Short trip meal ideas, no electric

[Bobbie Mayer]

Doing an overnighter- not sure what I want to plan for the two meals. Dinner will be during the warm part of the day, probably cooling off as I finish. Just me.. So I could bring something cold for dinner, sandwich or salad, or could cook.

Breakfast in the morning will be chilly and I know I'll fire up the stove for coffee so might as well cook something.

Just looking for one-serving ideas that are easy to clean up after but maybe a little more interesting than a sandwich for dinner and cereal for breakfast.

Best would be something for dinner that I could reheat for breakfast... I could fire up the Dutch oven for dinner and then reheat on the stove.

Suggestions?

[honda03842]

It sounds like you'd like to bring something with you suitable for breakfast and dinner. A suggestion that I like that's easy to carry, can be warmed if you like in a covered frying pan though is good cold, is Quiche with a side of fruit like cantaloupe..

[Bobbie Mayer]

I was thinking about making something like that at night and eating it for breakfast, too, make just enough for the two meals. I have an "impossible pie" recipe that would do well in the Dutch oven. I also thought about doing apple fritters for breakfast..

[Gina D.]

make stuff at home and bring it with you. reheat.

EZPZ..no big clean up, good meals.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I thought about doing that, Gina, but it isn't much easier that way (other than the leftovers stay here) and it can be fun to cook something. (Plus on some longer trips that wouldn't be an option so I'm thinking ahead to a future cross-country trip.)

[honda03842]

Bobbie,

The long road trips are a whole different situation in terms of what you bring for food and just about everything else can be different, for example we don't bring flannel sheets to FL but do to Newfoundland.

When we travel we tend to food items that we may have difficulty finding on the road that we particularly like, for example we like pancakes made with almond flour.

[stevebaz]

Short term meals, make stuff before you leave on a trip and seal in a bag, then get a pot of boiling water and boil the whole bag. Clean up is easy you already have hot water after your meal. Cooked frozen food before a trip keeps a long time in a ice chest or fridge. If plans change during your trip and find a fun place to grab a bite the prepped meal doesn't go to waste.

[mary and bob]

Anyone read the book "Manifold Destiny" about cooking on the engine while you drive. Long out of print and hard to find at a reasonable price, but a few years ago our son found me a copy. Recipes like cod supreme, halibut with fennel, veal scallopine, eggs-on cheese pie, provolone potatoes, and a bunch of others. Even tells how many miles to drive for cook time. Pull into camp and your meal is ready. EDIT; just looked on ebay, several copies for $15 or less, a few years ago they were much higher priced.

[Sharon D]

I have been doing weekends for agility trials, and do a little one-pot cooking and boil water for coffee. One meal is often cooking spaghetti and then adding the pre-made sauce. I have also fallen in love with the Bear Creek soups/pasta. I divide them up into single servings, boil water, add the mix and let them sit. Mornings are often instant oatmeal if it is cold, or homemade granola, fruit, and yoghurt.

There are lots of breakfast options as well for one-pot cooking. I am more interested in eating than cooking, and am usually just me and the dog, so I keep it very simple.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I ended up deciding on a sort-of quiche that can be dinner and breakfast, both. (I've tried it before so know I like it.) I thought of a few other options, too, such as corned beef hash for dinner and with an egg for breakfast, chili for dinner and with a cheese omelet for breakfast. All stuff I could have on hand for a longer trip.

[David B.]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

Short term meals, make stuff before you leave on a trip and seal in a bag, then get a pot of boiling water and boil the whole bag. Clean up is easy you already have hot water after your meal. Cooked frozen food before a trip keeps a long time in a ice chest or fridge. If plans change during your trip and find a fun place to grab a bite the prepped meal doesn't go to waste.

how we have been doing it for years now. Lately we also carry some MRE's (meals ready to eat) that are freeze dried I think. We pick these up at "Bass Pro Shop" but are available many places that have a camping or hiking department.
Dave & Paula

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

Anyone read the book "Manifold Destiny" about cooking on the engine while you drive...

Bob, easier to find the book than to get anywhere near the manifold in a late-model vehicle! Covered with layers of plumbing and plastic now.

[honda03842]

Our favorite item to carry is Copper River smoked salmon in Mylar packets. Easily keeps a year without refrigeration, can store it anywhere. We get gifted with some every year.

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Bob, easier to find the book than to get anywhere near the manifold in a late-model vehicle! Covered with layers of plumbing and plastic now.

And near impossible to work on too. But I still have a 76 and a 86 vehicle so I can cook on the engine. Any newer vehicle may be good for warming a muffin.

[Gilda]

I am a great fan of the Boat Galley Cookbook and website for easy, nutritious and tasty meals. After all, we are commandeering "land yachts" are we not? The Boat Galley Cookbook

[Tonya L]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Our favorite item to carry is Copper River smoked salmon in Mylar packets.

Oh good one! Now why haven't I thought of this??? We love to cook, like REALLY cook, when camping and I'm always looking for ideas. Costco has great deals on packages of smoked salmon. I can see this made into a smoked salmon dip or cold salad for a lunch, appetizer, or snack and/or stuffed into an omelet the next morning.

Or, you know, eat it as is. Thanks for the great idea, Honda!

Another smoked foodie that's good for camping... I try to always carry a stick of smoked sausage like salami or summer sausage that also doesn't need to be refrigerated. The kids usually suck it down before I can do any cooking with it, but it can also be sliced and tossed into mac and cheese or eaten as is.

Which reminds me, I'm gonna have to talk to our kids about eating my applewood-smoked Sangiovese wine and fennel smoked salami when we were camping this past weekend...

[Gilda]

In the title of your posting you say "no electric". Are we to assume you will not have an electric hook-up but will have the ability to cook with propane or campfire? You also mention using a Dutch oven. It seems to me a Dutch oven is much too large for one person unless you have an enormous appetite. Is your Dutch oven for home use (without legs, usually enameled) or camping use (with legs, usually cast iron)? Have you thought of using a pie iron? There are lots of yummy main dish and dessert recipes that can be cooked over a fire or even over your camp stove. Easy To Make Pie Iron Recipes

[Bobbie Mayer]

That trip is actually long over, but a pie iron is a great idea.

[steve dunham]

We have a small square griddle that fits on the grate of our small propane grill .
This allows us to cook both breakfast and dinner outside and using the same cooking appliance. Plus using the propane grill allows us to regulate the heat so food on the griddle does not burn

[KevinPete]

I've been making my own backpacking meals for a few years now, started out with "Freezer Bag Cooking" from TrailCooking.com. Have come up with a lot of my own recipes, as I didn't eat animal products for a long time. No reason you couldn't make them in a pan, they all pretty much just require boiling water. I get requests all the time to make all the meals for our trips, we only carry alcohol stoves to boil water, no dishes to do as well! I dry a lot of my own ingredients, so I know they're fresh and healthy. You can buy small portions of individual seasonings, etc. from minimus.biz or Packit Gourmet. Packit Gourmet also makes some amazing meals!

Good thing about this method is that it is lightweight, stores small, and the costs can be kept down as you buy/prepare in bulk. Supplement with fresh fruit and veggies and there's no reason to go hungry or get bored.