Every year my family goes on vacation for at least a week to the Jersey Shore and we stay in a house that we rent. I like renting a house because there is a fully stocked kitchen so I am able to do some meals at home so we don’t end up eating every meal out. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE eating out just as much as the next person but with 7 people–and a 3 year old!–that get olds quickly, not to mention that the cost adds up quickly as well.
I also don’t want to have to spend my entire vacation cooking and cleaning up the kitchen when I am on vacation so I have learned that with some advanced planning and preparation before we even leave I can have a relaxing vacation AND eat well all week long.
The key is to be prepared, figure out what you can take with you and what you need to purchase from a grocery store at your destination. You don’t want to have to stock up on pantry items and spices etc while you are away and you don’t wan to have to take them with you as well. This is where freezer meals come in handy.
Here are my top Vacation meals that I can’t live without:
Pulled Pork Sandwiches–rather than make these while on vacation I made them before I left and then put everything in a freezer bag and froze them. When I was ready to make them I just defrosted them and warmed them up. They were a perfect dinner one night and then we had leftovers for lunch later in the week.
Italian Pasta Salad–I made this the first day that we were on vacation and it worked out great! We had it the first night with cold cuts and then ate it throughout the week for lunches and snacks.
Italian Stromboli–This meal whips up in minutes and it tastes great. I took the pizza crust with me in my cooler so I only had to get the cold cuts at the store (which was no big deal since we were having sandwiches during the week). It tastes great, easy cleanup and fills everyone up.
Grilled Chicken Kabobs--a family favorite and so easy to make!
Walking Tacos–what isn’t there to love about walking tacos? Everyone got to make their own taco so it was customized to their personal tastes. YUM!
I have teamed up with some blogging friends this summer for a monthly series, make sure to head over to their sites to check out what summer foods they can’t live without!
My kids would love walking tacos! Especially since Doritos are involved!
I love your stromboli idea! We try to eat in while we’re on vacation once in a while too. I love to eat out but $$$$. Adds up! Thanks for the ideas!
I need to try the walking tacos…we love tacos!