Why not make them an exercise in precision flying? Set the time to land at that you need and adjust your speed along the way by timing between mapped fixes, measuring it and finding you GS then correcting your speed. See how close to exact you can get the wheels to squeak to the clock.
While I was working on my private I would have gaffawed at Hennings suggestion. Now that I have a little bit of XC time, much of it on missions to my Mom's hometown due to her health challenges, I see the value of such training and I think it's a great idea.
It would add an additional dimension or seriousness to your flight planning AND your flight precision and as an important side benefit, provide more learning.
As far as pattern work to stretch the time of your cross country, that sounds a bit disingenuous to me. If I were a DPE and happened to be studying your logbook closely I would see it as stretching the rules a little bit, but that's just me.
I would suggest that you just pick another airport and add it to the trip. I made three stops away from my home airport on my long cross country and it made it more fun and better training.
All these requirements have a purpose. Requiring cross country flying in your training has a very practical purpose. The more you fly, the more different kinds of situations and weather observations you make. Every time you go up, or land at another airport, or do more precise flying, or do more precise planning, you are learning something. Don't consider it a waste of time. Consider it education.
BTW, my DPE even positively commented on my extra long cross country during the oral portion of my checkride. It never hurts for the DPE to be additionally impressed before you take to the air with him/her.
Good luck,