Life on the road has its challenges, and many times those challenges include cooking. The best way to overcome a small kitchen and minimal resources is to think and act creatively, especially for Thanksgiving. To make your home-on-wheels truly feel like home, we’ve compiled a few helpful tips for the perfect RV Thanksgiving:

Conquer the Turkey

It is no question that things are more compact in a motorhome and, unfortunately, your oven is no exception. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to deal with this nuisance!

Option 1:

Purchase a smaller turkey; this will save you money, space, and cook time! Be aware of the prep time that comes with a turkey. You can cut down preparations by purchasing a non-frozen bird and bypassing the thawing process. If you do choose to make your own turkey, prepare your RV by clearing as much counter space as possible.

Option 2:

Buy a pre-cooked or ready-to-serve turkey. If you have a limited time window for preparation, seek out cooked frozen turkeys! Popular brands like Butterball offer this with easy prep and shorter cooking time, perfect for your RV oven. If you have minimal time or simply do not want to spend hours cooking, pick up a ready-to-eat turkey from a local restaurant if your location permits.

Option 3:

Do a turkey-free Thanksgiving. Many families make alterations to the “classic” Thanksgiving spread when it comes to sides and desserts, so why can’t the same be done for the main course? If you’re not feeling the turkey and the space its prep takes up in your tiny kitchen, go with a ham or even prime rib!

The Sides

Now to the fun part: sides and desserts. Sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pies galore…all of it sounds INCREDIBLE. Don’t go too crazy, though. A few things to keep in mind:

Keep it small

Unfortunately, your rig’s kitchen can only cook and store so much, so keep your sides to a minimum. Choose from your favorites and cook amounts that will leave you with a storable stash of delicious leftovers.

Take Cooking “Shortcuts”

Make the cooking process a bit easier on yourself with some harmless cheating. Visit the local grocer and pick up ready-made items that are otherwise strenuous to make from scratch, such as premade pie and mashed potatoes. Check out this list of 50 side dishes, each with 5 ingredients or less!

Prepare in Advance

Regardless of which main dish you decide to make, it is a given that your motorhome’s oven will be occupied on Thanksgiving Day. There are certain dishes you can prepare early and simply re-heat before the big meal that will still taste great, such as pies, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. After all, Thanksgiving should be a day of family and relaxation!

We hope these RV Thanksgiving tips were helpful to you! Do you have any motorhome cooking tips to share? Comment below!