Campsite Cooking: 10 Caravan and Motorhome Cooking Tips
This is doubly the case when Andy and our boys are away in our Adamo 75-4DL, as being away from my kitchen feels surprisingly freeing. I’m more experimental and enjoy the challenge of ensuring our food is of the same quality we try to serve at home.
That means that instant noodles and beans on toast are off the menu, and casseroles, grilled food, salads, and even homemade pizzas are on – and it’s not all hard work! As someone with two children, here are my tips to ensure that prepping, eating, and cleaning up after your food is as much of a breeze as the rest of your holiday.
If I know we’re going away after the boys finish school, or if we’ve got a long drive, I’ll make something in advance and pop it in the microwave or oven to heat up when we arrive. Spag bol is always a winner, and even cooked pasta can be reheated if you toss it in olive oil as soon as it’s been drained. There’s nothing worse than slaving over a meal when you’ve just had a long journey, so don’t.
Planning some meals and doing a big shopping before you leave home can save you time, money and stress. Campsite shops are usually small and can be expensive, and with the large amount of storage space in the Adamo’s cupboards and fridge, I usually stock up at the supermarket before I leave home. It can also be stressful to park a large vehicle in a supermarket car park, so I take the worry out of moving the motorhome mid-break.
I’ve just come back from half term on the Welsh border, where this wasn’t an option, but when I can, I love to cook and eat outside. In fact, for me, it’s one of the best things about camping. By prepping and eating outside, you have space to be more sociable, you don’t get as hot and bothered, you avoid cooking smells permeating your beautiful upholstery, and any crumbs that fall can generally be ignored. Just make sure that larger pieces of dropped food are safely disposed of; you don’t want uninvited guests!
We’ve got a Cadac BBQ and it’s one of the best bits of kit around. Not only is it great for grilling, but you can also take off the plate and use the gas burner to boil your kettle or make your porridge, you can put a pan on top for your paella, you can keep your tapas warm, and ours even has a pizza stone so we can make our pizza (I make the dough at home, portion it into bags and leave it in the freezer until the day I need it).
PRIMA Leisure has an incredible selection of Cadac and CampingGaz BBQs on their website, so if you’re inspired to cook outside, they’ll have everything you need.
Due to the Adamo having a TON of storage space, not to mention handy power points, I’m always able to pack extra gadgets if they make my life easier. If you’ve seen mine or Andy’s social media, you’ll know that we never go anywhere without coffee pots, and the slow cooker (for the colder months) is also included. Is there anything better than getting home after a long day cycling, walking, and skydiving (I’ve included that one for Andy) to a piping hot, homemade casserole? I don’t think so. And the best bit – these gadgets are electric, so you’re using the campsite’s energy and not your precious gas!
We all know that cooking our food is far friendlier in our pockets than eating out, but there are other ways to save money if you’re staying on a campsite. Primarily using the electric hotplate on your hob will use the campsite’s electricity rather than your gas, taking your washing-up to the sanitary block reduces the amount of water you need to heat (and it’s nice to have a chat with your neighbours over the washing-up!), and using a slow-cooker/air fryer is an energy-efficient way to cook for the whole family.
My boys just love getting involved when it comes to cooking, and I enjoy it when they see what goes into a meal and want to lend a hand. They’re also getting pretty good at drying up, so when we get back to the motorhome everything can go straight back in the cupboards without any further input from me!
I always keep the basics on hand; pasta, tinned tomatoes, olive oil, some rudimentary herbs, spices and stock cubes. You never know when you’re going to be rained in, or having such a brilliant time on the beach that you forget to shop. If you’ve always got a basic meal ready to go, made of store-cupboard staples, nobody’s going to starve. Failing that, a big pan of porridge will work a treat.
I made my mother-in-law’s 70th birthday cake in our Adamo – not only were we having a brilliant time at a gorgeous campsite, but she loved the surprise of being presented with a freshly baked cake. Push the boat out and go big!
I hope these tips and tricks have inspired you to get creative when it comes to campsite cookery, eating is such a pleasure, and when we’re on holiday, with a little careful planning and some creativity, there’s no reason for it to be a chore.
