When readying to depart for a vacation home (or even prepping for an extended daycation AT home!) there’s a lot of thought that needs to go into meal planning. Yes, you need to consider the constraints of your temporary kitchen, and your ability to easily grocery shop for supplies. But on top of that, whatever you cook should be relatively easy to put together (because slaving over a stove doesn’t exactly qualify as vacation). And most of all, every dish should contain some element of fun! Because what could be more vacay-appropriate than grilling meat at a woodsy cabin, steaming seafood at a beachfront condo, or feasting on fresh fruit at a tropical locale?
That’s why we’ve developed a menu of easy meals to take on vacation. So instead of merely packing toothbrushes and bathing suits, you can bring along the makings of these delicious dishes!
Breakfast
Avocado Ricotta Toast with Poached Eggs: Laze about in bed as long as you wish. These Instagram-worthy toasts come together in minutes, yet are elegant enough to serve as brunch, for a bunch of visiting house guests.
Country Breakfast Casserole: Nothing could be cozier than waking up to this rustic casserole, rich with crumbled sausage and melted cheddar cheese. And if you construct it the night before, the only work left in the morning will be to pop it in the oven and settle on the porch with your coffee, listening to the sound of chirping birds.
Zucchini and Tomato Frittata: Designed to take advantage of summer’s bounty, you can skip the supermarket and forage in your backyard garden or a nearby farm stand, for the makings of this one-skillet meal.
Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos: If you don’t want to waste time fiddling with breakfast before hitting the trails, keep the freezer stocked with stacks of these re-heat-and-eat burritos. The ultimate in easy vacation meals, the fillings can be customized to suit everyone’s tastes.
Lunch
Greek Tabbouleh Salad Arepas with Ancho Yogurt Sauce: So much more than a salad, this fun, fusion lunch of South American arepas stuffed with sprightly Greek tabbouleh will take your taste buds on a round-the-world cruise.
Thai Pineapple Chicken Skewers: One of the nice things about being on holiday, is that it’s always the right time to fire up the grill. And while skewers may seem like a fussier lunch than sandwiches, these Thai-inspired tidbits totally qualify as easy vacation meals to cook.
Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Ceviche: Essentially summer in a bowl, this vibrant mix of citrus-cured shrimp and juicy watermelon is equally tasty scooped up with chips, or eaten straight up with a spoon.
Grilled Cheese with Chipotle Peach Preserves: No need to come up with separate vacation meals for the adults and kids in the house. These ooey-gooey sammies will appeal to eaters of all ages, thanks to the upscale addition of chipotle-spiked peach preserves.
Dinner
New Orleans Style Sausage and Vegetables: When meal planning for vacation rental, slip a packet of McCormick® One Seasoning Mix into your to-go bag. That way, you’ll only be 30 minutes away from a zesty sausage and sweet corn dinner, with Big Easy flair.
Black Bean Quinoa Burgers: Don’t leave vegetarians out to dry, while you’re throwing all manner of meat on the grill. These bean-based burgers are packed with protein, have a satisfying texture, and are especially tasty when topped with a smoky, chipotle-spiced guacamole.
Seafood Lovers Paella: A big pot of festive paella is the answer, for easy vacation meals for a group. Golden, saffron-scented rice serves as an aromatic base, for a shore-side assemblage of mussels and shrimp.
Pernil: Not only does this 5-ingredient roasted pork dish take the cake for easy vacation dinners, leftovers can be deliciously transformed into equally easy breakfasts, lunches and snacks!
Dessert
Orange Cream Popsicles: If you’re miles away from the nearest Good Humor truck, you can still cool off with a creamy popsicle, made from tangy Greek yogurt and bursting with pure orange flavor.
Arroz con Leche: While this recipe calls for creamy Arborio (used in risotto), you can make use of any kind of leftover rice. Add some fresh fruit like chopped mango or shredded coconut, for a truly tropical treat .
Strawberries with Anise Ricotta Cream: Instead of measuring, sifting, and hovering over an oven, satisfy a sugar craving stat, with this refined twist on a classic, warm weather dessert.
Summer Peach Upside Down Cake: This is the sweetest way to take advantage of succulent, perfumed peaches, when they’re at their ultimate, summertime peak.
Drinks
Chili Spiced Watermelon Rose Granita: The Mexican condiment, chamoy, brings sweetness, spice, and a whole lot of complex flavor to this shaved ice cocktail, thick with seedless watermelon and dry rose.
Summer Sangria with Grilled Fruit: Lemon-lime soda adds fizz to this summery sangria, made with cinnamon stick-infused Zinfandel and garnished with grilled fruit.
Charred Orange Colada: When it comes to meal prep for vacation, don’t forget to equip yourself with the makings for beachy cocktails, like this frosty colada complimented with caramelized orange.
Strawberry Mango Margarita: This recipe runs rings around your basic margarita, featuring fresh strawberries and mango blended with apricot jam, ancho chili pepper and lime.
