We all know camping can be one of the most frugal, down to earth adventures you might ever experience, but sometimes it can be a hassle to make sure you pack all of the cooking and kitchen materials you need for your trip. Lucky for you, though, we have a ton of RV hacks and tricks up our sleeves that will make campfire and RV cooking a breeze.

We’ll go over a few cooking tips, then we’ll give a few organizational ideas and hacks for your kitchen!

1. Plan ahead. Try not to start thinking about what to eat for dinner ten minutes before. This is the time to plan each meal and buy ingredients accordingly. You might only be able to shop for a few days depending on how much food storage you have, but it definitely beats not having any plan at all.
2. Make the meals simple. Camping is about simplicity – don’t make food that takes hours of prep or cook time. Think along the lines of soups, stir-fry dishes, or any one-pot meal that makes enough for leftovers the next day.
3. Cook all at once. Cooking multiple meals at once over the stove or campfire will save time so you can enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. This might not be feasible if you’re cooking for a lot of people, but you can easily do this if you’re camping with a small group.
4. Use the fire. You’ll get some major flavor from the fire rather than the stove, and it’s more rustic. There’s also usually just a small amount of prep to do beforehand. Many RV parks and campgrounds have grills, so you might not even need to bring your own. You also have many more options when you choose fire. You can do steaks, hamburgers and hotdogs, chicken and vegetable skewers, and so much more!
5. Clean up. No one likes waking up to a dirty kitchen in the morning, and it will look even more cluttered since RV kitchens are pretty small. Take the time to clean right after dinner so you can make breakfast with a clean kitchen right away. Letting dirty dishes pile up will create nasty smells, attract bugs, and will create a bigger mess to clean later. Have everyone pitch in, and it won’t take long at all. This also includes putting everything in its designated spot when you’re done – it helps reduce clutter!
6. Invest in a few good appliances. We mention blenders below, but pressure cookers, crock pots, Dutch ovens, and cast-iron skillets are great tools to use while camping. The prep is minimal, and you can let your food cook while you’re out adventuring with the kids. Come back and dinner is ready!
7. Get air in your RV while you cook. Open up windows and use your exhaust fan on your oven. RVs don’t get great ventilation, and you don’t want food smells to seep into your furniture. This will also help the smoke detectors from going off!

RV Kitchen Tips

1. Consider investing in a high-speed blender. You can make smoothies, soups, sauces, marinades, and more in a blender like this, so it’s a really great addition to your RV kitchen. Cleanup will also be quick and easy.
2. If your kitchen has deep cabinets, install a few pull-out drawers so the space at the back of the shelf isn’t wasted. (And it makes for easier reach when you’re not the tallest in the world.)
3. Stock up on collapsible utensils. These will save so much space in your cabinets, and if you find one good set, they’re multi-purpose so there’s no need for additional ones.
4. Stainless steel. No need to worry about broken glassware when everything you own is stainless steel. Even though they’re glass, you can also use mason jars for drinkware that also double as food storage in the fridge.

Hopefully, this helps as you begin to plan meals for your next RV trip. Remember to plan ahead, keep it simple, and cook outside when you can! Do you have any great RV kitchen or cooking tips? Let us know in the comments!