RV-Friendly Christmas Dinner Ideas
Hosting the holidays in your RV can seem like a daunting task. The decorating part can be easy, but cooking a meal can seem difficult, especially in a small space. Whether you’re boondocking, staying in a campground, or spending time at a Harvest Hosts location, it’s totally possible to prepare a Christmas dinner in your RV. We’ve gathered some tips, tricks, and ideas to help your holidays meals be more enjoyable and less stressful.Tips include:
- Cleaning Out Your Fridge Ahead of Time
- Cooking as Much as Possible in Advance
- Use Outdoor Workspaces
- Use an Instant Pot or Air Fryer
- RV Kitchen Friendly Recipe Ideas
Tips
1. Clean out your fridge ahead of time.
Although this is not a part of the cooking process, it is essential to ensure that you have enough room to store ingredients prior to cooking and enough room for leftovers after you have enjoyed your holiday meal. Some newer RVs are equipped with residential-sized refrigerators, but most RVs come with smaller fridges that cannot store as much as a traditional refrigerator. Clearing out your fridge ahead of time will set you up to properly prepare and store your meal after Christmas dinner is over.
2. Cook as much as possible the day before.
This is something many people do prior to holidays, even if they are working in a traditional kitchen. Making some sides and desserts ahead of time certainly lightens the workload on the day of the holiday. Most pies can be stored at room temperature and can even often be baked at the same time as each other. Stuffing can be made a day or two ahead of time and reheated later on. Green bean casserole, mac and cheese, and any of your other favorite casseroles can also be prepared ahead of time. This allows for more time to relax and enjoy your time with friends and family on the actual day of Christmas.
3. Utilize outdoor workspaces.
Because you will be working with limited counter space, you may need to set up various workstations in other areas of your RV. You can easily prep veggies at your dinette or kitchen table, and then assemble the dishes on the kitchen counters. Some people even set up a large banquet table inside and prep on that table. Whatever you end up deciding to do, don’t be afraid to create some extra prep space for yourself. This will make cooking this large meal much easier.