Meal Ideas - Frederick,MD

Big Sandwich Night or Big Salad Night!! My kids love both of these because they essentially get to make their own dinner. For the sandwiches I buy several types of lunch meat, a couple kinds of cheese, a head of lettuce, a few tomatoes to slice, mayo, mustard(s), ketchup and usually a bag of hard rolls plus a loaf of bread & pair it with celery & carrot sticks & maybe a bag of chips. For salads I buy a couple of bags of romaine lettuce, a can of chick peas, a can of black olives, a jar of roasted red peppers, a bag of cheese, tomatoes, cucumber & a rotisserie chicken to cut into chunks & a few different bottles of dressing. For each one I'll get everything out & set up on the counter like an assembly line & let them go to town making their plates. It's nice not to have to argue with anyone about how much of anything they got because since they made their own plates I expect them to eat what they've taken.

Red Beans and rice
Spaghetti
Chicken and dumplings
Soup and grilled cheese
Stews or stoups
Veggies or salad on the side

Things that can be cooked in a crock pot, or dutch oven, so you don't spend all your time in the kitchen.

Breakfast - I would lay in a supply of healthy cereals, bagels and toppings, oatmeal, etc.

Lunch - sandwiches and fruit

You are an angel for hosting so many people.

God Bless

I just got some awesome ideas for a mexican enchilada cassarole type dish a few questions down. You could double (make two pans) and add a salad and probably have enough for two meals.

You could also just double a traditional lasagna, or a big pot of spaghetti is always a crowd pleaser.

For large crowds, I also like to do crock pot BBQ beef or pork sandwiches. 5lbs of meat slow cooked and shredded with BBQ sauce (I have a homeade recipe that uses katsup, mustard, Dr. pepper, liquid smoke, tabasco, and worchestershire sauce if your interested) should be plenty to feed 10 people. Add some potato salad, chips or a veggie tray and you'll be set!

Build your own chili dogs or tacos would be fairly cheap.

Ham, cheese and broccoli baked potatoes.

If they will be weekend guests and money's not too tight, you could also do a shrimp or crawfish boil. That gets everyone out of the house, use paper plates and there's no clean up! Well, except the turkey fryer, but the men can do that!

Purchase a ton of chicken legs and grill them.. They can be covered in BBQ sauce, Buffalo sauce, Teriyaki sauce..

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Make your own pizzas. (er have even found you can bake frozen pizzas on your out door grill!

Sausage wraps

Breakfast for dinner

Tacos

Loaded Nachos

Fried rice filled with lots of veggies.

Pulled beef or pork sandwiches in the crock pot!
Put the pork or beef chuck into the crockpot. Quarter O. onion.
NO liquid.
Drain any liquid, shred with 2 forks. Top w/Sweet Baby Ray BBQ sauce mixed with 1/2 c. apricot preserves. Yummy. And EASY!

spagetti or macaroni and cheese
breakfast for dinner........ scrambled eggs
hamburger/hot dog night
Pizza Night
buy a couple of already cooked chickens

Feeding 10 - you better base your meals on whatever meat is on sale!

Chicken legs, mashed pot, frozen peas

Round Roast - you can cook in the crockpot and then make:
Beef enchiladas - 2 pans
pulled beef sandwiches and veggie on the side
stroganoff with veggie side
Chili - with roast or gr beef/turkey
Grilled cheese and tomato soup with goldfish crackers
Ham - scalloped pot and ham
If whole chicken are on sale you could cook two small ones of those.
See what the deals are on turkeys right now - that might feed you for two days! Turkey and then turkey pot pie with the leftovers.
Dirty rice - burger and rice with whatever seasonings you want. We like chopped up tomato and green onion on the side and sour cream.
Bean burritos - whole wheat tortillas spred with ref beans and cheese, warm in microwave and top with lettuce, tom, sour cream etc.
Meatloaf

Hope this helps! Have fun!

Lasagne is always my stand by for large groups, as well as any sort of pasta which can be made in large quantities for cheap.

Enchiladas are also another dish you can make in a casserole sized quantity too. I like to buy a whole rotisserie chicken from Safeway (only $5 on Fridays at our store) and shred that. Its easy and cheap. I use this recipe from Rachel Ray for the sauce, its super quick and easy!: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-en...

Good luck!

Roast a couple of chickens-you'll have plenty for dinners and sanwiches. Make a lasagne, a big pot of chili, burgers and potato salad, you could also do a ham one night and have leftovers for sandwiches. It sounds like fun!

I love mashed potatoes, and I think everyone I know does, too! I make up a huge pot of mashed potatoes and use it like this:

-with meat and other veggies in a "traditional" meal
-make mashed potato patties, fry in a skillet (or on an electric griddle) and top with cheese and a fried egg
-mix with miscellaneous leftovers, a few raw eggs, etc.; coat with breadcrumbs and fry in oil

Tasty, inexpensive, and a great way to use up leftovers!

Pulled pork in the crock pot is always a big hit. - I use McCormick season pack and follow directions.

Spagetti with meatballs and salad.

Hamburgers / hotdogs on grill.

Homemade chicken noodle soup served with pb toast.

I would do easy things that are kid friendly because most adults love kid friendly foods too.

When feeding large amounts of people, some of them strangers, I would go with the basics and try and make things were people can pick and choose, to minimize embarrassing struggles at the table. They are in a new environment and your food is going to taste different.

Taco night - buffet style so people can pick and choose what they want on them

Personal pizza night - pita bread is perfect size and tastes great for these. Everyone makes their own.

Otherwise I would try something basic like lasagna, or hamburgers and hot dogs. Things where the recipes don't vary to much.

I would also suggest making pancakes, waffles and oatmeal for breakfast. Cereal with that many people isn't such a good idea. One choice and what you put on it is your own choice.

enchiladas (you can make in advance and freeze!!!)
burritos and tacos
pizza with BBQ wings
hamburgers and hot dogs
2 whole baked chickens with mashed potatoes and gravy
macaroni and cheese with hot dogs or polska kielbasa
spaghetti with meatballs with garlic bread and salad
pot roast in the crock pot with potatoes, celery and carrots
chicken breasts in the crock pot - marinaded in your favorite marinade with salad

need more ideas? Let me know!

check out "simply ming" on the internet, no its all chinese cooking, but there is no five pages of cooking directions, either
K. h.