There is nothing more exciting than heading off to the campground after a long week at work. However, prepping for those short weekend RV trips can be a bit of a challenge.  The trick is to prepare in bits and pieces throughout the week, so that on Friday afternoon you can hit the road with no muss and no fuss.

One of the easiest ways to prepare in advance is by doubling your dinner recipes the week before and stocking your RV refrigerator with the extra portion. That way, you won’t have to do additional meal planning and food shopping for your short weekend getaway.

Here are three of our favorite make-ahead meals for weekend camping trips.

Tortilla Pie

Ingredients 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 large can of beans, black or pinto
• 12 large flour tortillas
• 12 ounces grated cheddar cheese

1. Prepare the ground beef according to the seasoning packet instructions. Add in the can of diced tomatoes and the can of beans. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Using non-stick cooking spray, coat the bottom of a casserole dish large enough to fit the tortillas.
3. Place a tortilla in the bottom of the casserole dish. Cover the tortilla with some of the meat mixture. Top with a thin layer of cheddar cheese. Place another tortilla on top of the cheddar, and repeat the process until you have layered all the tortillas with meat and cheese.
4. Sprinkle cheese on the top of the tortilla pie and cover in foil. Store in the refrigerator.
5. At the campground, cook the tortilla pie at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Serve with rice and a fruit salad.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients

•  1 pound bowtie pasta
• 1 6-ounce jar of prepared pesto
• A medley of your favorite roasted vegetables (I roast asparagus, grape tomatoes, and yellow bell peppers on a sheet pan at 425° for 25 minutes)

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain.
2. Mix pasta with pesto sauce.
3. Add roasted vegetables. Store in the refrigerator tightly covered with plastic wrap.
4. This is the perfect dinner to serve on Friday night when arriving at the campground. A loaf of crusty bread makes a complete and hearty meal!

Barbeque Meatloaf Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1. Mix all of the ingredients together except for the BBQ sauce.
2. Form into a loaf and place in a shallow pan.
3. Pour BBQ sauce evenly over the top of the meatloaf.
4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.
5. Cool and store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. Serve at the campground on slices of sourdough bread with prepared coleslaw and potato salad.

Keeping meal preparation simple will ensure that those quick RV getaways are relaxing and refreshing.  That way you can return to work on Monday, rested and ready to plan your next great RV trip.

See you at the campground! 

Jeremy and Stephanie Puglisi are the co hosts of the weekly RV Family Travel Atlas and Campground of the Week podcasts, as well as the creators of the RVFTA Podcast Network. They are also the authors of The Idiots Guide to RV Vacations and the Acadia National Park Adventure Guide. After buying their very first pop up camper six years ago, Jeremy and Stephanie caught the RV bug in a big way, and now spend over 70 nights a year in their travel trailer with their three sons, Theo, Max, and Wes, and sweet Maggie the pup. You can follow along on their adventures (and misadventures) at rvfamilytravelatlas.com.