Timesharing Meals

[missyrcrews]

As I've shared with you folks before, I am and Educational Technician by day and a Target softlines team member by night. Cooking meals is something my husband does as a general rule...I work 50-60 hours a week, and just don't have time. BUT, when we are timesharing, life slows down, and cooking becomes part of the vacation. I know that some of you choose to eat out when you're on vacation, but there must be others of you in my boat! We only go to drive-to locations at this point in life...so I bring some groceries from home.

Here are some meals that we look forward to enjoying...would love to hear what you make on vacation!

We buy a large family pack of ground beef and make
1) Tacos
2) Spaghetti
3) Burgers

We often buy fixings for homemade pizza another night. Tonight is baked pork chops, corn on the cob, and stuffing. Another kid favorite is roast beef...I buy one of the McCormick bag and season packages, which makes it wicked easy to cook with potatoes. If I'm cutting it close on time, we'll pick up a rotisserie chicken, some rice, and salad fixings. This meal gets me another lunch, because I like shredded chicken on top of a green salad.

Lunches tend to be leftovers, salads, or things like soup/grilled cheese. Admittedly, nothing here is gourmet quality, but my kids eat it, and it's much cheaper than eating out. WIN.

I've never been good with a crock pot...many timeshares have them in the condos (Smuggs, for instance)...I should really do some recipe research before we go there this summer!

 

[turkel]

Baby back ribs are a favorite of ours to cook while away. Cook low and slow in the oven for about 5 hours on 250 covered in tin foil. Easy and yummy.

Meals should be easy so you can enjoy your time off.

 

[DaveNV]

I don't cook fancy, but I do cook good. I found this crock pot recipe to be very simple, and it tastes awesome. If you have more than two of you in the timeshare, it works well. If there is only two of you, try cutting the recipe down. I choose medium salsa, as opposed to mild or hot. Totally worthwhile: http://slowcooker.cooktopcove.com/2...assic/?src=fbfan_51341&t=fbsub_cooktopcovecom

Dave

 

[missyrcrews]

I don't cook fancy, but I do cook good. I found this crock pot recipe to be very simple, and it tastes awesome. If you have more than two of you in the timeshare, it works well. If there is only two of you, try cutting the recipe down. I choose medium salsa, as opposed to mild or hot. Totally worthwhile: http://slowcooker.cooktopcove.com/2...assic/?src=fbfan_51341&t=fbsub_cooktopcovecom

Dave

That looks yummy! There's always at least me and three kids...my husband usually comes for part of the week, and sometimes my almost 21 yr old joins us as well. Everyone likes lasagna, and they will all eat tacos. That looks like an interesting hybrid. One recipe for our Smuggs week! THANKS!

I've never tried to make ribs. Will have to research more on that one. We all like BBQ, so I can't imagine that they wouldn't eat ribs.

 

[WinniWoman]

We do pasta, jar sauce and salad; pulled pork in the crockpot; pizza; we don't barbecue because both our timeshare units are on the third floor and too much of a hassle (not big barbecuers anyway); frozen or prepared meal; salmon/shrimp. Side dishes of frozen veggies; baked potatoes;rice. etc. Eat dinner out maybe twice during the week.

Bring all the dry stuff from home in the car and shop for the cold stuff on the way up.

 

[DaveNV]

That looks yummy! There's always at least me and three kids...my husband usually comes for part of the week, and sometimes my almost 21 yr old joins us as well. Everyone likes lasagna, and they will all eat tacos. That looks like an interesting hybrid. One recipe for our Smuggs week! THANKS!

Happy to help. Don't let the word "lasagna" give you the wrong impression - using corn tortillas, by the time it's done cooking, they kind of dissolve into the rest of the mix. So it's layered in name only. Add a bit of sour cream, a side salad, and a nice beverage, and you're good to go. Easy breezy.

Dave

 

[VacationForever]

For drivable timesharing, we pack an air fryer and use it to cook chicken wings, steaks and burgers. We also pick up gluten-free baguette, garlic, butter (bring parsley in bottle) to make garlic bread and tater tots from the freezer section. Bring spices!

 

[Glynda]

I don't cook fancy, but I do cook good. I found this crock pot recipe to be very simple, and it tastes awesome. If you have more than two of you in the timeshare, it works well. If there is only two of you, try cutting the recipe down. I choose medium salsa, as opposed to mild or hot. Totally worthwhile: http://slowcooker.cooktopcove.com/2...assic/?src=fbfan_51341&t=fbsub_cooktopcovecom

Dave

That looks great but for me, I'd have to do that one at home. Too many ingredients for a timeshare stay.

 

[Glynda]

Happy to help. Don't let the word "lasagna" give you the wrong impression - using corn tortillas, by the time it's done cooking, they kind of dissolve into the rest of the mix. So it's layered in name only. Add a bit of sour cream, a side salad, and a nice beverage, and you're good to go. Easy breezy.

Dave

Hmmm...so last night I served guests a Mexican casserole using flour tortillas. I've made the recipe once before and it was delicious! I suspect I used flour tortillas, rather than the corn the recipe called for, as I generally prefer them. However, I made it again Sunday and let it stay in the refrigerator until Monday evening before baking. Either I had too much liquid (the jar of salsa verde was larger than the can of the same I used the first time) or by not baking immediately, it resulted in a great tasting casserole but wet slimy tortillas that kind of ruined it for me! Were your "dissolved into" corn tortillas slick and slimy? More like a dumpling? Just trying to figure out what I did. The recipe I used:
https://www.fivehearthome.com/stack...ipe-with-sour-cream-salsa-verde-green-chiles/

 

[DaveNV]

Were your "dissolved into" corn tortillas slick and slimy? More like a dumpling? Just trying to figure out what I did. The recipe I used:
https://www.fivehearthome.com/stack...ipe-with-sour-cream-salsa-verde-green-chiles/

No. Flour tortillas are a very different thing than corn tortillas. Corn tortillas that get soaked with moisture turn into a kind of masa. Think "granular, crumbled corn bits." As the recipe cooks in the crock pot, it gets quite hot, and the liquid bubbles through the mix. So those corn tortillas that form the "lasagna" layers basically break down and become part of the greater mature around them. It's a mighty tasty mixture, just don't expect lasagna like the Italian kind. This won't be like that.

Also, the recipe says to cook three and a half hours. Since the meat mix is cooked prior to layering into the crock pot, I think you could cook it for less time than that.

Dave

 

[Glynda]

No. Flour tortillas are a very different thing than corn tortillas. Corn tortillas that get soaked with moisture turn into a kind of masa. Think "granular, crumbled corn bits." As the recipe cooks in the crock pot, it gets quite hot, and the liquid bubbles through the mix. So those corn tortillas that form the "lasagna" layers basically break down and become part of the greater mature around them. It's a mighty tasty mixture, just don't expect lasagna like the Italian kind. This won't be like that.

Also, the recipe says to cook three and a half hours. Since the meat mix is cooked prior to layering into the crock pot, I think you could cook it for less time than that.

Dave

Thanks. Our son-in-law thought that since I had overlapped the edges of the quartered tortillas (as the recipe called for) that "steam"didn't move through the edges but built up and broke the flour tortillas down into "dumplings". Somewhat as you are describing though with a different result with corn. I'll give mine another try one day with corn tortillas, smaller can of salsa verde and baking immediately and see if its more like the first time I made it! Printed the recipe you posted to try too!

 

[dioxide45]

Corn tortillas that get soaked with moisture turn into a kind of masa. Think "granular, crumbled corn bits."

Corn tortillas are of course made with Masa. I often make my own corn tortillas from scratch. Masa is also used to make tamales. It sounds like this is somewhat the result of this recipe.

 

[moonstone]

We basically eat the same as we eat at home. If we are driving to a timeshare (& taking the bigger vehicle) I like to bring my crockpot. It is nice to be out sightseeing all day and come back to a nice pot roast or chicken stew and dumplings. I also have a few basic spices in smaller containers for timeshare stays. Depending on long the drive is I often bring frozen, home made, spaghetti sauce or lasagna in the cooler.

We have a 10 day stay next month in a unit with a mini-kitchen (2? burners & no oven) so I am taking my electric fry pan as well as the crockpot. We do try to make use of gas grills if the resort has them, DH doesn't like charcoal BBQs.

Dave, I will have to try that recipe next winter in Belize - corn tortillas are abundant there. There is a tortilla factory about 4 blocks from our apartment and we get them hot off the grill.


~Diane

 

[MOXJO7282]

What we like to do is make a few fancy meals in our timeshare. Champagne, shrimp cocktail, beef filet something like that. Something that would cost $200 at a restaurant costs $50 or so when you do it yourself. We also do a lot of grilling.

 

[bluehende]

I find going out every night more of a chore than cooking. We go out 1 or 2 times each stay and really enjoy those. I love to use the grill so steaks, burgers, pork chops and chicken on the grill. Our favorite meal is a grilled chicken breast on a huge salad with avocado and hopefully some left over roasted corn on the cob. We tend to eat raw veges with all the grilled meats. Grilled veges are great too. Microwaving a potato then finishing on the grill is the main starches if we want one. The benefit of this is that the cleanup can literally be carrying your plate to the dishwasher. I actually cook more involve while at home. Vacations are for being outside.

 

[slip]

we cook a few meals every trip but there are also our favorite restaurants we like to hit to so we balance it out. We like to cook breakfast for dinner at least once per trip. And as silly as it is, every time we go to Hawaii my wife has to have a dinner of Oscar Meyer all Beef wieners. I feel kind of silly at the grill cooking 10 wieners but I bring beer and i’m On vacation so it’s all good.

 

[vacationtime1]

Ahi. Purchased at the fish market about a mile north of WKORV. Grilled exactly 60 seconds on each side. Served with red wine on the lanai.

 

[CO skier]

Fondue is a timeshare New Year's tradition. Shred the cheeses (not cubed), add them a handful at a time to the crockpot insert. Microwave on high, add more cheese, etc. until completely melted (or oven bake, which takes much longer).

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/45657/best-formula-three-cheese-fondue/

"Heat and serve" alternatives at the grocery store are actually a palatable alternative when time is short.

https://www.instacart.com/safeway/products/16814939-jarlsberg-cheese-fondue-8-5-oz

Serve with cubed bread, apple slices, celery sticks. You can't buy this at any price at most restaurants.

Follow the meal with apple slices, strawberries, pineapple chocolate fondue. Killer.

 

[spirits]

We like to cook simple meals when we timeshare...it is usually the two of us so something that would last for 2 days...no more (; Many years ago I made up a file for my shaw email called timeshare recipes. As I find a recipe if it has simple ingredients or preparation I just save it in the file. I just looked tonight and I must have 30-40 recipes.

That does not keep us from doing the usual burgers or taken from home lasagna casserole (; but sometimes it is nice to go and cook something we usually do not cook at home. I went to my file and found this recipe....it has quite a list of ingredients but is a one pot recipe so not too bad. Have not tried it but it is one that I will try our next trip out. We usually travel with a kitchen tote that has a variety of spices and kitchen tools so we just buy the common ingredients needed.

https://www.tasty.co/recipe/one-pot-chicken-chow-mein?ref=bffbtasty#.xkZYPrq8a

 

[Jan M.]

Whenever there is a Trader Joe's in the city we are staying at we have several go to meals we get there.

1. The mandarin orange chicken, fried rice and broccoli. All sold separately in the frozen section.
2. The raw sauerkraut with Persian cucumbers (it's in a jar in the refrigerated section) and the uncured hot dogs. Served with rye bread and mustard. You could make sandwiches but we cook the hot dogs, cut them up and add them to the sauerkraut as it is heating.
3. Ginger Miso soup (in carton) and Asian vegetables and/or stir fry vegetables (in frozen section). If we have any left over chicken or shrimp we add it. You wouldn't have to but we like to also buy and cook the chicken dumplings/pot stickers (frozen section) and add them when serving the soup. It makes for a more filling meal for dinner. When we serve the soup we top it with some peanuts or sesame sticks. When preparing heat the soup first, add the vegetables and only cook them a couple of minutes so they don't get over done.

Not Trader Joe's items for these next meals.

4. Chicken breast or tenders. Marinate in oil and hot sauce (a lot of hot sauce and a little bit of oil). Can marinate ahead of time or just a few minutes before grilling. Spoon on some more of the marinate as you are grilling the chicken. Can do this with frozen chicken so don't even have to thaw the chicken ahead of time. Always comes out tender and moist. The hot sauce gives the chicken nice flavor but not too spicy. Which really surprised me the first time I had chicken cooked this way as I was expecting it to be too spicy/hot. Any leftover chicken is great on a salad, for sandwiches or added to other dishes. For the sandwiches I like it on the ciabatta rolls.
5. Salmon, can grill or bake. If we don't have any fish seasoning with us or the use of a grill we bake it with a little orange marmalade or apricot jam on top which gives it a nice flavor. If you don't mind having salmon the next day, cook extra and make a salad with it. Your choice of greens and fruits. If we have some raw broccoli we add that to whatever greens we have but have added slightly cooked broccoli too. We usually start with pineapple and then add whatever fruit we have on hand and whatever combination of that fruit appeals to us. Like strawberries, mango, blueberries, kiwi, oranges. We top it with whatever we have like sunflower seeds, chopped or slivered almonds. Some type of light dressing tastes best. If we drive and bring our box of stuff we make our own dressing of balsamic vinegar and honey. Can add a little bit mustard to it if you want some a little zip in the dressing.
6. This last one we call our lazy casserole dinner. Brown ground beef, add a can of diced tomatoes with green chili's. Prepare a box of macaroni and cheese. We like the organic white cheddar. We add a slice of whatever kind of cheese we have on hand to make it a little cheesier and not runny when you add the meat and tomatoes. Then gently mix the mac and cheese with the meat and tomatoes and serve. We have a vegetable on the side.

 

[taterhed]

Believe it or not, my wife actually packs some extras (and buys most locally) and makes a delicious Thai meal for one of our weeks.
Grilled fresh pineapple and fish or Kauai shrimp.
Black and blue AHI with sesame seed crust and wasabi mustard.

Making me hungry.

 

[geist1223]

Believe it or not, my wife actually packs some extras (and buys most locally) and makes a delicious Thai meal for one of our weeks.
Grilled fresh pineapple and fish or Kauai shrimp.
Black and blue AHI with sesame seed crust and wasabi mustard.

Making me hungry.

Don't forget freshground Nutmeg for the grilled pineapple.

 

[taterhed]

haven't tried the nutmeg.....usually use a little Kashmiri chili powder to 'spice' things up.

 

[bbodb1]

Ahi. Purchased at the fish market about a mile north of WKORV. Grilled exactly 60 seconds on each side. Served with red wine on the lanai.

...this from the "they're still moving while you eat 'em department"???

 

[amycurl]

We love exploring local farmer's markets in the places we visit and coming home and cooking up tasty, local, in-season meals. (I'm a yuuge locavore.) But in my "timeshare box," I have a lot of good spices that always come along, and we usually bring a few things that make using up leftovers or making simple meals easy: Hamburger Helper or boxed mac and cheese; canned vegetable, tomato, and/or chicken noodle soup; rice, potatoes and onions (none of which need to be refrigerated ramen noodles; pasta and sauce. These can all make a nice "base" for other ingredients bought locally or leftovers that need to be used up.