Happy Vansgiving

Happy Vansgiving, everyone! 

You may be asking yourself, what is Vansgiving? Well, it’s exactly like any traditional Thanksgiving except you’re celebrating the holiday in a campervan! There are a lot of reasons why a person might partake in Vansgiving. Maybe you want to enjoy nature during your time off, or you want to avoid in-laws. Maybe you live in a van full-time but still want to partake in the holiday. No matter the reason, we are here to give you the best meals to make for your Vansgiving celebration!

The Easy Recipes 

The first few recipes are easy, pre-made, and delicious. These are great options instead of making a meal from scratch. Additionally, these are great options if you are only spending a short period on the road. Instant food can provide all the Thanksgiving joys without too much planning and prep work. Some of the best options are:

• Mashed potato packet 
• Instant gravy
• Boxed stuffing

Croissants are undoubtedly the best side for any Thanksgiving meal, in our opinion. We recommend pre-making (or buying) croissants and then re-heating them over a toasty fire. If you are an avid turkey eater, we recommend bringing a pre-cooked slice to heat over the stove to add to your dinner plate.

Cooking Fresh

For those who are more experienced in campfire cooking, we have some more complex recipes. They are warm, fresh, and delicious. 

Tin Foil Stew

This recipe is perfect for that late November weather and it will keep you warm. A tin foil stew can be mixed and matched with different ingredients but this is what we recommend. 

• Fresh Pork Shoulder Cut into 1-inch Cubes
• 1 Potato, Cubed 
• 2 Carrots, Sliced
• 1 Onion Finely Chopped 
• Crushed Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Water 

Check out the full recipes here!

Mountain Apple Pie

It’s not Thanksgiving without apple pie and luckily we know the perfect way to do it in a campervan. There are two ways to create this amazing dessert. One uses a campfire pie iron which gives you the proper pie feel. The other uses tinfoil and creates more of an apple crumble. Both are amazing options for your post-meal treat!

With a Campfire Pie Iron

• 5 Apples Thinly Sliced
• Lemon Juice
• ½ Cup Brown Sugar
• ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon 
• ½ Tsp Nutmeg
• 5 Tbs Butter
• 1 Loaf of Bread
• 1 Stick of Butter

Check out the full recipe here!

With Tin Foil 

• Apples (2)
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 
• 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
• ¼ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup Oats
• 1 ½ Tbs Cinnamon 
• ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour 
• ¼ Cup Brown Sugar

Check out the full recipe here!

Pro tips!

As we mentioned, it’s great to pre-cook some of your dishes to help save time. With your pie recipient, we strongly encourage you to have some of the dry ingredients measured out and mixed before you leave to make your baking more convenient. Lastly, we recommend a cozy blanket! It’s the holidays, settle in and enjoy the fresh air!

We hope you have a vantastic trip! Don’t forget to tag us on social media @nativecampervans.