The easiest boat meals — sandwiches from canned meat, scrambled eggs, crackers and cheese, or peanut butter on crackers — can be on the table in about 5 minutes, with no special ingredients and no planning ahead.
I know this from experience. After 17 years of living aboard and cruising over 14,000 miles, I’ve had plenty of nights when dinner just wasn’t happening. Not a real dinner, anyway.
Sometimes it’s a good reason. The snorkeling was too good to stop. A paddleboard excursion stretched into late afternoon. You hiked to that waterfall and completely lost track of time. You get back to the boat sunburned and happy and hungry, and nobody wants to stand over a stove.
And sometimes it’s a frustrating reason. A repair that was supposed to take an hour turned into four, or something broke at the worst possible time and now it’s 9 pm and you’re tired and greasy and you still need to eat.
Either way, there’s no pizza delivery to your anchorage. You’re on your own.
Keep a List of Easy Boat Meals Where You Can Find It
The single best thing I ever did was write my go-to quick meals on a note card and stick it in with my cookbooks. When it’s late and your brain has checked out, you don’t want to stare at the pantry trying to think of something. You want to grab an idea and make it.
That note card was actually the seed of the Quickie Meals chapter in The Boat Galley Cookbook — along with a lot of other quick-reference lists organized by cuisine, weather, and mood, so you can flip to exactly what you need without having to think.
Canned Meats Are Your Best Friend
I always keep a variety of canned meats on board. They don’t need refrigeration (which also makes them a lifesaver if your electrical system acts up and the fridge goes down). They’re already cooked, so you just need to heat them through — or skip the heat entirely. And they’re fast.
Most of my five-minute ideas lean on canned meat for exactly those reasons. If you want to get more out of them, check out how to use canned meat for tips on texture and technique, and canned meat meal ideas for a much longer list of what you can do with them.
8 Easy Boat Meals Ready in About 5 Minutes
These aren’t gourmet. They aren’t always a balanced meal. But neither is fast food, and at least you made it yourself.
Peanut butter on celery, carrots, or crackers.
Leftovers — if you have them. (We never seemed to when we actually needed them.)
Sandwiches from canned meat — tuna salad, ham salad, and canned roast beef are all fast and satisfying.
Crackers, cheese, and fruit — no cooking, no cleanup, done.
Chicken ramen — mix a can of mixed veggies and a can of chicken (liquid included) into chicken ramen noodles.
Scrambled eggs with whatever you have — cooked meat, cheese, onions, tomatoes, or mushrooms.
BLT sandwiches — bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Simple and always good.
Canned hash — sauté with onions and a healthy dose of black pepper. Crack an egg over the top if you feel like it.
Enjoy!
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Karen Taylor says
Our favorite fast and easy meal is beef stew made with
1 can corned beef
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 packet of beef or brown gravy mix
Combine corned beef, mixed vegetables (and liquid), and potatoes in a medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Add the gravy mix and stir well. Bring to gentle boil for at least one minute or until desired consistency is reached. Serve with bread, crackers, or over reheated left over rice.
Serves 2 (double canned goods to serve 4)
Carolyn Shearlock says
Sounds good! Who knows, it might end up being dinner tomorrow night — I’m pretty sure I have all the ingredients.
Thanks for adding it!
-C
Jeannie Lawson on Facebook says
I hate pizza so never look for a pizza joint…a good restaurant is better…
Michelle Beatty on Facebook says
never met anyone who hated pizza….hummmm
Michelle says
i am a fan of apples and oeanut butter
Michelle says
peanut butter to..
dont know why I insist on replying when im on my cell
Joe & Ana says
We like to make quesadillas, Any kind of cheese on either corn or Flour tortillas. You can add avocado if you got ’em also any kind of left over meat makes it great too – easy to make of bbq or micro even on the stove top!!
Downeaster32 says
Boil water, wash & slice sweet potato, drop into boiling water, let sit 5-7 mins, done.
Heather says
Ditto on the quesadillas, but I use a layer of refried baked beans with — or instead of cheese – with salsa and avocado if I have it. I also do the ramen trick, but instead of canned veggies, I just throw in the canned chicken along with some soy sauce or fish sauce, hot sauce, some sliced up ginger and shredded cabbage — great way to add fiber and veggies. I’m also a big fan of a simple bowl of pasta with lemon (or lime) and broccoli — cook the pasta, throw in the broccoli halfway through, drain, stir in some butter, squeeze over a lemon or two, and grind fresh pepper.
Dave Skolnick says
Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato and/or avocado.
Home-canned homemade soup.
Matzo brai (family and cultural icon)
Spaghetti (admittedly a bit more than five minutes for the pasta)
Molly Stokes says
I got through college with this recipe: can of Tuna, can of mushroom soup and small can of peas over toast.
The Boat Galley says
Thanks Molly!
D.K. says
Saute canned chicken in olive oil with your generic Italian Seasoning mix. Mix in powdered Parmesan cheese near the end of the cooking, let rest for 5 minutes, and serve over whatever you have on hand.
Becky Croston says
Send for “Johnies Salad Elegance ” shaker of seasonings. Heat a can of tuna or small
rinsed shrimp or crab, stir in mayo. Pile on english muffin halves on cookie sheet. (2 halves fill the hungry sailor!) Lay on cheddar cheese slice. Heat or broil in oven or micro. until cheese melts. Sprinkle seasoning on generously and eat. (May be really hot inside so take care!) Very fast and satisfying.Great for fresh white fish too!
Sue says
Tuna mornay…tuna in quick cheese sauce and a can of creamed corn, often made after an unsuccessful fishing turn 🙂 or baked beans and poached egg on toast.
Shari says
closer to ten minutes, if you don’t have ramen: heat up some broth (or water in a pinch) or some water with tomato product (stewed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, crushed, paste, whatever you have), boil small pasta in it (orzo, pastina, stars), add in any greens you have around, such as spinach or arugula or leftovers, and poach some eggs in it at the last minute. One pot, satisfying. I make this after a long day.
tami says
It’s summer in the Gulf, which means we don’t even want to think about cranking the stove. So I made a cold bean salad: can of crowder peas; can of Ro-tel habañero; olive oil; Italian seasoning mix; Slap Your Mama seasoning salt. Mixed the peas and rotel, added some Italian seasoning, a little SYM, and drizzled with olive oil.
Didn’t know if we’d like it, but it was what was on the boat, and yes, it was good!
I ALWAYS keep a couple cans of Rotel – I like the habanero, and the cilantro/lime. Rotel is like Sriracha – it can fix even the worst food, ha ha
Edd Rauch says
1 can tomato paste, 1/2 that can olive oil, 1 can chopped black olives, 1 bunch finely chopped green onions, 4 oz. grated cheese. Mix well in bowl. Spread onto sliced extra sourdough bread. toast in oven on high about 6 minutes (till toasted on bottom and cheese melted) I do 4 on a cookie sheet at a time and reload it, then there are fresh hot ones when the wife and I finish the first 2. Great as a meal, or cut into quarters and use as finger snacks.
Kim Boston says
My old college favorite we use on the boat now & then.
One can of Tuna, box of prepared Kraft macaroni & cheese (cooked per directions), can of peas, small can of mushrooms, 1 + cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Mix together & heat til hot (microwave works but oven is better). Top with crushed up potatoe chips. Prep time is 5 minutes (after you’ve cooked Mac n Cheese). Can feed 4.