It’s September 2020 and many of us have found ways to travel safely and responsibly during the COVID-19 Pandemic. While indulging in local restaurant flavors is a must to complete any vacation or travel experience, cooking in at your vacation home is a guarantee, more so now than ever.
Cooking in while on vacation is easy on your budget and by cooking with local ingredients you’ll feel more connected to the area. However, having all the supplies you need on hand in an unfamiliar cooking space, can feel frustrating when planning your stay.
Simple Vacation House Recipes
Here, you’ll find 10 difficulty-free vacation house recipes for autumn and winter. These easy recipes require low prep, minimal equipment, and have interchangeable ingredients. Some can even be made ahead and brought with you. In a nod to autumn and winter, these recipes include seasonal ingredients you can find while you’re out exploring the destination!
Aska Apple Dishes
I’m writing this from our vacation home in the Aska region of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s autumn and the apples are plentiful, hence we have Aska Apple Dishes.
After spending an afternoon at an orchard you’ll need something to do with all those crisp apples. Each of these recipes is a family favorite. Plus, our little one’s bellies are super full after eating any dish with apples and oatmeal…That means less snack attacks later!
Tip: Have the kids help peel the apples!
Southwest Sheet Pan Dinners
Any vacation home is guaranteed to have a decent sheet pan to cook with. With both of these Southwest-inspired dishes, you’ll need a sheet pan and a cutting board! The ingredients for both of these recipes are easy to find, interchangeable, and in autumn the veggies can be found at local fruit and veggie stands or Farmer’s Markets. All places to check out while on a vacation.
Tip: More than travel-ready, these recipes are excellent for busy weeknight meals, especially for picky eaters.
Hearty Recipes for Travelers
When we vacation we’re almost always on the move, typically doing as much outdoors as possible. All of this action means fueling up is essential. In the autumn and winter, hearty foods are key to keeping energy up and staying warm. Here, I’ve included go-to recipes for heart-warming and filling soups, perfect for dinner and quick warm-up lunches, zesty and warm side dishes, and an egg salad that never disappoints. Serve all of these dishes with a crusty bread and a side salad for a full meal!
Tip: If you’re driving to your vacation destination, make any soups and sauces in advance. Bring up to the house in to-go containers.
While you’re packing or shopping also consider:
- BLT’s are an easy vacation house meal, plus the ingredients can be found at the local butcher or farm stand.
- Bring graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows for Smore’s.
- Hot cocoa mix, milk, and marshmallows + Bailey’s Irish Cream for the adults!
- Grab salad fixings and meats or cheeses for fast and healthy lunches and dinners.
- Make extra of each recipe to reserve for lunch the next day.
- Look for vacation rental homes that include a grill. Supplies are light and clean-up is a breeze when grilling.
Need more recipes?
These 10 recipes have helped make vacation house living much easier come meal times. I’m hoping they do the same for you! For more recipes, be sure to check out the full list of Ingredient and Instruction only recipes on Just the Recipe!
