Advice on taking food on holiday

WychWillow

I am going on holiday to a Haven park on Saturday, and as the food is so expensive there I was going to make and take my own so I don't have to be slaving over the stove on holiday.

So my question is this, I was planning on making a shepherds pie, meatloaf and a casserole of some sort, I was going to make it on the Friday store it in the fridge overnight, transport it in a chill bag in the car and then freeze it when we got on holiday. Would I be okay doing this?

I wasn't going to cook the meatloaf, just make it up and put it in the loaf tin, with the shepherds pie I was going to cook the meat and the potatoes, layer it in the dish but not oven bake it. I can't make them properly at home and then freeze them as I have no space at all in my freezer.

I don't want to give us all food posioning on holiday so would doing it this way be okay or should I go back to the drawing board.

Any other advice, hints and tips will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Horace

Rather than trying to transport a load of chilled food why not nip out to a supermarket? I am not saying that you need to shop at the Haven park but I feel sure they issue you with passes to go out? Use this time to have a mooch about the area as well as doing a bit of food shopping - rope the family into helping with the cooking after all it's your holiday too.

Have a fabulous time.

stefejb

Eek - I can't imagine trying to organise all that cooking and getting ready for a holiday at the same time. Sounds ok to me but I'm not sure what sort of freezer space you'd have when you get there. You would be able to go off site to the supermarket but I've also heard of people arranging an online supermarket delivery for the first day of their holiday

astep70uk

When we stayed on a Haven site, we only had a fridge with an icebox, and I think this is only for storing already frozen food, as they are not cold enough to freeze chilled food?? Have a great time though!

Oh, and I don't know if you have a slow cooker, but it may be easier just taking that, and then doing a little shop at the local supermarket. Then you could just bung everything into it on a morning?

HopeElizzy

Hi
I'm not sure about the making/keeping cool/heating up question you have - sorry - hope someone comes along to help in a bit.

But I'm away on a self catering holiday on Saturday and am taking some homemade frozen meals with us. Also I'm taking the makings for.......

• Tuna pasta bake (dried pasta, condensed soup, chopped onion, tin of tuna, tin of sweetcorn) which only takes about 20 mins to make/cook.
• Toppings for Baking Potatoes which for us include cheese and Baked beans - doesn't take long to throw these together:D
• Eggs, bacon and baked beans

Hope these ideas are of some use to you.....it doesn't feel like a real holiday when you have to still do all the cooking does it? :rolleyes:
One year when we stayed near to some friends we went around one afternoon to find she'd done an extra fish pie, besides the one for her family, for us to have so I wouldn't have to cook.....needless to say she got a great big hug for that one!:T
Hope you enjoy your holiday!

Roosh

All that cooking before hand sounds a lot of palava... and I wouldn't rely on the fact that there is going to be sufficient freezer space, all we ever had is an ice compartment ... agree with others ... far easier to buy stuff from local supermarket, there is bound to be one fairly near by. If you have a microwave go for easy meals, that can be cooked quickly. Try and not to be too fussy about anything posh ... important thing is to get something that will fill you up ... plenty of good crusty bread with meals helps. I would take things like tea/coffee milk and something for breakfast, so you don't have to go shopping as soon as you get there. I would take a decent can opener (theirs never work!) and a sharp knife, and a slow cooker, if you have one is an excellent idea.

WychWillow

Thanks for the replies so far

The slow cooker idea is great, but I don't have one of those and don't really have a need for one at home so I can't really justify buying one.

As for the going shopping while we are there, that is what we normally do but for some reason my partner who normally hates shopping just throws everything in the trolly that he sees on account of 'Ohh they don't have that in our Tesco, let's buy it and try it' as he is paying for the shopping I couldn't say no and the bill came to well over £100 so I was trying to avoid that senario again.

The last few times we have been we have stayed in a gold caravan and had a full size fridge/freezer so I was hoping that would be the case again.

tiff

I dont think its a palava, if you're organised its no problem at all and saves having to do all that shopping when you're down there.

We're going to a Haven site with some mums from school and their kids at half term. I'm planning to take a frozen chilli with me (will just make an extra one next time I make chilli). Will probably even cook the rice and throw it in the chilli before I freeze it.

I think what you're planning to do is fine, as long as there is room in the freezer when you get there. To be safe you're probably best off taking all the stuff with you for some easy meals rather than relying on them having a proper freezer.

vastsarah_2

hi im giong away oct for 4 days but leaving 2 boys home, take 3 with us!
ive been thinking along the same lines of what to feed us not a keen cook at the best of times let along on holiday!!
Best i could come up with is too have a tesco shop delivered befor we go buy some part baked rolls and have beggette like foods on the friday,fried brekkie sat morning a treat for us,spag bol on sat,baked pot on sun and take away on the monday befor we go home
plus going to bake some cakes to take, have fruit and crisp available
any thing for a easy life

moanymoany

I take a different approach to taking food away. I take Tesco's canned stewed steak. It is very nice and can be served with boiled potatoes and canned veg. If you are going to have an oven the Frey Bentos pies are nice. Cans are smashing and there is lots you can take with you. Lidls do a fab tinned chilli con carne. Also, if you don't eat the food, it can come home with you!

It is not the sort of food we eat at home, but it is easy to transport, quick and tasty. I do this because I am on holiday too, but the cost of eating in these holiday places is expensive and will probably not be as nice as the canned stuff!

whatatwit

With regards to transporting food, how long a journey is it?
If you take really chilled stuff, possibly turn the fridge to it's coldest setting at home and you insulate the containers, wrap in newspaper or whatever and use a chill bag with plenty of ice blocks. Then I would happily travel with this for 3-4 hours.
Straight into fridge when you get there and should be no problems.
Just make sure everything is uncooked meatloaf is very fresh and it all goes immediately into fridge at home.

Have fun.