Since you can’t always choose your travel companions (hello, family!), a good playlist and road snacks – or padkos, as most South Africans know it – are the two main components that make a great road trip. Whether you’re planning a long or short journey, our go-to bites are sure to keep tummies full and hearts happy.

Preparation is key! The more you can finish ahead of your trip, the less you’ll have to worry about during that frantic last-minute packing the night before. Luckily most of these recipes can be made a day or so ahead of time.

Here are some South African favourite sweet and savoury padkos recipes.

Mozzarella stuffed chicken meatballs

Ingredients

• 550g chicken mince
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, with a pinch of mixed Italian herbs
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp loosely packed fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 100g mozzarella, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups Napolitana sauce parsley leaves and grated
• Parmesan, for garnish bread or cooked pasta, to serve

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix mince, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, garlic, rosemary, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. With a 2 tbsp scoop, scoop chicken mixture and press 1 cube of mozzarella into the centre, sealing meat tightly around cheese. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and cheese.
2. In a 30cm pan, heat oil on medium-high. Add meatballs; cook for 10 minutes or until browned on most sides. Add sauce. Lower heat to mediumlow. Simmer for 12 minutes or until meatballs are cooked.
3. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Serve with bread or over pasta.

Each serving: About 1 445kJ, 27g protein, 17g carbohydrate, 19g fat (5g saturated), 2g fibre, 960mg sodium. Make_ahead tip: Proceed through step 2. Put in a container; refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat on medium-low for 30 minutes or until hot. Go on to step 3.

Mini cheese quiches with ham, onion and chives

Ingredients

• 250g shortcrust pastry
• 3 eggs
• 1 tin of Nestlé Ideal Unsweetened Evaporated Low Fat Milk
• 100g grated white cheddar cheese
• 30g chives, finely chopped
• 100g ham, cut in cubes
• 12 onions, cut in slices
• salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry thinly and cut into six circles large enough to fill the bases of a greased muffin pan, coming up the sides by about 2cm.
3. Place the pastry-lined muffin pan in the oven and bake until just turning golden (about 15 minutes).
4. In the meantime, whisk the eggs and evaporated milk together.
5. Add the cheese, chives, ham, onion, salt and black pepper to the egg mixture.
6. When the tart cases are golden, remove from the oven and fill with the egg mixture.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg is set.
8. Remove from the oven and serve.

Quick-make, no-bake brownies

Ingredients

• 2 packets Marie Biscuits
• 2 eggs
• 250g butter
• 100ml cocoa, sifted
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

1. Break the Marie Biscuits into small pieces in a bowl.
2. Beat the eggs and set aside.
3. In a large microwaveable dish, melt the butter in the microwave, then add the cocoa, icing sugar, vanilla essence and eggs. Mix well.
4. Cook the chocolate mixture in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.
5. Add biscuit pieces to the chocolate mixture and mix until the biscuits are covered in chocolate.
6. Spread the mixture on a Swiss-roll pan lined with baking paper.
7. Leave in the fridge overnight or until set (about 2 hours).
8. Cut into 4cm squares.

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