# Pre package your meals at home



## sprinter31 (Jan 21, 2009)

My wife makes meals ahead of time before we go and uses her seal a meal to package each meal individually, then it is easy to cut open, dump into pan and cook, she's great.


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

That is good, do you just freeze it, or depends on what it is? What kind of meals does she put together this way?


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## kiteri (Jan 12, 2008)

That is actually a great idea. I never thought of it. She is one smart lady!


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## sprinter31 (Jan 21, 2009)

Fortner, she makes a great campers breakfast , with potatoes ,bacon or sausage, eggs, cheese, onions, she cuts everything up except the eggs and seals it and then you can cook potatoes,bacon, onions all in one pan , then add eggs at the end so they dont get over cooked. The biggest thing is getting most of your food cut and prepared before you leave, makes it much easier in the field. 
Also getting some food out of there boxes and cans gives you more storing room in fridge and cabinets.
She makes other meals that way too, I will talk to her and reply,

And yes Kiteri she is VERY smart, she makes me look dumb sometimes.<G>


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

Many uses for seal-a-meals when camping. We'll cook some chicken spaghetti at home, then put in a bag and freeze (don't vacuum it when you do this, you want some air in this one). Then our first night, we just throw the bag in a big pot of boiling water for awhile - no messy cooking (if you vacuumed that, it wouldn't heat properly).

I'll also mix up the dry ingredients for things such as pancakes, and vacuum pack those - I never have to worry about them getting wet, plus they don't take up as much room.

I'll also buy pork loins and beef roasts when they are a good deal, and seal them up and put them in the freezer (use a sharpie to write a date on them so you can rotate them out). Put one of these in your camper's fridge, and by the time you cook, they are thawed, and they have helped your fridge stay cold. I'll also put our rib eyes in the bags with marinade, and freeze them before we leave - they're just fine after a few days.

Eat well when you're camping and everybody is happy :icon_smile_bbq:


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## guardianangel (Feb 4, 2009)

this is also perfect for marinating your meats too!


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## sprinter31 (Jan 21, 2009)

Excellent ideas all, keep it up and the whole world will be as smart as us.


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## eanddrice (Nov 12, 2008)

What an idea!!! I have had a "seal-a-meal" for years but have never thought about preparing meals in them for camping!!


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## cricket2 (Nov 16, 2007)

Definitely the way to go. I do some things that way to, like make hamburger patties, season them, then vacuum seal and freeze. When I go camping, thaw and cook, easy!

I have also done this with meatloaf, salmon, steaks and other things.


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## j_jaacks (Mar 19, 2009)

I use a variation of this. I make breakfast burritos at home and put them in aluminum foil. Then all you have to do in the morning is throw them on the fire. Makes breakfast quick and it has all the things that you want in a breakfast. And no clean up.


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## eltondeanna (May 21, 2009)

I have found ways over the years to cut time & effort when it comes to food preparation while campin. When we first started camping, it seemed like I spent more time cooking & cleaning on camping trips than I did at home. What fun is in that!!! Here are some of my short cuts. Hope it helps...

Great arrival night meal - Sloppy Joes - Brown crumbled hamburger & onions before you go (no messy greasy clean up on the trip) & put in double zip-lock bags. Just warm up & pour on your sloppy joe sauce; a bag of buns & there you have it - kids love them too!!!

Deviled eggs - make your filling before hand - put in double zip lock bags. In seperate zip lock, store your egg whites. when ready to make - just cut of corner of bag & fill the egg whites. a great traditional BBQ favorite w/o all the work!

I double zip lock bag everything going in the cooler - NOTHING is worse than water logged food!!

Invest in a rice cooker & crock pot - amazing how you can put your meal on in the morning & then spend the rest of the day enjoying your family & the outdoors. And usually only 1 pot to clean!!

Canned meals are nice for lunch sometimes or arrival/departure. i.e. - ravioli; chicken chow mein (over rice). Less to keep in the coolers & no possiblities of spoiling.

I've even pre-cut fruits & veggies for easy access for the kids. 

Happy Camping


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## ctfortner (Nov 16, 2007)

We just had homemade sloppy joes tonight, they were great!


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## wannatravel (May 7, 2009)

All great ideas!! Thanks everyone... with six of us, I can see me putting all these into action...the deviled egg idea is great...thanks again, everyone....I just love this site!


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## dd45529 (Apr 9, 2008)

I've always made more soup (almost any kind) than we can eat at home. I freeze in quart containers. When we camp, I toss in a couple of different soups. Since I have a microwave, it doesn't take much to thaw and reheat. Combine with a sandwich and you have a great homemade meal without the fuss. kkd


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## jahnavi (Dec 10, 2009)

She is smart lady . But she shouls try some instant recipe which can made in rv quicker and faster and indeed fresh everyday .


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## bobrussell (Jul 13, 2009)

i'm sure the breakfast sprinter31's wife bags up is better but Jimmy Dean makes some stuff that comes frozen in a bag like that. you just put it in a skillet, cook about 7 minutes then add eggs. cook a can of whop biscuits and you got a good/quick/easy breakfast (well for us it usually ends up brunch). it has potatoes, onions, peppers and either ham or bacon or sausage, in freezer section somewhere.


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## jimtbrown (Jan 8, 2010)

It is better to prepack to save your time and energy. So that you could really enjoy the camp with your family.


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## dhutchinson (Sep 5, 2011)

I use my crockpot a lot when camping; I make up biscuit and pancake mix and vacuum seal it; I pre-cook different things; I put together spices for red beans 'n rice so all I have to do is soak the beans, then add water and spices.

I also LOVE to fix soups and nothing is easier than using "BEAR CREEK COUNTRY KITCHEN dry soup mixes. They make about 1/2 gallon, so there are leftovers for the next days lunch. I use the Cheddar Broccoli, Chicken Noodle, Creamy Wild Rice and Tortilla. They also have chili, minestrone, and several others. I have tried different brands, but these just seem to be better than the rest. They cost $3.48 each at our local Walmart. Just add water.


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## hideout (Feb 12, 2011)

this is a good idea,me and my wife do this every year because hyou can freeze it,then pack in your cooler just before you leave to go to your destination,and your food is allready to go,not to mention you can boil water and heat up your food right in the food saver bag,in the water on a open fire.:thumbup1:


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## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

Note, be careful using ziplocks and seal a meals as the container for boiling the contents unless they specifically say so (if not, assume they are NOT suitable). The plastic is not made for this (according to the manufacturer) and other plastics are preferred. Check whatever plastic to use if you want to boil the contents to ensure that the plastic does not leach into the food. You want to eat the food, not the food tainted with plastic.


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## hideout (Feb 12, 2011)

artmart is right, you do need to make sure the bag can be boild with food in it,i will tell you that foodsaver bags are designed to cook food in,but some other ones are not.:10001:


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## PrdCdn (Feb 5, 2012)

These are fantastic ideas, totally awesome


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## old_guy_camping (Aug 12, 2011)

zack0109 said:


> Great ideas! I used to boil pasta and store it in bags too. Just add sauce.


You're losing your touch - first post without advertising links in it.


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## Lifetimer (Oct 10, 2011)

Something you can do if you have a big group, is at home put in individual bags stuff you put in an omelet. Like having chopped ham, shredded cheese, chopped onion or/and green peppers or anything else you can think of. Then one morning camping everyone can just put in what they want in a freezer seal bag. All you have to do is add eggs. Drop in boiling water and watch it cook. It’s a great way of having individual eggs.


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