Five Easy Recipes for Small Kitchens & RV Living

This week, I'm sharing 5 easy recipes that are on repeat in our RV kitchen! Living and cooking in an RV full-time can sound initimidating... And it can be if you don't consider the number of pots/pans a recipe will take, how much counter space you have to spare, and even cook times in your propane oven. So, when we find a delicious meal that doesn't take many dishes to prepare, requires minimal counter space to prep, and is good for us, it goes on our Repeat Recipes List.

We've recently started the journey of making certain things from scratch in the RV—whether that's because it's expensive at the stores (peanut butter for $8??) or commonly has a lot of additives that just aren't good for us (why is the list of ingredients in bread and coffee creamer so long?!). So, now I'm making peanut butter and sourdough in my little kitchen—my bigger little kitchen since we recently upgraded our RV! I have to say both PB & freshly baked bread are 100% worth the effort. Maybe I'll make a recipe list for homemade things soon...

1. Berry smoothie - Breakfast recipe

We are not big breakfast people. I like to have oatmeal or yogurt to start my day, and Austin will cook a big breakfast sometimes... but it's usually later in the day or on the weekends when we have more time. This is a delicious smoothie that is easy and healthy that we literally make 3-4 times a week. So good!

We throw in 2 cups of milk (we use almond or oat), 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 2 bananas, ~1.5 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries, lots of blueberries (~1 cup fresh/frozen), a handful of kale (I usually buy this fresh and then freeze it), two spoonfuls of greek yogurt if we have it, two spoonfuls of peanut butter, ~1/4 cup of granola, a dash of cinnamon and a dash of turmeric.

We almost always use frozen fruit! It's less expensive and easier to keep in the RV, especially if we're traveling a lot. One thing I will say is we have gone through a few blenders from using frozen fruit... So, if you're a smoothie person, definitely invest in a good blender from the start! We recently upgraded to the Ninja Professional 1000W Blender, and it has been so so great.

2. Peanut butter energy balls - Snack recipe

We seriously make these peanut butter chocolate chip oat balls every week — and eat every last one! This is a great snack for those busy workdays when you just need an extra boost of energy, or when you have a sweet tooth and want a tasty treat.

We start with a cup of old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet or dark chocolate), 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (the energy & goodness!!), 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

I've recently started making my own peanut butter because it's so expensive at the store... and almost always has palm oil or some other sketchy ingredient. I'll try to measure this out next time for another blog, but I literally just use unsalted peanuts, coconut oil, olive oil, honey and salt to make it. You will need a food processor though!

3. Pesto chicken salad wraps - Lunch recipe

I love this pesto chicken salad, especially during the summer! It's perfect for travel days because it's so easy to prep ahead of time and pack up in the truck. I'll wrap it up with lettuce and a spinach tortilla, or just enjoy it with crackers. Either way, so good!

For this recipe, I boil 2-3 chicken breasts in broth and then shred the chicken in my food processor (and to think I used to do this by hand?! Ha!). Then, I add the chicken to a bowl with 1/3 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup red onion, 2/3 cups pesto, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt, and salt + pepper!

Another note on travel days: I'm a big snacking girl! I love packing up some cheese, grapes, crackers, and hummus for long travel days. And Austin loves them too! Getting some tupperware with divided sections makes this so easy, and I love to use them for hikes too!

4. Chili - Dinner recipe

Okay, chili is the best and yes, it has beans! Every time I make this chili, Austin says he could eat it every day forever and... I believe him.

For this recipe, I use ground turkey but you can use ground beef or a vegetarian substitue like Beyond Beef. I like to cook and brown the turkey in olive oil before adding 1 diced onion, 6 diced cloves of garlic, and letting it cook for a few minutes. Then I add in 3 stalks diced celery, 2 diced bell peppers (I usually do a red and orange), 3/4 cup broth (chicken or veggie), 1/2 cup water, a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 can of kidney beans (rinse before adding), 1 can of black beans (rinse before adding), and 1 can of corn (rinse before adding). Next is the seasonings: 4 tbsp chili powder, 4 tsp cumin, 4 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp cocoa powder if we have it, salt and pepper! Stir it all together and bring it to a boil for ~5 minutes. Then, put the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes to an hour before eating (the longer the better).

Chili can only be completed by tortilla chips, fritos, or cornbread of course. Cornbread is my personal favorite! And also shredded cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos (for Austin).

5. Butternut squash soup - Dinner recipe

This is a delicious fall soup that pairs perfectly with freshly baked sourdough bread. Yum, this is seriously one of my favorites! I love to mix in vegetarian recipes as much as possible, and this creamy soup is sure to not disappoint.

For this recipe, I saute a small diced onion in olive oil. Then I add 1 small butternut squash peeled & diced, 3 carrots peeled & diced, 4 cups veggie broth and 1 cup apple juice. Then bring this mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer fo 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Next, I stir in 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 2 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp cream cheese, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and salt + pepper!

Once everything is melted together, I use my immersion blender to create a thick & creamy soup (or you can transfer to a blender and then back to the pot). I like to serve it with a sprinkle of parmesan & black pepper, and a side of buttered sourdough toast of course.

6. Bonus recipe - Broccoli & Cheese Soup

I made this recipe last week and shared it on our Instagram story, so I wanted to make sure to include it for the folks who asked!

For this recipe, I use my crock pot! I add 2-3 heads of broccoli diced into smaller pieces, 1 diced small onion, and 1/2 cup of celery or carrots or both depending on what we have at home to the crock pot. Then, I add 1 tbsp minced garlic (2-3 cloves), 1/4 cup of cornstarch mixed into 4 cups veggie/chicken broth (whisk together before adding), and 2 tbsp butter. Then, cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4-6 (until the veggies are tender).

Once the veggies are tender, I add 4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (shred it by hand so it doesn't cake up), 1 cup of heavy cream, and salt + pepper. Then, cook it on high for ~30 minutes until it is all melted together and creamy!

Thank you for reading my blog! I hope you enjoy a few of these recipes. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you loved one that you try! Happy travels :)

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