Easy Meals for Vacation
Easy Meals for Vacation – below is a list of tons of meal ideas for your next beach vacation if you’re in charge of the meal planning!
If you’ve been tasked to make a meal while on family vacation, I’ve got you covered! Below are lots of ideas for:
- Meals you can make ahead and bring with you in a cooler
- Grilled dinners (if your rental has a grill!)
- Non-grilled dinners
- Happy hour cocktails
- Appetizers & snacks
- Make ahead desserts
- Breakfast ideas
A sample menu from our last summer trip:
- Night 1: Pulled pork + mac & cheese + salad
- Night 2: Grilled chicken (marinated in Italian Dressing and Montreal Steak Seasoning) + this salad (buy poppyseed dressing) + roasted asparagus
- Night 3: Low Country Boil (on the grill or in the stove)
- Night 4: Burgers + Corn on the cob + Salad
- Night 5: Fish Tacos
- Night 6: Taco bar
- Night 7: Out to dinner
Some tips for you next vacation:
Bring a cooler! This is our favorite size Yeti for taking to the beach. It doubles as a cooler for food on the ride down and it’s the perfect size to take down to the beach.
Bring the random spices, bulk ingredients, and hard-to-find ingredients in plastic bags or tupperware.
Bring equipment you aren’t sure they’ll have. We always bring a blender for making frozen lemonade.
Bring tupperware or gallon-size plastic bags for leftovers.
A huge tip is to make something from the “make before you leave” section below for night one. It’s so nice to have a pre-made dinner night one when you’re still getting settled. And it doubles as great lunches for the rest of the week.
If you don’t want to cook something before you leave, you can pick up pulled pork from a local BBQ restaurant
Don’t forget to bring games. They’re great for something to do after dinner or on the rainy days. Our favorite high energy family game is Farkel. Here’s a list of all of our favorite games.
If you’re in need of a book to take on your vacation, The Hotel Nantucket is my favorite beach read ever!
Easy Meals for Vacation
Spaghetti Sauce in the Slow Cooker
You could even make this a few weeks ahead of time, freeze it, and bring it down frozen.
Italian Meatballs
Make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze. Then bake with marinara and cheese when you get there.
Pulled Pork
Serve with a salad and mac & cheese. Or get some pre-made potato salad and coleslaw from the grocery store when you get there.
Sweet Pork
Make it ahead and then turn it into tacos, salads, or bowls on night 1!
Italian Beef
Serve with frozen french fries
Easy Grilled Chicken Marinade
The most flavorful grilled chicken made with a 2 ingredient marinade!
Turkey Burgers
Serve with some chips and watermelon
Burgers with Pimento Cheese
Serve with frozen french fries and corn on the cob
Honey Mustard Sausages
Serve with pasta salad and fruit
BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs
A meal in one and comes together in under 30 minutes
Balsamic Chicken Skewers
Serve with a side salad and corn on the cob
Gluten Free Steak Marinade
Serve with asparagus and frozen potatoes
Grilled Chicken with Avocado Tomato Salad
This is an awesome & healthy complete meal
Cuban Mojo Chicken Thighs
Make these into burrito bowls
Low Country Boil (on the grill)
This is an entire meal in one
Cedar Plank Salmon
A show stopping summer dinner!
Mexican Shrimp Skewers
Serve with chips, guac, and margaritas
Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
Serve with a simple salad and rice
Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Tomatoes
Serve with a side salad and mac & cheese
Street Corn Chicken Tacos
Serve with some chips and salsa
Grilled Chicken Parmesan
Serve with a side salad and some garlic bread
Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken
Serve with mac and cheese plus a salad
Marry Me Chicken
Serve with garlic bread and roasted broccoli
Baked Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce
Serve with garlic bread
Chicken Florentine Pasta
An all in one meal
No-Boil Baked Penne with Meatballs
Serve with some garlic bread
Million Dollar Ravioli Casserole
Like lasagna but way easier!
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Serve with a bagged caesar salad and garlic bread
Meatball Sliders
Make the meatballs before you leave for an easy dinner
Italian Pesto Sliders
Serve with a caesar salad
Pizza Sliders
Serve with a caesar salad
Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Serve with roasted potatoes an a salad
French Onion Beef Sliders
Serve with frozen french fries
Cheeseburger Sliders
Serve with frozen french fries and watermelon
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Serve with a side salad and fruit
Baked Potato Bar
An easy cheap meal that’s customizable for different preferences
Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs
Serve with rice and broccoli
Ground Orange Chicken
Serve with rice and broccoli
Peanut Noodles with Roasted Broccoli
A super quick and super easy meal in one
Korean Beef Bowls
Serve over rice
Honey Lime Enchiladas
Use a rotisserie chicken to make it easier
Chicken Taco Salad
Make this into a taco bar!
Mexican Lasagna
Serve with chips and guac!
Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki
Make it easier with store bought tzatziki
Sheet Pan Jambalaya
Serve with a side salad
Grilled Sausage and Peppers with Garlic Aioli
You could grill these, but would be just as easy on a skillet! Serve with a green salad
Crescent Dogs
A kid friendly dinner, serve with corn on the cob and watermelon
Puff Pastry Hot Dogs with Honey Mustard
A slightly fancier version of the above crescent dogs
Fish Tacos
Serve with chips and salsa
Baked Cajun Salmon
Serve with rice and roasted vegetables
Baked Blackened Salmon
Serve with a side salad
Mussels, Clams and Shrimp in Spicy Broth
Serve with a baguette on the side to dip in the broth
Blackened Shrimp
Serve with rice
Baked Crispy Shrimp Tacos
Serve with chips and guac
Sheet Pan Garlic Butter Shrimp
Serve with bread and a salad
One Pan Garlicky Shrimp Rice
Serve with a side salad
Roasted Shrimp and Orzo
Leftovers make a great lunch
Cheesy Shrimp and Grits Casserole
Serve with a simple light salad on the side
Frozen Lemonade with Vodka
Make sure you bring your blender if you want to make this
Rosé Spritzer
This is super easy and refreshing
White Sangria Recipe
This can be made in the morning and served when you’re ready for a cocktail
Aperol Spritz
The most refreshing summer cocktail
Skinny Margarita
For taco night!
Orange Crush
This is great one to drink while on the beach
Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco
Easy and minimal ingredients!
Chicken Nuggets in a Blanket
These taste like a homemade chicken mini meets pigs in a blanket
Fruit Dip Recipe
A three ingredient dip!
Bacon Guacamole
Classic guacamole topped with diced green chiles, cheese, cherry tomatoes, and crispy bacon!
Mediterranean Dip
A light and fresh dip to snack on during happy hour
Buffalo Chicken Dip
You can prep this ahead of time, freeze it, and bring it down. Then thaw in the microwave, put in a baking dish, top with cheese, and bake!
Hot Onion Dip
A super simple, but a huge family favorite dip!
Frozen Cookie Dough Balls
Make a big batch before you leave and freeze the cookie dough balls. (OR just buy cookie dough from the grocery store when you get there!)
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
This is the best family style dessert for a vacation! You can make the dough ahead of time or get store bought dough, bake, and serve with ice cream on top!
Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
These can be made ahead of time and they last for days!
7 Layer Bar Coconut Macaroons
Loaded with milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans. The best make ahead dessert ever.
Christmas Chex Mix Recipe
This is such a hit I make it year round. Instead of the green hats, just mix the bugles with the rest of the ingredients in white chocolate.
Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Cups
Make the pound cake ahead of time. Or buy a pre-made poundcake from the grocery store when you get there
Blueberry Jam Muffins
Make these ahead of time and bring them down to have a pre-made breakfast
Banana Bread
Make it before you leave and bring it down with you
Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits
Made with canned biscuits and only 4 ingredients
Bagel Breakfast Sliders
The easiest way to make breakfast sandwiches for a crowd
Tater Tot Casserole With Sausage
An all in one breakfast
Easy Breakfast Casserole
Simple and a crowd pleaser!
Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
Made with canned cinnamon rolls!
Nutella French Toast Sandwiches
Stuffed french toast made in a casserole dish
Biscuits and Gravy Egg Bake
Eggs and biscuits baked in a casserole with sausage gravy on top
Baked Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
The can be made the night before and baked in the morning
