Family Dinner Idea's for Family Visiting

breakfast - bagels and donuts to keep it simple. Cereal will work too.
if people want a hot breakfast? scrambled eggs and bacon and/or sausage.

Lunch? sandwiches or wraps. Since you live in Arizona - it's not exactly "cold" right? so soup might be out of the question?

Dinner? Spaghetti is fast and easy. Feeds a lot and is basically cheap to make.

Lasagna is another that can feed a lot of people. not as fast and easy - but still good.

Ham and mashed potatoes make a good dinner.

I'll need to think on more.

Stock the refrigerator with various things and let the guests cook for themselves. That gives you a break and you get to enjoy them.

I have a breakfast casserole that my guests always request. I HATE eggs and this casserole uses creamed corn vs eggs. I always have this handy.

Breakfast... asst cereals, juices, fruit, bagels, toast. I have Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits on hand, I usually have a large batch of sausage balls as well.

Lunch... we go out a lot. Options are sandwiches, soups, salads.

Dinner... grill burgers, chicken, pork. Crock pot recipes.

Like someone said earlier, just make what you would make for your family and have more of it.

Pick up a Honey Baked ham for sandwiches, snacks.

Ugh. I just typed up a big old thing and my laptop froze and I lost it! Grrrrr

Anyway, I basically was saying to keep it simple. Breakfasts you can do a couple casseroles in the crock pot (turn it on before you go to bed), a couple basic cereals and instant oatmeals, frozen waffles and bagels. People can make their own whenever they get up.

Lunch I would do a couple lunch meats, cheeses and bread for sandwiches with single serve chips. Maybe a couple cans of popular Campbells soups with crackers. If you are working people can choose and make their own.

Dinners I would do simple casseroles with a veggie side or salad and rolls. If you have freezer space, get a variety pack of ice cream bars for dessert.

Also load up on paper cups, plates, bowls and forks and spoons so you aren't overflowing in dirty dishes. Good luck!

Personally I would keep it easy...plus kids and picky eaters tend to like non-fancy foods
Breakfast - cereal, bagels, toast and eggs and bacon. Pancakes.
Lunch - soup, sandwiches, pizza
Dinner - lasagne, hamburgers, grill some pork loins one night, taco/burrito bar, spaghetti. Serve with salad, a veggie, mashed or baked potatoes, bread etc.

breakfast would be this:

http://tasteerecipe.com/2016/10/20/smokey-mountain-breakf...

you can make it up the night before and put it in the fridge, pull it out and heat it up.

You can keep it simple, donuts, bagels, cinnamon rolls (I love to go to Cinnabon when I know I'm having a large group for breakfast!)

For lunches? I would have lunch meat, bread, tortillas and let everyone fix their own.

Dinners would be as easy as possible and to me? that means spaghetti with meat balls, crock pot meals: I saw a chicken and dumplings recipe:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-chicken-a...

meals that use rice. Rice can be very filling and inexpensive. Stir fry meals.

Salads are good fillers too. Healthy and filling. Make great side dishes.

If I am working while my guests are there? I ask them to help out. No one has ever said no yet! I ask them before what their favorite meal to cook is and get the ingredients so all they have to do is cook. I know to some that sounds rude, but they are saving money staying at my home and I'm not there to entertain them. No one has ever complained either!

Breakfast - bagels, donuts, eggs, pancakes, muffins, poptarts, etc.
Lunch - sandwiches, salads, soups, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, pizza, etc.
Dinner - spaghetti (and any variation to include lasagna, ziti, meatball subs, etc), tacos/fajitas, pizza, baked chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.

Really, anything you would prepare for your family, you can do here too :).

Ditto on crock pot dinners.

Stir fry is easy if you have a rice cooker (or can borrow one) and then get pre-sliced veggies from the supermarket (zucchini, peppers, broccoli, etc. plus a can of any of the following: baby corn, sliced water chestnuts, bamboo shoots. You can use cubed chicken or tofu, fry them up in a little oil (canola, peanut, with a shot of sesame), remove and then sauce the veggies, throw in a little sauce made of broth, cornstarch and soy sauce to thicken, then add the cooked meat/tofu back in to heat through. Self-serve at the stove. Kids can pick out the veggies they like/don't like.

Kids love sweet & sour meatballs: use plain beef or turkey meatballs (not seasoned) and then put in crockpot with a sauce made of half chili sauce (ketchup in a pinch) and half currant jelly (grape in a pinch). Heat the sauce a little in the microwave if you have to so the jelly is softened enough to mix. Dump sauce on top of frozen meatballs. When you get home, throw on a big pot of whole wheat noodles and open up a bagged salad. Kids like a salad bar too - again, they can pick out what they want.

Make their own pizzas - use pizza dough or naan bread. Put out the toppings and let people do their own.

Breakfast: assorted fruit, yogurt, bagels, cereal and let people fix it themselves. I keep bananas, clementines and apples in a basket - fruits that don't require refrigeration or prep. Pre-cut melon and pineapple in chunks for self-serve.

If you want eggs for breakfast without people having to cook them on their own, pre-bake a quiche or frittata (basically a quiche without a crust) in a pie pan. They can be sliced into wedges and reheated by anyone who wants some. You can use typical omelette fillings: spinach, quiche Lorraine (Swiss cheese & bacon), broccoli. Just use defrosted frozen veggies, cubed Swiss and half/half, whirled through the food processor). If you want it to look fancy, arrange strips of red pepper or tomato slices on the top.

Lunch - make your own sandwiches, or soup, or leftover dinner from last night.

Make up a list of what's available, and tape it to the fridge. Let people know where to stack their dishes. Don't be afraid to use high quality disposable plates to cut down on the dishwashing. If you recycle and are responsible 51 weeks a year, it's okay to go for convenience on the remaining week!

Though I'm not from the south originally, Biscuits and sausage gravy, make them eggs if they like them. Buy Simply Potatoes and do a recipe from the package. Make bacon, sausages

I don't eat breakfast, so I don't cook breakfast. I keep eggs, bacon, grits, oatmeal, Clif bars, and cold cereal on hand for those who want to make breakfast for themselves. That includes guests.

Lunch is leftovers from the previous night's dinner, or sandwiches. That includes when we have guests. They are free to help themselves to leftovers or make a sandwich.

I cook dinner fresh most nights. For that many people, I would be looking at using the crock pot - red beans and rice, spaghetti and meat sauce, beef stew, pulled pork sandwiches, and loaded potato soup are favorites from the crock pot at our house.

I would do a "continental breakfast" for the days you are working. Have a variety of toast, bagels, pastries, hard cooked eggs, fruit and yogurt. Sandwich fixings such as cold cuts, cheeses and veggies and crock pot of soup for lunches.

For breakfast, just make sure you have juice, coffee, milk, bagels, bread for toast, cereal, yogurt, fruit, etc. on hand. Your guests can help themselves.
I'm sure they don't expect you to make them lunch as you will be at work (?) but you can leave sandwich stuff in the fridge, maybe whip up a big pot of soup or stew they can heat up as wanted.
For dinner keep it simple, spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. Casserole with a side salad or veggie. Crock pot chili, stew, soup or pot roast with veggies and rolls. Taco night!

Copy the breakfast ideas that are featured at many motels - a basket of fruits, a variety yogurt cups in a bowl set in another bowl with some ice, and a basket of things that can be toasted. Butter, jams, decent sturdy small paper plates and a container of sturdy plastic cutlery, and your breakfast bar is ready for people to help themselves.

Dinners on work days can be crock pot meals. One idea: combine pre-cooked sliced kielbasa or your choice of pre-cooked sliced sausage with your choice of applesauce (chunky, smooth, homemade, jarred, etc) or sliced, peeled fresh apples and cook on low for the day. Serve with cornbread or corn muffins.

Make baked potato soup (the Hard Rock Cafe recipe is my favorite and its online, and easy). Save the potato skins and make loaded potato skins another night, with a salad. (Carefully scoop the baked potato out of the skin, cut the skins into quarters the long way, spritz with a little olive oil and bake until they're crispy. Then load them up: a little leftover potato, crumbled cooked bacon, sour cream, chives, caramelized onions, whatever you like on potato skins. Bake again until heated through.) It's a way to get two hearty meals from a bunch of inexpensive baking potatoes.

I keep it simple - just more of what we would have ourselves.

I typically bake a lasagna and make a soup that can be reheated.

I find most guests like bagels so I get nice ones, in a variety of types. I get some nice coffee. Kids - I get a bunch of different cereals. If we want something more fancy - we go out for brunch. I don't feel like starting the day cooking.

Lunch - soup, salads (I pick these up), sandwiches - just get some nice bread or buns

And you'll have leftovers :)

You are a saint! For breakfast and lunch, I would just leave items that people can serve or cook themselves. For breakfast - cereal with milk, bagels and cream cheese, eggs, yogurt, fruit, etc. For lunch - sandwich makings such as bread and rolls, deli meat and cheese, PB&J, tuna, bagged salads, cooked protein (pre-grilled and seasoned chicken breast, etc.).

For dinner, keep it simple - tacos, pasta dishes, things you can throw in a crockpot or baking dish and serve over rice or with a hunk of good bread. Keep it super-simple on Wednesday night and opt for pizza and salad (or hope everyone goes out to dinner and leaves your kitchen open).

If I were visiting and staying with someone during a work and holiday week, I would expect to bring some food to share and to help cook some meals or take folks out for dinner, so I would just check with everyone's expectations before shopping so that you don't end up with more food than you need when you could use the fridge and pantry space for Thanksgiving.

Good luck to you and enjoy your week!

Send them out for meals as often as you can. Save time, effort, higher utility bills, and just sit back and enjoy the company.

I would make sure you have eggs, shake and make pancake mix, bacon, sausage patties that can be heated up in the microwave, maybe even frozen waffles and stuff they can heat up/toast/bake on their own when they get hungry.

As for lunch I'd probably do a huge salad and have bread and luncheon meats with condiments and make it self serve.

Dinner? That's another question. If everyone is happy with staying home or not out doing stuff where they'd really rather just eat out then I'd do a regular family style meals each night.

I would think ahead of crock pot dinners, especially for the days you are working - pot roast, stew, chili, etc. Buy artisan bread and premade salad mix to go with the main dish, and some crock pot liners and cooking as well as cleanup are quick.

For breakfast Monday-Wednesday, leave them well stocked with juice, cereal, milk, bagels, and cream cheese, and for lunch provide lunchmeats, cheeses, and bread. People who are visiting while you are working can't expect to be waited on. They have the option of finding the local Panera (or whatever) on their own if they aren't happy with the basics at home.

large roast with mashed potatoes and a veggie for a dinner. sammiches and cold cuts for lunches. omlet bar or a quiche for breakfasts. or king arthur flour has many breakfast ideas that you can make the day before and theres crockpot frenct toast stuff too.