Girls trips are a blessing! IYKYK.

Getting together with childhood, college, or adult friends is like gold for the soul. And while, yes, it is a privilege that some can take trips together, any time spent together is so worthwhile. The laughs, hugs, cries, and inside jokes can’t be beat. 

One of the best features of a girls trip is hands-down the food! I know a thing or two about feeding people, so hear me out. It depends on the trip type, but if you’re renting a house together and have access to a kitchen, planning a killer meal is key to making great memories!

Here are some of my favorite crowd-pleasing meals for your next girls trip. This is taken straight from my playbook from a recent girls trip to Hocking Hills this summer with some childhood girlfriends! 

Post Travel Charcuterie

After traveling all day, everyone needs a little snackie while settling in. Pack a few meats, cheeses, etc. for a quick-setup snack attack. I brought my own board (that one of my friends gifted me years prior!) to make sure it was a cute scene. One of our favorite parts was a Lemon Pear preserves that we paired with goat cheese, smoked cheddar, and everything else on the board. Tips for a fun board. Get meats, cheeses, olives, nuts, fruits, mustards, a jam/spread, crackers and or bread. The variety is key!

Panzanella and Steaks

Summer Panzanella is a KP favorite recipe! It also makes a wonderful summer meal paired with a grilled protein of your choice. We chose ribeye steaks, which are very flavorful and also pretty forgiving to make. They turn out tender every time. Here is the link for the Panzanella recipe, and for the steaks. I like to use either just salt and pepper, or this caramelized onion and butter seasoning by Kinder.  

Strawberry Pistachio Mint Salad

This is always top of mind when feeding the ladies. Not to say men don’t love a good arugula salad, but there is undeniably something feminine about this gorgeous salad. Recipe Here. It has ripe strawberries, cooked (and cooled) farro, feta, fresh mint, pistachios, cucumber, and arugula. Pair it with grilled chicken thighs or breast, or solo if you want to go meatless. We make an orange shallot dressing with this and it just makes the brightest, flavor popping salad you’ve ever had. Note: Make the dressing ahead of time for ease.

This is the same recipe as our KP Ready-To-Eat Strawberry Mint Pistachio salad offered in the summer…yum!

Chicken Caesar Wraps To-Go

We were doing some hiking on our adventure and needed to take some on-the-go sustenance. Use leftover grilled chicken (from your salads above), some tortilla wraps, Caesar dressing, grated parm, roasted red peppers, and plenty of crunch shredded romaine. Roll, then wrap them tightly in foil for transport.

Use a cooler or cooler back-pack to keep them ice cold. Don’t forget to pack fruit and snacks for a good post-hike refuel.

Coconut Lime Yogurt Bowls

Yogurt parfaits are simple to pull together, require no cooking, and allow your friends to customize as they see fit. Here I used plain full-fat Greek yogurt, swirled in a drop or two of coconut extract and a big squeeze of lime juice. Top the yogurt with your favorite granola, zest of lime, toasted coconut flakes, and seasonal fruit. These cherries were sweet and perfect for summer!

Eggs, Bacon and Pastries! 

Frozen chocolate croissants are an easy way to please a crowd. Pop them in the oven while you make scrambled eggs and some good local bacon with it, and you’ve got a fabulous breakfast. This trip, a friend’s mom made us some fresh zucchini bread so we warmed it and enjoyed it with our early morning fare.

Spicy Citrus Margaritas

Jazz up your afternoon margaritas with a tiny bit of a pepper infused vodka, we like to use the Dayton-distilled Belle of Dayton Hells Vodka. A little bit will do! Then add Grand Marnier, a large fresh orange slice and fresh lime twist. I also add a splash of club soda for some fizz and hydration on a hot day. Delightful!

So plan that trip, make it happen! Or plan that dinner together, the lunch afternoon at your house. I hope this helps give some inspiration to your next hang out. It is always worth investing in your relationships.