Your vacation is finally here! But after all the planning that goes into booking, packing, and traveling, the last thing you want is to arrive and start stressing about what to eat. Depending on where you’re headed, you might have plenty of restaurant options. Still, feeding a group multiple times a day can add up fast, which is where easy vacation meals come in.
Start by thinking through your setup. Take stock of your access to groceries and what kind of cooking equipment you’ll have on hand. Heading somewhere more rustic? Headed somewhere rustic? Plan a few camping recipes you can make over the fire! Foil packet recipes make cleanup easy and work just as well on a grill if your rental has one! Of course, there are plenty of other grilling recipes you can consider. And when all else fails, you can always whip up a big pile of nachos!
With an oven, things open up even more. Sheet pan recipes and one-pot meals keep things simple without leaving you stuck at the sink cleaning up a mess of pots and pans. And there are even a few big batch and make-ahead breakfast ideas, because let’s be honest, the last thing you want to do on vacation is wake up early and flip 80 individual pancakes.
As you map out your plans and excursions, take a little time to plan your meals, too. It makes the days feel easier, and you’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time actually enjoying your trip!
Make-Ahead Sandwich Rolls
If you’ve got a short road trip, make these ahead of time and stash them in a cooler. They’re the perfect grab-and-go lunch with plenty of ingredient flexibility.
Get Ree’s Make-Ahead Sandwich Rolls recipe.
Pizza Bagels
Making pizza from scratch while you’re traveling can be a challenge. But when you pile everything on bagels, you skip the hard part and keep all the fun toppings!
Get the Pizza Bagels recipe.
Grilled BBQ Chicken Nachos
Did you know that you can make nachos on the grill? All you need is a disposable pan for easy cleanup. Serve as a fun meal or a crowd-pleasing snack.
Get Ree’s Grilled BBQ Chicken Nachos recipe.
Brunch Charcuterie Board
Instead of assembling a bunch of breakfast sandwiches, throw all the ingredients on a board charcuterie-style and let everyone assemble their own. It’s an easy way to entertain!
Get the Brunch Charcuterie Board recipe.
Cheeseburger Bowls
Skip the bun and serve cheeseburgers on a pile of fries instead. It’s like a main course and side dish in one. Everyone can choose their own toppings, too.
Get Ree’s Cheeseburger Bowls recipe.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Find some refrigerated gnocchi at the store and simply toss it on a sheet pan with some veggies for a flavorful meal in a flash. Don’t forget the cheese!
Get the Sheet Pan Gnocchi recipe.
Foil-Packet Shrimp Pasta
Another easy way to make pasta with less stress is to assemble everything in foil packets. Fewer dishes for the win! And just look at how this meal turns out.
Get Ree’s Foil-Packet Shrimp Pasta recipe.
Chili Mac and Cheese
Why choose between mac and cheese and chili when you can have both in one bite? It’s all from scratch and still done in only 30 minutes.
Get Ree’s Chili Mac and Cheese recipe.
Sheet Pan Pancakes
Don’t flip a bunch of single pancakes. Instead, you can make one big pancake on a sheet pan and just cut slices for everyone.
Get the Sheet Pan Pancakes recipe.
Tuna Pasta Salad
A box of pasta, frozen peas, and canned tuna turn into an easy salad that works as good as a main course as it does as a side dish.
Get the Tuna Pasta Salad recipe.
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Talk about fast: These chicken skewers are done in less than 30 minutes. As they grill, you can make a flavorful peanut dipping sauce easily with jarred peanut butter.
Get Ree’s Grilled Chicken Skewers recipe.
Air Fryer Salmon
If you’re having a staycation or have an air fryer in your vacation rental, you can make flaky, flavorful salmon in just ten minutes. Toss a salad and dinner is served!
Get the Air Fryer Salmon recipe.
Oven-Baked Pork Chops
You can have big barbecue flavor with way less work if you make pork chops in the oven. The other hack is a bag of shredded coleslaw mix as the veggie side.
Get Ree’s Oven-Baked Pork Chops recipe.
Sheet Pan Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches
You can make a dozen sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwiches in way less time if you assemble on a sheet pan. You can even make them in advance and freeze individually!
Lemon Pasta
When you can’t seem to fathom making anything harder than buttered noodles, just add some garlic, lemon, and parmesan. You make it all in one pot with ten minutes of effort.
Get the Lemon Pasta recipe.
Chili Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cauliflower Soup
Easy Foil Packet Recipes for a Grill or Campfire
