Cooking while on vacation is a great way to save money, spend some extra quality time with family and friends, try out new recipes with local ingredients from where you’re visiting, or create your favorite family dishes on a holiday getaway. Thankfully, our Georgia Cabins for YOU vacation rentals come with fully equipped kitchens, outfitted with full-size appliances, dishes and utensils, mugs and glasses, cooking tools, dishwashers (so you can easily clean up), and more to make cooking in your North Georgia cabin easy.
Stop by the Blue Ridge Farmers Market to get fresh veggies and ingredients, find items for appetizers or a charcuterie board at Out of the Blue in downtown Blue Ridge (always a crowd pleaser), or just go by the grocery store and pick up all you’ll need for an easy dinner, drinks, and snacks. You may have your own favorite recipes on hand, but if you want some dinner ideas for family meals to try in your Blue Ridge cabin, read on. We’ve found some great meal ideas – from mains and sides to desserts and appetizers – that you can easily whip up at the cabin.
Baked Pork Chops | FoodNetwork
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups panko
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Four 3/4-inch bone-in pork chops (about 2 1/4 pounds)
- Lemon wedges (optional, for serving)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine the panko, oil, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Put the pork chops in a large bowl and toss to coat with 1 tablespoon water.
Place the pork chops in the bag and shake well to coat, pressing the breadcrumb mixture firmly into the meat.
Place the pork chops on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and top evenly with any breadcrumbs remaining in the bag.
Bake until the breadcrumbs are dark golden and the internal temperature of the chops registers 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (avoid touching bone), 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta | FoodNetwork
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 2 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 12 ounces smooth penne (see Cook’s Note)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- One 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 6 ounces cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature
- Kosher salt
- 4 scallions, sliced, for serving
Directions
Heat the oil in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken just starts to change color and the spices are toasted, about 2 minutes.
Add the peppers and onions and cook until they just begin to release some of their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, 1 minute.
Add the pasta, chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is thickened and reduced by about half, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Stir until the cream cheese is combined and melted. Top with sliced scallions.
Pumpkin Seed Cheese Ball | Taste of Home
Ingredients
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup roasted fresh pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower kernels
- Assorted crackers or fresh vegetables
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle. Meanwhile, on a plate, combine pumpkin seeds and sunflower kernels; set aside.
Shape cream cheese mixture into a ball; gently roll in pumpkin seed mixture (lightly press seeds into cream cheese mixture if necessary).
Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. Serve with crackers or vegetables.
Rocky Road Cookie Cups | Taste of Home
Ingredients
- 1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (or make your own favorite recipe!)
- 3/4 cup miniature marshmallows
- 2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-1/4-in. balls; press evenly onto bottom and up sides of 24 greased mini-muffin cups.
Bake until edges are golden, 10-12 minutes. Using the back of a measuring teaspoon, make an indentation in each cup. Immediately place 3 marshmallows and 1/4 teaspoon chocolate chips in each cup; sprinkle with almonds.
Return to oven; bake 1 minute longer. Cool completely in pans on wire racks.
North Georgia Restaurants
If you’re not up for cooking, get out and try some of the wonderful restaurants in North Georgia. Fill up on savory BBQ, enjoy brunch and decadent dishes at The Black Sheep in Blue Ridge, or head to Senor Fiesta in Dawsonville, Georgia, for tacos with homemade tortillas and fresh cilantro and sour cream, fajitas, crispy nachos, black beans, burritos, and all your favorite Mexican dishes.
Blue Ridge Cabins for YOU
Our North Georgia cabins offer much more than fully equipped kitchens for elevating your dinner recipes. Along with gorgeous interiors and beautiful Blue Ridge views – whether mountain or wooded – they are packed with amenities to make your stay comfortable and memorable. Get a group of friends together or plan a family vacation for a great stay in the Blue Ridge Mountains! What can you expect? Here are some of our favorite amenities…
- Wi-Fi
- Big screen TVs
- DVD and Blu-ray players
- Hot Tubs
- Grills (gas or charcoal)
- Fireplaces (wood-burning, electric, or gas)
- Blue Ridge Mountain views
- Washer/dryer units
- Fully equipped kitchens
- Game tables and Board games
- Outdoor fireplaces
- Cable/satellite TV
- Bedrooms with TVs and en-suite baths
