Meals for LARGE families???

Hello!

 We have seven total in our family, but here are a few things that I know work in larger families.  Whenever my grocery store has a sale on  meat (chicken usually) and it’s less than 1$ a pound, I’ll buy extra to stock up.  And think about it this way – it takes no extra effort to roast two chickens instead of one, right?  We do a lot of rice, b/c it’s cheap and everyone likes it.  We do an Indian type curry with a few cubed chicken breasts (cut small, a few goes a long way), some brown rice and either fresh veggies if i have all the ones I like, or a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a can of chick peas.  brown the chicken pieces in olive oil, and sprinkle generously with curry powder, salt, and pepper.  Add some fresh chopped onion and garlic, saute til onions soften and set aside.  Cook brown rice according to directions, but use some chickenbroth as part of liquid.  add 1/2-1 tsp (to your taste) of mild or hot curry powder, some salt, and some olive oil to liquid, boil, then add rice and simmer.  Toward end of cooking time, throw in steamed or frozen veggies (i like peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans), and the drained rinsed chickpeas.  Finish cooking rice with veggies and beans on top to warm thru.  MIx all together with chicken.  Even my littlest will eat this if i use a mild curry.  Casseroles are always good (I make a tuna, noodle, veggie one, or baked ziti, or taco casserole.)  Tacos are really easy to make large,  as a make your own type thing, and chili goes really far for my fam.  We have 5 big eaters and two little eaters, and 1 lb of meat with some veggies and three cans of beans, served with rice and chips, gives us two meals.  also, i save all my chicken bones, carcasses, and left over bits in big bags in the freezer.  THen when the mood strikes me, I take out my biggest stockpot in the morning, throw in the chicken bits, some scrubbed carrots, celery, and some onion and garlic, cover with a water  & broth mixture, and simmer all day for stock.  By late afternoon i can strain, pick out meat to throw back in, throw in fresh chopped veggies, and serve over noodles or rice for homemade soup.  we usually have salad and bread with soup night.  Also to vary, make a brothy chicken soup with chicken, carrot, celery, corn, and zuchinni.  Bring to just a boil and add strips of tortilla (flour), and a pinch of chili powder. cook 3 minutes (the tortilla strips serve as a sort of dumpling), and serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime (soooooo good).

we also like crockpot bean dishes.  Try black or pinto beans mixed with some browned ground meat, taco type seasoning, garlic, and onion, and a bit of the bean juice, or a bit of tomato sauce.  leave on low for a few hours.  serve over split cornbread with cheddar cheese and lettuce/tomato.  or try pinto beans with a can of chopped green chilies, bell peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, pinch of cumin, and tomato sauce, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, few drops liquid smoke, and diced up smoked sausage.  simmer on low 6 hours in crock pot – tangy and sweet.  so good.  my kids like this too, and we serve it with rice, and cheddar cheese and sour cream.  sometimes i make cornbread too.  

The slow cooker or the crock pot is just indispensable for me.  Look up the cookbook called Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.  A great resource that deviates from the standard soup, chili, pot roast fare of the crockpot’s yesteryear.

Another fun thing, if your kids will eat it, is strata or frittata.  Both egg dishes.  Strata is like a savory bread pudding, using eggs, milk, veggies, cheese, meat if you want, and poured over cubed stale bread.  let it soak, and then bake till golden and slightly puffed.  frittata needs an ovenproof skillet (i have a 15 inch cast iron one or i use a stainless steel skillet with deep straight sides that is similar in size).  saute you fav veggeis (we like zuchinni, spinach, or broccoli, some meat if  you like, and some seasonings.  moving veggies to side, spray pan well with non stick spray and add in eggs beaten with some milk, salt, pepper, and sprinkle with your fav cheese if you like.  quickly stir around to evenly distribute veggies/meat/cheese thru eggs.  allow bottom to set over med-low heat.  as edges start to set throw whole thing into really hot preheated oven (like 400 or 450 till set.  can pass lightly under broiler to brown top.  invert onto platter from pan, and slice in wedges!

Hope some of these meals help out.  Please let me know if you need more specifics.  I tend to cook with a “bit of this and a splash of that,” and I know not everyone else functions like that.

happy cooking!  and eating!

love,

amy webb