As RVers make their way to sunny destinations throughout the southern half of the United States to work, play, and kick back until next spring, conversations and planning have already started for how Thanksgiving will be spent!
Many RVers are used to having huge holiday meals, surrounded by extended family and friends for a big sit-down dinner on a large table perfectly decorated for the harvest where thoughtful conversations are encouraged…
But celebrating Thanksgiving in an RV is a little different!
You have limited space for food prep, and elaborate displays, and cooking serval dishes all at once might not be an option.
In this post, I want to share a few ideas for people who want to prepare a Thanksgiving feast while living in an RV as well as some simple ways you can celebrate without the fuss!
Thanksgiving in an RV (Home On Wheels)
After moving into an RV, the holiday feast tradition seemed to be out of the question as small spaces, low storage, and distance between family come into play. But Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday for many Americans for more reasons than I can count in this one blog post.
And living in an RV, part-time, full-time, or seasonally, doesn’t have to mean missing out on the tender turkey, tree trimming traditions, or even the fellowship and full day of small plate pecking we all love!
During this time of the year, many working RVers are still in positions where leaving to go home and see family is just not an option.
Instead of feeling like you’re missing out, look to your community of friendly RVers to help celebrate all that your RV lifestyle provides- new friends, new adventures, and new destinations!
Hosting Thanksgiving in an RV
Buy a small turkey or turkey breast.
Come on! Let’s be real. There’s no way you can fit a huge turkey in your RV oven.
Smaller birds will cook much faster and more evenly in our crazy RV ovens, and if you need more meat, just make two or try an Electric Roaster Oven and save your propane!
Try a grilled turkey!
Personally, I love fried turkey, but have only had it when a courageous neighbor decided they would take charge and get ‘er done! Maybe I’ve watched too much TV, but I’ve got it stuck in my head that frying a turkey is best left to the professionals or at least someone who seems to know what they are doing.
For that reason, we usually grill our beloved bird! OMG! How can you resist a perfectly seasoned turkey, that’s been grilled to perfection on a charcoal grill or even better a campfire? If you want to give it a try, consider using a campfire tripod!
Utilize your kitchen gadgets.
We all have a few kitchen gadgets and hopefully at least a crock pot! Crock pots are one of my favorite RV kitchen tools because they can cook your sides easily throughout the day and then just keep them warm until it’s time to eat. We purchased a triple crock pot as well, which comes in handy for holiday parties, campfire potlucks, and taco night!
Make it ahead of time.
Cooking some of your favorite Thanksgiving sides a few days ahead of time, will allow you to disperse your time and energy across a larger period, alleviating stress!
Just decide which dishes will do best when made in advance and schedule a day to whip them up in oven-safe containers and keep them refrigerated. When it’s time to make your big Thanksgiving meal, just pop them in the oven and viola! Thanksgiving dinner prepared with love not the stress!
Buy desserts instead of baking them.
Unless you’ve got a secret recipe worth millions, I’d suggest you choose a delicious dessert from your favorite local bakery shop! Not only will this save you time and cleanup in your RV, but you’ll also be infusing some dollars into a local business that specializes in desserts!
Choose a pie or two, small tarts, cupcakes, cookies, or anything you’d like to treat your family and friends with this holiday. The baker will make it with love and lots of sugar and all will be well this Thanksgiving!
Options For Thanksgiving in an RV
Woohoo! There you have it, my top tips for preparing a Thanksgiving meal in your RV kitchen.
But for those who are less than enthusiastic about creating a perpetual mess, cooking whole heaps of food while others sit back and relax because sometimes you just can’t or don’t want to go through all the hassle of preparing a big meal, especially in a tiny RV kitchen…
From Instant Pot Lucks to pre-made meal kits, I’ve got 7 simple ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in an RV without any extra stress or hassle.
7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving in Your RV
Picnic Feast
Plan to celebrate with your campground neighbors at picnic tables pushed together on one large site or in an open space in the grass. Everyone can bring small bits and pieces of decorations for the table to make it festive.
Plan on gathering a few extra tables for the food setup and start a signup sheet a week or so ahead of time, to have people sign up to bring their best dish to share.
Instant Pot Luck
Every RVer needs an Instant Pot! And if all your RVers neighbors have an Instant Pot, which is likely the case, you should have an Instant Pot luck and put those time-saving multi-function cookers to good use! You can host it inside a clubhouse or outside if the weather is nice, but make sure you have extension cords to plug everything in, or plan to bring the pots in at the last moment so the food is hot!
Small & Intimate
Just do you! Plan a small meal for you and yours and enjoy a nice day without fuss or stress. For those who would just enjoy a day of relaxing in their favorite chair while reading, playing cards, or watching a good movie, this option is perfect!
Community Dinner
Many RV parks and campgrounds will host Thanksgiving meals for their RV guests in a large event space on-site. I’ve seen it done many ways, but more often than not, the campground will provide the turkey and everyone else will bring a side dish or dessert!
We went to a great Thanksgiving Dinner at Verde Valley RV Resort in Cottonwood Arizona. There’s always so much food left over at these events, maybe consider bringing these festive take-home containers, so people can take a little to-go!
Dining Out
If you’re not at all excited about making a big dinner, why not let someone else handle the cooking this year? Do some research ahead of time and find out which restaurants in your area will be open and plan to enjoy their holiday meal.
Dinner & A Movie
Enjoy a simple meal and then head to the movie theater for a salty popcorn treat! Movie theaters are often open on Thanksgiving day and welcome folks with full bellies to hang out in cozy recliner chairs for a new film or special holiday feature!
Order a Meal Kit
Lots of grocery stores are now offering a complete meal deal for big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas! Stop over by the deli and ask about this option, which usually includes the turkey, sides, and dessert pre-cooked and prepared for you ahead of time. You just place an order, pick it up the day before, and then reheat it as needed.
Celebrating Thanksgiving in Your RV
Celebrating Thanksgiving in an RV can still range from big and stressful to low-key and laid back, depending on how you choose to celebrate. If you decide a big Thanksgiving dinner is still the best way to go, the key is planning ahead and if you decide simple is best, having a smaller plan can still be quite helpful.
Deciding what you’ll do and with who is the biggest step. Once you have this information you can move forward with either planning the whole meal or just the pieces you’ll contribute!
However you choose to celebrate, have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the time to reflect on the past year!
