OP we do this exact same thing. I never want to go to the grocery store the first day. I’ll put together an instacart order ahead of time and then submit it when we’re close. But I never want to rely on it for first night meals especially in beach towns when they can run low on ingredients on people to fulfill the order.

Echoing the above posters we usually bring spaghetti with meat sauce, tacos with everything made ahead of time, or corn and hot dogs. I’m also a bit much so I like to pre make and bring easy breakfasts (premade pancakes/waffles that kids can just pop in oven or microwave to heat as they wake up).

Anonymous wrote:I’m totally with you, OP. I suggest tacos. Make the seasoned meat ahead and freeze in a brick. The toppings are easy to bring in a cooler. And the shells only need a few minutes to crisp up in the oven. This pushback is some kind of weird jealousy/insecurity thing from people who didn’t realize that some people bring prepped meals to beach houses and are now somehow feeling judged?!

Judged fur picking up food near by rather than cooking it before leaving? No this is not a major life choice. OP already firmly stated her family does not want to do any shopping till day 2.

I’m totally with you, OP. I suggest tacos. Make the seasoned meat ahead and freeze in a brick. The toppings are easy to bring in a cooler. And the shells only need a few minutes to crisp up in the oven. This pushback is some kind of weird jealousy/insecurity thing from people who didn’t realize that some people bring prepped meals to beach houses and are now somehow feeling judged?!

I would just bring some fresh vegetables from home and put on grill such as zucchini, corn, peppers, etc. Maybe have some veggie burgers on hand with fresh rolls that you kept on ice in a cooler. And perhaps some pasta salad you packed in the cooler as well.

I always make a big pot of chili in the crockpot at home, freeze, and take that for the first dinner at the beach.

We also bring frozen baked ziti or lasagna, frozen garlic bread and a bagged salad when we rent a house at the beach. It’s so relaxing the first night!

The exception is when we go to the lake we pick up Royal Farms fried chicken for our first meal - yum.

green salad, corn on the cob and hot dogs (boiled or grilled). So easy and ready in 15 minutes

spaghetti sauce made at home. cook noodles. grab french bread and a bagged caesar salad. done.

Anonymous wrote:What about a charcuterie/cheese/crackers/olives spread? Easy.

The idea of a hot, heavy meal like a lasagna bake - at the beach - does not appeal at all.

OP here again, love this idea, too.

Bring a cooler full of salad fixings. Then bring 2lbs of frozen shrimp and a box of fettucine. Also bring garlic, butter, lemons. Make a quick shrimp scampi on arrival. If you want to skip the pasta, put your shrimp on your salad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Appreciate the ideas, please keep them coming. We’ve been to SC many summers, I’m familiar with the grocery/take away options, but our “routine” is to usually bring most ingredients for our first dinner and just grab a few items like salad, milk on our drive in.

To the poster who asked, I noted our stopover in the drive because whatever food we bring in the car with us for this first meal only needs to stay cold in a cooler for 5ish hours vs 9. In the past I’ve brought a Vace frozen lasagna for this first meal because it is a thick frozen brick and defrosts nicely on the long drive down, but I’d prefer a less heavy meal - the meatballs a PP suggested could work nicely, I could do turkey meatballs.

- OP

OK, but you mentioned you’re getting in at 1 PM so you have plenty of time to hit up a store it’s not as if you’re getting in at 6 PM and need to quickly make dinner.

This is OP. I do my vacation my way, you do yours your way. Some posters bring in, some order pizza, some never cook at all when on vacation. I usually bring our first meal in the car with us, as none of us feel like doing our big weekly shopping when we first arrive - we are unpacking the car and excited to head to the beach and don’t want to fight the crowds at the grocery store in the afternoon on a Saturday or wait 1.5 hrs for pizza.

I provided the details I did to the extent they influence meal suggestions - the food only needs to be kept cold in the car for X hours, I will have the desire to shop for no more than minimal ingredients on arrival, etc.

Anyway, I much appreciate all of the actual suggestions and am leaning towards spaghetti with turkey meatballs and maybe the pesto sauce - I can premake both and they freeze nicely, and the rest of the ingredients are pantry stable and easy to transport.

What about a charcuterie/cheese/crackers/olives spread? Easy.

The idea of a hot, heavy meal like a lasagna bake - at the beach - does not appeal at all.

Anonymous wrote:Appreciate the ideas, please keep them coming. We’ve been to SC many summers, I’m familiar with the grocery/take away options, but our “routine” is to usually bring most ingredients for our first dinner and just grab a few items like salad, milk on our drive in.

To the poster who asked, I noted our stopover in the drive because whatever food we bring in the car with us for this first meal only needs to stay cold in a cooler for 5ish hours vs 9. In the past I’ve brought a Vace frozen lasagna for this first meal because it is a thick frozen brick and defrosts nicely on the long drive down, but I’d prefer a less heavy meal - the meatballs a PP suggested could work nicely, I could do turkey meatballs.

- OP

OK, but you mentioned you’re getting in at 1 PM so you have plenty of time to hit up a store it’s not as if you’re getting in at 6 PM and need to quickly make dinner.