5 Days. 2 adults. 4 kids. 15 meals. No kitchen. Seriously?
Yes, seriously. Hotel cooking is doable, all you need is a bit of planning and a sink. Also a sandwich maker. Maybe an electric burner. Preferably a hot water kettle.
And, of course, a Betty Crocker. But there’s a whole separate post devoted to that. For a roundup of recipes you can make using the appliances below, see this post.
Ok, let’s slow down.
Going away to some hotel in Yehupitzville? Here’s what you do.
There are a few ways to cook in a hotel room. You dont need to pack all of these electric appliances, simply take your pick. One or two can get you through (especially if one is a Betty). Decide what suits your style best.
Betty Crocker: Like we said, it’s the best hotel room appliance and not only for traveling–we use it year round!
It’s even worth investing in a second one for meat.
- For Dairy: Prepare grilled cheese sandwiches and paninis; warm up frozen blintzes. Bake fish or prepare pancakes for a crowd. You can even cook pasta in the Betty, which makes things really much easier.
- For Meat: Warm up grilled chicken and burgers; grill veggies and hot dogs.
Electric Burner: Having an electric burner is literally like having a kitchen. All you need is one pot and one frying pan and your options are endless.
- For breakfast: Prepare eggs and omelets. Pancakes. French toast.
- For dairy dinners: Make a stovetop mac and cheese or seared salmon.
- For meat dinners: Fry chicken, prepare rice, prepare minestrone and other soups.
Crock-Pot: This is very useful in apartments where there is no daily maid service. (It can get a bit tricky in a typical hotel room; I wouldn’t leave a Crock-Pot alone all day knowing the staff will be coming and going.)
- For complete dinners, set up a few ingredients in the morning and come back to a delicious ready-to-eat meal (see recipe idea below).
- Warm up prepared soups.
Sandwich Maker: Great if you do not have a Betty Crocker. See 9 ways to use a sandwich maker.
Electric Water Kettle: A small kettle is always a great thing to bring along, even when most hotel rooms now have Keurig or other coffee machines. Why? Think ramen soups, or any instant meal. And obviously, tea and coffee. This one from Bodum is really small and works great. I own it and have bought it again twice (after forgetting it behind at a hotel!)
What to Pack and Prepare Ahead: Be organized and plan a menu that works.
Non-food items to pack:
- Can opener
- Plasticware
- Plastic cutlery
- Hot cups
- Regular cups
- Paper towels
- Garbage bags
- Disposable tablecloths
- Windex
- Gloves
- 2 mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Frying pan
- Pot
- A few regular forks
- A few good knives
- Cutting board
- Dishwashing liquid and sponge
- Straws
Food items to pack: (Depending where you are going. Ideally, shop once you arrive for items that you can find in any Walmart, for example. If you subscribe to a delivery service like Shipt, Walmart Plus, or Instacart, you can have these items delivered to your hotel so as not to waste vacation time.)
- Bread your kids enjoy (buy in advance, freeze)
- Small baguettes (freeze)
- Cheeses
- Small ketchup
- Small mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
- Spices (put a bit in small Ziploc containers)
- Oil, if planning on frying
- Maple syrup for pancakes
- Coffee, tea, Splenda, sugar
- Snacks, snack bags
- Juice boxes
- Instant Ramen noodle soups (such as Tradition Soups)
- Cream cheese
- Peanut butter
- Canned tuna, hearts of palm, olives, pickles
- Cereals
- Milk (freeze) or alternative milk
- Yitzy’s Pancake Mix (OR prepare your favorite pancake mix minus the eggs and milk in a resealable bag and label what liquids are to be added. Pack along a bowl and whisk to prep on site)
- Frozen blintzes
- Frozen hot dogs/burgers and buns
- Frozen meats for Crock-Pot dinners and/or beans
- Vacuum-packed salmon
- Eggs (or buy locally)
Prepare in advance:
- Prepared soups: Freeze in a 9- x 13-inch baking pan. Once frozen, vacuum pack (with a vacuum sealer) and return to freezer. Once in the hotel, let thaw while you are out and rewarm once you get back to the hotel. You can prepare hearty and filling soups with pasta or meatballs in them so they comprise a meal on their own.
- Prepared and frozen chicken cutlets (either fully cooked or ready to fry)
- Prepared and refrigerated grilled chicken
- Marinated roast that’s ready to place in the Crock-Pot to cook all day
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