Anyone Else Pre-Cook ?

We generally pre cook things that are time intensive. We crock pot meats a lot and home made Beef stew and things like that. However we do use our BBQ a lot camping as well. It's just part of the camping experience for use. We have been thinking of a Dutch oven lately though. Never tried one.

I precook bacon and put it in an empty peanut butter jar.
Tomorrow I will make some rice, left over pork with a few other things to throw in to take with us for dinner on Wed. night when we will spend most of the day traveling. A few minutes in the microwave and I will have most of dinner ready.

This topic is primarily about precooking for camping, but I find doing it regularly makes week days less stressful. And getting ready to go in the TT isn't that much more difficult.. just decide on menu, grab precooked burger, sausage or casseroles and some veggies to go with and I am ready.

kmbernstein wrote:
We do both. I always make a double batch of some things, like chili, green chili, beef stew, ham and beans. Freeze portions for later and camping. Also, I will make sloppy joes, taco filling etc, freeze half for later or camping. I make 3-4 pounds of burger into hamburger patties (add bread crumbs, eggs, etc.) freeze individually on a cookie sheet then use our cabela's vacuum sealer. Whenever we purchase steaks, chops, etc, I like to marinate for 24 hours, separate into vaccuum freezer bags with the marinade,let freeze and then vacuum seal. It is no vacation for me if I have to do the same things I do at home without any of the conveniences.

This is what we do as well. I make a pulled pork at home. It is a crock pot recipe using root beer that my family loves. I freeze meal sized portions in food saver bags And on those days when we have been out sight seeing or at the beach for the day it is real easy to just heat this up for a great meal. Other times the cooking is a family event with everyone pitching in to create a memorable meal.

About a week or two before we go camping I double up on recipes an freeze half so all we have to do is thaw them out. I am also on the lookout for quick recipes that really require little prep and have quiet a few saved. Also, also when we are on the road, a tomato sandwich and chips can be a meal, while not so much at home.

Here's the way I cook bacon at home as well as in the RV, only on a smaller scale (smaller oven).
It keeps for a long time in the fridge and makes a tasty BLT or warmed in the microwave for a few seconds for breakfast. And cleanup is a breeze. Drain the fat into a jar for other cooking and toss the foil.

Super_Dave wrote:
I think one of the other variables in pre-cook is quantity. If one has to prepare for a large group, pre-made is definitely a lot easier. Or, a large casserole or lasagna can last my buddy and I a few days of no fuss, no muss eating.

I precook no matter how many people will be there. There are certain dishes like ratatouille that are so versatile at times I make up a batch in an 8 qt pot and proceed to portion freeze it. I've found for the way we eat a minimum of 1qt storage bag works well. Finally found a good price on green peppers (.69 cents/lb) and just finished flash freezing 15 lbs. No need for me to buy peppers again until next Spring.

Yes, I always pre-cook when possible. It just makes everything so easy! I remember when we tent camped at Yellowstone when I was a kid. My mother baked casseroles before the trip. She froze them and then cut it into single servings and sealed them. When we came back to the campground after a day of touring mom boiled a large pot of water and our individual meals were heated in their package in the pot. Cut open the seal and put on the plate. Nice hot meal and zero clean up!

I work as a prep cook so for me when we camp, I always precook whatever meals I can. Makes it a lot easier especially if site seeing all day, just heat and eat.

We are travelers, not really campers. We put 34K on the RV since December. I have a class B, and allergic to smoke. So cooking outside in a campground is not really an option for me because of all the campfires, so I have had to adjust. We precook everything and portion it out for the 2 of us. We have also found many of the Trader Joe's food items in the pre-made section and in the freezer section are better than average. We also precook bacon and freeze it because that smell will never come out of the fabrics in the RV.

If precooking seems really labor intensive, when you cook these items at home for dinner, double the recipe and freeze one.

Breakfast:
Burritos-Make up the burrito, wrap in plastic wrap, then put in zip loc bag or aluminum wrap. Take out of bag or foil, microwave for 2 minutes from frozen.
Sausage, egg, potatoes, black beans,cheese
Bacon, eggs, potatoes,cheese
Taco meat, eggs, Mexican rice, black bean cheese
Sausage, egg, cheese biscuits

Lunch and dinner
Lobster mac and cheese
Regular mac and cheese
Hamburger Mac
3 kinds of lasagne
Chili
Vegetable Soup
Cuban White Bean Soup
Butter Bean Soup
Tacos
Beef Bourguignon
Beef Stroganoff- use creme fraiche or make sauce when you heat it up, sour cream separates when frozen. Precook egg noodles-1 minute underdone. Coat with a little butter and freeze.
Beef Stew
Fajitas- from a local place. The fajitas, rice and shells freeze great
Ravioli with the sauce frozen separately
BBQ-Pork, beef or chicken. Already in sauce.
BBQ Ribs
Meat Loaf
Chicken Perlo- South Carolina one pot meal-Rice will get a little mushy.
Chicken Pot Pie
Beef short rib stuffed baked potato
Twice baked potatoes
Ham and potato casserole

For rice dishes like arroz con pollo, paella, and risotto, where mushy rice does not work: I precook the base, like onion, garlic, peppers, etc. Freeze. Shell the shrimp, clean lobsters or crab, then freeze them in correct portion. The liquid is boiled down to very concentrated to save space-add water