Meal Ideas for a Large family of 14

[Mom2jnb]

Hi All,

 

Here is the situation...my Uncle's BIL passed away last night, a week after a tragic accident.

My Aunt and Uncle have asked if I could bring a meal or two to them. I have no problem with it...BUT here is the situation.....

The have 14 kids...12 of them will be there with Mom and Dad during this meal.

I need meal ideas.....They have been absolutely slammed with Mac and Cheese, Pizza, and spaghetti.....any ideas???

 

Thanks:bigear:

Alison

[Claire]

 

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole served with guacamole and sour cream on the side. Just double the recipe and bake in two dishes instead of one. I haven't met anyone yet who didn't like this recipe, and it reheats well.

[EarleneW]

A taco bar.

You know all the stuff in baggies. Lettuce, tomatos, shells, etc and then a huge bowl of meat. They can make thier own the way they want them.

[Ferdie]

Baked Ziti with French bread. Double this recipe:

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Ziti-I/Detail.aspx

[Oakblossoms]

Tamale Pie

 

Put your favorite chili in a pan. Mix up cornbread add green chilis and cheese if you like. Pour or spread the batter on the top of the chili. Bake until cornbread is done. I would make 3 pans of this and a nice big salad. Ask if they would like a tub of sour cream or need salad dressing.

 

Falafal

Homemade or use a mix. I bake mine in the oven. We get a garlic/tahini sauce locally. But, you could just get a big Costco hummus, flatbread, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, radishes. I bring this for potlucks and it's always gone. I'm amazed because I thought it was slightly freaky to most people.

Use foil pans that can be recycled (or tossed :glare:).

 

Perhaps some nice pasta salads and/or sandwich stuff.

Peach crisp is easy to make and people often forget dessert!

 

Seriously though....take a salad. A big gorgeous salad with nice tomatoes.

[Carol in Cal.]

Here's a very easy recipe.

 

Brown as much chicken as you want lightly in a little oil or Pam in a wide saucepan with a lid. Pour Campbell's Healthy Request cream of chicken soup over it. The proportions are that if you have the equivalent of 6 chicken breasts, you use 2 cans of the undiluted soup. Scale up as necessary. Heat to boiling, then turn down to very low heat. Cover and simmer slowly for about 40 minutes. Check to make sure that it is done.

 

The liquid becomes a great gravy for rice. You can pull the skin off the chicken before browning if you want a low fat dish--that is what I always do.

 

This should break you free of the other meals, and it is very easy, hearty, and good.

[*LC]

I make this a lot to bring to folks, and we eat or freeze the second one. (I've been asked by families to bring it, and I'm not a particularly good cook.) You could bring both to feed the whole family.

 

LC

Ingredients

 

1 lb ground beef

1 lb mild pork sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 (3 1/2 ounce) package pepperoni slice, chopped

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (26 1/2 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1 (16 ounce) jar mild salsa

1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushroom, drained

10 ounces pepperoncini peppers, drained and sliced

16 ounces shell pasta, cooked

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Directions

 

 

1. Cook the beef, sausage, onion and green pepper until brown.
   
2. Drain and set aside.
   
3. Mix the pepperoni, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, salsa, mushrooms and salad peppers.
   
4. Stir into the meat mixture.
   
5. Add the cooked pasta shells.
   
6. Spoon 1/2 of the mixture into 2 greased 11x7 inch baking dishes.
   
7. Combine the two cheeses and divide the amount in half.
   
8. Take one half of the cheese and sprinkle on top of the meat in each dish.
   
9. Take the remaining 1/2 of the meat mixture and cover the cheese in the two dishes.
   
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
    
11. Top each dish with the remaining 1/2 of the cheese.
    
12. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

 

[Quiver0f10]

Cook and debone a whole chicken (or use boneless skinless breast) shred it and mix with cream of whatever soup. Place in a 9X13 ( a 10X15 pan would be idea or one 9X13 and a smaller 8X8 if they have a lot of older kids) and top with stove top stuffing. Bake 350 for 30 minutes or so. Serve with a salad and rolls.

 

Shepperds pie with salad etc

 

Lasagna, rolls, salad

 

Chili & corn bread

 

BBQ meatballs, rice and veggies

 

And don't forget the dessert :D

[Mom2jnb]

Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate all the great ideas.....

 

I am sure they will be thrilled with them. Now I just have to make a decision.

 

Thank you all again.

 

Positive rep for all :)

Alison

[H0MEFree]

Spaghetti

Lasagna

Burritos

 

all served with salad of course and bread if available.

[Danestress]

I would make two casseroles - two of the same thing but in two seperate 9 X 11 pans. I often make a chicken casserole with Uncle Ben's Wild rice (just search Recipezaar.com - the have everything you could want) or lasagna. I also make Shepherd's pie when I need to take meals, though it's a bit of a pain to make.

 

Anyway, I would search and do it that way, then just take a huge vegetable salad and bread to serve with it, and maybe a cake for dessert.

[Quiver0f10]

I thought of a few more ideas in case you are still looking:

 

Beef stew

Beef pot pie

Chicken Pot Pie

[Claire]

Actually, if they're hearty eaters, you might want to triple the recipe and bake in three dishes. For us, one recipe equals 6 servings instead of 9.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Taco Soup... cheap and crock-pot easy

 

Our family of 6 uses this recipe. Just double or triple it.

 

1 lb ground beef, browned

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce + 1 can water

1 can corn

1 onion, chopped

1 can kidney beans

 

Pour all ingrediants into the crockpot juice and all, no draining. Turn on low for about 8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded cheese.

 

This is very filling! It costs under $10 to make and we can usually get two meals from it. I just take the leftovers and strain out the liquid and use it for loaded nachos or as a burrito filling. Everytime we make it, it gets rave reviews! Add a bagged salad and some homemade cookies on the side and you will have a winner. Just be sure to make a batch for your family at the same time.

[Marie in Oh]

of cooking a deboning a whole chicken you could make two pans of chicken enchiladas, and then do spanish rice, and chips and salsa.

 

Or you could do a big pot of chili and corn bread.

 

Or soup and rolls.

[Mom2jnb]

Thank you again for all the ideas.....I am excited to try some of them for my family and then I think I will make a few for them and let them use them as needed.

 

Thank you ladies!!!!

Alison