While I technically live just a handful of minutes from the beach, sometimes I like to make my life more difficult and pack up the kids and the car and head to the beach an hour away for a day in the sun. This requires a fair amount of prep and leaving the house early to ensure a parking spot. Making sure I’ve packed enough lunch, drinks, snacks, and water to keep everyone satisfied for most of the day is no small feat. (Not to mention the non-food checklist.)
Sandwiches seem like an easy go-to for this, but I actually find making several sandwiches at once fairly annoying. Having the counter space for laying out all the bread and the many packages and bottles of meats and cheeses and condiments, slicing avocados, debating on if tomatoes will make it all too soggy, wondering if anyone care about lettuce. And then wrapping them all up and making sure there is space in the cooler? It’s a lot.
So, I started packing hot dogs in a Thermos.
Why Hot Dogs Are the Best Beach Lunch
Hot dogs are the ultimate low-stress, low-prep beach lunch. I just heat them up and transfer them to a large Thermos with hot water — no additional prep or customization needed. They’ll stay nice and hot in their hot water bath until you’re ready to eat. They don’t require a cooler or extra ice. While they do require a single pot, that’s the beginning and end of cleanup. (And, let’s be honest, I’m probably leaving that pot on the stove to deal with when I get home.) And most of all, it’s summer! What summer day isn’t made better by a hot dog?
How to Pack To-Go Hot Dogs in a Thermos
Toss in a tote with the buns. Ketchup and mustard packets from the bag of takeout condiments you probably have are perfect for this. Nothing needs to take up space in the cooler!
