RV Cooking Ideas – Maximize With Less

You know how it is, you go camping and you’re sitting there just chillin’ then it’s time to get up and make some food…but you need some RV cooking ideas because it’s just not the same as cooking at home! I get it, we’ve been there & done that!!! Now that Glynn’s gone vegan, it’s even trickier than before.

RV kitchens leave us underwhelmed and hunting for RV cooking ideas!

Since our kids are grown, eating is not the same chore that it once was, but it’s still an ever-present task. Even without our differences in acceptable foods, we still have to figure out what to cook, how to cook it (without turning our camper into a burning inferno inside), and decide whether to eat inside (where it’s now 10 degrees warmer) or outside with the bugs!

Let’s learn to maximize our cooking with less stress and more functionality!

RV COOKING IDEAS: NEEDED TOOLS

First things first, let’s talk about two things we all worry about…not enough gadgets and storage space.

I would love nothing more than to bring along my crockpot, rice cooker, electric skillet, pots & pans including steamer attachment, air fryer, toaster…AND a toaster oven, and any others I can get my hands on! I probably need a support group for gadget hoarding!

If you RV, however, you know the reality of the issue is, you have to choose your gadgets wisely. Any gadget that can pull double or triple-duty needs to be the one you take. This is ESPECIALLY true if you are full-time RVing.

INSTAPOT

So, based on research, my first RV cooking idea is to get an INSTANT POT.

If you don’t already know, an instant pot is basically a pressure cooker that does the work of a crockpot, a rice cooker, a stovetop, a steamer, and an oven (I’ve even heard a rumor that you can make a cake or cheesecake in it!). So that’s one MUST HAVE gadget.

My oldest daughter SWEARS by hers. I also actually found a Facebook group called RV Instant Pot, Roaster, or Skillet Recipes & Chat. There are A LOT of instant pot recipes in that group!

TOASTER OVEN

My next RV cooking idea is to have is a toaster oven. Even though I did read that you can cook biscuits in an Instapot, I’m pretty sure you can’t make nachos in one (but I will update this post if I find this to be untrue)!

The toaster oven listed above actually has a toaster slot in the top of it which allows you to toast bread, bagels, etc…which I’m also fairly sure can’t be accomplished with the instant pot.

If you find that one to be lacking, there is a Cadillac version listed here. I’m sure there are some in between, but this guy is basically a portable oven.

I like to have one of these when camping because I can keep the heat outside in the summer and not miss anything in the fall.

A toaster oven can take the place of an oven, a grill, a roaster, and a toaster. YAY!!! I’d most likely have one of these on hand even if my RV had an oven.

GRIDDLE

My last RV cooking idea for gadgets is to have a griddle. I’m actually going to link 4 here. One is a MACK DADDY that is reversible for grilling on one side, and smooth for eggs and basic griddle cooking on the other. What’s nice about this one is that it has a lid for outdoor cooking…I NEED THIS ONE IN MY LIFE! Christmas, honey?!

This one is a basic griddle, but it’s FOREVER LONG…like 23″ or so! I could cook burgers on one end and veggie burgers on the other and never get either one’s cooties on the other! Haha!!! We also use it for pancakes, eggs (for those of us who eat them), bacon (is there a veggie bacon?), etc. It’s more or less what I have now.

I think if I was full-timing it, this one would be my only choice because I can use it to make everything the griddle can do, plus chili and spaghetti…except that I’ve been informed this is a function of the magical, mysterious instapot! You can still use it to grill/griddle cook, too.

If you have adequate space (and an exhaust fan) in your kitchen and don’t cook outdoors much, this one would do fine for pancakes and indoor grilling. Although, I actually remember my mom using one of these on an old Coleman stove for outdoor cooking when we would go camping. This one is PERFECT for that as well.

POTS AND PANS

I’ll be honest here, when I’m camping, I DO NOT intend on being June Cleaver, or Julia Child. I’m not going to get Mrs. Domesticated Meal Maker of the year award. If this IS you, well…I give you an honorary gold star! More power to ya, sister (or mister…whoever does the cooking)!

For my RV cooking ideas though, I like to keep one functional large pot with a locking lid that strains like this one. This large pot will be my go-to for soups, chili, and all pasta…until I get and learn to use the instant pot! 🙂 *PERSONAL NOTE: Are you loving this, Alyssa (daughter who tells me I need the instant pot)?* 😀 I’ll still keep this pot though for pasta and anything else I’d need to cook in a pan (because you never know when you’ll need mac and cheese).

I LITERALLY do not bring another pot with me. This is it…this one pot is flying solo for the pots department! Everything else that WOULD go in a pot, can go in a tupperware dish (also a VERY limited selection), and be heated in the microwave.

We do bring one pan, though. I outfitted our camper with one of these pans. It’s great for indoor cooking for small meals, but it serves the same functions as several pans in one and eliminates the need for multiple pans, and can take the place of a pot if needed.

RV COOKING IDEAS: DEALING WITH LIMITED SPACE

My sister and I measure kitchens by how many butts can fit it in.

The kitchen at home is about a two-butt kitchen. I’m used to small kitchens. My RV kitchen, however, is claustrophobic! I’m not even sure it’s fair to call it a one-butt kitchen…maybe a 3/4-butt kitchen! I HATE cooking in there (ok, let’s be honest, I just hate cooking!). So, what to do?

COOK OUTSIDE!!! 

Why camp in the great outdoors if you don’t intend to be outdoors?

The very BEST of the RV cooking ideas is to cook outside! This is why I started with the gadgets…let me tell you what we do…it’s the FUN STUFF!!! The gadgets help you take the kitchen outdoors.

We set up a table right outside of our camper underneath the awning. This table is where we often put our coffee maker, griddle, toaster oven, and will soon be where our instant pot may go. Don’t forget an extension cord!

We use this table to extend our prep space and even as our cooking space. If our lot isn’t level or it doesn’t have a picnic table, we can move our kitchen around to the perfect spot with this table.

With the use of griddles or moveable appliances like toaster ovens or instapots, we can cook wherever we choose. We can also hang out with friends while cooking outside, which is an AWESOME BONUS!

PLAN, PLAN, AND PLAN SOME MORE!

Glynn and I have tried both winging it and perfectly planning each meal. Winging it is not where it’s at…just let me tell ya! One or two ill-planned trips is all it took to cure me of that illness!

When talking about RV cooking ideas, the first step is to plan your meals. Be realistic about the number of camping days and how much you will REALLY eat each day, and shop wisely.

Try to get just enough groceries, but don’t shortchange yourself. Especially if you’re boondocking in the wilderness! Those tiny fridges…(SMH)…it makes grocery shopping a strategical balancing act!

Include snacks and beverages when shopping.

If you drink alcohol, don’t forget to check to see if your destination is in a dry county, and whether or not your destination RV park allows alcohol at all. I forget about this because I don’t normally drink alcohol, then invite friends that do only to find out we’re in a dry county or a boring RV park! LOL!

Planning ahead takes the stress of cooking away for me.

COORDINATE WITH FRIENDS

If you happen to be camping with friends, be sure to coordinate your RV cooking ideas with theirs. This can also alleviate some of the stress of mealtime.

Actually dinner our friend made…in her instant pot!

When they are cooking one thing, maybe they can provide one part of the meal and you can provide another, which lightens the load.

It’s also fun to do the prep work together. One time a friend of ours cooked us a DELICIOUS meal, so I hopped up and did dishes for her when we were done eating. Camping with friends is FUN…but that’s another post!

I won’t spend a lot of time here, but it is something to think about.

REMEMBER THE KISS PRINCIPLE!

Yep…I said it! In case you’re the only person on the WHOLE PLANET who doesn’t know…KISS = Keep It Simple, Stupid…or in this case…keep it stupid simple!

One thing Glynn being newly vegan has done for us is that it has SUPER SIMPLIFIED our meal choices. Oatmeal, cereal, or pancakes for breakfast; nachos, bean burritos, or sandwiches for lunch; and maybe a baked potato, a pot of beans, or burgers/veggie burgers for supper. We also always keep fruit and salted peanuts in the shell with us for snacks.

Once in a blue moon, we’ll make a big dinner with friends. If we were full-timing it, I can imagine we’d eat simple meals throughout the days and weeks.

If we had little kids with us, we’d most likely do the same…maybe more cooked breakfasts, more sandwiches, and more snacks…and MUCH MORE planning! 🙂

A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS:

The best of the RV cooking ideas is to keep in line with the KISS principle. I like to think about what the cleanup process will be like BEFORE I start cooking. Use as few pots, pans, and gadgets as possible to save yourself the trouble.

Soups and meals that can be cooked in one dish are PERFECT for RV cooking.

We use paper towels and plates when possible to save the trouble of having to do dishes.

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest and check out my new Pinterest board for RV cooking ideas called Camping Meal Ideas.

If you’re interested in getting organized, kitchen or otherwise, check out my RV storage ideas post.

…and for lists of items you’ll want in your RV, check out the necessities post and the luxury item post!

What RV cooking ideas do you like? Share them below, I’d LOVE to hear them!