There's a special kind of satisfaction in cooking a proper meal in the middle of nowhere. Not a sad service station sandwich — an actual hot dinner with a view. It took us a few trips to figure out what works (and what's a waste of space), but we've got it dialled in now.
Here's everything we use, what we'd skip, and a few recipes that have become Jenny trip staples.
The Basics: Our Cooking Setup
Jenny came with a two-burner gas hob — nothing fancy, but it does the job. The key is having the right pots and a bit of forward planning. You're not going to be making a Sunday roast, but you'd be surprised what you can pull off with two burners and a decent chopping board.
Our gas setup: We run a Campingaz 907 cylinder. It lasts about 2-3 weeks of regular cooking. You can exchange them at most Go Outdoors and Halfords stores — worth knowing where your nearest one is before you head off.
The Kit That Actually Earns Its Space
After years of trial and error, this is what stays in the van:
Pots & Pans
We use a stackable camping cookware set → — the kind where everything nests inside each other. Ours is a Vango set from Go Outdoors and it's been brilliant. Two pots, a frying pan, and a kettle that all stack into one compact unit.
Top tip: Get non-stick. Washing up in a campsite sink (or worse, with a bucket of water in a field) is miserable enough without scrubbing burnt-on scrambled eggs.
The Cadac Safari Chef
This was a game-changer. It's a portable gas BBQ/grill that works with standard camping gas. We picked ours up from Go Outdoors and it's transformed outdoor cooking. It does:
- BBQ (burgers, sausages, steaks)
- Pizza (with the pizza stone attachment)
- Pan-frying (with the flat plate)
- Paella and stir fry
It folds flat for storage and sits nicely on a camping table outside. On a warm evening, cooking outside while the kids run around — that's peak van life.
Coolbox vs Fridge
Jenny doesn't have a built-in fridge (something we might retrofit eventually), so we use a powered coolbox. It plugs into the 12V socket while driving and keeps things genuinely cold — not just "less warm" like the cheap ones.
We got a Coleman 40L powered coolbox from Argos and it's been solid. Keeps milk, butter, and meat safely cold for multi-day trips. If you're doing weekend trips only, a good quality insulated coolbox with ice packs from Decathlon → works fine.
💡 Solar Panel Tip
Important note on power: A powered coolbox will drain your leisure battery surprisingly fast, especially on multi-day trips. We fitted an Eco Worthy solar panel → to keep the leisure battery topped up and it's made a massive difference. No more worrying about whether we'll have enough charge to keep things cold overnight. It's been so effective that we're considering adding a second panel for the summer months.
The Little Things That Make a Difference
- Collapsible washing-up bowl — takes up zero space when flat (ours is from collapsible washing-up bowls at Decathlon →)
- Magnetic spice rack — sticks to the van's metal surfaces. No more loose jars rolling around
- Bamboo chopping board that doubles as a serving board
- Head torch for cooking after dark — essential on autumn trips
- Decent flask — make coffee in the morning, keeps it hot for hours. Our Stanley flask is bombproof
- Camping kettle — the classic whistling type. Boils water fast on gas
- Firelighters and a small grill rack — for campfire cooking when you're on a site that allows fires
Food Storage
Lock & Lock containers are the answer. Everything goes in airtight containers — pasta, rice, spices, snacks. Stops things getting damp, keeps them organised, and they stack neatly. You can find them on eBay or Amazon.
Our Go-To Van Recipes
The Full Van Breakfast
This is non-negotiable on the first morning of any trip.
- Sausages and bacon on the Cadac outside
- Eggs and beans on the hob inside
- Toast done in a dry frying pan (works surprisingly well)
- Coffee from the kettle
Pre-pack the bacon and sausages in a single container so you're not faffing around with multiple packets at 7am.
One-Pot Chilli
This is the ultimate lazy van dinner. Make it at home, freeze it in portions, and just reheat. Or make it fresh:
- Brown mince in the pot
- Add tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, cumin, paprika, chilli flakes
- Let it simmer for 20 mins
- Serve with rice (cook on the second burner) or tortilla wraps
Pasta Puttanesca
Dead simple and everything comes from tins/jars:
- Cook pasta
- In the other pot: garlic, tinned tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies (optional)
- 15 minutes start to finish
- Tastes like you made an effort
The Campfire Classic: Foil Packet Dinners
If you're on a fire-friendly site:
- Chicken thigh, sliced peppers, onions, new potatoes
- Season with whatever you've got
- Wrap in foil, throw on the coals
- 25-30 minutes of doing absolutely nothing
- Open to find a perfectly cooked dinner
What We've Stopped Bringing
- The full spice rack — now we just bring salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and chilli flakes. That covers 90% of meals
- Cast iron skillet — romantic idea, impractical reality. Too heavy, takes ages to heat on gas
- Bread — goes stale by day two. Wraps last the whole trip
- A "proper" coffee machine — the kettle + instant coffee combo wins for convenience. Or a simple cafetière if you're feeling fancy
Washing Up: The Unglamorous Reality
Get a collapsible bowl, biodegradable washing-up liquid (important if you're on a wild camp), and a quick-dry cloth. Do it straight away — leaving it "to soak" in a campervan means a van that smells like last night's dinner for the rest of the trip.
💡 Pro Tip
Boil the kettle for washing up water while you're eating. By the time you've finished, you've got hot water ready.
The Verdict
You don't need a fancy setup. A decent hob, a good pan set, and a bit of meal planning goes further than any expensive gadget. The Cadac is probably our single best purchase for the van — it opens up so many more meal options.
Pack smart, prep what you can at home, and remember: the best meal you'll ever eat is a simple one cooked with a view.
— Mike & Jenny
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