Taking food with in car

A snowHead

I’m driving to skiing for the first time this year which means I can take more and as we are staying in an apartment hotel will have a kitchen.

I’m looking for food / cooking ideas and what food people bring with them to feed a family. Two adults and two children.

Thank you.

A snowHead

If you want to save time shopping and cooking then seven frozen casseroles will sort you out. Meat and dairy free of course, post Brexit, as I don’t want to incite you to break the law.

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@IainMcT, if following the 'rules', you are no longer allowed to take many foods into the EU with the exception of fish. Meat and dairy are not allowed, nor are any processed products containing them. I guess many still do. Home-cooked and frozen meals packed in a cool box eg bolognese, chilli , curry etc. Easily served up with you veg and carbs of preference.

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All we take is kids cereals, pitta breads, heinz tomato soup and baked beans. Oh and a small ice machine, I can't be without ice and its often hard to get. Always been able to get most other things.

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When driving down we take our resort night 1 casserole cooked and frozen in the slow cooker pot (and yes meat free....). Then you've the option if organised to put other slow cook one pot dishes on in the morning and come home after skiing to smell of tasty food without having to start cooking tired.

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I've never really wanted to take my familiar food to a holiday, much preferring to have the food there as part of the holiday adventure.

That has played well into this current era of restricted products with our disconnected trading in place when we cross into Europe.

A part for us as family going skiing is to choose and shop with the the availability locally to accommodation, with emphasis on the children actively participating in setting what's eaten. I like the feel of them taking that step in unfamiliar choice, build responsibility and be enquiring as to other national food that's offered. Its always been good fun and part of our experience.

To facilitate, decent bags for shopping, core list of big meal ingredients, adaptable and unusual food availability considerations that just seem nice to include. Something individual for each child as their solo choice. Our two have always looked forward to these shopping trips included, a little bit right of passage feel to them.

Find location of decent sized shopping outlet near to accommodation ( snowHead

advice will turn up somewhere convenient) to get good local intel.

Keep some budget to plan some eating out restaurant in location, that to try different menu without having to plan and cook every single self made meal.

No customs/control issues, travel a little lighter, apart from the drive from supermarchè to accommodation Very Happy

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@KSH, I was thinking the same Laughing

A jar of pesto and a jar of sugo as well as spaghetti are always in the car when we go self catering. As an emergency meal when we are all knackered and starving and need 10min meal before WW3 breaks out.

I used to just take my curry spices and slow cooker, for awesome slow cooked curries, ready when back from the slopes. Everything else is available in-resort, generally. One rip is to make a casserole/stew base, and yiu can use it in the slow cooker with variations once out there. Think concentrated red wine, stock, onion garlic reduction/base. Saves cooking it down once there, and different veg,herbs and protein can give very different flavours in-resort.

I'm a keen cook, but as others have said, enjoyed variety when on holiday, so generally just make local recipes suitable for slow cooking once out there.

Carrefour click and collect to avoid annoying supermarket trips.

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Sausage, Bacon, Black Pudding, Lard and Dripping for a light breakfast (obviously meat free rolling eyes

). Usually take a couple of tins of baked beans too coz they're expensive in FR. Eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, and bread (suitable for making fried bread with the lard) is cheap enough in FR.

For pudding a Birds trifle kit, plus extra red 'rubber' jelly, sponge fingers and instant custard. The jelly is needed because the cristaline stuff doesn't set when made with rum/whisky/vodka instead of water. Buy a can of squirty cream in resort to avoid the hard work of making the instant whip topping.

If you know your family like certain things - Dolmio/Indian Curry/Uncle Bens etc - then take a jar of the relevant sauce and a packet of pasta/rice. You'll be able to get chicken/minced beef/onions/veg in FR - either at a supermarket on the way or in resort - but the sauces will be trickier. You'll be able to get the Pasta/Rice there, but finding it in a massive french supermarket can be a challenge and in resort but it'll be expensiive. If you've already got it in your cupboards you might as well take it with you.

Eat out on arrival evening (Pizza), and final night so you don't have to bother with cooking or washing up when you're tired or about too leave.

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Last year one of the couples who came with us could get really good discount on Cook! meals, cos their son worked for the company. They brought 3 evening meals worth with them, frozen in cool bags, and it was great - we didn't eat our normal self catered food, and we didn't really have to cook. I'm not sure how much it would have cost if we'd bought the meals at retail, though?
Usually I make the first night casserole at home and take it frozen, and it has never occurred to me that we shoudn't do that cos of Brexit rules. Then we shop locally for the rest of the week.
If your children are particular about certain things, then deffo take them with you - we used to have to take cheddar cheese for our daughter!

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Last year brought a big Yorkshire reared grass fed rib of beef. I like to drive my French pal crackers with the notion that French grub is a bit meh!

Back on topic

For your own consumption I am in full agreement with the sausage/bacon/lard approach. And tea of your choice.

I brought a frozen goose this year. Makes you very popular

Don’t know how I am going to top that.

I would suggest a good kitchen knife as you may find sub standard equipment.

Our staples are generally:

Curry - no particular type but made from scratch using tins of coconut milk, tomatoes, fish veg and then a paste jar. Not a fan of the pre-done jars of sauce.
Chilli - easy to cook, high-protein and when cooked with rice and served with tortilla and quesadillas, it goes a long way between a group.
Meat stew - usually bourguignon-type, with mushroom, onions, veg with some nice cubed beef. Served with mash or boiled potatoes.
Ragu - mince with the correct veg to get the flavour, cooked through the day, easily served with whatever pasta takes your fancy. Always a winner.

We usually repeat one of these and then have a meal out one night as a treat. All of the above are pretty universally liked and I usually fail back the spice so anyone in the group can enjoy. Family favourites are what we do, as it's familiar, easy and always good energy/protein.

We take a slow cooker, as that's the easiest way to do stuff like chilli, stew etc. rather than having to 'force' cook it quickly on an evening, always tastes better cooked low and slow.

I generally put together an essentials pack here in the UK - Stock cubes, Spices, Herbs, that kind of stuff - which is either the stuff you can't necessarily get or you only need small amounts of, so makes sense to raid your kitchen than buy big packs in France the take up space.

I also tend to take stuff that I feel is way cheaper here in the UK or can't be sourced as easily - I find rice is much cheaper here so take that with us, and I usually take some tins of beans (baked and mixed) for breakfast and for chilli.

The Maggi tray bake bags are a good idea if you just want to chuck some chicken I the oven with some chopped veg; served with rice it's usually a good option.

We never take anything for breakfast other than what fall under the 'can't find it' rule; I've found French supermarkets are awash with amazing breakfast stuff and when you combine with a local bakery in resort, it's a no brainer to do sweet stuff. We do also buy a mega bag of porridge, and usually stock up on eggs so we can do omelettes/scrambled/poached as an option. Maybe we do sausages but we find that the more prep in the morning, the more time taken and therefore hitting the slopes gets later and later.

Eating out on the slopes or grabbing snacks from in resort is usually where we do the whole delving into local cuisine.

When shopping you do have to 'sacrificial' items where you just have to bin them when you leave, and accept that it's part of the cost - it's usually stuff that's half-opened and won't last the journey home, or stuff that's too bulky and takes up valuable beer space Toofy Grin

I used to take a favourite knife but I've had issues with border staff wanting to inspect said knife (looking to confiscate it; I now just buy one at the supermarket for €10 and that does us for the week, as apartment knifes are usually pants. I also take a mocka pot for fresh coffee, not a big fan of cafetières.

@IainMcT, where are you driving to?

You know it makes sense.

Even if you buy food items in local supermarket, take salt and pepper and herbs as you likely won't find small quantities. Porridge oats if you will have a microwave, pasta, rice maybe, teabags (get coffee locally, it's better), maybe some tins (tuna, say), coffee filter papers, dishwasher tablets, soft drinks your children like (may not be available locally).

(Am I the only person who doesn't like curry or chilli.......?)

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@IainMcT, am assuming you are skiing in france, but the following tips would probably be the same in other countries.

first bit of advice would be, is to check out what cooking facilities you actually have in the kitchen, will you have a proper oven or one of the combi type micro/ovens (that require a degree in nuclear physics to operate Toofy Grin

) that are typical in ski apartments?

if you have a proper sized oven, and you are planning to shop on the way to your destination, most of the big supermarkets on the way will sell fresh pizza bases, typically around 1.5euros each, where your kids can make there own pizzas with toppings of their choice. you can take jars of tomato pizza base toppings from the uk, or simply drain a tin of chopped tomato and add some olive oil/dried herbs (this is what i do now even in the uk!).

my girls are late teens/early twenties, and still make a beeline for the pizza base fridges when we are shopping, or ask for them to be bought home with me if i have visited France on my own, i bought 10 of them back with me last summer from a trip to Normandy.

we normally stock up with the following whilst stopping en route, we have mostly stopped overnight on the way there in Albertville (for the 3valleys) and shop in the large hypermarket there for beer/wine, large bottles of soft drinks, crisps and sweets/chocolate, basic starter kit of milk/eggs/ham/cheese and butter etc, then top up from local supermarkets during the week

like others have said, we always take a box of basic cupboard items such as salt/pepper/dried herbs/tea/coffee/tin foil/food bags/jars of sauces/dish tabs and washing up bits and pieces, whatever is not used you can bring back with you.
plus i take a slow cooker with me for a couple of other evening meals during the week, yes we will eat out a couple of times as well, for local specialities.
but you can save a few bob on evening meals this way, that can then go towards a couple of nice lunchtime stops on the mountain if you want to.

A snowHead

Oh, and squash - if your kids like it, I never seem to find a French option that's the same, they love those syrups that come in the metal canisters, which just don't taste the same

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We always take cereal as it's extortionate in France, and I find it a more filling breakfast than pastries. I get my fill of those at my 1030am tea break. We also take pasta and some sauces, for quick meals, but also check out what sauces are available. My children really like the French Bolognese jars as it already has the mince in.
Teabags, snack bars (oat breakfast bar type things). Most things we do buy in resort as with the restrictions, it is tricky to take anything of substance.

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We've taken dairy and meat each time never had a problem yet, and as others say slow cooker is vital, just about to sit down to a nice cream chicken dish from ours after a great day on the slopes

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Check what is allowed, most meat, raw and cooked is banned. I take a good sharp knives, salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices including chilli, tea (not sure if that is permitted ) washing up liquid and scouring pads.

Remember you cannot bring back to the uk most meat except poultry or any dairy including cheese

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Thanks for the advice everyone. We’re staying in a hotel in Corvara in the Dolomites. We’ve stayed there several times so know what facilities they have. They do a really good buffet breakfast with hot and cold food and we eat out lunch and dinner most days but it’s nice to have a few nights in too. The local supermarket isn’t very big but has enough to make meals. I will take seasoning, herbs and spices, squash for the children to drink and my M&S cherry liqueur chocolates which I’ve been saving for the holiday. To be honest I usually drink too many bombardinos during the day and glasses of wine in the hotel bar to bother with elaborate cooking.

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“I’m looking for food ideas.”

“Thanks. To be honest I’m usually too drunk to cook and we usually eat out anyway.”

Toofy Grin

After all it is free

I wouldn't bother taking much food, just tea, and a few spices and herbs but I'd take a big (6 litre plus) slow cooker and stop at a Carrefour or something and get a load of beans and mince etc and knock up a big chilli.

Never had an issue getting ice - even smallest Sherpa has bags of it.

Otherwise, like others, herbs and spices and dry and tinned goods. Fresh all bought in France

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@Boris, we don't usually ski in france anymore, but yes, that was the last time I went into a shop in a ski resort and they had some, the sherpa in mottaret. I never seem to be able to find any in Austrian supermarkets but perhaps im just not looking hard enough anymore because we just take the machine.

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I wouldnt buy in the UK to take with.
Just as easy to stop off on the way.
As you are in corvara, then pizza first night Toofy Grin

Better to use the space on taking something like a slow cooker which you can put on in the morning & have something ready for when you get back.

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Fruit cakes.

You know it makes sense.

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Help!!

Taking food with in car

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