Hotel Room Dinner Ideas

Every December my extended family spends five nights in a hotel together for a church activity. I bring dinner to make in the hotel for the nine of us. This allows us to save money and eat the food we need.  Here are the hotel room dinners we eat:

1. Free Pizza plus Veggies and Zevia
2. The Works Pasta Salad (pasta in skillet)
3. Taco Soup (in slowcooker)
4. Chicken Tortilla Soup (in slowcooker)
5. Broccoli Slaw salad with Rotisserie Chicken

Cooking Equipment

The hotel where we stay has a coffee pot and a mini refrigerator. To make dinner, we bring:

• slow cooker
• electric skillet
• large serving bowl (use for both salads)
• can opener

Free Pizza Night

The first night (or one of nights) we are there, our convention provides free cheese or beef pizza and soda. Sometimes I’ve brought an alternate food for myself but recently there is gluten free pizza, so I can make that work for one night.  It’s not an ideal dinner but, hey, it’s free and fun to eat with hundreds of other people in the group. We bring down Zevia or Izze drinks for our family so they can have a “special drink”. We also bring baggies filled with sugar snap peas, sweet pepper strips, baby carrots, etc.  That way we can have some sort of vegetable with dinner but still be with everyone else. Pizza with beef and cheese, raw vegetables, and Zevia. My kids are happy, I’m happy.

The rest of our meals are one-dish meals we can make in our room.

The Works Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is an easy way to combine a starch, protein and vegetable into a one dish meal. I’ll bring a gallon bag filled with the toppings I prepared ahead of time: cooked chicken (some people might like turkey bacon or turkey ham cubes), peas, shredded carrots, sliced olives, sauteed onions & sweet peppers, and steamed broccoli. Assemble the pasta salad in the room by cooking high protein GF Banza pasta (or pasta of choice) in the electric skillet. Then, drain the pasta and use a large bowl to mix the pasta, prepared vegetable toppings, shredded cheese, and salad dressing. I like to make my own vinaigrette but a bottled Italian would work, too.

The next two ideas are made in a slow cooker. We are called the Crockpot Church of God by the hotel staff. 🙂  At least we are able to bring them in and use them! An instant pot would be another way to cook these soups.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup is like chili and can be made 100 different ways. I cook the meat ahead of time at home with taco seasonings and add an onion and green pepper. Put the seasoned cooked venison (others use beef) and veggies in a quart bag to store until needed. When ready to make the soup, dump the meat mixture into the slow cooker and add canned beans, canned tomatoes, and a can of corn. We skip the traditional ranch seasoning packet. (Tip: use disposable crockpot liner for easy cleanup!) Top with as many items as you like: chips of choice, cheese, sour cream, sliced olives, green onions, cilantro, guacamole or avocado slices!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is another one dish meal that is easy to assemble in a hotel room using canned foods and prepared meat.  Cook chicken breasts ahead of time and season with garlic, onion, and cumin and store in another quart bag.  Add boxed chicken broth, a can of corn and Rotel tomatoes, and two cans of black beans to the slow cooker when it’s time to cook. (Tip: use a second disposable crockpot liner for easy cleanup!) Leftover toppings from the taco soup work again: chips of choice, cheese, sour cream, sliced olives, green onions, cilantro, guacamole or avocado slices.

box of dry goods for soups

Broccoli Slaw Salad with Rotisserie Chicken

This salad with chicken meal is usually a great one for the last night because it can be bought fresh if needed. (This year we’ll buy it the 4th afternoon, make it on the 4th night and make chicken tortilla soup on the 5th night.) There have been times we don’t need to make this last meal and can just heat up leftovers in the skillet.

If needed, pick up a rotisserie chicken (or 2), two bagged salads (we like broccoli slaw), and optional bread at the store.  If your salad kit has dressing, use it, but we bring our own again plus some optional toppings like: slivered almonds, GF fried onions, sunflower seeds, jarred artichoke hearts, etc.  Mix bagged salad, pulled chicken, toppings and dressing in the large bowl. Or, leave it all separate and let everyone create their own salad. Serve with optional bread of choice, warmed in the skillet.

Print

Printable Shopping and Prep List for Hotel Dinners

Author Kamie Stoner

Recipe Notes

• baby carrots
• sugar snap peas
• sweet bell peppers
• Zevia or Izze
• 1.5# precooked chicken (seasoned w/ onion flakes, garlic, cumin)
• 2 cans black beans
• 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 16 oz can corn
• 1 quart boxed chicken broth
• 1.5 lb precooked beef with taco seasonings + chopped onion & green pepper
• 15 oz can chili or pintos beans
• 15 oz can kidney beans
• 16 oz can whole kernel corn
• 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• olives, green onions, cilantro
• cheese, chips, sour cream
• guacamole or avocado
• 2 optional disposable crockpot liners
• Cooked chicken (or turkey ham/bacon)
• Banza pasta (cook fresh)
• shredded cheese (add later)
• steamed broccoli, sauteed onion/sweet peppers, shredded carrot, peas, olives
• Italian or homemade salad dressing
• 2 rotisserie chickens, deboned (buy fresh)
• large bagged broccoli slaw (buy fresh)
• fried onions, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, artichoke hearts, shredded cheese
• homemade salad dressing

What about you? Do you ever make hotel room dinners for your family ? What do you make?

To Your Health,

Kamie

Kamie Stoner MS, RDN, LD, CLT
(Master’s Degree in Nutrition, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Licensed Dietitian, Certified LEAP Therapist for food sensitivities)

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The information provided is for information purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.  It is not a substitute for your own doctor’s or dietitian’s advice.