Well Ladies, I'm in the Ladies Room again, but I ain't peekin'. I just bought myself a Lunchbox cooker to add to my gear. Ordered some extra pans. Now I need to try it out and get some advice from the girls and guys who have used one to cook on the road. Notarps mentioned it before that he uses one. Some of you were tossing around a book of recipies for the road. So my first question is..... will it cook rice. Will it cook dried beans after soaking? I have one recipie in my mind, with rice, using chicken broth instead of all water to cook the rice, throw in some chicken breasts and some brocolli, maybe some butter, and let'er go. That will be the first try. I don't like missing too many meals, and light snack type meals get me through while driving. But a good hot meal on the road would be nice every now and then.
Next, I can probably rinse and re-use the pans a few times, or at least I assume you can, but how do you wash any dishes or utensils on the road. I'm thinking paper plates and bowls with real metal fork, spoon and knife. I need tips, I need EASY GUY TYPE recipies, what ever you can contribute will help. Sorry, I can grill like a champ, and cook in the kitchen like Emeril himself, but this lunchbox cooker is something new. Also keep in mind I'm using a 12 volt igloo cooler, not a big refrigerator for food storage.

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Newbie,
What is a Lunch Box cooker?

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"LilTruck"

well I dunno about actually cooking things in it....we have 2 in our truck. with two people it's just easier. What I like to do is cook up meals at home. separate the food into portions in containers-we vacuum seal- and throw then in the fridge til you're ready to leave then throw 'em in your cooler. When You're hungry just open up one container of food, dump 'em in your pan and heat it up. We don't reuse the tins. We go to the dollar store back home and buy a pack of 3 for a dollar. And we use plastic silverware. We do cook hot dogs, lil smokies, cans of soup and stuff like that. But as far as actually cooking things....I'd sure like to know myself. That would kinda come in handy.

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Sittin at a bar on inside
Waitin for my ride on the outside.
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I"ll probably get 10 years so just give me beers til they get here.

OK Ladies...Let's Cook.... HELP!!! You too Notarps.


Well; I got drug in here when I seen my name, but I am honest. I did peek ladies. Better cover that up! I buy the little 3 pack loaf pans at wal-mart, The little pans are cheap there. I am cooking up some chow now. The pans you get in the truck stop are high. I use paper and plastic. You can get bowls etc, at wally world. I buy the cans that have the pop top lids. There are a lot of soups, meals etc. I like the chunky brand. They will heat up in a few minutes. I do not re-use them. I throw everything out. I am baching out here! No woman out here to say wash that out when you you are done with it!

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A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Try this
Alaska SOCKEYE Salmon
Broiled
Place Salmon descaled skin down, Meat up on a oiled cookie sheet.
Baste the meat with a thin layer of Canned Minced tomatoes.
spread some melted butter across the meat.
Place a layer of fine chopped Onion accross the top.
Add a layer of Cracker crumbs on top of that. sift a thin layer of flour over it all. Lots of Pepper and some Italian Seasoning and Garlic salt.
Around the edge of the fish put Italian Salad Dressing, but not on top, so it can soak in and keep it moist. Place the cookie sheet closer to the bottom of the oven If you have a over the top broiler and Broil it at 350 degrees for about 30 min.

I don't tell you how much of everything. I believe that needs to be done to your taste.
This is a Recipe that I made up tonight. My invention. and It was GREAT! My wife kept taking mine from my plate.

I have never used one of these, but they say it maxs out at 300'. I would just use it like a crock pot if you are planning on preparing fresh food. For canned you could just put cans in and let them heat. Just make a vent hole or watch so they don't explode on you. Sounds like a lot of these guys have their wives making precooked meals and they are just putting the package in to reheat it. My dad was an expert on cooking stuff on the engine. He could make anything from hot dogs to a pot roast with all the fixings. There are some books on this kind of cooking. good luck.

Tried out my lunchbox cooker for the first time. First, made some rice in the pan. While that was cooking, put a can of beef stew in an oven bag, and set it on top of the rice while it was cooking. A little while later, after all of the water was bolied out, I had rice and hot stew to go over it.

I then got very brave, and cooked rice, using chicken broth instead of water. I also put in 2 boneless chicken breasts, a little butter, some chunks of brocolli and potatoes with the rice before turning on the cooker. Everything cooked together. A little creole /cajun seasoning, and PRESTO. About 1 1/2 hours later it was done. Pretty tasty!!! It's not a super fast meal, but if you put the stuff in while say fueling or making a stop, you'll have a good meal later on down the road. I will be using this thing for some hot meals when I hit the road. It will come in handy and I definitely suggest one for anyone who thinks they can't cook, but may want a hot meal every now and then.

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What an AWESONE IDEA and the FOOD sounds GREAT!

YOU made me hungry....

Hey there Newbie and everyone else....yes these little things are great. We have had them for several years. We have saved so much on the cost of food. First we have a fridge in the truck..not a cooler a fridge....small dorm size, but set up for a truck. I fix food on the weekends and pack it in the tins that you all have mentioned, cover it w/foild and pack them in the fridge. Hubby grabs a meal popes it into the oven and later he has a homecooked meal. He likes spagettie that is easy, I also fix casseroles sometimes, leftovers are packed into a tray and makes a meal, for the road, He takes lunch meat for lunches and the meals for supper, for breakfast I have fixed biscuits scrampled an egg omelet style folded it on the bisc., put strip cooked bacon or sausage topped w/cheese wrap in foil and pop in freezer to save space, sometimes I make breakf. burritoes, roll up in foil, I fix enough food for about 2 weeks pack it in the fridge, get 1/2 gal choc milk and he is a happy camper. I make him sev. dozen cookies, banana bread, and other snakies...all the comforts of home except one. We do save the tins and foil we reuse them 2/3 times then I throw them out...He's German I'm Scottish what can I say gives me extra money to buy oats for my Lil Blue Pony.

My wife had the brilliant idea of having some extra stuff for the road. Now, when I fix rice in the cooker, she has fixed up some bags of dried / dehydrated veggies that she preps in her food dehydrater. She takes tomato slices, potato slices, squash, zucchini, bell pepper peices and whatever else you can think of. She dries them in the dehydrator and bags them up in ziplock bags. They store for months. When I put the rice and water in the cooker, I throw in a bag of the veggies and cook them. When your rice is done, the veggies are Re-hydrated and cooked with the rice. Thats a meal in itself, but then you can add, pre-cut chicken chunks or ham chunks from wally world. I also have thrown a raw chicken breast in with the rice while it cooks, and it cooks the chicken completely and adds flavor to the rice. Yummy!!!

In a new twist, put some canned chicken broth in the pan, or water and chicken boullion cubes, plenty of the dried veggies, your choice of meat and cook. When the veggies are re-hydrated and cooked, you have a hearty stew/ soup, depending on how much liquid you use. Tastee!!!

Last but not least. I cooked some of the dried veggies in a little water with some sliced up smoked sausage, some canned pineapple chunks, and a little BBQ sauce. I was like a hawaiian/ oriental tasting dish. I will fix this again. Later, NEWB

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