After the first year of this…I made sure I was the FIRST one to respond with my meals.
Watermelon dessert is a great idea!
2 Likes
Main courses: Baked spaghetti. Sheet pan quesadillas. American goulash.
Sides: Green (lettuce) salad with chopped tomatoes and/or cucumbers, with a couple of bottles of different salad dressings on the side. Fresh fruit salad.
King’s Hawaiian dinner rolls (just heat them up) with spreadable butter.
2 Likes
How is it that you got stuck with 3 nights?!
There will be a rotating cast of characters of varying ages at this house, but the 2 sets of grandparents (of which we are one) will be there all week and so we are taking on most of the dinners. My husband will help so it won’t be too bad.
2 Likes
Well, I’m a southerner and this is not a healthy meal and certainly not fancy but definitely easy and kids usually like it as well as adults. Barbecue pork butt in a crock pot with a half bottle BBQ Sauce, slow cooked and then shredded for pulled pork sandwiches. You have to buy buns and some more BBQ sauce as a condiment. Easy enough for just about any side to go with it (mac&cheese, potato salad, pasta salad baked beans, etc).
3 Likes
I think @NJSue said that pulled pork was already taken by someone else. I agree…it’s a winner for a crowd.
3 Likes
I cook it without bbq sauce, just seasoned, in my household there is a bbq sauce divide.
2 Likes
Look up crockpot chicken fajita. You make the chicken in a crockpot as shown. The rest of the ingredients are served on the side and people build their own.
Ingredients
-
1 lb of Chicken Breasts
-
3 Peppers Green, Red & Yellow, sliced
-
1 Onion sliced
-
1 Package of Taco Seasoning
-
Flour or corn tortillas
-
Toppings - sour cream cheese, guacamole, etc.
Instructions
-
Slice peppers and onions then place them on the bottom of the crock pot
-
Put Chicken on top of peppers and onions
-
Sprinkle taco seasoning on the top
-
Cook on low for 6-8 hrs (or high for 3-4)
-
Shred everything up and mix together
-
Serve with tortillas and all the toppings - sour cream, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, salsa, etc.
4 Likes
I usually make a pot of sauce and meatballs/sausages at home and then freeze it to bring. Just buy some pasta and a bagged salad at whatever local supermarket there is.
2 Likes
[quote=“NJSue, post:1, topic:3703836”]
I do not want to bring up a myriad of seasonings, oils, etc.
[/quote].
I always bring seasonings of anything I might need. Just put a bit in sandwich baggies–takes no room and usually saves a lot of angst. And a supply of paper plates!
There are some good recipes for swedish meatballs in the instapot. All a one pot dish–quick and easy.
4 Likes
A big vat of Swedish meatballs over mashed potatoes or egg noodles with some lingonberry jam sounds great. I could make the meatballs in advance. I am also very intrigued by the sheetpan fajita or crockpot taco filling idea. I’d make a double side of Zatarains or Goya beans and rice in a saucepan on the stove. Love the idea of a taco or nacho bar but there are a lot of moving parts there. I’m going to occupy myself in the coming weeks with experimenting at home.
I am going to lean heavily into the bagged salads here. Costco has a lot of them, some are cabbage based or brussels-sprouts-based. They don’t wilt.
1 Like
You mentioned Costco salads.
The Southwest salad, with grilled chicken in mesquite marinade.
The Asian sesame salad, with teriyaki steak or chicken (or both).
Plus bread, plus whatever other sides your crowd might eat.
Wraps - a couple of different kinds of wraps, a couple of different grilled meats, and lots of veggies/cheese/sour cream/? that can be put on them, plus a condiment (mayo/honey mustard/?) or 2. Can do a potato or other salad as appropriate.
1 Like
The Costco mashed potatoes (not Costco brand I don’t think) that come two to a package would probably feed 10 people easily and are decently good. You can even put them in a crockpot with a little extra seasoning, butter and a splash of milk and no one know they are not homemade.
3 Likes
Plus one for Costco mashed potatoes!
Also, they occasionally carry precooked meatballs in the freezer section. A giant bag reheated in your favorite tomato sauce works great. Also, I sauté chopped zucchini with garlic and some Italian seasoning, then throw in a big pot with said tomato sauce and meatballs and bring to a boil. Serve with pasta and some shredded cheese.
5 Likes
Because you are good with salads, how about a down and dirty taco salad? I first had this on a campout when I was a teen, and to this day it’s one of dh’s favorite things.
Basically Romaine lettuce, cooked ground beef (or turkey, if that’s your thing), Ranch Style Beans, Catalina dressing, Fritos and whatever other fixings you want. It’s nice for it to be customizable. I like just onion and cucumber, but dh also adds tomato and shredded cheese, if we have some on hand. I don’t season the ground beef, but you could use a taco seasoning packet or something. I don’t because we don’t want the added salt.
There is just something so satisfying about the combinations of textures and flavors. It’s like a healthy Frito chili pie (oh, that’s another option!). The beans and meat and cheese are great for those of us trying to get plenty of protein, but the lettuce and veggies keep it from being too heavy. And Fritos are a great, crunchy treat!
7 Likes
Walking tacos without the constraints of a bag.
1 Like
Cheese steaks. I’m not sure about Costco, but BJs and Market Baket usually have the shaved steak. It cooks up in no time.
1 Like
Unless you know everyone well enough to know if they like/can eat peppers, I wouldn’t mix peppers to cook or be served with a main dish if they can’t be picked out. I know many people including me and my husband for whom that would not work well. (Food tolerance/sensitivity situation, not allergy). If this happens we eat the side dishes and not complain. During a week away it’s harder to skip much of a main meal because you can’t go home afterwards and eat something else.
I’d take the cautious route and poll the crowd on gluten, vegan, tree nuts/sesame and dairy before I got too far along in menu planning.
I’ve noticed the list of “don’t serve me this” foods has gotten increasingly complex. Which is fine- I can accommodate almost anything given advance warning, but the last minute “remember vinegar has gluten in it” or “I can’t tolerate soy with my current med regime” can throw anyone for a loop. And the cross contamination issues in a cabin (mostly a problem for severe peanut and celiac) make it tough to pull off a last minute substitution.
2 Likes
I’m assuming that OP knows about any allergies/celiacs since it’s family so I wouldn’t open up that can of worms asking about preferences.
I have to admit that I’m not accommodating a “don’t serve me” request when cooking for a big group, especially on vacation, in a cabin where I don’t have access to my own pantry and easy market. Allergies and celiac? Absolutely yes I will accommodate. “I don’t like ____”? Absolutely not. You are on your own or picking out the offending food, or making yourself a sandwich.
11 Likes
“Do you or (spouse, kids =whoever is coming) have any food allergies or aversions” is a question I regularly ask. One of my friends always asks “what foods do you (and spouse, kids, etc) not eat”. That sort of question is asked more often than not in my experience, unless guests are regulars and this info is already known.
I don’t find the answers hard to work around 95% (or more) of the time. I do have an active cooking for others life, including several times a year at a lake house. I would much rather make food I am pretty sure will be well received and enjoyed, than worry about it ahead or have awkwardness or still hungry guests.
Blue cheese can be pretty polarizing. Bring it on for me. I always serve it on the side, or not at all, unless I know everyone likes it
We had a fairly big party recently. I made sure there was enough variety and customizable options for every common major eating style I could think of. (gluten free, dairy free, veg, aversion to blue cheese, salmon, sugar free). I did not ask the question ahead. But if there are a dozen or so people or less I will ask the question.
2 Likes