When you’re planning a trip to northern Minnesota, there are a lot of factors to keep in mind. After you’ve found the perfect lake, perfect resort and perfect cabin for your group, it’s time to begin planning what to pack, and importantly, what to eat.
One of the perks of staying at Pehrson Lodge Resort is that we’ve got your kitchen covered. Each of our cabins offers a full kitchen with a dishwasher* and all the pots, pans and dishes you’ll need during the stay. All you need to worry about is deciding what food to bring on your trip. In summer 2020, we’re happy to say that our local grocery store, Zup’s will be up and running once again in Cook, just a few minutes’ drive away from the resort.
We know that planning a week’s worth of meals for your vacation can seem daunting. Today we’re going to give you a few options of Minnesota vacation meals that are easy to prepare and sure to please your family. If you’d rather eat out at one of our local restaurants, please visit our restaurants page to learn about the nearby dining options.
Get Grillin’
Bring on the charcoal, because each of our cabins has a Weber Grill that’s ready to heat up dinner and get everyone in vacation mode. For meat lovers, grilling burgers and brats is a sure way to please. More interested in vegetables? Skewer a few sliced onions, peppers and tomatoes and toss those on.
Round out this meal with a can of baked beans over the stove, a bag of potato chips and a side of fruit. This brings forward all the flavors expected in a summer vacation meal. Have a seat at the picnic table on your deck and enjoy dinner as you watch a sunset over Lake Vermilion.
What you need:
- 1 bag charcoal (available at Pehrson Lodge)
- Ground beef
- Brats
- Onion
- Tomato
- Peppers
- Baked beans
- Buns
- Fruit
- Potato chips
- Salt
- Pepper
Fish Fry
If you go to Lake Vermilion and don’t have a fresh-caught fish fry, were you really there? Get the most out of your trip North by catching dinner one night. Getting enough for a fish fry is a wonderful goal to work towards as you try your hand at fishing. When it comes to Lake Vermilion fish, walleye take the cake as the “perfect eaters.” However, there are lots of other fish to catch that taste delish on the dinner plate. Our experienced dock staff often fillet bluegill, bass, perch, crappie and northern brought in by guests for dinner. Pro tip: A fish fry makes a delicious breakfast, too. Just ask your hosts, the Hansons!
Baked beans and your favorite vegetable will make this a meal! (If you haven’t noticed, Minnesotans enjoy their baked beans.)
What you need:
- Fish (If you need help with this part, we’d be happy to set you up with an experienced Lake Vermilion fishing guide).
- 1 box Shore Lunch
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
- Cooking oil
- Baked beans
- Veggie
View Shore Lunch’s fish fry instructions here: http://www.shorelunch.com/products/product-detail.aspx?productid=24
Easy-Peasy Pasty
Looking for an easy crowd-pleaser? Instead of going for the classic frozen pizza, we encourage you to try a Minnesota pasty! Pasties are a historic staple in the Midwest--miners used to take pasties in their pockets for a quick lunch during a long day of work. A pasty is a baked, buttery pastry that is filled with potatoes, meat and other veggies. Just pop a few in the oven for a while, take them out and enjoy.
We generally have frozen pasties available in the Pehrson Lodge shop, but you can also pick them up at Zup’s in Cook.
What you need:
- Pasties (for adults, 1/person. Kids can typically split)
Paul/Pauline Bunyon-Style Breakfast
Paul and Pauline Bunyon and big folks. Big folks require a BIG breakfast. Plan to skip the typical milk and cereal one day and put together a breakfast fit for lumberjacks and Jills instead. The first piece to this meal is flapjacks. And when it comes to flapjacks, the bigger, the better--we’re talking these puppies should take up the entire pan. Lumberjacks also need some protein, so eggs and bacon are a necessity. Finish it off with a side or two--fruit, toast or… pie? If you have any strong feelings about pie for breakfast, we’re open to discussion.
With a breakfast like this, everyone in your family will be ready for the day.
What you need:
- Pancake mix and ingredients on box
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Syrup
- Bread
- Butter
- Fruit
- ...Pie?
Dessert, Please
Similar to the fish fry, a Minnesota vacation is not complete without s’mores around a campfire. Every week during the summer, we host a community s’mores night that we invite all guests to attend--sitting around the campfire, roasting marshmallows and chatting is a great way to get to know your resort neighbors for the week. We provide everything you need!
If you’d rather enjoy a private s’mores night with your family, each cabin is equipped with a fire ring and two complimentary bundles of firewood. If you’re new to s’mores, it’s a simple recipe: Just toast a mallow over the fire until it’s golden-brown, then sandwich it with a piece of chocolate between two graham crackers.
What you need:
- Marshmallows
- Graham crackers
- Chocolate bars
- Toasting stick (you can find one in the woods or bring a store-bought, metal one)
We hope this gives you all a good start in planning meals for your vacation this summer! Be sure to send us photos when you create these meals; we’d love to see them.
*Cardinal is our only cabin without a dishwasher.
