Vacation Meal Plan- 7 Easy Dinners with 5 Ingredients Each

As I booked our summer vacation rental at the beach, I soon began to think about how I can make my life as MOM, the meal provider, easier so I can have a relaxing vacation too. As easy as it would be to eat out every night, it’s not only very expensive for a family of four, but we are often unsatisfied with the quality, high sodium and manufactured taste eating out.

We love eating quality, home cooked meals. That’s why I put together this Vacation Meal Plan- 7 Easy Dinners with 5 Ingredients Each so you can enjoy your vacation while saving money too.

The FREE printable recipes are below!

Plus, these vacation meal ideas include a variety of dishes- beef, pork, chicken, and fish with easy prep and clean up so you can spend your money on fun activities instead of eating out every night. Of course these dinners are a great option for any time of the year too.

I chose these recipes with the intention to make your time in the kitchen short. Even foodies like to enjoy their vacation.

I’d rather be sitting in the screened in porch sipping a Watermelon Pineapple Mint Mojito instead of in the kitchen washing a pile of pots and pans!

With that said, these recipes have only five ingredients (plus salt and pepper), short prep times and minimal clean up. Think sheet pan dinners and one pot meals for the most part.

Using few ingredients not only shortens the prep time, it also enables you to buy fewer products at the store so that you won’t end up tossing them or bringing them home at the end of your vacation.

Don’t you have enough to pack and carry?

Some vacation rentals don’t provide an outdoor grill or allow you to use one. Some may or may not have a slow cooker. Therefore, all of these recipes will be made via using a stove or oven.

Also, I find it cheaper to just bring some cooking ingredients from home such as, salt, pepper, garlic powder, other seasonings, cooking spray, etc.

Vacation Meal Plan- 7 Easy Dinners with Five Ingredients Each

Roasted Pork with Fennel Seeds and Potatoes

 Roasted Pork with Fennel Seeds and Potatoes

This tasty Roasted Pork tenderloin is flavored with Fennel seeds and surrounded by crispy potatoes. If you aren’t a fan of fennel, you can easily substitute fresh thyme or rosemary and have a delicious alternative. Bring the dry seasonings from home so you don’t have to buy a whole bottle at the grocery store at your vacation destination.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 1 hour and 10 min

Thai Salmon and Asparagus

Thai Salmon with Asparagus

This salmon is sweet and spicy, low-carb and gluten free. Add some steamed white rice if you want to add a starch but, this salmon and asparagus is filling as is. Salmon is so healthy too. This One Pot Honey Lemon Salmon has few ingredients too.

Prep Time: 5 Min

Cooking Time: 25 Min

Roasted Tilapia & Broccoli Sheet Pan Dinner

Roasted Tilapia and Broccoli Sheet Pan Dinner

This recipe is an abridged version of  Roasted Tilapia and Broccoli Sheet Pan Dinner. It is an easy-to-prep, fresh-tasting sheet pan dinner that’s ready in 30 min! Only one pan to clean. What’s more, you can substitute the tilapia for flounder, cod or any other flaky white fish.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Roasted Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Roasted Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Chicken and Potatoes is a dinner that only takes minutes to prep. Although it takes about 40 min in the oven, there’s only one pan to clean so, it’s worth making on a night where you have some time like a rainy day or a day you get sunburn and call it a day early. I’d use fresh rosemary over dried but, I’ll let that decision up to you.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 40 min

Check out my Roasted Sausage Onions Peppers & Onions Sheet Pan Dinner recipe too!

Italian Sausage and Spinach with ZitiItalian Sausage and Spinach Pasta is a modified version of this popular recipe Italian Sausage and Spinach with Ziti with fewer ingredients but, just as tasty. It’s a complete meal-in-one with pasta, meat and vegetables.

Prep Time: 5 Min

Cooking Time: 25 Min

No Fuss Chili

No Fuss Chili

This No Fuss Chili is made with only five ingredients and still tastes great! Now, that doesn’t include the toppings and cornbread. It’s the easiest chili I’ve ever made. However, if you want jazzed up chili with lots of ingredients, this Loaded Santa Fe Slow Cooker Chili may be just what you’re looking for.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 40 min

Fresh Tomatoes and Spaghetti

Fresh Tomatoes and Spaghetti

This pasta dish is made with fresh grape tomatoes. The garlic flavor is amazing. It’s simple and elegant. This super easy pasta dish is ready in 20 min!

Prep Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 10 min (plus time to boil water)

These vacation meal ideas have short prep times, easy clean up and few ingredients to minimize your grocery shopping list and time in the kitchen so you can enjoy your vacation without spending most of your money eating out. Think of all the fun activities you could do with that money? Vacation meal planning will save you time and money so you can have a relaxing vacation too! Plus, these dinners are great for any time of year when you want easy prep and clean up.

Get the Vacation Meal Plan- 7 Easy Dinners with 5 Ingredients Each recipes FREE printable PLUS the grocery store list FREE printable!

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