4 Make-Ahead Meals To Enjoy While Living in an RV

Everyone faces the daily question of what to have for dinner. With limited kitchen space in your RV, you don’t want to attempt complicated meals. Plus, after a day spent exploring or hiking, who wants to tackle cooking and cleaning up a full meal. When I know we are going to have a busy week or are boondocking and want to keep water usage to a minimum, I make meals ahead of time that are easy to heat up. This way, I can make sure we are watching our diet and eating healthier. Most of my recipes are gluten free because I feel better eating that way. Here are four make-ahead meals we enjoy.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie (GF)

I found this recipe on theroastedrott.net when I was looking for a healthier version of shepherd’s pie. We love sweet potatoes but you could use regular potatoes as well. If you do, feel free to add milk, cheese, or spices to make them more flavorful. With sweet potatoes, I usually only add a little milk or ghee. You can also add or subtract the veggies depending on your preferences. I rarely add the peas and often increase the spinach.

This is a delicious choice especially after a hardy day of hiking when you want something warm and filling.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes boiled and mashed (about 4 large)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 5 large cloves garlic minced
• 2 large carrots chopped
• 2 lbs ground ground lamb or beef
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (can substitute cider or balsamic vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp liquid aminos (can also use soy sauce OR Worcestershire sauce if prefer)
• ⅓ cup water or beef broth
• 1 cup green peas
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 tsp sea salt to taste

Instructions

• I peel the potatoes before boiling. The original recipe cut them in rounds and peeled after boiling.
• Chop the sweet potatoes into even chunks and place them in a pot. Fill the pot with water, then bring it to a boil on the stove top. Boil the potatoes until very soft when poked with a fork, about 20 to 30 minutes. Note: you can prepare the rest of the recipe while the potatoes are cooking. Drain the water from the potatoes and allow them to cool enough to handle. Once cool, mash until creamy.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In our RV convection oven, I preheat to 425 degrees.
• Add the oil to a large non-stick skillet and saute the chopped onion. Stir occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Move the onions off to one side and add the meat, leaving it in its square hunk form. Allow the meat to brown on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip it to the other side and brown for another 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the meat into smaller chunks and stir well. Add the carrots, garlic, vinegar, liquid aminos, and water, and cover the skillet with a lid for a few minutes to allow the mixture to cook.
• Remove the lid and stir in the peas, spinach and sea salt. Continue cooking uncovered for a few minutes to allow the sauce around the solids to thicken slightly. I like to then drain off some of the fat.
• Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to a large casserole dish. Spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the meat mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until everything is hot and slightly bubbly.

Buy a packaged salad to serve with this and you have a full meal.

Santa Fe Chicken Skillet (GF)

This is a great dish when you don’t want to do many dishes and it can be ready in 30 minutes. Quick and easy, you can dress it up with sides or with other ingredients to make it your own. I have done this in a skillet and in the Instant Pot. While it can be served on its own, it is also great as a bowl with rice or sweet potatoes. Add salsa, cilantro or guacamole to top it.

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts or 1.5 pounds of cutlets
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder – more if you like spice
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) can Ro-tel diced tomatoes & green chilies drained – mild or spicy depending on your tastes
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans drained & rinsed
• 1 (12 ounce) can corn drained
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup Mexican cheese blend

Instructions

• If using chicken breasts, cut them in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Season both sides with the garlic powder, chili powder, and salt & pepper.
• Add the oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes/side until lightly golden. Take the chicken out of the pan.
• Add the onion to the skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until it’s softened and lightly browned.
• Stir in the Rotel tomatoes, beans, corn, and smoked paprika. Let it heat through for a couple of minutes, and be sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the chicken back and spoon some of the tomatoes/beans/corn onto the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese over top of everything
• Cover the skillet and let it cook until the cheese melts.

Sweet Potato Casserole (GF)

Sometimes you want to get out the door as quick as possible to get on the trail or to that special outing, but you also need breakfast. We relied on granolas and bananas when in a hurry, but I wanted to increase our protein intake, especially on days when I knew we were hiking. I found this casserole at therealdieticians.com. It is fairly easy to make and even easier to heat up for a quick breakfast. The one drawback is that it uses a lot of pans to cook if you do it all at once.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ teaspoons avocado or olive oil
• 1 sweet potato, cubed (~2 cups diced) – you can also use regular potatoes or even frozen hash browns
• ½ lb. breakfast sausage
• ½ teaspoon fine salt 
• Pinch of black pepper
• pinch of cayenne
• ½ small red onion, diced or thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• ½ red bell pepper, diced or thinly sliced (about 2/3 cup)
• 3 cups spinach leaves
• 8 large eggs
• Fine salt and pepper 
• Avocado, sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. For a RV convection oven, I preheat to 400. Ready your baking dish. I used a rectangle as it is all I have in the rig so our casserole is much thinner. The recipe calls for a 9×9 and to grease it beforehand which I never do.
2. In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add sweet potato. Dash with salt. Cover and let cook for about 10-12 minutes or until sweet potatoes are slightly tender. Stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, in another sauté pan on medium-high heat add the breakfast sausage and cook until browned. Drain pork if needed.
4. Add the peppers and onion to the tender sweet potatoes and continue sautéing for 3-4 minutes.
5. Once peppers are soft and onions are translucent. Add spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted, then stir in the cooked sausage and remove pan from heat.
6. In a bowl, crack the eggs, add a dash of salt and pepper, and whisk.
7. In the 9×9 baking dish, add the sweet potato and sausage mixture then pour whisked eggs over the top. Make sure to submerge all of the ingredients so that they are covered with the eggs. Bake in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until the center is set.
8. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes. Cut into 6-8 servings.

I serve it with a slice of toast or fruit, add some salsa and slice of avocado, and it is a filling meal. I do let it cool and cut it up as the baking dish in a RV refrigerator, even our large one takes up too much room.

Note: The original recipe mentions creating your own breakfast sausage with ground pork and seasonings. I just figure why go to all that trouble? If you are interested, use the link above to see the original recipe.

Lentils

Growing up, we didn’t do beans so I didn’t get introduced to lentils until I was an adult. Again, trying to add in protein but not wanting to eat meat with every meal, I turned to lentils. This recipe given to me by a doctor is delicious on its own, great as a side with fish or even as breakfast bowl with fried eggs on top.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb french green lentils
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 tsp thyme
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups leeks, chopped
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

Place lentils in a dish covered by boiling water, set aside 15 minutes then drain. Saute onions, thyme, leeks in oil for 10 minutes, add garlic, salt and pepper, and cook 2 more minutes. Add drained lentils, carrots, celery, broth, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a favorite all year round, but especially as the weather cools off. Based on my mother’s recipe, I have adapted it for my own using my Instant Pot. While I follow the general outline of this, I can add ingredients on hand when I want to use up something. Match it with tortilla chips and guacamole for a great tasting lunch or dinner. We keep the heat level pretty low, but it is easy to turn up the spice to match your tastes.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 small poblano peppers or one jalepeno, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• Optional – 1 cup of chopped celery (I like to have crunch)
• 3 cloves, minced
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can Rotel
• 10 1/2 oz can beef broth
• 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Tabasco to taste
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

Instructions

Saute the first 5 ingredients in the Instant Pot under tender. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Use the poultry button on the Instant Pot to cook. Top with avocado, cheese, tortilla chips and/or sour cream. I like to put tortilla chips at the bottom of bowl, then put soup over it. You can also squeeze a quarter of a lime into soup bowl and add cilantro per your tastes. If you prefer to use a Slow Cooker, add the ingredients and cover for 8 hours on low or 6 hours on high.

Mix and Match

I don’t mind leftovers, but with only two of us, they can sometimes last longer than I want. By doing a few batches of ingredients before a trip or on a Sunday, I can mix and match meals in minutes to enjoy a variety of tastes through the week. For instance, I will make a large batch of grains like quinoa or rice, then grill or Instant Pot chicken with only salt and pepper. Stocking good salad greens, dressings and spices, we can then make bowls or salads with a just a few additional ingredients to suit our tastes.

Whether you’re feeding yourself or a whole family, living in an RV takes a lot of work. But, with the proper meals and preparation time, you’ll enjoy yourself fully. Please let me know if you try any of these recipes or share one of your favorites. I would love to try it!