One of the biggest challenges many couples face when they start traveling in a new or used RV is how to cook for 2. At home, you have the advantages of more kitchen space, more kitchen tools, and a larger fridge and pantry in which to save ingredients and leftovers. But how do you go about cooking for 2 in an RV without overcrowding your RV’s kitchen space or having too many leftovers? Here are 3 easy tips!
Meal Plan, Meal Plan, Meal Plan
Meal planning might seem daunting, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be saving time, money, and space on cooking for 2 in an RV. When you don’t have a plan, it’s easy to take the more expensive way out by going out to eat again – and overspending your food budget, as a result.
Minimize Tools & Ingredients
Stop packing along full size spice and seasoning jars – or full size anything! Take a look at your favorite camping recipes, like chili, grilled hamburgers, or hobo stew, and compare ingredients. I often pre-measure all seasonings and spices for certain recipes into snack size food storage bags, label them with a permanent marker, and keep all of the baggies together in one small food storage container. It takes up much less room than a bunch of individual spice jars! I also keep a few ready-made all-purpose spice blends on hand – even at home! A go-to favorite that’s good for seasoning poultry, pork, and vegetables is a snap to mix together:
Everything Blend
- 1 Tbs garlic powder
- 1 Tbs onion powder
- 1 Tbs paprika
That’s it! Equal parts of these seasonings and you’ve got a ready made blend that jazzes up almost any dish.
Next, save space in your RV kitchen by taking a hard look at your kitchen tools and seeing how you can switch them out for smaller versions or multi-purpose tools. Do you really need 3-4 skillets and frying pans, or can you make do with one – and throw other things on the grill of your RV’s outside kitchen?
Do you need several sauce pans, or can you bring a mini Crock Pot for your soups and stews? Don’t forget to swap sets of measuring cups and spoons for a measuring tool that has markings for each measurement, too!
Adjust Your Recipes
Finally, what to do with too many leftovers? Easy: eliminate them! Use a handy resource like Plan To Eat or other meal planning guides online to enter your recipes and reduce them in size with ease. PTE is a paid subscription, but you’ll find it’s worth it to save yourself the hassle of leftovers that may just get shoved to the back of the fridge!
Now that you have some meal tips for cooking for 2 in an RV, we can help you with the other steps of traveling – like financing a new or used RV, or scheduling some RV service before you hit the road. Contact us today!
