Cooking in a small campervan – simple dishes on two plates

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | How do you cook good food in a small camper with only two hobs? When we traveled around Ireland for two weeks, we lived in a small camper of only 5.40 meters. It was cozy and convenient – but the kitchen was significantly smaller than what we were used to. Two hobs, no oven and no grill. It turned out that you can cook surprisingly good food!

Here we share our experiences from Ireland, our best tips for cooking in a small camper kitchen and inspiration for simple dishes. For us, food should also be part of the journey – with ingredients and flavors from the country we are in.

Cooking and living in a small motorhome

There is quite a big difference between living in our Freedom motorhome and living in a small sheet of ice of 5.40 meters. We noticed this especially when it was time to cook.

In Freedom we have three hotplates, an oven and a grill. So we can cook much like at home, although the work surfaces are of course smaller. In the small tin we drove around Ireland, however, we had two hotplates – and no oven or grill.

But we soon realized that it's not just the number of hobs that matters in a small camper kitchen. You also have limited work space, less storage and maybe you don't want to fill half the car with pots and utensils. And then there's the thing about the dishes. The fewer dishes, the better!

9 simple dishes on two plates

So what can you cook when the kitchen consists of two gas burners and not much else? Here are some ideas – both things we ate in Ireland and dishes we like to cook during other motorhome trips.

These are not intended as exact recipes. After all, we are a travel site, not a recipe site. Rather, see it as inspiration and adapt according to what you find along the way!

1. Pasta with vegetables and tomato sauce

One of the easiest dinners during the trip to Ireland was fresh pasta with tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms and peppers. Cook the pasta on one plate and make the sauce on the other. If you want a heartier dish, you can supplement it with chicken, minced meat or some local sausage. Fresh pasta is extra convenient in a small camper kitchen because it only needs to cook for a few minutes.

2. Chicken stew with curry and vegetables

There were a lot of stews in Ireland. We fried chicken and vegetables, mixed in a curry sauce or other simple stew base and served with rice. And of course, the cheap Irish asparagus went into the stew!

This is a good principle for RV food: protein + vegetables + some good seasoning. Next time, the same base can be a tomato stew, Thai stew, or something completely different.

3. Fish with vegetables and cold sauce

In Ireland, it included breaded fish with rice, asparagus and a store-bought cold sauce. A very simple campervan dinner that still felt complete.

Today, we should perhaps pay even more attention to what is available at the fish counter where we are. During a motorhome trip in Spain or Portugal, for example, it might be dorada or lubina, while completely different fish are tempting somewhere else.

READ MORE: Fish in Spain and Portugal – guide to the fish counter

4. Steaks with hummus and vegetables

Another dinner from Ireland was lamb chops with rice, hummus and tomatoes. Hummus is one of those side dishes we like when traveling. You don't have to cook everything from scratch every night, and a good ready-made mixture can turn fairly simple ingredients into a nice dinner. The chops can of course be made with minced lamb, minced beef, minced chicken or something vegetarian.

5. Prawns with garlic and bread

Now we're leaving Ireland and driving the camper south! Gambas al ajillo is a Spanish classic with shrimp, garlic and olive oil – and exactly the kind of food we think is great for traveling. All you need is a frying pan, and together with some good bread it's a whole little meal. Plus, the bread is important for absorbing the delicious garlic oil. Nothing should go to waste!

6. Moules marinières with bread

Mussels are one of the dishes we most associate with travel, especially in France and Belgium. And they are also perfect for a small camper kitchen.

Mussels, white wine, onion or shallots and some herbs in a large saucepan – then the mussels are steamed until they open. Serve with good bread that can be dipped in the sauce. One saucepan, lots of flavour and an instant holiday feeling.

READ MORE: Seafood Recipes – 9 Favorites from Our Travels and Our Kitchen

7. Clam pasta

Pasta vongole is another dish that for us is associated with travel. I first ate it in Amsterdam and we have since eaten it in places like Croatia.

And it actually fits perfectly on two plates. Pasta in one pan and mussels with garlic, olive oil and maybe a little wine in the other. Then everything is mixed together. Simple – and very tasty.

8. Couscous with vegetables and feta cheese

Couscous is almost ridiculously practical when the kitchen is small. It only needs to swell in hot water, leaving almost the entire stove free for the rest of the food.

Mix with, for example, roasted vegetables, feta cheese, chickpeas, herbs and lemon. Or use it as a side dish for chicken or something else that is roasted on the other plate. It is also a dish that is easy to adapt to what you find in the store or at the market.

9. Soup with good bread and local side dishes

During our trip to Ireland, we sometimes ate powdered soup with bread and cheese for lunch. It may not sound like the most gastronomic experience we've had in years, haha, but the principle is still good.

A soup is simple camper food. Make a quick soup of your own or buy a good ready-made version and complement it with fresh bread, local cheese or something else delicious from the place you are in. It doesn't have to be anything fancy.

Shop locally – it makes campervan food more enjoyable

For us, one of the great advantages of traveling by campervan is that we have our own little kitchen with us. We really enjoy eating out, but we also like to go to grocery stores, market halls and markets. And different countries offer different opportunities.

In Ireland there was a lot of asparagus. In Spain we can buy fish, mussels and large prawns. In France the cheeses, mussels and fantastic bread might tempt you. In Italy a few tomatoes, a good cheese and fresh pasta can go a long way.

So you don't have to fill your camper with food from home. Trying to figure out what to do with what you find along the way is part of the journey.

READ MORE: Shopping for food in Croatia – our experiences
READ MORE: Shopping in French supermarkets - our experiences

Smaller dishes are almost as important as simple food

You realize this pretty quickly when you live in a small camper. At home, you can pick up another pot, bowl or plate without thinking too much about it. In the camper, everything has to fit on the small work surface – and then everything has to be washed.

That's why we like food that can be cooked in one or two pots. A cutting board can be used to both prepare and serve bread or cheese, and a casserole can be placed directly on the table.

In addition, you save water, which can be quite important when you are camping outdoors or do not have access to service.

What do you need in a small camper kitchen?

You can actually get by with quite a bit. A good frying pan, a larger and smaller saucepan, a decent knife, cutting board and some common kitchen utensils will go a long way. We would rather have a few things that work well than fill the cupboards with special utensils that are used once a year.

If you also have a colander or sieve and some good jars for leftovers, you're well-equipped for most weekday dinners. And if you have the opportunity to grill outdoors, a whole new world of food opens up.

READ MORE: Grilling on your campervan trip – tips, recipes and smart advice

Two plates go a long way

After two weeks in the small flatland of Ireland, we sometimes missed the oven, the grill and the larger kitchen in Freedom. But the trip also taught us that you can do surprisingly well with two hobs. It's mostly about thinking a little simpler.

Today, we would also place even greater emphasis on letting the location determine what ends up on your plate. Cooking on a motorhome trip doesn't just have to be about making dinner as easy as possible. Food can also become part of the journey.

An Irish asparagus, a Spanish dorada, a pot of French mussels or an Italian pasta can eventually become a travel souvenir in itself. And that's perhaps the best thing about having the kitchen with you.

What do you usually cook in your camper or caravan? Do you have a favorite dish that is extra easy to cook on two hotplates?