Quick meals on the boat - what's your favorite?

[sfergson727]

We are getting ready to head up the lake to Mackinac in the second week of June. It will just be me and my two sons, my wife will meet us up there so she won't be onboard for the journey up or back.

I am trying to plan what to provision the boat with so that we can eat on the boat to save some money. Here's the thing, of all my accomplishments, the one thing I never mastered was cooking. I can make a mean bowl of cereal, and most of the time I can successfully heat up some soup, or grill a burger/steak...but that is about it. I used to regularly set the smoke detector off at home during my culinary creating, until I was banished from the kitchen. (mission accomplished)

I have a magma grill, the boat's microwave and stove top to work with. I'd love to hear about some easy to make meals that won't leave a lasting impression in the cabin. My wife will kill me if I feed the boys nothing but hot dogs, tempting as it is, so let's hear it!

Thanks!
Scott

 

[BillK2632]

Saltine crackers and vienna sausage used to be my Dad's go to meal when we were out hunting or fishing - I wouldn't recommend that! Ok, maybe one can, builds character.

Like you I am not much of a cook, everything I do is on the grill. But with a flat iron and a vegetable basket you can do a lot more than steaks, burgers and dogs on a grill (eggs, bacon, about anything you would do in a skillet). I grill a pretty mean salmon filet, shrimp, asparagus, about any vegetable you can dice up or cut into chunks and put on kababs. Also, a grilled ham and cheese is great on the grill. That's about all I can offer, cooking at our house is usually not a good scene, I like my meat rare and food generally seasoned up, wife likes it well done and bland. I tend to drink a lot of beer when I grill. I have actually gotten pissed at her over the well done obsession and turned a $30 filet into a hockey puck - she loved it.

 

[fwebster]

This one is idiot proof.....even I can do it!

We frequently cruise the boat to either Pensacola or Apalachicola; both are known for excellent restaurants within walking distance of the marinas we use in either place. Both are roughly a day's run from home so we get there tired and dirty and not in the mood for going to a nice restaurant after securing the boat, registering and washing the salt spray off. We always carry along a frozen lasagna from Sam's for nite one. Microwavable, enough for 2 couples and really very good, all things considered. Add some French bread and a salad kit in a bag and you become Julia Child............

 

[northern]

I learned to cook when I was going to school. My two children are good cooks. Sounds like your skills are limited. For this year MREs seems like a good solution for you. I use them camping. Quick simple. Next fall take a night cooking class at a school in your area. If your children are over 15 take them with you.
For now watch some cooking channel shows. Rachel Ray is a good start. She is detail enough to learn and some of her dishes are simple. Best not to get your wife to teach you as it could be similar to you teaching her how to cook.
We had a 28 footer with a bar size fridge. We were able to provision for a week with the help of a cooler.
If all you can do is boil water look at pasta and buy canned sauce to go with the pasta. Eggs are easy if you scramble them. Do not cook bacon on a boat as it is greasy. Lunch if you can butter bread sandwiches. Get small sealed prepackaged cold cuts size for 1 day at a time. They will keep for weeks if kept cold.

 

[CliffA]

for quick meals we often use some of the 'heat and eat' meals such as meat loaf, Salisbury steak, turkey, etc for the meats and add a bag salad for a side item.....Hormel is a good brand for the meats....

cooking in a crock pot is also VERY easy and produces excellent food....but it is not 'quick'....

by FAR the best brand of mashed potatoes we have found is 'Bob Evans'......we get this both at home and on the boat....

cliff

 

[k9medic]

It you are cruising any distance use a crockpot.

Start it when you head out or around lunch time and it will be ready by dinner time.

Small Pork roast in a crock pot with bbq sauce poured over it. Wait 6 hours and it falls apart by itself. Put on a bun. Serve with baked beans and corn on the cob.

We also do lasagna in a crockpot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dvx216]

Prepared meals heat and eat and if you cook any thing on the cook top put a lid on it or it will get all over ever thing. Precooked frozen skillet potatoes good for breakfast and that steak for dinner.Frozen vegetables that you boil in an bag then finish them in a covered pan with a little butter with some of your favorite seasoning.Plus your local grocery store deli has prepared food you just pop in the microwave.Another quick and easy meal starts with the whole oven roasted chicken that you get at the grocery store that you quarter in advance. Now I'm not a fan of boxed food but Bob Evens mashed potatoes are really good.Another idea is frozen lasagna that you let thaw which speeds up cook time in the microwave and when its done put some shredded cheese on top pop it in the microwave to finish.

 

[FootballFan]

We do baked potatoes on the grill. I wad up length wise some foil into "fingers", set the wrapped potatoes crosswise on the 3/4 inch foil fingers to raise them off the grill. Turn once or twice. When you squeeze the potatoes and they are soft - they are done. Top with any assortment of things. I like the frozen brisket in the freezer section of the store. Microwave it to warm it up, then put on the potatoes.

We eat cereal in solo cups instead of bowls - nothing to wash - and fits in the cup holder if your underway. I prefer yogurt on cereal instead of milk.

Mark

 

[trflgrl]

Do you have an opportunity for a couple of "no Mom in the kitchen" adventures before your trip? Send your wife out of the house a few hours here and there, and if the kids are old enough to help, practice prep/cooking together. It'll be fun in and of itself, and you'll discover together what's easy and what's not, and get ideas of what may translate best for the trip.

I agree prepared meals are your friend (even on land!). Check your grocer's fridge/freezer section for meal in a bag/meal in a box options: there are pasta, stir fry, and other choices that include protein, vegetable, and starch and cook up quickly in a skillet or the microwave with very little skill required. You can buy things like precooked grilled chicken strips (think fajita style) or precooked breakfast sausage/bacon and build around them....and +1 on rotisserie chicken. Quarter it like DVX216 says or remove the bones and chop/shred so you can store it in a zip-close bag instead of the bulky deli container.

Tortillas are quite useful, too--more compact than bread and versatile for cold or hot dishes. Roll slices of deli meat, sliced cheese, and some sliced tomato/onion/lettuce for lunch or snack wraps. Fill with pre-cooked chicken, shredded cheese, and some salsa and fold/griddle both sides for quesadillas. Scramble eggs and roll with other fillings.

Depending on how old the kids are, they might like making their own microwave breakfast sandwiches. Spray a small round container or cereal bowl with non-stick spray and pour in one scrambled egg. Sprinkle in diced deli meat/bacon/sausage/vegetables, and nuke on high for 1 -2 minutes; remove and check for any runny spots. Stir and microwave again for 10 - 15 sec at a time if needed. Should pop out of the container cleanly and fit on a burger bun, English muffin, bagel, sandwich thins, etc. (You can use disposable paper bowls but not styrofoam; I worked at a bagel shop and this is how we did our breakfast sandwiches!)

Many grocery stores sell prepped veggies in the produce department--small containers of sliced or diced peppers and onions, sliced carrots, mushrooms, yellow and zucchini squash, etc. so your prep time is minimal.

Yogurt and fresh fruit is an easy meal or snack, maybe with some granola or snack mix for additional substance and crunch. You can freeze the individual cups, which helps with cooler space management, and they thaw pretty quickly, but are kind of like a treat when still icy.

Tuna and salmon are available in pouches, plain or seasoned/flavored, yummy by itself or mixed with mayo or other dressing. Eat straight or put on crackers or a tortilla, or use as a salad topper.

 

[saopm]

Our quick and easy meal on the boat is to make a large Tupperware the night before of tri colored pasta, grilled chicken, olives or red/orange peppers, and good season salad dressing. No reheat involved. Little carb heavy but goes with pretty much anything else you want to make .... such as burgers and dogs.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Many ideas above but I'll add one I came up with a few years ago. Before you leave home crack a couple dozen eggs into a bowl. Use a ladle to scoop enough into a plastic sandwich back to about half full. Close it securely and lay them flat in the freezer. You can stack them in the freezer while they're freezing and also stack them in the boat freezer. Plan on one back per person per day.

Take one per person out of the freezer the night before and put it in the refrigerator. By morning they're thawed and easy to put in a pan for some scrambled eggs. Add a couple of cut up brats for some flavor and you have a breakfast that everyone will like.

OH, and have fun with the boys.

 

[Strecker25]

We grill a lot using a gas magma. I've done pizzas, fries, all kinds of fish (foil packets), and the normal stuff like steak burgers and hot dogs. For weeknights (we go out on the water almost every night for dinner) we often cook at home and use this to bring it down:

https://www.amazon.com/Pyrex-Portab...32847&sr=1-1&keywords=pyrex+casserole+carrier

You microwave the pack and it keeps the food piping hot.

The other thing I'm going to try is a pampered chef microwave cooker. We have one for home and they're great for one pot meals. It will take a while on the small boat microwave but I will fire up the genset before we leave and dinner should be ready by the time we drop the hook. They have a bunch of pretty good recipes as well

https://www.pamperedchef.com/shop/Cookware/Stoneware/Mini+Deep+Covered+Baker/1444

 

[liv2ryde100]

anything bbq and for a side we buy the steam fresh bags of veggies. from freezer right into microwave

 

[FootballFan]

Enjoying this thread, but had to go get something to eat - was getting hungry.

Mark

 

[northshore]

Beer and Peanut M&M's - well balanced nutrition.....:grin:

 

[LTD.330]

Great thread. I was going to offer up the crockpot idea, but that has been covered. My son was able to feed himself at college with a crockpot and a dedicated crockpot cookbook.

<snip> That's about all I can offer, cooking at our house is usually not a good scene, I like my meat rare and food generally seasoned up, wife likes it well done and bland. I tend to drink a lot of beer when I grill. I have actually gotten pissed at her over the well done obsession and turned a $30 filet into a hockey puck - she loved it.

Evidently I have a twin who married my wife's twin.

 

[sfergson727]

Wow, you guy's rock, thanks for the great suggestions! Keep 'em coming, really thought provoking. Thanks again!

 

[Irie308]

We try to prep stuff that's good after a reheat. We will do ground beef with taco seasoning as well as ground turkey w/ peppers and onions. We also precook and bring pasta. One of the admirals specialties is turkey chilli. Quick meals after pop I the microwave. I'm a big fan of eggs in the microwave but I'm the only one. The microwave bacon from Oscar Myers is pretty good two.

 

[carterchapman]

I'm with Trfgrl and Irie308. Bring tortillas, make tacos. Bring precut, frozen chicken breasts, onions, grn/red pepper strips and make fajitas. We keep taco seasoning and fajita seasoning on the boat. Buy a bag of frozen biscuits, cook them on your magma on a pam -prayed piece of aluminum foil (you have to turn them once). I bought a $10 gas burner from webrestraurantstore.com (https://www.webstaurantstore.com/search/burner-butane-range.html) - it runs on butane cartridges - I cook bacon outside on the swim platform on a small collapsible table. Cook everything on that and the grill and keep smells out of the boat...

 

[Tonka Boater]

I'm with Trfgrl and Irie308. Bring tortillas, make tacos.

Great idea but I can't see Scott allowing drippy taco meat on his boat That's like recommending sloppy joes and Cheetos...lol. You're talking about the guy whose holding tank has never seen a #2 and he barely allows going #1 in the head.