A little meal planning on vacation and prepping beforehand are great ways to save money, eat healthy, and still get a break from cooking! This is what we ate on our mountain getaway with nine ladies!

This past weekend, I was able to get away for a getaway with some dear friends. We stayed at a cabin owned by one friend and had such a refreshing weekend of great conversation, beautiful views, exercise, and painting.

It was exactly what these mamas of many needed, and we all went home incredibly thankful and ready once again to take on our given responsibilities and spheres of influence.

Meal Planning on Vacation

For the second year in a row, I was the designated caterer of the weekend. And happy to do it! I planned the meals based on what is easy to feed a group of people (there were nine of us), what I could easily prep ahead of time, and of course, what would be delicious and filling as we gathered around the table each day.

I always meal plan before we go on trips because it saves us a lot of money, but also because I want to eat really tasty food that is still healthy even when we are not at home.

Keep reading to see what we ate on our weekend getaway and what I did to prepare beforehand. My goal was to cook as little as possible while there (because I wanted a break too), other than simple things like eggs, or things that are really much better fresh, like taco shells.

Also, I feel like it’s worth noting that my pictures are awful, and I completely forgot to get a photo of Saturday’s lunch. Part of the weekend’s rest was a break from my phone.

More Meal Planning on Vacation Plans :: 

• A week at the beach
• A week in a secluded cabin with family
• A week camping in the mountains
• A week camping at the beach
• How to eat healthy on a road trip

Prep Ahead

Classic Meaty Lasagna

The lasagna we ate on the first night was actually prepared the week before Christmas, and then frozen. It was completely from scratch and I originally planned to serve it on Christmas Eve.  I had doubled my lasagna recipe, but then only needed one on Christmas Eve, so I was able to simply pull this one out of the freezer on Friday.

One-Hour French Bread

Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves

Raisin, Date, & Walnut Muffins

I bought English muffins for breakfast on Saturday, but baked the bread for garlic bread (one-hour French bread), the bread for sandwiches (whole wheat sandwich loaves), and then muffins for Sunday morning.

The couple hours of baking was well worth it as everyone loved the fresh breads and raved about the muffins!

TACO COMPONENTS

Amazing, Fresh Salsa

Spanish Rice

Seasoned Ground Beef

Refried Beans

We had tacos on Saturday night, and I made as much of the toppings and sides as possible before I left for the trip. I cooked the rice, meat, and beans in my Instant Pots. I plan to share a recipe for both the meat and refried beans soon. They were both so easy.

I made some salsa in my food processor, grabbed a jar of yogurt from the fridge, and a package of guacamole from the freezer. For convenience sake, I bought shredded cheese at Aldi.

Instead of frying the taco shells ahead of time, I brought a package of corn tortillas and oil to fry the shells just before eating on Saturday night. The process is so simple and the difference is worth it! {How to fry taco shells at home}

OTHER PREP

3-Minute Homemade Mayo

Instant Pot Iced Tea

Meals

Friday Dinner :: Homemade lasagna, Caesar salad, garlic bread

Saturday Breakfast :: Easy frittata with mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach, & cheese; English muffins, andouille chicken sausage, orange juice

Saturday Lunch :: Turkey & cheese sandwiches, chips and homemade dip, fruit salad

Saturday Dinner :: Tacos with seasoned ground beef, Mexican blend shredded cheese, fresh salsa, chopped lettuce, homemade yogurt, and guacamole; refried beans, Spanish rice

Sunday Breakfast :: Scrambled eggs with cheese, raisin date & walnut muffins, bacon, orange juice

Do you meal plan before trips? 

What are some of your favorite foods to bring on vacation? 

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