Dinner for large family?

Question

My family of 4 grew to 7 now that I am caring for three child second shift. I am looking for recipes that are homemade, easy on the pocketbook to buy ingrediants for and kid friendly. Something that I can prepare while I only have two kids at home with me and pull out of the oven when the remaining 3 kids get off the bus would be WONDERFUL!

Answer 1

First, I would like to encourage you to buy a slowcooker, they are great! For about $25 you can buy a 5 qt. removable crock-insert Rival crockpot. This is perfect for families, you can toss your ingredients inside in the morning and allow it to cook slowly all day long and be ready for dinner. I've had one for years and use it almost every day. If you want recipes for the crockpot, just email me!


Baked Mac-sagna
1 lb. Macaroni cooked and drained
2lbs. Hamburger, browned and drained
1 large container large curd cottage cheese
1 large can gr. Pepper and mushroom spaghetti sauce
1 cup each cheddar and mozzarella cheeses

In large bowl, mix macaroni, hamburger, cottage cheese, sauce, and 3/ 4’s of each of the cheeses. Pour into baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly.


Pot Pie Casserole
3 med chicken breasts (or turkey), cooked and cubed
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
12-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables, cooked
1/4 cup chicken gravy (optional)
2 regrigerated pie crusts
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Take out pie crusts to get to room temperature. In saucepan, simmer butter and onion till soft. Stir in flour and pepper, and cook till bubbly. Slowly stir in broth and milk, a little at a time... heat to boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Add chicken, veggies, and gravy. Unroll 1st pie crust, cut into 4 pieces sections, then cover bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon chicken filling over crust. Unroll 2nd crust and slice into 3/4" strips. Lay 1/2 of the strips on a diagonal in one direction about 1/2" apart and longest strips in the middle. Lay the other 1/2 of the strips in the other direction to cover creating a lattice effect like a pie. Bake on a cookie sheet 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand apx 10 minutes before serving. * You could also just lay the entire top crust over filling in one piece and just cut several slits in the top.


BAKED BEAN CASSEROLE
1 lb. hamburger
8 strips bacon
10-12 hot dogs
Busch's baked beans (large can)
1 sm. Jar relish
2 squeezes of ketchup
½ bottle barbecue sauce
2 squeezes of mustard
Garlic powder
Seasoned salt
Parsley
Garlic pepper

In bottom of pan put ketchup, mustard, relish,
barbecue sauce and spices. Place beans in pan. Slice hot dogs thinly and quickly pre-cook in frying pan. Cook hamburger, drain both and place in pan with beans. Cook bacon, break and put in pan. Mix all ingredients together (I use my hands). Since all ingredients are cooked, just heat to taste at 350º for 40-60 minutes.


"Cordon Bleu" Manicotti
1 pkg (12) string cheese snacks
12 slices each deli sliced ham and chicken breast
12 manicotti shells
1 jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup water
shredded parmesan cheese

Roll ham and chicken slices around each string cheese snack and slide into mannicotti shells. Mix water with pasta sauce. Pour a little sauce into bottom of baking dish. Place Manicotti in baking dish and pour remaining sauce over shells. Bake covered with aluminum foil (or if baking with covered dish, cover with lid) bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until pasta is tender. Top with parmesan and serve.


HOT DOG AND HAMBURGER PIE
1 pound lean ground beef
4 hot dogs , cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (15 ounce) can baked beans
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
2 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
4 slices processed American cheese
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake empty pie shell for 10 minutes. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned, stirring occasionally to crumble; drain fat. Stir in hot dogs, beans, ketchup, mustard, taco seasoning, and cheese cubes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Spread beef mixture into baked pie shell. Cut American cheese slices into strips, and make a lattice on top of pie. Bake for 5 to 10 minute, or until cheese is slightly melted.


EASY BEEF ENCHILADAS
1 Lb. ground beef
1 (19-oz.) or 2 (10-oz.) cans Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) shredded cheese
1 (12-ct.) pkg. Ole El Paso Flour Tortillas for Soft Tacos &
Fajitas

Heat oven to 375*F. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat
until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 3/4 cup Enchilada sauce
and 1 cup cheese. Spoon enchilada filling onto tortillas;
roll-up and place seam-side down in lightly greased 13 x 9 x
2-inch baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top;
sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375*F for 15 to
20 minutes. Makes 12 Enchiladas


CHICKEN PARMESAN
4-6 chicken breasts
3 eggs plus 1 tablespoon water, beaten
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs plus 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 jar favorite spaghetti or maranara sauce
Sliced Mozarella cheese

Place each breast between two pieces of saran wrap and pound thin using a meat hammer, rolling pin or a heavy can. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Dip breast in the mixture of breadcrumbs and parmesan, into the egg wash and into the breadcrumbs again. Place in skillet and brown on each side, 2 to three minutes. Place in baking dish and cover with maranara sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Place mozarella slices over breasts. Place under broiler 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly and lightly browned.


RIGATONI AND HAM BAKE
3 c. rigatoni
2 c. diced cooked ham
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 jar 4 cheese alfredo sauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 c. crushed ritz crackers
butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water (2 quart) in a large deep pot with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon oil (to prevent boiling over). Add rigatoni noodles, stir to separate. Cook uncovered until water comes to a full rolling boil for 10-11 minutes, stir occasionally. Drain and rinse under hot water. In a large bowl, combine cooked rigatoni, ham and 1 cup cheese. In a medium saucepan, mix milk with alfredo sauce. Combine sauce with rigatoni mixture. Turn into 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with ritz crackers and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Answer 2

If you have a crockpot, make good use of it. There are a lot of great crockpot recipe books out there. Some even have 5-ingredient crockpot meals.

But, here is one of my favorite cheap, feeds-a-crowd recipes-

Pizza Noodle Casserole
3 cups elbow macaroni
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 12 oz carton cottage cheese
1 cup light sour cream (or full fat)
1 15 oz can pizza sauce
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms (if desired)
1 tbsp italian or pizza seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or pizza cheese (less if desired)

Cook macaroni. Drain. Brown onion and meat. Combine all ingredients except mozzarella in 9x13 pan. Bake covered at 350 for about a half hr. Uncover and top with cheese and sprinkle parmesan on top. Put back in oven and bake until cheese melts. Can make ahead and freeze. Serves about 12. (hurray for leftovers!)

Answer 3

Rosemary Roasted Turkey This recipe makes your turkey moist and full of flavor. You can also use this recipe for Cornish game hens, chicken breasts, or roasting chicken. The size of the turkey you select should depend wholly on the amount of guests you are cooking for INGREDIENTS 12 pounds whole turkey 3/4 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon ground black pepper salt to taste DIRECTIONS Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside. Wash the turkey, inside and out, pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick being careful not to tear the skin. Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast according to the number of pounds your turkey weighs. This is usually 20 minutes per pound in a 325 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven. A meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) and the juices should run clear when pierced with a fork.

Answer 4

try chicken and broccoli casserole;
cut 6 chicken breasts in 1 and a half inch cubes then brown in a hot pan with a little oil so that it won't stick, cook till almost done but still a little undercooked, chopp 2 heads broccoli into same size pieces. Then take one can of cream of chicken soup, one can of cream of broccoli soup and a half a cup of mayo and mix everything together, put in a casserole dish and top with grated cheddar, bake at 375 until hot and cheese is melted (about 20 min to a half hour)(this will finish cooking the chicken. This has been a hit with my family and with every kid I know.

Answer 5

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

Answer 6

chili mac
1 can chili beans
2 can tomato puree tomato sauce, pizza sauce, or spaghetti sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 lbs ground beef
1 packet chili seasoning
1-1lb box macaroni
cheddar cheese
cook macaroni and set aside
brown beef
mix cooked mac beef sauce beans seasonings together in a mixing bowl then place mixture in a casserole dish top with cheese and bake at 350 until the cheese is slightly browned
bake time about 45 min

Answer 7

definitely casseroles! I was just gonna say tater tot casserole, but someone already said that. Its good to go with things that are baked. That way, you really dont have to stand over the stove. Set to 300 and go about your business for an hour or 2

Answer 8

You might look at dinner casserole recipes. If you are wanting oven recipes you might try something like:

BAKED SPAGHETTI

2 lg. cans Spagetti sauce
1 box spaghetti noodles
3 c. (1 lb. bag) Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb. hamburger meat
1 tsp. garlic SALT
Salt and pepper to taste (watch salt amount since garlic is salty)

Brown hamburger meat with garlic salt, pepper, and salt. Drain off grease. Add spagetti sauce to meat and simmer for 10 minutes while boiling noodles (follow directions on box for cooking noodles).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In oblong casserole baking dish spread a thin layer of hamburger sauce, then a layer of noodles, layer of sauce, layer of noodles, layer of sauce; top with the shredded cheese. Bake until cheese melts and brown (if desired).

or

Chicken Casserole Supreme recipe
1 chicken
1 cup raw rice, cooked
1 onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted margarine
1 package Town House crackers
Dash of sage
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken with a dash of sage. When chicken is done, cook rice with water from chicken. When rice is done, mix in soup and mayonnaise. Add onion, celery and water chestnuts. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Melt margarine. Crush crackers into margarine and put atop of chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes.

There are tons of different casserole recipes you might like.

Answer 9

I happen love soups & casserols! Just double the recipes & get youself a BIG casserole baking dish & stock pot! There are hundreds of recipes for these dishes in books & online. My favorites are Chili relleno casserol, any stuffed vegitables)green pepper, zuchini), beef or especially chicken based casseroles, eggy cheesy ones, spinach & vegie ones....and they make GREAT LEFTOVERS!!! As for soups.....A BUNCH of chicken stock (fresh or canned0 filled with tons of vegies (frozen if you like) & seasoned as you like but with lots of lemon juice...you'll be surprized how that trick will pep up & save anything!!!)...have fun!!! OH...Clam chowder (a little pricey but wonerful), Navy bean, Beef stew,you grt it,huh! Good Luck!

Answer 10

when i was growing up.. we loved tater tot casserole. hamburger (cooked) mixed with cream of mushroom soup and green beans.put in the bottom of a cake pan, sprinkle with shredded cheese, or cheese slices, cover with tater tots. bake at 350 till heated thru and tater tots brown.
pigs in blankets...
hope it helps