Dinner ideas for feeding a crowd?

Question

I have 3 friends visiting this week, plus my niece is still here. :) So I need some quick and easy menu ideas to feed a small army this week! :) Thanks bunches!!!!

Answer 1

Make soup and sandwiches. Rachael Ray from the Food Network has a lot of those recipes. They are very good. Good luck and enjoy!!

*Black Bean Stoup and Southwestern Monte Cristo Sandwiches Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 sprig fresh bay leaves or 1 large dried bay leaf
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 ribs celery with greens, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with peppers and onions or, stewed tomatoes
8 slices white sandwich bread
1/2 cup hot pepper jelly or: chili sauce, tomatillo or tomato salsa, taco sauce – whichever you have on hand
8 slices honey baked ham, from the deli counter
8 slices Pepper Jack cheese, from the deli counter
8 slices smoked turkey, from the deli counter
2 eggs, beaten
A splash of milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 to 3 scallions, chopped

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add EVOO to hot pot then bay leaves, jalapeno, garlic, celery and onions. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, then add red peppers and continue to cook. Drain 2 cans of beans and add them. With remaining can, pour the juice and half the beans into the pot. Use a fork to mash up the beans remaining in the can. Stir the mashed beans into the pot and season with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and 2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce. Add stock and tomatoes to the stoup and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes over low heat.
While stoup cooks, make Monte Cristos: spread bread with a light layer of pepper jelly or chili sauce, salsa, taco sauce then build sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese and turkey per sandwich. Beat eggs with milk and 2 teaspoons hot sauce and season the eggs with a little salt. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet. Dip each sandwich in egg coating and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt cheese and warm the meats through.

In a small bowl, mix together sour cream and scallions and reserve for topping the stoup. Ladle up black bean soup and top with sour cream mixture. Cut Monte Cristos corner to corner and serve alongside soup for dipping and munching.

*Mini Meatball Soup Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combined
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or ditalini
1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches, recipe follows

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.
Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread or grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.

Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, cracked away from skin
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 cup shredded Asiago
* All of these cheeses are available in specialty cheese case and dairy aisle already shredded

In a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.
Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet. Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up. Flip the grill cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden. Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.

Answer 2

Here's Five days worth of meals, you can change them up howver you need to, and changing the meat or spices used will make a new dish alltogether. This should help you out.
Day 1
Breakfast:
Breakfast Sandwiches: Sausage, egg, and cheese on wheat toast or any preferred combo.
Everyone can toast their own bread, and you would only have to worry about the meat and eggs cooking.

Lunch:
Tuna Salad.
Chop some apples into it instead of relish. Serve on top of lettuce with some crackers and store brought crutons.

Dinner
Spread chicken pieces on a sheet tray. Sprikle with ranch dressing mix Bake. 30-45min or until done.
Serve with instant mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Dessert(I wouldn't do a dessert everynight. Sometimes fresh fruit is just as good and a lot healthier.)

Baked apples
Cut apples in half, scoop out seeds w/ melon baller. coat halves in cinnamon and sugar. Bake in oven until soft.

Day 2:
Breakfast:
Pancakes or waffles. Mix is easy to either buy or make. If you have a waffle iron, then there is almost no work involved.

Lunch:
BLTs
Quick and easy, the only cooking is the bacon. Slice some tomoatoes, one leaf of lettuce on each. Have cheese as an option.


Dinner:
Start this mid morning depending on when you want to have dinner.
In a crock pot place browned ground beef, chili seasoning, tomato paste, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Mix together, and let cook for a few hours on meduim-high heat.

You can make some corn bread from a mix and have a great meal.

Day 3
(Or whenever you don't feel up to much cooking)
Breakfast
Cereal and milk

Lunch:
Deli sandwiches. Have everyone make their own sandwiches from sliced meat and cheeses etc.

Dinner: (Another crock pot meal best started early in the day. )
Place a pork roast in a crock pot with carrots potatoes and celery. season with Garlic powder, Onion Powder, Basil, and any other seasonings of your choice. Let it cook on low-meduim 6-8 hours or until tender.
Serve with biscuits or rolls and Green beans.

Day 4:
Breakfast:
Hamsteaks and eggs.

Lunch:
If you have some of the pork left over, shred it up and add BBQ sauce. this is another great sandwich. (Hope no one's tired of them yet)

Dinner:
Spagehitti and Meatsauce.
Boil your noodles.
Before adding sauce, mix in some browned ground beef.
Toast some garlic bread and enjoy!

Dessert
Make a boxed cake mix and frost it from a can of icing.

Day 5:
Sausage Biscuits and Gravy

Brown the ground sausage, (Drain the juice back into the pan.)
Add a little cream and flour to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix meat back into gravy.
Serve over biscuits.

Lunch:
Left Overs!
There should be something left from earlier meals, now is a good time to clean out the fridge.

Dinner.
Chicken and Rice.
In a large pot. (Stock, Dutch oven, otherwise) Place a whole chicken. Fill with water until it comes above the chicken. Season with Garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. Put over heat. You will have to keep the water level above the chicken so fill it up whenever it gets low.
Let it cook 3-4 hours. Until meat falls off of the bone. If you want, take out the bones, but you can leave the chicken whole if you'd like.

Keeping the chicken in the water, add 2-3 cups of rice and cook for about 10 minutes, or until rice is done.

Stir in a little butter and serve.

Some other Dessert Ideas:
Cookies and milk
Smore's
ice Cream

Answer 3

I found this recipe on FB and used to feed about 45 teenagers just last night (cost was about $75.00). Ham Sandwiches Ingredients: 2 -12 packages of sweet Hawaiian rolls (the small dinner roll looking ones) 1 1/2 lbs of Virginia ham (NOT honey ham) 12 slices Swiss cheese 1 stick of real butter 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder 1 teaspoon Onion Powder 1 teaspoon poppy seeds Directions: You will need two 9 x 13 pans. Place the bottoms of 12 rolls in each pan. Place ham (about 2 shaved slices or so) on the rolls. Cut the cheese slices into 4 parts and place 2 small pieces on each sandwich. Put the dinner roll tops on. In a sauce pan, mix butter, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and poppy seeds. Wait until all butter is melted and then brush the melted mixture over the ham sandwiches. Cover with foil and let sit in fridge for 1 hour or overnight. (If you want to bake them right away, you can also.) Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Answer 4

Pulled pork is any easy way to feed many. Buy a pork butt, dry rub with brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, & pepper. Grill/Roast till cooked thru. Then put in big pot with barbecue sauce about 2/3 sauce & 1/3 water. Allow to boil till meat seems to be falling apart about 45 min. Serve over yummy rolls. You can add to this meal by purchasing ready made coleslaw, fruit salad, potato salad. If you want to make these things they can all be made ahead of time & enjoyed the next day if there are any left overs. Brownies or cookies would be a good dessert. Have fun with all your company!

Answer 5

Spaghetti is quick, fairly cheap, and can be doubled to the number of people...Also tator tot casserole is fairly easy (layer tator tots, hamburger (browned and drained) warmed in a can of mushroom soup (add about a can of water), steamed broccoli. Bake at 350 til hot through (about 30-45 min depending on how frozen the tator tots are) and then top with shredded cheddar cheese 10 minutes or so before its almost done)). Also sloppy joes are easy (I just make my own from hamburger (browned in onions), tomato soup, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar).

Answer 6

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 7

How about a barbeque... some hot dogs/hamburgers..a pot full of baked beans..some corn on the cob.

For dessert..a quick Strawberry Pie... See acouple recipes included.

Calico Beans (Baked Beans W/ 3 Kinds of Beans)
1 lb ground beef
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can pork and beans
1 (15 ounce) can butter beans
8-10 servings

1. Fry bacon until crisp.
2. Drain.
3. Fry ground beef in fat until tender.
4. Combine onion, ketchup, salt, mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, and partly drain beans in a 3 quart oven container.
5. Mix well.
6. Add hamburger and crumbled bacon.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.


Strawberry Lover's Pie
The second question people ask when I serve them this pie is, "What's your recipe?" It comes right after their first question—"May I have another slice?"
3 (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, divided
1 tablespoon butter (no substitutes)
1 (9 inch) pastry shells, baked
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
1/3 cup strawberry jam, melted
6-8 servings

1. In a saucepan, melt 2 ounces chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly; spread or brush over the bottom and up the sides of pastry shell. Chill.
2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over chocolate layer; cover and chill for 2 hours. Arrange strawberries, tip end up, atop the filling. Brush jam over strawberries. Melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle over all.

Answer 8

One of my favorite dishes is Ham Pasta Salad. It has 8 generous servings.

HAM PASTA SALAD
Yield: 8 servings

1 box uncooked spiral pasta
Ham, cut into julienne strips
2 carrots
2 tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 head lettuce
1 bell pepper
1 bottle Parmesan Italian dressing

1). Cook pasta according to directions on box.
2). Chop carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, and bell pepper.
3). Place vegetables and ham in large serving bowl.
4). Drain pasta and chill in iced water.
5). When chilled, put pasta in bowl. Mix evenly.
6). Drizzle evenly the Italian dressing over salad.

Answer 9

You know what I've found to work great? Skewers! You can make lots up ahead of time, can make them with alot of different items that more people might like, and when you're ready to cook, put them on the BBQ and get everybody out on the patio instead of all crowded in the house.

Answer 10

Chicken Marbela (for a large crowd) Recipe

This is a dish for a large crowd.

16 chicken breasts
1 head garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup dried oregano
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup dried prunes
1/2 cup spanish green olives
1/3 cup capers, with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine


Mix everything together except for brown sugar and white wine.
Put chicken in with it and marinate overnight.
Then place in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour white wine all over top, and then sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour making sure that you baste often.
Use extra sauce in baking dish as gravy.


Cracker Barrel Meatloaf (for a large crowd!) Recipe #26509
10 lbs lean ground beef
2 lbs onions, chopped ¼ inch dice
1 lb green bell peppers, diced small
10 eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons pepper
1 1/2 quarts canned diced tomatoes
2 1/4 cups cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups ketchup


Place all ingredients in a very large bowl and mix thoroughly.
Place in 3 loaf pans and press down with spoon.
Bake at 300°F for 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and invert each loaf over 8-inch wire rack to drain grease and juice.
Spread ½ cup of ketchup over each loaf.
Cut into portions 5 to 6 ounces each and keep warm.

Here's one for when you've got up to 20 friends or relatives under one roof and need to come up with something easy for supper. If you find the ingredients need more binding, stir in 1 or 2 cans tomato paste. The ginger and allspice make a nice change from the usual Italian herbs; I've started with fairly small amounts but add more of either spice if it suits you. Add a huge bowl of salad greens tossed with a mixture of oil, vinegar, a little sugar and fresh-ground pepper, plus a couple loaves of garlic bread and you've got a meal.

5 lbs ground beef
2 large onions, chopped fine
2 large bell peppers, chopped fine
9 cups stewed tomatoes
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ginger, to taste
1/4 teaspoon allspice, to taste

In a very large pot, brown the beef, breaking up the meat as it cooks, and spoon off most of the fat.
Add the onion and pepper, and cook over medium low heat until the onion is soft.
Add the tomatoes through allspice, and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit.
Serve over spaghetti.


Any of the recipes can be cut in 1/2 if this is too much and it still turns out great.

Answer 11

Tacos are easy - buy a combination of hard and soft shells
Just cook the meat and put everything out like a salad bar and let them fill their own to taste. If there are any leftovers make Taco salad.