Kitchen Kabaret: Cooking in Your DVC Villa – Part Two

Welcome to part two of my series on cooking in your DVC Villa! You can find part one (breakfast) here.

My objective in this series of articles is to help members who want to try using their DVC kitchen for more than just heating toaster pastries or storing water bottles. If you are apprehensive about how to handle the logistics of buying groceries and making full meals while on vacation, this is the article for you!

This article will feature lunch recipes that are easy to prepare, have limited ingredients, and do not require anything other than the kitchen equipment provided in your Disney Vacation Club Villa. I will also include at least one recipe whose ingredients can all be purchased in your DVC Resort store. Let’s get started!

If you’re wondering why on earth you’d want to make lunch in your villa when you’re probably going to be in the parks in the middle of the day, I completely understand. However, since we’ve been DVC owners, my family has discovered that we often enjoy a slower-paced Disney trip. We spend several days of our vacation either exclusively at our resort, or doing the parks early in the day and coming back to our resort for a mid-day break. On these days, we prefer having lunch in our villa. It’s more relaxing. Not to mention, it saves money.

So, whether you’re doing a resort-only stay, have little ones that need their afternoon naps, or are taking a break from the oppressive mid-day heat by returning to your villa… these recipes are for you.

First up is one of my favorite wrap sandwiches. I like to pack these in a collapsible cooler (we always fly to Walt Disney World, so space is at a premium for me) and bring them to the resort pool. It’s so much cheaper than ordering lunch from the pool bar, and they’re super easy to assemble. You will either have to bring the ingredients with you (simple enough if you’re driving to WDW) or order them from a grocery delivery service (we use Prime Now).

Fruit and Turkey Wraps (aka Veggie Fruit Fruit Wraps)

1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 medium apple, peeled and diced
3 TBSP dried cranberries
¾ cup plain yogurt (I prefer Greek-style)
2 TBSP mayo
8 flour tortillas
8 leaves of green lettuce
1 ½ pound thinly sliced deli turkey
8 slices mozzarella cheese
2 TBSP chopped pecans, toasted

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and the mayo. Mix well. Add the oranges, apples, and cranberries. Stir until combined. Set aside.
2. On each tortilla, layer lettuce, cheese, turkey, fruit mixture, and pecans. Roll up tightly, secure with a toothpick, wrap in cellophane, and keep cool until ready to serve.

DVC Adjustments

You can purchase the turkey, cheese, and an apple in your resort store, albeit expensively. You can also substitute ingredients to suit your needs. Any cheese will work. The pecans can be left out, unless you don’t mind tossing them in your luggage. I usually include a small plastic box with non-perishable food items that I know I’ll need if I’m cooking, such as spices and things I’m not going to want to bother ordering from an online grocer. Why buy a whole bag of pecans when you need such a small amount?

You can also turn this recipe into chicken salad by eliminating the sandwich ingredients and simply adding a can of chicken (drained) into the fruit/yogurt mixture. Serve it on a plate with some crackers. Also perfect by the pool.

Turkey Bacon Ranch Wraps

Tortillas
Ranch dressing
Deli sliced turkey
Sliced cheddar cheese
Bacon slices
Lettuce leaves

Instructions

1. Place your tortilla on a plate.
2. Spread 1 TBSP ranch dressing down the middle.
3. Place lettuce on top of dressing.
4. Place cheese on top of lettuce.
5. Place turkey slices on top of cheese.
6. Break up bacon slices and place on top of turkey (or sprinkle pre-packaged bacon pieces).
7. Roll up tortilla tightly, wrap with cellophane, and store in cool place until serving time.

I use the bacon pieces that you can buy pre-packaged in the grocery store. They’re generally in the salad dressing aisle. Real bacon, not the fake bits. I toss the package in my luggage to bring with us.

These wraps are the favorite of kiddos. So easy to make and transport to the pool. Also great to make up and store in the fridge for a late-night snack when returning from the parks.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

¼ stick of butter
½ cup of flour (I measure this out into a plastic container, and put it in my luggage.)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can evaporated milk
1 ½ cups spaghetti sauce (your favorite brand, anything is fine)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
¼ tsp of dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for about five minutes. Whisk in the broth. Increase the heat a bit and cook and stir until thickened. Turn the heat to low, stir in the evaporated milk, and simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes.
2. Stir in the jarred spaghetti sauce, the canned tomatoes, and the basil. Cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

DVC Adjustments

This soup is very easy to make on vacation and totally delicious! If you want a smoother soup, but don’t have a blender in your DVC villa (if it’s not there, you can request one to be sent up), leave out the canned tomatoes. If you do have a blender, you can puree the soup in small batches until it is silky smooth. If you prefer, you can substitute half and half or heavy cream for the evaporated milk (use 1 ¼ cups). This soup is excellent topped with Parmesan cheese and croutons. Best accompaniment? Grilled cheese sandwiches!!

Turkey Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Bread (white, wheat, Texas toast, it doesn’t matter)
Butter
Sliced cheese (anything works here, but the meltier, the better)
Sliced deli turkey
Thinly sliced apple

Instructions

1. Butter two slices of bread on one side.
2. Lay the first slice butter side down in a frying pan.
3. Top with one slice of cheese.
4. Add enough slices of apple to cover the cheese…remember, slice the apple very thin.
5. Top the apple with turkey.
6. Add another slice of cheese on top of the turkey.
7. Finish with the second slice of bread…butter side up.
8. Cook over medium heat until toasted, then flip and toast the other side.

These sandwiches are a huge favorite of my kiddos, and all of the ingredients to make them are in your DVC resort store. Any of the sliced cheese Disney sells will work well. If you want a more “adult” sandwich, choose something other than the Kraft American slices. But if your kids are like mine, that’s their favorite for this sandwich.

There you have it! A few easy lunch recipes that are quick to prepare, use minimal ingredients, and won’t have you spending half your vacation in the kitchen. All of these can be prepared in advance (with the exception of the grilled cheese sandwiches) and be ready to go the next day when you need them.

Let me know in the comments what you prepare for lunch in your DVC villa. I love getting new recipes to add to my “DVC cookbook!”

Happy Cooking!