One of the great benefits of having an RV is being able to cook your own meals.  This means you not only can cook the things you and your family like, but you also can save money by not eating out.  To help you with your RV success, we’ve got some RV cooking tips for you.

First, consider the size of your RV fridge. Then, plan accordingly.  You may to bring along an extra cooler, with several frozen items acting as additional ice packs. Another option is to plan some meals that involve non-perishable ingredients like boxed pastas, rice mixes, and canned chicken or tuna.

Next, keep it easy. As a couple we often will freeze leftovers from our recent at-home meals and take those for camp meals. Our camper has a microwave, so reheating is very easy. Even with just a stove you can reheat just about anything!  Using one-pot meals is a great way to keep your clean up down, as is relying on paper plates and bowls. Round out meals with items that don’t need to be refridgerated like cut up fruits, french bread, or even your favorite chips. You’re camping, after all!

Then, remember to avoid strong smells (this may be more of a personal preference). Often I see plenty of people cooking bacon at camp, but I don’t want to smell bacon in my RV all day long. Even with wonderful vents and fans, that smell lingers! The same goes for fish.

We’d be remiss in our RV Cooking Tips without sharing a few easy meal ideas with you that involve some at-home prep and finish work at camp.

Turkey Guacamole Burgers – grill extra turkey burgers at home and freeze. Take burgers, condiments, avocado, and buns with you. As the burgers reheat on the stove or in the microwave, make your favorite guacamole. Ours includes avocado, about 1 tbsp mayo, a few dashes of hot sauce, garlic salt, lime and black pepper. Top your burger with guac and serve with your favorite gourmet potato chips.  For dessert cut a few peaches in half and warm them on the stove with brown sugar and butter. You won’t even need ice cream!

Easy Red Beans and Rice – Grab a pre-packaged red beans and rice mix and a package of smoked sausage (beef or turkey) at the store. Cook the rice and beans according to directions and add in the sausage towards the end to heat through. Serve with french bread and a side salad if you like. No time for a side salad? Cut up veggies and hummus are a great option too!

Cheese Ravioli and Pesto – Frozen cheese ravioli makes a super easy dinner for camping! Cook according to directions and add your favorite pesto after you drain the ravioli. If you want more protein pre-cook some chicken at home and add that when your pasta is done. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and let everything heat together for a few minutes.  French bread makes a great side for this too.  Sugar snap peas with feta and viniagrette are an easy vegetable side dish to add!

We hope our RV cooking tips help you to make great meals in your RV while you’re on the road!