Feeding a large family on vacation doesn’t have to mean expensive restaurant bills or spending hours in the kitchen after a day at the beach. Whether you’re staying in a beach house, Airbnb, lake house, cabin, or vacation rental, having a simple meal plan can save money, reduce stress, and make vacation feel like an actual vacation.
Easy Vacation Meals for the Family
Every summer my extended family—more than 18 people including kids—spends a week together in Cape Cod and Florida. After years of trial and error, we’ve created a list of easy vacation meals that are affordable, crowd-pleasing, and simple enough for anyone to cook after a long day outside. These are the dinners we come back to year after year.
A few weeks before a big family trip we plan our vacation dinner menu and grocery lists. Here is a great packing list for a vacation rental. We use large reusable tote bags to transport pantry staples, paper products, and anything else we bring from home. Every night the adults take turns cooking in the kitchen for our large group. It can be stressful to make dinner for a large family after a long day at the beach if you don’t anticipate a little chaos. We like to take little trips to the farmer’s market and fish store for fresh ingredients (and as a breather) before we start dinner.
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What can you cook for dinner in an Airbnb or vacation rental?
You can cook anything for dinner in an airbnb or vacation rental if you have the right ingredients and supplies. Before creating a dinner menu, find out what the kitchen has available. Most vacation rentals have cooking basics like pots and pans, utensils, grill, etc – but you can’t always be too sure. You may want to pack your own spices, oils, and condiments (or purchase on arrival).
We have brought a slow cooker on vacation to prep dinner while we are at the beach during the day. Large tinfoil trays are convenient for large family meals and can be purchased at the dollar store. Note: Here is what to pack for a summer vacation rental.
25 Quick and Easy Vacation Meals
Wondering what to feed your family on vacation? Looking for easy vacation meals your whole family will actually enjoy? Over the years we have created a list of easy go-to vacation meal ideas to accommodate any large group. Many meals can be prepped ahead of time, like meatballs, marinated chicken, chopped vegetables, etc. Here is a list of dinner ideas to feed a crowd:
Taco Bar
A taco bar is one of the best inexpensive meals for a large group. The options are endless when it comes to fillings. My family always has a meat, fish, and vegetarian option for protein, like beef crumbles, fried fish nuggets, and grilled tofu.
Spaghetti + Meatballs
Don’t avoid a filling Italian dinner just because you’re at the beach! We love how easy it is to make Spaghetti + Meatballs or Baked Ziti with a side of chopped salad and Italian bread.
Breakfast for Dinner
Pancakes, french toast casserole, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast casserole, hash browns, fruit, etc.
Low Country Seafood Boil
Crab legs, shrimp, potatoes, corn, sausage, seasoning. This low country boil recipe is so easy – make sure the house has a large pot!
Grilled Surf-n-Turf
My Dad’s favorite vacation meal is a surf-n-turf with steak, lobster, grilled shrimp, baked potatoes, and a feta olive salad. Steak and seafood can be expensive if everyone has their own filet mignon and lobster. A great way to save money while eating well is to marinate and grill a large cut of beef, then slice into filets for the crowd.
Seafood Feast
We always have a seafood feast when we are at the beach because – why not!? Lobster rolls or lobster tails, grilled shrimp, fresh fish cooked various ways, stuffed clams, corn on the cob, french fries, coleslaw – the list goes on and on.
Christmas in July
Every summer we celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving in July because it’s often the only week our entire extended family is together. We wear matching Christmas pajamas and listen to festive music. It’s become one of our favorite vacation traditions and a dinner everyone looks forward to.
Nacho Bar or Walking Tacos
You could easily serve a nacho bar, with shredded chicken, or a walking taco station for a large family on vacation.
Linguine and Clams or Shrimp Scampi
Linguine and Clams (canned make it easy) or Shrimp Scampi, a fresh green salad, olives.
Homemade Pizzas
The grocery store sell pre-made dough and we poll the family on their favorite toppings. Then we create a topping station and either bake the pizzas in the oven or put them right on the grill.
Burger & Hot Dog Bar
Serve burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chips, macaroni salad, and watermelon for a classic beach vacation dinner.
15 More Vacation Meal Ideas for a Large Family
- BBQ Chicken Sliders
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad or DIY Wrap
- Greek Chicken Meatball Bowls
- Sausage & Peppers
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Kabobs: Create your own kabobs for the grill with a protein, carb, vegetable, herbs + spices
- Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Chicken Parmesan Subs
- Mozzarella and Meatball Pizza Balls
- Foil Packet Dinners
- Baked Potato Soup Bar (fall/winter trips)
- Breakfast Sandwich Bar
My first post, 5 Easy Meals to Make at the Beach, has always been a hit. Want even more? Check out these Easy Family Meals for Road Trips and Picnics. Don’t forget your vacation packing list!
My Best Tips for Feeding a Large Family on Vacation
- Assign one family dinner per night.
- Grocery shop together.
- Prep vegetables on arrival day.
- Double recipes.
- Use disposable foil pans.
- Buy paper products if your rental doesn’t have enough dishes.
- Label leftovers with sharpie marker (don’t forget one!).
- Freeze water bottles to use as ice packs on the drive.
By choosing easy, versatile ingredients, you can ensure your family is well-fed without spending too much time in the kitchen. Don’t forget a large packing bag to transport food or cooking supplies from home.
Sample 7-Day Vacation Dinner Menu
| Night | Dinner |
|---|---|
| Saturday | Burgers & Hot Dogs |
| Sunday | Taco Bar |
| Monday | Spaghetti & Meatballs |
| Tuesday | Seafood Boil |
| Wednesday | Grilled Chicken & Baked Potato Bar |
| Thursday | Homemade Pizza |
| Friday | Thanksgiving in July or Charcuterie Night |
Printable Family-Friendly Vacation Meal Planners
Click one of the images below to print a free grocery list or meal planner for your family vacation.
View, Customize, and Print the Grocery List Here
The easiest vacation meals require minimal prep, simple ingredients, and easy cleanup. Some of our family favorites include taco bars, baked ziti, grilled chicken with a baked potato bar, burgers and hot dogs, breakfast for dinner, nacho night, and BBQ pulled pork in the slow cooker. These meals are easy to scale for large groups and don’t require spending hours in the kitchen.
Planning ahead is the biggest money saver. Before our trip, we create a dinner menu and grocery list so we only buy what we’ll actually use. Everything is organized on Google Sheets and shared with the adults on the trip. Cooking most dinners at the vacation rental instead of eating out every night saves hundreds of dollars, especially when traveling with 10 or more people. We also assign one family or couple to cook each evening so everyone shares the responsibility.
In addition to your groceries, it’s helpful to bring or buy pantry staples like cooking oil, spices, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, zip-top bags, paper towels, dish soap, coffee, and extra garbage bags. If you’re feeding a large group, disposable aluminum pans and storage containers make cooking and cleanup much easier. Here is my entire list of things to bring to a vacation rental.
Yes! Prepping a few ingredients at home can save a lot of time once you arrive. In the past we have marinated chicken, baked meatballs, chopped vegetables, shredded cheese, and prepared taco meat ahead of time. You can even freeze some meals to transport in a cooler if you’re driving to your destination.
For a seven-night vacation, I usually plan five or six dinners at the rental and leave one or two nights open for eating out. This gives everyone a chance to enjoy local restaurants while still saving money by cooking most evenings. We also plan meals that create leftovers for easy lunches the next day.
What are your go-to vacation meals for the family? Share your favorites in the comments below!
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