my husband works for a large construction compsny. we traveled, family of three, for many years. our family vacations consisted of traveling back & forth across the continental United States, living in motels while we visited forts, museums, parks etc, while traveling to next job assignment for his employer. living in motels, i carried in our supplies what i called the "kitchen box". i stocked it w staples -salt, pepper & garlic powder plus a seasoning mix if i found a good one & it would fit. rice, dried beans & shop for fresh onions etc. .... and one electric skillet. you can cook anything from pasta to steamed rice to small roasts. our skillet was one i had used as a young single nurse as i wandered from job to job before i married, started a family & began following the hubs from job to job.
some ideas..
...sauté onions, red bell pepper in butter or olive oil ..add rice & sauté a little longer or until rice starts making popping sound ..add liquid, cover & cook. if you want meat ..bacon, chopped pork chop, sausage, whatever, while sautéing vegies.
...fry a littleground beef or sausage w chopped onions, add jar/can of stewed tomatoes plus a cup or two of liquid, add dried pasta & cover. cook til pasta tender. may need to add a bit more liquid.
...i still cook w whatever foodstuffs i have on hand, but have moved from my electric skillet to my fave cast iron skillets & a crock pot.
...note: if you have room for a case of budweiser beer, bottled only, it is what i use instead of water. especially on a boat where drinking water may be a limited commodity. i say budweiser beer because i have tried every brand & style of beer over the years & budweiser lends best flavor to cooking. beans, roasts, rice, pasta, soups ...