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Food for the Cabin: Easy Recipes to Make Ahead

You’re at the cabin or vacation rental, and you want to maximize your time enjoying sun and the beautiful outdoors. Here are some favorite, tried-and-true recipes you can easily prepare in advance. These cabin food ideas are meant to feed your family well, with minimal effort, so you can get back on the lake.

Food for the Cabin Recipes
Easy Recipes that are Perfect for the Cabin

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when spending time in the great outdoors. Your favorite people will 100% appreciate these hearty breakfast casseroles, pancakes, and eggs to fuel them for their activities ahead!

  • A freshly baked bacon hash brown casserole with golden-brown cheese topping, sprinkled with herbs and bits of bacon.
    Bacon Hash Brown Casserole

    Assemble this hearty breakfast casserole the night before, cover, and pop it in the oven in the morning for a satisfying meal to start the day.

  • farmers casserole
    Farmer’s Breakfast Casserole

    Everyone’s favorite hot breakfast items come together in this breakfast casserole that hits the spot.

  • Fluffy Pancakes with Honey Syrup
    Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

    Combine the dry ingredients well in advance, seal it up in a plastic zip bag, and you’ll have ready-made pancake mix to bring along.

  • Boiled Eggs sliced in half
    How to Boil and Peel Eggs Easily

    Don’t struggle with peeling eggs ever. You can easily boil and quickly peel a dozen eggs prior to the trip; seal and keep them cold for several days. You’ll have ready-to-eat eggs anytime at the cabin.


Main Dish

When enjoying a weekend at a cabin, no doubt our favorite time is when everyone gathers back and enjoys dinner together, after a long day out hiking, fishing, or floating on the lake. These main dishes are designed to be made ahead of time, so that you can pack them up to enjoy whenever your crew is ready to eat.

  • Three BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with pickles and shredded purple cabbage on a black slate serving board.
    Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

    Make this delicious pulled pork at home, pack it up, and bring it to the cabin. This dish keeps well for days and is super easy to heat up and toss onto buns, for a heartwarming meal.

  • BBQ Pulled Chicken on buns
    BBQ Pulled Chicken

    If pork isn’t your thing, try this mouthwatering pulled chicken instead. It’s also freezer-friendly, so you can make it up to several weeks ahead and portion into freezer containers.

  • Crockpot Meatballs with Sliced Onions
    3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Meatballs

    With only 3 ingredients, you can easily whip these delightful meatballs up at the cabin. Or, make them in advance and bring them along, fully cooked. These finished meatballs keep well covered and chilled.

  • Grilled Chicken Thighs with Asian Marinade Sliced on white plate
    Grilled Chicken Thighs (with the Best Marinade)

    This is one of our favorite things to put on the grill, hands down. Combine uncooked chicken with marinade up to 2 days in advance. Bring it to your cabin in a plastic zip bag, and throw it on the grill for a meal your neighbors will be jealous of.

  • sloppy joes in bun with cheese and pickles
    Sloppy Joes Recipe

    This is our favorite sloppy joes recipe, as it’s big on flavor and super easy to make in advance. Just bring cooked sloppy joe filling in a sealed container, along with fresh buns and your preferred toppings, for a cabin meal the entire family will devour.


Side Dishes

Delicious side dishes are just as important as the main dish, especially when your friends and family are hungry after a long day out. These side dishes can all be made in advance so you can easily transport them to the cabin and serve them up without any extra work while you’re on vacation.


Treats & Snacks

No trip to the cabin is complete without plenty of treats and snacks. Kids, teens, and adults all appreciate tasty, on-the-go snacks to satisfy that afternoon craving. We’ve got cereal bars, dessert bars, energy balls, and of course chocolate chip cookies!

  • Peanut Butter Coconut Cereal Bars
    Crispy Cereal Bars with Peanut Butter (No-Bake)

    Who wouldn’t love crispy peanut butter treats, especially while lounging at the lake? These treats are perfect for bringing along everywhere you go.

  • Oven s'mores fresh out of the oven.
    Oven S’mores

    These aren’t just for potlucks; they’re great anytime you want a batch of s’mores in a jiffy. Just bring the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. No skewers needed.

  • chocolate chip cookies with inside showing
    Chocolate Chip Cookies (without a Stand Mixer)

    You won’t need a stand mixer at the cabin to whip up these delicious chocolate chip cookies on the spot. These are perfect for a rainy day at the lake, or simply a lazy afternoon baking with the kids.

  • Apple Cake with Frosting
    Easy Apple Cake (One Bowl)

    This one is a favorite for bringing to the cabin, as it’s loaded with fresh apples and stays moist for days.

  • energy bites in a bowl
    No-Bake Energy Balls

    These energy bites are the ultimate pick-me-up whenever we travel; they’re especially fantastic on road trips. They stay fresh for days in an airtight container.

Video: Watch Us Make Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs

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no bake energy bites or energy balls with oats and chocolate chips that are gluten free

Food for the Cabin | No-Bake Energy Balls

5 from 16 ratings
These No-Bake Energy Bites are chock full of healthy, natural ingredients that form a powerhouse of nutrition with every bite – they're the perfect snack for taking on trips.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 30 servings
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well until fully incorporated. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
    stirring ingredients for energy bites in a bowl
  • Roll into balls of your preferred size. If the mixture is too sticky, it helps to keep a bowl of water nearby to keep dipping your hands into. Wet palms will make the rolling a lot easier.
    Store in an airtight container. Will keep well at moderate room temp or in the fridge.
    energy bites in a bowl

Notes

  • To toast shredded coconut: in a nonstick pan over medium high heat, stir coconut flakes until lightly toasted and fragrant. Watch carefully so that it does not burn.
  • You can sub agave nectar for honey.
  • Poppyseed can be used in lieu of chia, if you can’t find chia seeds.
  • Sunbutter can be used in place of peanut butter, for a nut-free recipe.
  • If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ❤️

Nutrition (per serving)

Serving: 1g | Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Course: Appetizer, snacks
Cuisine: Amerian
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
Method: Assemble, Combining

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