There is nothing I love more than my whole family being together. I cherish that time more than anything. But when we all get together, it’s quite the crowd to feed! Planning meals can be a challenge. I want to make things that everyone will enjoy, but not spend all day in the kitchen. These recipes are some of my favorites to serve for a crowd. They are simple, delicious, and keep me out of the kitchen all day so that I can spend time with the people I love.
Let’s start with the first meal of the day – breakfast! Some of these recipes are make ahead and some are recipes you can ask the whole family to pitch in with. Here’s my roundup of my favorite breakfast recipes!
Up next, second meal of the day….lunch! Here are some simple lunch ideas for serving a crowd.
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bowls I buy the frozen organic quinoa from Trader Joes, which is microwavable. You could also just cook a big batch of quinoa. Then, I set out the ingredients and let people build their own bowls. The last time I did this, I set out ingredients for these Buffalo Chicken bowls, but I also set out a variety of other veggies and a tahini sauce. You could do any protein and mix of veggies/sauces that you want!
Barbecued Sloppy Joes This recipe is super easy to make ahead and transfer to the crockpot. Then it’s ready to serve whenever your crowd is ready to eat. And since it’s in the crockpot, you don’t have to worry about the stragglers – their food will stay warm!
Harvest Chicken Salad is easy to make for a crowd. Make a big batch the day before and it will be waiting in the fridge for you.
Pear Cranberry Salad is easy to throw together. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken to make it a complete lunch.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Make a big batch of this soup and keep it warm in the crockpot. Easy to serve a crowd. Serve it with a side of cornbread!
Next up, last meal of the day….dinner! Here are some of my favorites for serving a crowd.
Spaghetti – It’s so easy to make this sauce in advance and just reheat it in the crockpot! It freezes well too, so this can be done way ahead of time. Just boil some noodles and serve the sauce right out of the crockpot.
Prawn Saganaki – I love anything that can cook in one pot that can be transferred right to the table. Slice a baguette and serve with a simple salad. Dinner’s done.
Chicken Chimis – These freeze great. Make a big batch ahead, thaw the number you need, and bake. Easy. Let your guests add whatever toppings they like!
Easy Pot Roast – This one cooks in the slow cooker and really could not be easier. If you want to be the talk of the holiday or family gathering, serve with these mashed potatoes.
Fajita Stuffed Chicken – this is another that you can prep ahead and refrigerate or freeze. Thaw and throw them all on a baking tray to cook.
Chili – nothing beats a hot pot of chili on a cold night! Easy to make, easy to serve. For our annual Halloween Party, I always have Chili in one crockpot and Chicken Tortilla Soup in another to give people options.
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken – If the weather is nice enough where you are, marinate this chicken ahead and throw on the grill. Keep it easy on yourself and choose store bought Tzatziki over the homemade yogurt dill sauce. Fancy up store bought hummus, buy some pita, and look at you go!
Smoky Pulled Chicken Tacos – You could easily make this in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker. Set it out taco bar style.