Travel Friendly Meals for the Holidays

brought to you by Easy Escapes RV Naples, FL

Are you hitting the road for the holidays? Save yourself time and stress by choosing dishes that travel well. As much as we love pies with mounds of meringue, or cakes with fancy frosting, they don’t always make it to the party in top condition. To make life a bit easier this holiday season, bring along dishes that are better travel companions — like these!

  1. Banana Bread. The great thing about bringing banana bread is that it doesn’t need to be reheated or kept on ice. Plus, everyone loves to have slice in the morning with a cup of coffee. Banana bread not only makes a transportable holiday desert dish, but is often eaten and appreciated for days afterward.
  1. Spinach Dip. All you need is frozen spinach, sour cream, and a few other simple ingredients to make this popular favorite. Just bring spinach dip to your holiday events in a sourdough bread bowl, and there’s no dish to leave behind.
  1. Snickerdoodle Cookies. While you might want to pass on cookies that involve delicate cut-outs or thin shapes that can break easily, snickerdoodles will travel well when made in traditional round shapes. A helpful tip is to pack them in a container along with a slice of white bread to keep them just as soft as they were when they came out of the oven.
  1. Tropical Salsa. You can bring along a colorful tropical salsa to serve with tortilla chips, or even with your hosts fish or chicken dishes. Salsa is easy to tote along in jars or plastic storage containers, which makes it a great dish to travel with.
  1. Pasta Salad. Particularly if you live in Florida, or any other state that is still warm during the holiday season, pasta salad is one of those holiday dishes that travel well. Pasta salads are generally served at room temperature, don’t contain any ingredients that will spoil quickly, and if it gets tossed around on the way to the event, no harm done!
  1. Holiday Chex Mix. Add a box of devil’s food cake mix and cream cheese frosting to Chocolate Chex cereal for a sweet Red Velvet holiday snack that you can transport with ease. Just let the frosting cool, loosely cover, and go!
  1. Cucumber Salad. Put together a healthy and refreshing cucumber salad. Most people at your holiday gathering will appreciate a respite from the array of rich buttery and sugary holiday sweets. Make sure you bring the olive oil or dressing in a separate container with a tight lid so it won’t spill on the way. You can also pack toppings in individual containers so they don’t get soggy while in transit. Just add the toppings when you get to your destination!
  1. Glazed Nuts. Candied pecans or glazed nuts can easily be placed inside of a jar and taken along on a road trip. No worries about them being stirred up or shaken. Bonus: They always make your house smell absolutely irresistible when they are in the oven!
  1. Scalloped Sweet Potatoes. How about layering sweet potatoes, sharp cheddar and chipotle peppers to make a scalloped sweet potato dish? You can prepare this dish day before and let cool to room temperature. Wrap or cover the sweet potatoes tightly, and then just refrigerate overnight. The next day, simply pack in a cooler with ice or ice packs and reheat it in the skillet when you arrive at the party.
  1. Cauliflower & Chicken Sausage Casserole. Casseroles are dishes that travel well. By using lower fat chicken sausages and healthy veggies in your recipes, you can make a cauliflower and chicken sausage casserole that is a sensible holiday meal idea. Once the casserole cools, just cover with foil and you’re ready to hit the road.

Have other recipes that are great for taking on the road? Visit the Easy Escapes RV Facebook page to stay connected with us and share your favorite holiday dishes that travel well.