101+ Easy RV Meals (Cheap One Pot Dinners)

If you and your family love to travel like we do you have probably used a recreational vehicle for at least one of your trips. If you’re intimidated about how to cook in an RV here are a few easy RV meals you can try. You can find more information about road trips on our road trip blog page.

RV Cooking

Others have raved over them and said they use these tips when they’re rv camping or on road trips. I’m all about easy. Back in the day the main source of cooking was a campfire, not anymore. Yes you have the oven and stovetop in your camper too but small appliances can make easier one pot meals and cleanup more simple as well.

When you’re traveling with a family, simplicity is key. even if it is just the two of you, you don’t want to eat sandwiches day in and day out, we have casseroles,Ninja Foodi soup recipes and more that will feel like home on the road.

What should you pack for a trip in an RV?

Whether you’re renting an rv or recently bought one, we’re here to help! Start with printing this RV camping checklist so nothing is forgotten, and here are a few dinner ideas.

RV Meal Planning

The best investment I ever made when traveling in an RV was:

My Instant Pot
More recently I bought a Ninja Foodi and it was a game changer!!
- Makes everything really easy to clean up since everything is a one pot meal.
- Ability to make an entire meal for all 5 of us in under 20 minutes when we travel in an RV!
- Create nutritious hearty comforts from home meals easily when you’ve had a long day. Pressure cookers and the Foodi with an air fryer too are fabulous!
If you swear by your crock pot bring that too!

Looking to cook with NO appliances (that would be tent camping for me), but we have camping food ideas too. They’re cooked over the campfire.

Of course you can cook other meals in one pot which is my focus when I don’t have all the modern conveniences of home. However you literally can make the same dish for usually 1/4 of the time in a pressure cooker which is handy. Try it on your next rv trip and see if it’s as much of a game changer for y’all too!

What is the best way to cook in an RV?

I will tell you my Instant Pot was the best purchase I ever made to cook in an RV or when we’re staying in an Airbnb!! You can make one pot meals with browning the meat at the beginning, adding rice or pasta to make casseroles from there and enjoy in under 30 minutes.

These have been game changers y’all. Especially if you have kids that literally want something to eat every other hour. You don’t want to have them live off snacks but not making an entire meal is great too. This is how to make dinner in the microwave.

Easy Microwave RV Meals

Did you know you could make an omelette in a mug?
Make pizza in a mug for dinner!
1. or pizza quesadillas
Macaroni and cheese in a mug.
Amp up your ramen in a microwave with an egg even!
Of course you can load up air fryer nachos with precooked chicken and melt the cheese!
You can even microwave salmon for dinner!

Don’t skip dessert!! Makeangel food cake in a mug in there too!

Instant Pot RV Recipes

You can use a Ninja Fooditoo. That pot is bigger but does include an air fryerso you can make more stuff.

Instant Pot oatmeal – great for breakfast and super cheap to make, add apples, brown sugar, and raisins to change it up
Simple Instant Pot spaghetti– literally 2 ingredients (if you don’t want meat) and done in 10 minutes.
Healthy Instant Pot pinto bean soup
Instant Pot split pea soup – Takes only 17 min. to make beans tender

Our easy Instant Pot chili uses canned ingredients and you could omit the meat if you needed a pantry meal.

How to make meals in an RV

Hearty Pressure cooker lasagna casserole
This Hawaiian pulled pork is great on small tortillas or slider rolls.
A bunch of Instant Pot hard boiled eggs can be then refrigerated for breakfast. Or made into egg salad sandwiches or snacks.

Instant Pot chili mac – kids’ favorite for sure and super cheap.

Recipes in an RV

3 Ingredient Instant Pot shredded bbq chicken – great for quick chicken tacos, just freeze chicken beforehand & store in cooler

Easy Instant Pot red beans and rice – only needs dry and canned ingredients if you leave sausage out, or freeze and bring with you..delish
Creamy Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni– like goulash but better
Instant Pot hot dogs
- If you bring a Ninja Foodi pressure cooker and air fryer there are endless possibilities. Then you can make sweet potatoes in air fryer and air fryer hot dogs.
Here’s an entire list of other cheap Instant Pot recipesunder $10 each meal

See over 101 more Instant Pot recipes on our site too to choose from.

If you’ve never used a pressure cooker here is a quick tutorial on how to use an Instant Pot and I will tell you it will be an amazing way of making lots of easy rv meals

One Pot RV meals

Bloody mary chili recipe – you don’t have to add alcohol, we don’t
Our sloppy joes recipe – super simple and you only need a few ingredients
Foil packet meals – just throw them in your RV oven
Half hour gumbo – make on the stovetop and use frozen chicken and/or sausage that have thawed during your trip

Stuffed pepper casserole – skip putting it into the oven, just make in one pot, top with cheese and done

Slow cooker RV meals

5 ingredient Crockpot chili recipe – my most popular recipe no matter where you are when you cook it

Sausage and peppers is highly recommended by my husband
Crockpot loaded baked potato soup – super easy and cooks all day by itself without a lot of prep
Easy slow cooker split pea soup – healthy and can grab a packet of already cubed ham at the store and throw it all in
Hearty Crockpot hamburger helper recipe– just can’t go wrong with this
The best Dr Pepper Chicken

If you’re going to be out all day a crockpot is a great way to go when you’re making easy rv meals.

You can throw everything in your pot, turn it on, go out for the day and when you’re ready your meal is done.

Great way to cook healthy meals too and you can cook dry beans in it as well so that would be easy to travel with and not need to be refrigerated beforehand.

Sandwiches & salads

Easy French dip sliders
Super rotisserie chicken salad sandwich – can use canned chicken too
- If you’re bringing lunch with you put 1 plastic container inside another with ice like you see here. It will stay cold almost all day.
Avocado and bacon chicken salad
Of course bagged salads with some precooked chicken and salad dressings can be a quick meal. Keep those in your fridge for easy nights.

If you’re able to throw all your ingredients in and have an entire meal done in under 30 minutes it’s a win.

The last thing you want to do is have to drag out a cast iron pan with olive oil and cook when you’re exhausted. At least I don’t want to! Those items are great if a campfire is all you have though. Just a tip.

What are your favorite easy RV recipes??