Thanksgiving in your RV: Yes you can!
11-18-2015
Author: Blog Editor in RV Tips & Education
By Stephanie A. Mayberry
Thanksgiving dinner and an RV kitchen, who’d think they could ever work together? Actually, it isn’t as difficult to overcome as you may think. We’ve made it work for several awesome Thanksgivings, including cooking much of the spread ourselves. Here are some of the ways we have made it work over the years.
Pot Luck
OK, so this is not actually cooking everything, but it is still lots of fun. Everyone pitches in and brings something then you all sit down and eat. It’s fun, you get to try other folks’ recipes, and you there’s less to clean up.
Community or RV Campground Dinner
Lots of towns, churches, and even RV campgrounds have Thanksgiving dinners. All you have to do is check with your campground or do a Google search for “Thanksgiving community dinner near me” and check out the results.
However, if you choose to cook Thanksgiving dinner yourself – in your RV…
If you really want to cook Thanksgiving dinner in your RV there are actually several viable options despite the tiny oven that is pretty standard in most RVs.
Get a smaller bird. There is no rule that says you need a 25 pound bird. Get a smaller one that will fit. You can also go healthy and get one that hasn’t been injected and “plumped” – they are usually smaller.
Get a turkey breast. Unless you just have to have the drumstick, you can always just get a turkey breast and cook it. Then again, if you really want the drumstick you can get a package of those while you’re at it.
Cut the turkey in half. What you do with the other half of the turkey is your business (especially if you are like me and have a small fridge to match your small oven), but cutting the turkey in half is an option.
Put it on the grill. This is actually my favorite option because putting the bird on the grill opens up a whole world of possibilities for cooking the sides. You may need to do a little research, maybe a trial run, but grilling the turkey (or smoking it) allows you to make the most of the resources you have on hand.
Order one. Lots of places let you pre order turkeys or even the entire dinner, then pick up the day before or the day of. No cooking, no mess, no hassle. It’s something to think about.
And as for the sides…
Cooking the sides can be almost as problematic as cooking the turkey. You don’t have an abundance of cooking space or counter space in an RV so you have to improvise.
Cook ahead. You can cook at least some dishes ahead of time and put them in the fridge or freezer. If it is only going to be a day or so, use a cooler to store your prepared dishes, then all you have to do is heat and serve.
Use your crockpot and electric skillet. I love my crockpot! There are some pretty awesome Thanksgiving crockpot recipes and that frees up one of your burners. I also have an electric skillet that I absolutely adore. In fact, it is what I am using this year to make my Cajun oyster dressing.
Buy some of your sides or desserts. If you are a purist this may not be the option for you. However, if you don’t mind a little help, purchase at least some of your sides. You will spend less time in the kitchen and have less of a mess. Besides, the only way anyone will know is if you tell them.
Benefits of using your grill.
Like I said, there are some pretty good benefits to using your grill. While you are cooking your turkey you can also throw some sweet potatoes on there and even some vegetables. We love grilled zucchini and squash marinated in a little balsamic vinegar, some tarragon, and a dash of sea salt. This also frees up your oven for pies and such. You can even wrap your rolls in foil and toss them on the grill for a few minutes to heat them.
Bottom line, make use of what you have on hand. You don’t have to forego a full Thanksgiving spread just because you cooking in an RV kitchen. Think outside of the box – or in this case that tiny RV oven.
Thanksgiving dinner and an RV kitchen, who’d think they could ever work together? Actually, it isn’t as difficult to overcome as you may think. We’ve made it work for several awesome Thanksgivings, including cooking much of the spread ourselves. Here are some of the ways we have made it work over the years.
Pot Luck
OK, so this is not actually cooking everything, but it is still lots of fun. Everyone pitches in and brings something then you all sit down and eat. It’s fun, you get to try other folks’ recipes, and you there’s less to clean up.
Community or RV Campground Dinner
Lots of towns, churches, and even RV campgrounds have Thanksgiving dinners. All you have to do is check with your campground or do a Google search for “Thanksgiving community dinner near me” and check out the results.
However, if you choose to cook Thanksgiving dinner yourself – in your RV…
If you really want to cook Thanksgiving dinner in your RV there are actually several viable options despite the tiny oven that is pretty standard in most RVs.
Get a smaller bird. There is no rule that says you need a 25 pound bird. Get a smaller one that will fit. You can also go healthy and get one that hasn’t been injected and “plumped” – they are usually smaller.
Get a turkey breast. Unless you just have to have the drumstick, you can always just get a turkey breast and cook it. Then again, if you really want the drumstick you can get a package of those while you’re at it.
Cut the turkey in half. What you do with the other half of the turkey is your business (especially if you are like me and have a small fridge to match your small oven), but cutting the turkey in half is an option.
Put it on the grill. This is actually my favorite option because putting the bird on the grill opens up a whole world of possibilities for cooking the sides. You may need to do a little research, maybe a trial run, but grilling the turkey (or smoking it) allows you to make the most of the resources you have on hand.
Order one. Lots of places let you pre order turkeys or even the entire dinner, then pick up the day before or the day of. No cooking, no mess, no hassle. It’s something to think about.
And as for the sides…
Cooking the sides can be almost as problematic as cooking the turkey. You don’t have an abundance of cooking space or counter space in an RV so you have to improvise.
Cook ahead. You can cook at least some dishes ahead of time and put them in the fridge or freezer. If it is only going to be a day or so, use a cooler to store your prepared dishes, then all you have to do is heat and serve.
Use your crockpot and electric skillet. I love my crockpot! There are some pretty awesome Thanksgiving crockpot recipes and that frees up one of your burners. I also have an electric skillet that I absolutely adore. In fact, it is what I am using this year to make my Cajun oyster dressing.
Buy some of your sides or desserts. If you are a purist this may not be the option for you. However, if you don’t mind a little help, purchase at least some of your sides. You will spend less time in the kitchen and have less of a mess. Besides, the only way anyone will know is if you tell them.
Benefits of using your grill.
Like I said, there are some pretty good benefits to using your grill. While you are cooking your turkey you can also throw some sweet potatoes on there and even some vegetables. We love grilled zucchini and squash marinated in a little balsamic vinegar, some tarragon, and a dash of sea salt. This also frees up your oven for pies and such. You can even wrap your rolls in foil and toss them on the grill for a few minutes to heat them.
Bottom line, make use of what you have on hand. You don’t have to forego a full Thanksgiving spread just because you cooking in an RV kitchen. Think outside of the box – or in this case that tiny RV oven.
Comment
DDRVNovember 20, 2015 | 05:38 PM
This is an awesome idea for the holidays, especially when you are on the road and Thanksgiving is coming up. Make sure to get your RV fixed up at Dennis Dillon RV for the holidays. They are located in Orange county.
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