Cooking onboard a houseboat is one of the most exciting things of a houseboat holiday for many people. Preparing and cooking your meals while on the houseboat enables you to spend more quality time with the people you’re traveling with within a peaceful, cozy, and home-like environment. After finishing your meal, you can go out on the deck and even take lovely pictures of the incredible views. There is nothing like eating on the ocean in a private setting.
However, it’s not easy to plan a week’s worth of meals for a houseboat trip. So, here are some of the houseboating ideas, methods, and even a foolproof houseboat meal planning menu to help you make the most of your time on the houseboat a memorable one.
Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
The most crucial step in having a nice meal in a houseboat is planning what to eat ahead of time. Making a list of the products you’ll need for your vacation meal ideas ahead of time allows you to keep track of what you’ll need and enables you to save money.
Take note of the number of people who will be with you on your houseboat trip. It will help you know how much food you will need to prepare and if you have enough ingredients to make them.
Bring The Essential Things
Luckily, you only need to carry your own food, along with your preferred spices, to cook on your houseboat. When you rent a houseboat from Marina, Cottonwood Cove Resort, and in different other places to live on a houseboat, you will have access to a fully equipped gourmet kitchen with all of the necessary equipment and cookware for your vacation.
You can also have extra utensils such as a bowl set, nonstick pans, skillet, dinner plates, serving platter, and utensils aside from a refrigerator, microwave, stove, oven, and coffee maker.
Prepare Easy-To-Cook Meals
Bear this in mind, stick to foods that require little to no cooking, such as simple throw-together meals or dishes that you can fully prepare on a grill.
Pack some cereals, pancake mix, and yogurt. You may also bring some frozen foods such as bacon and ham. Another must-have item on your food list is the eggs you may cook in different styles to have variations of meals on a houseboat.
Plan What Snacks to Bring
It is ideal to have two to three snacks each day. Younger children require a greater number of snacks, so they’ll remain throughout the tiring day. Plan in advance the number of drinks you’ll need, excluding bottled water. Calculate how many juice boxes or beverages each person can consume per day.
Packing Meals Together
Put your meals in the same bag. Ensure that you pack together the ingredients needed for one meal. For instance, the sauces and pasta needed to make spaghetti are in the same container. This enables you to double-check that you have all you need for that dish. It will also assist you in locating items as you unpack.
In addition, you should also make several trips to the grocery store. It will lighten your load and do the packing and sorting easier. It will also remind you to add the things and ingredients you forgot to buy as you are unpacking one shopping session.
Prepare Your Meals in Advance
Prepare ahead of time as many meals as possible to cut down on cooking time and container packing. For instance, crack the eggs beforehand, scramble them with salt, pepper, and other spices you like, then store them in resealable bags.
This reduces the need for bulky cartons and the risk of fragile eggs breaking while being transported in a chiller. Pre-freezing them would also reduce the amount of ice you’ll need in your cooler. To make built-in ice blocks, place your frozen eggs on top of a few things.
Here Are Some Easy-to-Cook Meals In a Houseboat
Eating your breakfast before starting your day is very important. It helps give you energy and nourish you before all the fun and exhausting activities you will do the whole day. Here are some ideal easy-to-prepare meals for your houseboat vacation.
Cereal or Granola Bars is a simple breakfast option but an excellent method to keep things simple and have a quick breakfast before swimming or fishing.
Scrambled Eggs and Meat is a usual camping breakfast that is also ideal on a houseboat. Bring a sufficient number of eggs before boarding your houseboat and scramble them up every morning. Accompanied with ham, bacon, or sausage, you’ve got a well-rounded breakfast to feed the whole family.
Preparing an easy-to-cook yet delicious lunch on the boat is essential, whether you’re resting from the activities or you’ve spent a relaxing morning on the deck.
Sandwiches and Chips- Submarine sandwiches are always a favorite, and having a refrigerator on your houseboat allows you to store all of the ingredients on hand. Chips and sandwiches are a quick and filling lunch meal.
Salads- Before starting your houseboat trip, those who love their leafy greens lunches can make mason jar salads. You may layer the salad with several toppings, including cheese, chopped veggies, eggs, and nuts. To complete the meal, garnish them with your preferred salad dressings.
Burgers and Hotdogs- Grilling hot dogs and hamburgers is one of the simplest ways to prepare houseboat food. These two are a fulfilling lunch that is suitable for all ages.
You may cook these quick meals for supper if you want to organize a romantic waterfront evening or a festive, family-friendly dinner.
Steak and Potatoes on the Grill – Romantic couples will love savoring steak and potatoes during dinner. This enables you to experience the fine-dining feel inside your houseboat. Aside from that, steak and potatoes are easy-to-cook meals.
Quesadillas: This cheesy dish is one of the crowd’s favorites. They are easy to prepare- you will only need cooked chicken breast, diced peppers, olives, onions, and other fillings you like.