Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner in an RV or Tiny Home

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Think you can’t cook up a traditional Thanksgiving feast in an RV or tiny home kitchen? Think again. Whether it’s a whole 12-pound turkey or a delicious casserole, a menu with all the traditional flavors of Thanksgiving can be had with a bit of ingenuity and some pre-planning.

The Turkey

Tiny living usually means a tiny or no oven. So, what do we do if we want a whole turkey? Here’s a roundup of ideas.

Have the RV oven or micro convection? – You already know you’re not fitting much in there but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a turkey. With these tips you can roast a beautiful albeit small whole bird.

Dutch Oven – I mean it’s called an oven for a reason, right? Over on Roadtreking, Mike has perfected his roasted Dutch oven turkey.

Trash Can – You read that right. A new unpainted trash can act as an oven to roast up a beautiful bird in the campfire. Here’s how it’s done.

Still not feeling up to the whole shebang? Consider a turkey breast on the grill for a great smoky flavor without a lot of fuss. Or easy and fast in the InstantPot.

Stuffing

Ok, I don’t know about you but I love stuffing. I am also alazy cook, so all the drying of brad and chopping of vegetables and what notdoes not appeal to me. So, I’m a Stove Top kinda girl. In my stick and bricks,I do the microwave method, then throw it in with the turkey to brown and getthose yummy crunchy bits. But that’s not going to work in a tiny oven, so planb. Since I have a micro convection, I’ll have to, gasp, cook the Stove Top onthe stove top. To get my beloved crispies, I’m dumping it in foil and tossingit on the grill. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Slow cookers are also great for stuffing. My mother in Law does hers that way and it’s always a hit. You can find her recipe below, it’s great. If she’s cooking just for two, she halves the recipe and cooks it in something like this little beauty.

Vegetables

I know veggies aren’t that hard to figure out in the RV but what if you, like Wayne, love green bean casserole? With the turkey in the oven, you’re not getting anything else in there. Well did you know you can make it in the InstatPot? This recipe is amazing and the tip to add the crunchy onions on top is a must for me.

Not feeling a casserole, how about a fresh veggie foil packet on the grill or campfire, Squash, broccoli, green beans, carrots, really just about anything can be cooked this way with terrific results. I just cut the veggies up, throw in a tablespoon or so of butter, double wrap in foil and throw it on the grill. Medium heat for 20 minutes and, perfect vegetables every time.

Sweet Potatoes

Oh how I love sweet potatoes. They’ve been a part of my Thanksgiving dinner for as long as I can remember. My grandmother, who was a master of southern cooking, always made the most amazing sweet potato casserole. I remember thinking they were just magical. How could something so sweet be a vegetable. Once I was old enough to start helping out in the kitchen, I realized they were also the easiest things in the world to make. Cut the potatoes in 1” cubes and put in a casserole dish, top with pats of butter then brown sugar. Cover with foil and bake that at 350 for about 45 minutes, then top the whole thing with mini marshmallows and put it back in the oven to brown. Easy peasy right? Well that’s not gonna fit with the turkey in there so I’m switching it up. Cooking them whole in the InstantPot early. Then adding my toppings and reheating on the grill.

If extra sweet sweet potatoes don’t sound like your kind of fare, try this Grilled Sweet Potato recipe from The Yummy Life. It’s delicious anytime of year.

Pie

Ok, now for the good stuff, desert. My traditional Thanksgiving dinner always ended with pie. Usually a pumpkin pie but every once in a while, we’d change it up. Well, Wayne’s not a big pie guy. He’d never touch a pumpkin pie, even covered with whipped cream so these little ones are perfect for getting my pumpkin pie fix. Half the recipe and make them up in the morning. Top them with whipped cream and serve. Simple and delicious.

If apple is more your, and Wayne’s thing, I love these bites. They are easy, quick and taste great. And the best part, prepare them while the turkey is roasting and pop them in the oven during dinner. By the time you’re finished eating, they’re hot and ready to eat.

Voila, traditional Thanksgiving dinner in an RV or tiny home. It can be done.

We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and if you have any recipes or tips to share, we’d love to hear them. Leave us a comment or drop us a line.