Self-catering meal plan ideas?

Dharma_Bunny

Hi, I'm going to book Butlins for late Spring/early Summer time and and trying to decide whether to pay for foodplan or do self catering. I've done both in the past, and am definitely leaning towards self-catering! The main thing I learned from the slightly hasty self-catering in the past was that I'd need to plan ahead!

Any tips? Do you meal plan for self catering?

NewShadow

If I'm right, you've got a basic kitchen? If so, self catering is the easiest thing in the world.

I'd focus on just using the kettle/microwave.

Breakfasts - cereal or porridge or jam sarnies (I'd manage with UHT) or microwaved egg/bacon roll - quorn sausage also cook in the microwave but I wouldn't trust meat sausage.

Lunches - bread, crackers, wraps, cheeses, pickles, ham, tinned meat or fish, soups. I'd also take a sharp knife and jar of mayo with a cabbage/ carrots/ onion/ apples/ grapes/ celery - to make coleslaw as I wanted it.

In the evening I'd probably go with baked potatoes with chilli/ beans/ tuna/ cheese (and 'slaw) or packs of micro rice/ noodles with tinned veg and tinned fish/bacon.

And I'd make sure to take some 'pud in a mug' fixings with custard - just because

I'd definitely meal plan - not for each day, but to make sure I had something for each day (plus a couple). If it's mostly tinned or dried - if you fancy buying something else - nothing will be wasted

Tiddlywinks

Cereals and toast for breakfast.

Sarnies and wraps (if out and about) or soup (if inside) for lunch.

Then - we tend to do a 'world tour' for evenings.

Mexican - chilli (can take cans for ease) and micro rice with chopped toms, cucumber and onion salad - served with wraps or nachos

American - build your own burger or hotdogs with salad on side.

Italian - use any jar of sauce to stir in and serve with garlic bread

Indian - micro rice plus jar of sauce and some veggies or quorn plus tom/cucumber/ onion salad on side with chutney and poppadoms.

Chinese - micro noodles, jar of sweet and sour, tin of beansprouts, some veggies

FRIDAY - take away fish and chips or pea fritter for the veggies - if you're by the sea then it's the law to eat some local chips.

English - sausage, mash, beans.

Take cans of fruit, custard, rice pudding for a sweet hit plus micro popcorn (or make your own in a pan) for snacking.

We do a couple of self catering trips a year in remote locations so we eat out of cans and from long-life breads etc for that week... just one week isn't too difficult and you still get the 'fresh feel' from canned citrus fruit, veggies etc.

caronc

Not a mean plan as such but I used to take my slow cooker on self-catering holidays, it took two minutes to bung a meal in and meant when we came in, in the evening with ravenous kids it was easy to get a meal on the table. If you have George Foreman or toastie maker that can be handy too. I also used to make some meals generally a curry and a chilli and pop in the fridge or freezer when we got there. We also used to pick up a cooked chicken and have that one night with pre-made salads and crusty bread, with leftovers being used for a picnic lunch. Found it saved a good bit of cash doing some cooking which left more for eating out a couple of times, chips and icecream:)

helcat26

Do you know if you have a microwave at the accommodation?
Just if you had that and a fridge you could probably make some meals before you go- like chilli for example then you can just assemble with salad and wraps when you are there. likewise a curry.
It is after all your holiday and even if you enjoy cooking if would be nice for you to get a break.
I think I would consider the fact it is a holiday in my meal planning.
I always enjoy nice fruit like fresh melon or pineapple if hotels offer it for breakfast but we seldom have it for routine on the run breakfast at home- that would perhaps help the make it special.
Pancakes for breakfast? but take your own non stick pan as ones in self catering are abused.
What about planning a BBQ? Take a disposable BBQ.
Are you allowed takeaways on site?

trailingspouse

Who's going with you? Make them responsible for some of the meals - for example, OH and I took our daughter and her friend (aged 12) and our son (aged 6) on a self-catering holiday, and we all took turns.

OH - barbecue.
Daughter and friend (working together) - I let them decide for themselves what they wanted to cook for us. The first night it was pot noodles, but improved as the holiday went on...
Son - we all went out for a meal on his first turn, but on his second turn he said he wanted to cook - with a bit of help he made sandwiches, heated soup. and produced fruit salad (from tins) with squeezy cream.
Me - I made sure they had something nutritious!!

PasturesNew

What's appropriate would depend how you usually eat - many people here eat some right funny stuff!

It depends on the equipment you'll get to use too... and whether they're small or full-sized.

And what gadgets you usually rely on - if you're driving and usually use a slow cooker, then toss that into the boot of the car along with a couple of jars of your favourite sauce.

Dharma_Bunny

Some good food for thought, thanks.

I think the apartment we'd be getting this time has a microwave. When we stayed in the standard apartment before it didn't have one though.
I don't have one at home so hadn't thought about that, good point, thanks.

Linda32

We have done self catering before. Take tea, coffee, sugar, whatever you drink with you.

We do what we call put on plate meals. So when we get there I would buy pork pie, sausage rolls, bread, crisps, cucumber, tomatoes etc. Wine or whatever you fancy.

Think about what you would normally eat as a picnic. No cooking of course, you are on holiday.

freyasmum

You've had some great ideas here already, but remember that it is still a holiday so go a bit easier than you would at home! Definitely check out what cooking equipment you'll have; it goes without saying how much easier it is when you have more than just a kettle and a microwave.

Most places let you in around 4pm and, by the time you get everything in and settled, the last thing you want to do is cook a big meal.

We did two SC holidays last year, the first on a boat with a small oven/grill, a fridge and a whistling kettle, which was quite novel. Before we went, I made up a couple of trays of lasagne in disposable trays and froze them. We put them in the cool box before we left the house and, when we arrived to the location, we put one in the fridge and left the other to defrost on the side. Come dinner time, it was ready to put in the oven with a few garlic breads. We had also made some HM sausage and egg mcmuffins so that we could just bung them in the oven when we arrived for lunch (they let us in a bit earlier as the boat was ready).

Breakfast was cereal and milk or bacon/sausage sandwiches. For lunch, we had a few French sticks with lots of prosciutto, chorizo, salamis, mortadella, pate, cheeses and some salad. It was ridiculously easy to prepare and was glorious to be able to eat while we were sailing along with the canopy open!

The next was a caravan in Cornwall. We had a microwave, kettle, fridge and oven/grill. Again, we took a meal that just needed to be reheated when we arrived so that we could settle in. We had baked potatoes with salad and cold ham/chicken breast - you can reheat prebaked potatoes in the microwave, or just make a baked potato in the microwave.

I'm off to research what we have for our next holiday now :j

freyasmum

Just checked, we have a full kitchen this time again, so it should be easy.

I forgot to say; cream of tomato soup and parbaked baguettes is another of our favourite lunches - and it's ideal for later in the week if you don't have easy access to a shop that isn't the onsite shop (and therefore extortionate).

And remember toilet rolls and dish soap - we forgot last time