Under the best of circ*mstances it can be difficult coming up with exciting but simple RV meals. Cooking an RV meal is very different than cooking at home! You don’t have the counter space to spread yourself around or to use lots of pans.
Nor do you want to use a lot of dishes or pans because most RVs don’t come with a dishwasher (other than hubby.) But you can pretty easily over do hot dogs so I needed to come up with some delicious recipes that have few ingredients, are easy to make on a road trip, and everyone will love.
Over our years on the road, I did just that- created RV dinner ideas that are simple to make, great to eat, and suitable for camping trips. Today I’m sharing with you my “Fab 5” Simple RV Meals that I make on a regular basis. I’m a typical mom- and I like to keep things simple when possible.
These are great to put into your next rv meal planning session! We love a delicious meal that is easy to make, and these camping meals really fit the bill. Plus, with just a few ingredients and the ability to cook large portions, you will save money on your grocery list.
If you want to know the exact RV Kitchen Accessories and kitchen gadgets I use in my kitchen, you can check them out here.
Before we start, if you don’t have a slow cooker in your RV, go get one. I use mine at least 2 – 3 times per week when we are on shore power. It’s my best friend! I constantly have a roast in there or pork loin or some kind of chicken dish.
Remember to use a slow cooker liner so there is little to no cleanup. I did without these for years and the clean up was a nightmare! So don’t be me, go get yours today.
Enjoy these simple and delicious meals and create some happy campers today!
5 Simple and Easy RV Meal Ideas
1)Chicken and Sausage Sheet Pan- Simple Delicious Meals
Chicken and Sausage Sheet Pan- Simple Delicious Meals
After our monthly Sams Club run, I divide up my chicken tenderloins into 3/4/5 pieces, bag them and label them with a sharpie. So when it comes to this easy meal, I can pull out whatever size I need, I usually go for 3 or 4.
You really can’t go wrong with this meal, so throw in whatever you feel like or have available. If we have leftovers, they usually end up in a quesadilla the next day. Or you can drop them into some scrambled eggs for breakfast.
- 3-4 Chicken Cutlets
- 1-2 Smoked Sausages
- 1-2 Colored Bell Peppers
- 1 Medium Onion
- 5-6 Sliced Mushrooms
Whatever else is in the fridge
- Cut up everything into bite sized pieces (or prep ahead)
- Lay out on a couple of quarter sized sheet pan. (Check your oven for size. RV ovens will not hold large pans so you may need 2.
- Spray everything with olive oil spray.
- Season everything with your favorite spices. We use Tones “Tuscan Garlic” orWeber “Kickin’ Chicken”
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
- Turn everything, season again, and bake until desired “crispiness.”
It’s embarrassing, it’s so simple, yet it tastes so good. RV stoves don’t work as fast as a regular oven, nor are they very big!. I usually fit all my food in one pan, you may have to split it up into two pans, it just depends.
The cooking time will depend on how cooked you like your food. In our house, we like our food crispy.?
Again, you can use whatever leftovers you have in the fridge for this dish, it all works well together. Adding rice and steamed vegetable sides get everyone nicely filled up and saves on the budget! My 8 year old daughter who hates most food, LOVES this dish!
Definitely try this one on your next camping trip.
Classic Recipe for Roast Beef: 1 large Roast of beef 1 small Roast of beef Take the two roasts and put them in the oven. When the little one burns, the big one is done.
2) Slow Cooker Roast- Easy RV Meals
Slow Cooker Roast- Easy RV Meals
We love meat in the Roving Foleys household, even my daughter who doesn’t like most things will eat some of this. I use a top roast or whatever kind of inexpensive cut of beef I come across.
Recently we took a trip through Winn Dixie and walked away with a freezer full of meat…… ON SALE! (no kidding!)
This is another super simple recipe that makes an awesome favorite meal.
1 Nice Big Beef Roast- fatty is good. Too lean, like London Broil will tend to come out dry.
- 1 Packet Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 1-2 Medium Onions
- 3-4 Large Carrots (I have been known to use cans from time to time)
- 1 Packet of Egg Noodles
- Sear the beef on all sides (or don’t if you don’t have time)
- Line Slow Cooker with Slow Cooker Liner
- Put into a Slow Cooker
- Add Soup Mix
- Add water
- Add carrots
- Turn Slow Cooker on to low setting
- Cook for several hours and then add the onions.
- About an hour before you want to eat- add the noodles. Make sure there is enough juice to soak the noodles. Conversely, you can just boil the noodles separately and then stir them around in the beef juice at the end.
- Once fully cooked- slice or break the beef into chunks n a cutting board- serve with veggies and noodles.
Don’t forget to purchaseslow cooker liners, they will save you so much time and energy when it comes to the cleanup. Give it a try in your instant pot as well!
3) Spaghetti Bolognaise- Simple Foods For Your RV Trip
Spaghetti Bolognaise- Simple Foods For Your RV Trip
I use this a lot in preparation for ourtravel day, so when we arrive at our destination or if we have a 2-day trip, everyone can be fed quickly even if something goes wrong and time is short. Even my daughter eats this one and she’s a fussy eater.
So for this simple rv meal, I use turkey mince. I have for years now. Recently I have been throwing some pork sausage in also, to give it a kick. Just FYI- you can also pre cook this and freeze, then just re-heat on your next RV camping trip.
- Olive Oil
- 2 lbs ground turkey, ground beef, or ground Italian sausage
- Minced Garlic
- 1 Onion Chopped
- Basil
- Sliced Mushrooms
- Grated carrots
- 2 Cans Diced Tomatoes
- 2 Jars Prego Spicy Sausage Tomato Sauce
- Tomato paste
Anything else in the fridge? Corn, Black Beans, peppers?
- Put Olive Oil in the bottom of a large cast iron pan or sauce pan.
- Add minced garlic- about a tablespoon
- Add minced onions
- Heat over medium heat until the onions are translucent
- Add ground meat. Beef, turkey, sausage are all good. Brown thoroughly.
- Add basil, sauce, tomatoes, all other ingredients.
- Heat over low heat, tasting from time to time- make adjustments to taste.
- Just before serving, add a spoon or 2 of tomato paste.
- Boil your favorite pasta per instructions.
I serve this with some nice garlic bread and parmesan cheese of course, or a salad if we have one.
A pot of bolognaise will last our family of four for several days. I freeze the rest so I can pull it out of the freezer as I need it.
4) Salsa Chicken- So Simple (We Won’t Tell!)
Salsa Chicken- So Simple (We Won’t Tell!)
This one is such a simple one pot RV meal that it’s almost embarrassing. All you do here is throw some chicken tenderloins in the slow cooker, open a can of salsa over them and cook on low for approximately 2 hours and dinner is ready!
You can serve it with rice or vegetables and you’re good to go. You could also add some diced tomatoes, onion, mushrooms and peppers in with the chicken. Simple, quick meal! Tastes great and can be easily increased or decreased to feed the whole family.
Mix it up by trying different kinds of salsa and rice. This recipe works great for leftovers too.
5) Quesadillas- Great Use Of Leftovers
Quesadillas- Great Use Of Leftovers
Got some Salsa Chicken or Sheet Pan Meal left over? These have become my new favorite easy lunch or dinner meal. Hubby makes these, which might be another reason why I love them so much! We get the large flour tortillas at Sams Club, spinach or tomato basil!
We sprinkle some cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese all over the quesadilla, add in some bacon, shredded chicken, corn, black beans, red onion, peppers, rice – again whatever you have in the fridge goes into your quesadilla.
Then top with anything you like- guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, ranch or chipotle salad dressing, salsa. Everyone can make their own to taste.
That’s really it. The kids love to make these and when the kids cook- it’s a fun day! They are amazing and again, you’re only using the one pan = easy cleanup! Make them part of your camping menu on your next RV trip.
RV cooking is definitely different than cooking at home but these simple RV meals form the basis of my dinners and save time and clean-up. I love the fact that I have to be minimal, I have to use as few things as possible because of our surroundings.
This means that we get dinner made, cleaned up and get back outside, to have fun.
Try these easy recipes out on your next RV camping adventure! Great ideas that taste great. I promise these dinner ideas will become a family favorite.
I’d love to hear what kind of food you cook in your RV?
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Grainne Foley
Grainne Foley grew up in Ireland and spent summers caravanning around Europe with her family. Now, as a wife and mother of 2, she spent 5 years traveling the USA as a full time RVing family. She is passionate about travel, and helping others who are considering the RV lifestyle. She has created dozens of helpful RVing checklists which are available throughout the website, and has curated hundreds of simple, flavorful meals for families on the go.
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