due to dd's allergies plus the trip was costing us enough already, with co-pays and gas and lodging.

We bought a heavy duty cooler bag, not a stiff-sided cooler. In fact, we bought two. Found them in a camping store. They packed easier than a traditional cooler and were lighter, and kept food cold for days, and on the way home, we kept one filled with ice and water bottles, and the other we folded up.

Then we also brought a rice cooker, but not the typical one that just cooks rice. We brought this one: https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-FRC-800-Multi-Cooker-Fuz...

It sautes, slow-cooks, steams, cooks vegetables, sears meat, cooks all kinds of rice, you name it. It's not huge, and not heavy. But it cooks amazingly well. I cook chickpeas in it all the time, and black beans and pinto beans - I just briefly soak them and then cook them on the brown rice setting.

Here's what we made in the hotel:

1. I poured half water and half chicken stock into the rice cooker, and dumped in a one pound box of penne pasta. Then I inserted the steamer tray, which sets above where you put the rice or pasta. I filled the steamer tray with broccoli florets, sliced mini bell peppers, thinly sliced carrots and boneless skinless chicken thighs, which I had cut into bite-sized pieces. I drizzled some olive oil over the chicken and vegs; you could use some butter too, and salt or your favorite seasoning. I set the rice cooker to the steam setting, and the water started boiling and the chicken and vegetables steamed beautifully while the pasta cooked. Everything was done in less than 30 minutes.

2. Using the saute function, I sauteed ground turkey, diced mini bell peppers and pineapple chunks. Then I dumped in rice (I used jasmine rice, but any type would do) and a little soy sauce, and the amount of water specified in the manufacturer’s instructions for the amount of rice I used. I set the rice cooker to the rice setting and it made a delicious rice casserole. I thought about serving it in lettuce cups but the mini-fridge was working overtime and the lettuce froze, so it turned out to be a bowl meal instead.

3. Into the rice cooker, I put a 10 oz bag of fresh baby spinach, a can of artichoke hearts (in water, no marinade, and I chopped them up before adding them), a package of cheese sticks (I used those swirled ones of Cheddar and Monterey Jack), about one 8 oz block of cream cheese, some diced mini bell peppers and some frozen shelled edamame. The rice cooker was set to the slow-cooker function and about an hour or two later we had a delicious hot and hearty spinach artichoke dip, served with bagel chips and pita chips for dipping. You can omit the mini bell peppers, or add canned mushrooms, as you like.

4. One night I made a healthy salad of tuna (from those no-drain packets), shelled edamame that I briefly cooked in the rice cooker, canned drained mandarin oranges (in juice, not in sugar water), fresh walnuts, Kalamata olives, and dried cranberries. I served it with pita chips.

We didn't need the frying pan that the hotel supplied (it was pretty low-quality stuff) since the rice cooker did everything. We could go to our appointments and leave the slow cooker function on.

We also didn't bring too many groceries on the trip itself, instead opting to go to the local Safeway once we arrived in Minnesota. We didn't bring utensils since the rice cooker came with a non-stick ladle and flat paddle-like thing that worked as a spatula.

It worked so well that my husband said it shouldn't be called a rice cooker, but a traveling kitchen. Everything but the fridge and sink!

with those limitations, why not just find a restaurant or a place that delivers?

it would help to know what you are doing, going camping?

We more often than not buy groceries when we get somewhere. It depends on the vacation though - Disney? I'm not cooking. Camping or a week at the beach? We cook.

Your food will be fresher if you buy it wherever you're going and cook it there. I'd also call to ask about the amenities, so you know. Planning ahead always helps.

macaroni and cheese - add ham.
pork chops and rice - yep can be done in a skillet ( you don't have to use the onion, it won't drastically change the dish)

4 pork chops
2 teaspoons of Old Bay, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomatoes with green chiles
1 can black eyed peas
1 cup white rice*
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
Instructions

Grab a large, deep skillet that has a lid. I am ghetto and used a cast iron skillet and the lid to my crock pot.
Turn skillet to medium high heat, heat olive oil
Sprinkle the Old Bay on each side of the pork chops, reserving one teaspoon of seasoning for later.
Pan Sear the chops, about 2-3 minutes on each side. You aren't looking for doneness here, just a good color. When both sides are golden remove form skillet and set aside.
Add in chopped onion, bell pepper and let cook for about one minute.
Pour the can of tomatoes and green chiles, and black eyed peas. Don't drain them, just pour the whole thing in there. Add in the broth, rice, worcestershire sauce , and last teaspoon of Old Bay. Top with pork chops.
Bring mixture to a simmer. Place lid on skillet and turn down to low. Let simmer about 25 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

Put your favorite ingredients in a ziploc bag to store. Pull 'em out when you are ready and prepare.

Fantastic suggestions from Elena, who knows her stuff. But if you won't be in a hotel room for long enough to use a slow cooker/rice cooker, try some of the following:

1 dish skillet meals: Take a frying pan (unless you are sure they have one at the hotel) and some foil for a lid. Pre-measure rice, quinoa or Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous), put in ziplock bags, and mark the amount of water and cooking time needed on the outside of the bag with a sharpie marker. Take 2 cans of plain chicken stock/broth if you can find some without onion. You can take herbs or acceptable spices in those small plastic containers they sell at the supermarket so people can take salad dressing to work. Or, you can put them in one of those pill organizers and mark with a piece of a small label.

When you get to town #1, run into a market for a package of ground chicken or turkey. Cook the whole thing, and if you don't use it all, take the rest of the cooked meat in a zipper bag on the bottom of a cooler topped with free hotel ice. You can also grab a can of plain tomato sauce, puree or diced tomatoes (not a jarred sauce with herbs/spices) and turn that 2nd night of meat into an Italian meal, served with pasta. You can take a bag of grated cheese if people like that.

Pre-cut salad veggies and take a bag of lettuce or baby spinach - instant salad. They'll keep 1-2 days without refrigeration or just on the top of a cooler.

Fruit: a few apples (very inexpensive right now), pears clementines/mandarins, bananas. Replenish as needed. Cut up some other fruits that keep well - melon, pineapple, whatever the family likes. You can replenish at a supermarket salad bar if you need to.

One skillet Chinese: buy chicken tenders in Town #3 (or cut up chicken breast or thighs in small pieces at home, pack in bags at bottom of cooler, and serve on Night #1). Cook in skillet in a little oil, remove from pan. Or, use cubes of tofu from the supermarket salad bar, brown up carefully on all sides, then remove and set aside. In the same skillet, cook up some acceptable vegetables either from home or on Day 3-4 from the salad bar at the local supermarket (pea pods, carrots, celery, broccoli florets, whatever they eat). I do the "heavy" stuff a little longer (cauliflower, broc), then add celery and zucchini or yellow squash disks after 1-2 minutes, and stir for 1-2 minutes more. Then you need just a very short time for the shredded carrots and pea pods. Put the chicken or tofu back in for 1 minute or so. Don't stir too much at that point or the tofu will fall apart. If you want, take a can of sliced water chestnuts and drain well, throw in just to heat through. If everyone can eat nuts, cashews are great in Chinese food. Kids like the crunch. If you don't use them all, put the rest in a salad the next night. Same goes for bamboo shoots or those baby corn cobs if your kids like those. Serve brown rice on the side - in fact, someone can start that while the other person runs to the store for the needed items. If your child can eat soy sauce, take a little of that in a small container and throw into the veggie/meat mix at the end. Or you can marinate the meat/tofu in it ahead of time, drain, and use what you drain off at the last minute. I use canola oil but if you want to splurge on a little sesame oil (or use 3/4 canola, 1/4 sesame), that's a nice flavor touch. The nice thing about this meal is that the quantities don't matter.

I wouldn't deal with frozen foods at all - I'd just replenish very quickly with 1-2 items that you run through the express line of the supermarket without dragging everyone inside. It's the same money you would have spent at home. That saves a ton of space in the car too. If you have a very specific and short grocery list for Night #2, Night #3 and Night #4, it won't take you more than a few minutes each day and you will save more than that in pre-trip preparation. Pre-Google the local supermarkets in each town so you know exactly where you are going.

Isn't it easier just to eat at inexpensive places for dinner? I assume you have a frig. Get breakfast n lunch foods and go out at night. So much easier. Shop when you get where you are going.

Why not just buy groceries when you get there? Unless you're going to be somewhere very remote that makes a lot more sense than trying to travel with 2 to 4 days worth of precooked meals.

I guess I don't understand why you don't just buy fresh when you get there or the same day you finally get there.

We've traveled and camped a few times over the years. I cooked spaghetti and other foods then froze them. I packed them into zip lock bags and then surrounded them in ice along with other frozen things. I wrapped the ice chest in a big blanket to keep heat off and cool inside. I drained off melted water and added more ice each day.

My stuff was still frozen days later.

When we were camping I used up the thawed food the first few days. I had a bag of potatoes with us and would cut them up with onions and fry up a big batch then when they were done I'd add a bunch of scrambled eggs, cook that, then we'd have breakfast burritos. The only pan I packed was my cast iron skillet with a lid. I could cook pretty much anything in that. Then just wipe it out or wash it, rinse it, and put it in the embers to dry.

We'd go to town once or twice a week for stuff that we wanted fresh or that we ran out of.

I guess I'm just lucky that we like doing restaurants when we travel and we have no difficulties to overcome when we do.
If I'm still cooking - then it's not a vacation for me - so eating out is part of the treat for me.
Ribs places, pizza places, Chinese food, Cracker Barrel, fast food - you name it - we like trying all sorts of different things.
I hope you get lots of good suggestions.
Good luck!

Have you ever tried the Hormel Compleats or Dinty Moore microwave meals. These are not refrigerated but they are in a sealed bag/container. They have different varieties that probably don't have the things you're allergic to. I'm not sure what kind of preservatives they have. I did try a few of them some years ago and I don't remember exactly how they tasted, but I think they were okay - I usually remember things I didn't like.

For our last trip I got a room with a kitchen. I bring pantry goods in a grocery bag and a cooler with cold stuff. For the cost of the four of us eating one meal out, I can have several meals worth of groceries. Cooking on vacation is one of the ways we're able to afford to take one at all.

I know that shopping at the destination is not always a possibility, and when it possible the problem is that the cost is often higher. I'd rather plan ahead and bring stuff with me.

If you don't know what pots/pans and appliances are available, call the location to ask. It is hard to plan properly without all the information.

I'm also allergic to peppers. It isn't anaphylactic level, but it is getting worse as I get older. Numbness, lip swelling, rashes, hives on my arms...depends on what I encounter. It started years ago as nausea after eating something with pepper ingredients. I had no other symptoms at that time and took awhile to figure out what was making me sick after eating. I miss tacos. The last time I ate in a restaurant, the fries were seasoned and the blend had just a touch of chili powder. Super mild and barely detectable, but the roof of my mouth started numbing after chewing one fry and I knew to stop and ask.

I don't have the same issue with onions, thank goodness. I love them.

So anyway, food ideas that can be made sans peppers/onions, on a stove top or microwave, and assuming a standard pot and fry pan are available -

* Meatless spaghetti and safe sauce - make the sauce in advance, cook the pasta there.
* Grilled cheese sandwiches with safe soup - soup in advance, sandwiches there.
* Eggs and bacon (if you eat pork) - cook there
* Tuna salad with tomato wedges, black olives, celery sticks, etc. - mix up the tuna salad ahead of time if you want, but there is no cooking involved.
* Baked potatos with veggies and other toppings - you can prebake and cool them before the trip.
* Rice, the type you like with safe seasonings - this can also be cooked, cooled and bagged in advance. Heat it up and add things to it if you wish, or as a side to something else.

I would totally wait until you get to where you are staying and see exactly what the kitchen set up is and what supplies you have. Or call ahead and ask what they have. Find a grocery store when you get there. I can't think of much that would stay good in a cooler for four days. Plan meal ideas ahead of time, take non perishables with you, but buy perishables when you get there.

Is there a Sprouts, Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods where you are going? They have a lot of prepared foods. When I stayed in a kitchenette over the summer, I purchased packed some foods and purchased some.

Packed: Premade rice, salt, pepper, cuman powder, canned beans. Purchased, eggs, chicken breasts, oatmeal, bread, sandwich meat, & veggies.

I tried to prepare everything in an order that everything would be used up. Day 1, chicken, rice, & veggies, Day 2, breakfast - eggs w/cooked zucchini, salad w/raw zucchini, sandwiches for lunch, rice bowls for dinner, etc.

I had very few items I threw out.