Ideas for simple big meals to feed a good number of people?

We tend to have friends over on Sundays for lunch and it can often feel like I didn’t make enough food or it’s all not quite right for adults and kids mixed. I’d love to hear good crowd pleaser meals that are really easy to throw together with very minimal effort. Can I repeat how little work id like this to feel like?!?

Question

Ideas for simple big meals to feed a good number of people?

We tend to have friends over on Sundays for lunch and it can often feel like I didn’t make enough food or it’s all not quite right for adults and kids mixed. I’d love to hear good crowd pleaser meals that are really easy to throw together with very minimal effort. Can I repeat how little work id like this to feel like?!?

Wynne · Answer

Lazy Lasagna: This is so yummy, cozy and (most importantly) EASY to make. It's become a big go-to for me as I do not like to use much brainpower to make dinner on weeknights. It's one of those magical true one pot recipes (unless you make your own marinara sauce, which you really don't need to). It's fairly quick, but most importantly it's simple and doesn't require me to consult the recipe every 3 minutes. I like to add some spinach and I have also found that if you forget to buy one of the cheeses it still turns out delicious.

Maggie Knight · Answer

Alison Roman Baked Potato Bar: Got this idea from Alison Roman’s Nothing Fancy but set up a baked potato bar with all the fixings you can imagine and you will hear approximately zero complaints and it’s mostly a hands off endeavor to prep and serve.

Siobhan Vivian · Answer

Lowbrow goodness: Sloppy joes. Make a big batch in a Le Crueset, toast the buns with a slice of American cheese on top side, then add a scoop of the meat mixture! Have fed some HUGE family parties this way.

leesey lou · Answer

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: take a page from the french and serve roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and a simple salad with ice cream for dessert!

roasting the whole chicken is a nice dinner party move but roasting chicken thighs and legs is even easier and kid-friendly.

keep the salad truly simple with just one variety of lettuce dressed in a mustardy red wine vinaigrette.

if mashing potatoes feels like too much work, layer thinly sliced potatoes underneath the chicken and cook it at the same time.

extra points if you farm out part of the work to a guest, salad and ice cream being the easiest!

Nat · Answer

Pasta: Certainly the least work possible to feed as many people as possible. You can make two different sauces/toppings so the kids can have something simple and mix it up weekly for the adults. Perhaps you can assign sides to someone else?

Sarah · Answer

An easily executable summer dinner party:

to drink: vino verde and beer

Pre dinner snacks: marinades olives with feta from the bar at the grocery store, salt and vinegar chips, roasted chili pistachios

Dinner is greens with Gotham greens green goddess dressing, the pasta recipe linked here, and smitten kitchens grilled chicken recipe with the lemon herb vinaigrette - grill while your guests are hanging and snacking. I did boneless breasts and thighs and it turned out great.

For the kids, a box of Annie's Mac and cheese, the grilled chicken, strawberries

Dessert is Alison Roman's blueberry cornmeal tart with vanilla ice cream

Easy to execute - I made the tart and vinaigrette in the morning. Pasta is truly a 30 min to plate situation, made it right before guests arrived and just left in the pot and warmed for a few min before serving.  Had 4 adults and 3 kids with plenty of leftovers.