We are having a family get-together at a lake house in Maine in early June for a week. The hosts are assigning nights for dinner. I will be responsible for 3 nights. I’m looking for ideas for cooking for 10 adults without much prep because I won’t be able to cook at home and freeze; there isn’t much room in the fridge/freezer and I’m eight hours away. I do have a battery-powered camping fridge about the size of a cooler. I plan on a Costco run and reliance on bagged and premade salads. Obviously hot dogs and hamburgers are fine. The rental house is basically equipped, but I’m sure the pans and knives will be dull. I will probably bring a couple of knives and maybe a large skillet and an Instant Pot.I do not want to bring up a myriad of seasonings, oils, etc. I’ll bring basics (salt, pepper, some bottled marinades/dressings). Any suggestions for easy dinners to feed a crowd?
Restaurants.
Vegetarian chili - I use baked beans, as well as pinto and great northern white beans, portobello mushrooms (lots, cut into quarters), onions, garlic, roasted tomatoes (canned is easy) (or salsa), bell pepper, carrots, chili seasoning, a small amount of masa (corn) flour mixed with water to make a paste, and stirred in to thicken - a big pot, sautée the onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots and then dump all the other items and let simmer for as long as you want.
Sour cream, grated cheese and corn chips and done. If you have access to an oven, corn bread or muffins is a fun addition.
Pulled pork
Assuming there’s an oven - Mac and cheese - fix the sauce ahead of time and then cook the macaroni at the cabin. We also like the sauce with tortellini (sold at Costco), no baking required. Serve with a large salad and broccoli. This is the original Beecher’s recipe.
Costco frozen beef and sausage lasagna. The one with the sausage is best.
Cook chicken in the instant pot, shred and add chilis, etc and make tacos. I’m lazy and fix black or pinto beans on the stove. Spanish rice in the instant pot.
I often make a tandoori or tikka chicken spice mix at home to take with me. I’ll mix it with oil and then marinate he chicken in it for a day/overnight before grilling Make a cucumber salad to serve with it. (A yoghurt based raita is great!) Put out some sliced tomatos. Great meal with nice flavors and minimal prep.
Things that are easy to put together with a limited number of ingredients found at Costco
Sheet pan fajitas H chicken/beef , peppers, onions, tortillas)
Pulled pork ( pork and bbq sauce, buns, premade coleslaw)
Baked potato bar (the precooked bacon doesn’t need to be refrigerated)
Sausage and Peppers (either with pasta or as subs)
Assuming you don’t have too many people with food restrictions….
Pasta. Oven baked chicken meatballs and a good jarred sauce. Your salad, Costco baguettes.
Taco bar. Beef and chicken , assorted toppings. Slice a big watermelon.
Kabobs. Choice of meat, vegetables on a skewer. Pot of rice.
Salmon bowls. Marinate and bake/grill salmon,
Cut in small pieces. Build bowls using Costco sticky rice, roasted or grilled veggies. Avocado. Seaweed. Japanese bbq sauce.
chicken sausage, broccolini and potatoes (I put the potatoes on first and then add the sausage and broccolini after 30 minutes, and then roast together for another 30). Just EVOO, salt and pepper for seasoning.
Chicken thighs, gnocchi, and broccoli with a store bought Alfredo.
I throw it in a crockpot.
You answered your own question; Kirkland rotisserie chicken.
I made sloppy joes for a big bbq once. It was a big hit. No one had eaten that for ages.
I used a crock pot. I had a side salad, canned baked beans and baked potatoes. Grated cheese and a few other toppings kept it easy. Probably the easiest group meal I have ever made.
Like this thread already!
Instant pot baby back ribs. (Ribs usually available uncooked and vac packed at Costco)My std size instant pot holds 2 racks of them. About 30 min in instant pot and then a few minutes with sauce on foil covered pan or cookie sheet under broiler or in 400 degree oven or on grill. You could do 2 rounds of instant pot cooking and then finish them up together. Lots of recipes on internet.
Baked potatoes, green beans, salad or slaw.
I like to make a trifle with any kind yellow cake cut in pieces, homemade or store bought - pound cake, cake mix or ladyfingers, plus orange liquor or OJ and /or a bit of berry jam on cake pieces, whatever berries you can bring or buy, whipped cream. Any type dish from bowl to glass 9x13. On vacation, no special trifle arrangement, just general layers. Easy and festive for a crowd.
My DHs family did this annually, and it was a headache. But here is what I found worked well.
Spiral hams (I usually got two)
Several different salads. I prepared everything at my home and took about 10 minutes to assemble. I did that broccoli salad, a potato salad, and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.
A couple of baguettes and nice butter.
Dessert was pies or brownies or something like that.
I could set the whole meal out and just get my plate and enjoy.
I would take a couple of loaves of bread, and condiments for sandwiches the next day with the leftover ham.
Easy peasy.
Meal 2…something you can cook in a crockpot or two…pulled port in one, and Paula Deens Crockpot Mac and Cheese in another. Very easy!!
Meal 3
Some easy pasta dish.
Or a make your own chefs salad.
Every year I suggested ordering out pizza or Chinese. DHs mom always replied “we don’t do that”
Ridiculous.
Assuming you’ll have a camp fire, my two go-too’s are hobo pies and chicken pot pie stew with biscuits. All ingredients should be available at Costco and fit in a large cooler.
Wrap all the ingredients in aluminum foil. Throw in fire. Eat out of the foil. Corn on the cob still in the husks thrown in the coals is good. A pair of thick gloves is a must.
Chicken, frozen veggies and cans of soup in a Dutch oven. Put the biscuits on top of the stew. Place hot coals around it. Easy.
Another camper did a burrito mix on the fire. Some tortillas, shredded cheese and sour cream and all set.
A fresh lobster and fish fest sounds pretty good too.
Whatever you decide be sure to store and dispose of food properly. Bears love camps.
Thank you, you’re saving my life here. Another guest with cooking duty has already claimed the mac and cheese and pulled pork options–very popular! But with this list I will be able to come up with many alternatives. I’ve got to claim my territory. I thought about marinating and grilling a couple of London broils one night to slice thin and serve with a baked potato bar, a big green salad with tomatoes, and those Costco rolls. I love the idea of a big watermelon for dessert.
How is it that you got stuck with 3 nights?!
We do this on our family vacation. In addition to eating out at least a couple nights each “family” - I have 3 kids - so each one of them along with their spouse or significant other) - take a night to make a dinner. All delicious but nothing too complicated because no one wants to take away from
Beach and outside time. One year S and DIL did homemade Crunchwrap supremes and it was DELICIOUS