Holiday cottage meals

CH27

I like to call in the supermarket & pick up a ready cooked chicken & a box of salad stuff for one night.

babyshoes

How long until you go? If you start now, you could cook double portions of meals like bolognese, pasta sauce, stew, curry, chilli, soup, lasagne etc (basically anything saucy), eat one portion for supper then freeze the other and take them with you when you go. Wrap each item in several sheets of newspaper before putting it in a cooler bag with ice blocks - they will stay frozen for many hours and can go in the fridge/freezer as appropriate at the cottage when you arrive. My Mom used this technique (we lived in a very hot country), and stuff was still frozen or mostly frozen after 5 hours in the car in 30 degree weather...

Don't bother to freeze the pasta/rice or other carbs unless they are cooked into the dish like lasagne, they generally travel better uncooked. I also like the idea of having a supermarket delivery booked for the 1st day for stuff that doesn't travel so well like dairy and fruit.

VickyA_2

This chicken tikka masala is a great one! Very, very easy (I make it with no issues ) and great to take out of the freezer when you need it.

Linda32

When we self cater we buy salad and porkpies on the way. Take out of packet and put on plate type meals.

Tigsteroonie

gt568 wrote: »

Don't really want to waste precious holiday time in supermarkets.

I kinda like going round a local supermarket when on holiday - we find local 'delicacies' that we don't see in our supermarkets at home! e.g. Welsh lamb curries on the deli counter in Rhyl

~Chameleon~

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

I kinda like going round a local supermarket when on holiday - we find local 'delicacies' that we don't see in our supermarkets at home! e.g. Welsh lamb curries on the deli counter in Rhyl

I totally agree here. On the rare times we've taken a UK s/c holiday then I've always shopped in the nearest supermarket to get supplies for the week (maybe ordering an online delivery would be the way to go these days). I'd take basic storecupboard stuff (herbs, spices, oils etc) but keep everything simple and never cook anything more expensive than we could get by eating out. It is a holiday after all

room512

We always book a delivery from one of the major supermarkets that arrives a couple of hours after we arrive. We preplan the meals and buy the things that we need. It's always worked out well.

toozie_2

We have holidayed in cottages for years, since the kids were babies.
Apart from doing most of what has already been mentioned, we still have this type of stuff, which is not the way we normally eat at home only at Christmas & parties, we usually have a "meal" at home so this was always a bit different
Just bring out of fridge to table:
pates
cheeses
salad
pickles
crisps
French stick
cheese biscuits
cold meat
coleslaw etc

Easy, relaxing, and just take some cling with you to wrap everything up and use again on another day.

Usually always make a bolognaise before the holiday and freeze, take it out frozen at home, by time you get to the self catering it's defrosted just boil spaghetti, and take garlic bread/salad.

Have a lovely time :beer:

Patchwork_Quilt

I always take chilli and curry in plastic boxes that hold enough for a generous portion for our family. They are frozen when we set off and then I put them in the fridge when we arrive to defrost very slowly. Three or four of these will take you through the first week and all you need to do is heat them up with rice or pasta.

I also agree that the ham/cheese/salady things come in very handy for a meal at any time of day. Part baked rolls go nicely with this and keep well over a couple of weeks.

clarryd

room512 wrote: »

We always book a delivery from one of the major supermarkets that arrives a couple of hours after we arrive. We preplan the meals and buy the things that we need. It's always worked out well.

This is a great idea. Well done you for thinking of it.


:T