what to feed a crowd of teenagers

^{Soups and Stews That Are Great to Feed a Large Crowd}

• Calico Beans
• The Simplest White Chicken Chili
• Simple Hamburger Soup
• Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
• Last-Minute Lentil Chili
• 20-Minute Taco Soup
• Potato Soup
• Chili

Full Answer

What are the best meals to feed a group of teens?

Some of the best meals to feed a group of teens are: pulled pork sandwiches with sweet potato fries and an orange, spaghetti with cheesy broccoli and apples or taco salad with some grapes. Try to create balance in the meal with a mix of grains, protein, fruits and vegetables.

What are some easy meal ideas for a group of people?

Here is another SUPER easy meal idea for groups of people: Chicken Parmesan Sliders. Just put a few ingredients into the crockpot and you’ll have one of your favorite meals for a busy night. Making them into sandwiches is a great way to stretch the chicken mix and feed more people.

How do you feed a crowd of 20 or more?

I frequently feed crowds of 20 or more. I’ve truly gotten to a place where I can say, “Oh, it’s easy.” How? I keep these meals very simple! And my best tip of all: The side dishes I serve are made up of fresh fruits and vegetables. Nothing fancy or difficult! I simply wash strawberries and put them in a big bowl.

What should I serve my teenage daughter for dinner?

With the right mix of melted cheese, tuna, and some crunchy veggies like red peppers, scallions, or celery, you have a meal that teens will gobble up quickly. Make tuna melt with French bread, sliders, or in a wrap. 10. Salad Don’t forget to serve a salad with the dinner menu.

What can I make for a group of teens for dinner?

Chicken Ramen with Noodles. Show your teenager how to take ramen noodles up to a whole new level of goodness. ... Mug Mac and Cheese. ... Spaghetti and Meatballs. ... Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich. ... 3-Ingredient Rotel Chili. ... Stir-Fry Beef and Broccoli. ... Air Fryer Waffle Fries. ... Chicken Salad.More items...•

What food is popular with teenagers?

Top five meals requested by teensPizza.Tacos.Pasta.Fried chicken.Steak.

What is a good meal for 15 people?

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches.Hearty Baked Penne Pasta.Tasty Taco Bar.Crockpot Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Gruyere.Killer Carnitas.Chicken Spaghetti.Easy Ham and Cheese Sliders.Slow Cooker Chicken and Cheese Taquitos.More items...•

What do you feed big crowds?

47 Big-Batch Dishes to Feed a CrowdWhite Pesto Spinach Lasagna (10 servings) ... Slow Cooker Crispy Carnitas (10 servings) ... Baked Sausage and Cheese Rigatoni (8 servings) ... Caramelized Shiitake Mushroom Risotto (8 servings) ... Korean Beef Tacos (12 servings) ... Healthy Instant Pot Turkey Chili (8 servings)More items...•

What foods teenagers should avoid?

Teenagers should limit salty, fatty and sugary foods, low-fibre foods, and drinks with caffeine or a lot of sugar....Healthy food for pre-teen and teenage children includes a wide variety of fresh foods from the five food groups:vegetables.fruit.grain foods.reduced-fat dairy or dairy-free alternatives.protein.

What food do you serve at a Sweet 16?

Try foods like chicken wings or chicken fingers, served with blue cheese and ranch dressing, tacos, quesadillas, french fries, slider burgers, onion rings and chips and dip. For dessert serve cupcakes, fruit skewers, cookies, brownies, marshmallow treats and ice cream cups.

What do you feed a crowd of 20?

Easy Meals for 20 PeopleFrench Bread Pizzas.Meatball Sliders.Sausage Cream Cheese Braid.Chicken Tetrazzini for 20.Sheet Pan Pancakes.Paula Deen Lasagna for 20.Chicken Quesadillas for a Crowd.Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese.More items...•

What is the cheapest meal to feed a crowd?

44 Recipes That Will Feed A Crowd on A BudgetTater Tot Nachos.Potluck Tabbouleh with Feta.Slow Cooker Curried Lentils with Pistachios.Gray Poupon Ham & Cheese Rollups.Slow Cooker Apple Chai for a Crowd.Ultimate Party Meatballs.Sweet & Spicy Chicken.Chicken Over Rice.More items...•

How can I feed a large crowd for cheap?

Feed a Large Group for CheapGo vegetarian. Not only is it usually cheaper to skip the meat, but you also can make just one meal that will include vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, which makes your life easier.Grains are your friend. ... Legumes for the win. ... Don't make meat the main event. ... Use cheaper cuts.

What is the cheapest food to cater?

The cheapest food to cater is any rice or noodle-based cultural cuisine. Mexican, Indian, and Thai dishes are delicious and affordable. Or, if you're hosting an event during the day, serve brunch and breakfast items.

What is comfort food examples?

The 20 Best Comfort Foods in America—and Where to Eat ThemChicken and Waffles. Where to get it: According to John T. ... Spaghetti and Meatballs. ... Chicken Fried Steak. ... Mac and Cheese. ... Hotdish. ... Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. ... Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup. ... Matzo Ball Soup.More items...•

How do you feed a party on a budget?

Here are some simple party food ideas on a budget:Soup.Loose meat sandwiches.Baked potatoes.Pasta.Tacos.Make-your-own-pizzas.Cheese and crackers.Vegetables and dip.More items...•

What should a teenage girl eat in a day?

A healthy, balanced diet for teenagers should include:at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.meals based on starchy foods, such as potatoes, bread, pasta and rice – choose wholegrain varieties when possible.some milk and dairy products or alternatives – choose low-fat options where you can.More items...

Which of the food choices are suited for adolescent like you?

Choose a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red, and orange vegetables, legumes (peas and beans), and starchy vegetables. Fruits. Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut up, or pureed.

Homemade vs. Storebought

Just a quick note about this itty bitty issue. All of us have different guidelines and comfort levels when it comes to making every last thing from scratch vs buying every bit, even the prepared stuff, at the store.

Three Most Popular Meals

Without further ado, here are the three most popular meals my compatriots and I served for lunch the last three years:

Keep it Simple

What’s obvious from the above list is that none of those meal plans are fancy.

Freeze Everything

Ok, maybe not everything, but it’s rare that I’ve found a recipe or food that doesn’t freeze well, which means you can make a lot ahead of time. Some notable exceptions that you should NOT freeze are: potato salad, fruit salad, macaroni or pasta salad, dairy-based recipes, etc.

The Right Tools Will Save You

If you aren’t cooking for a crowd on the regular, you probably don’t need to invest in specific tools and supplies. You can easily borrow most of these things, but I thought I’d share a list of the tools that saved me when I served construction lunches…AND, I still use all of these things even though I’m not cooking for a crowd quite as often.

Tips for Feeding a Large Crowd

Do as much food prep ahead of time as possible. Here are my best tips about working ahead before company arrives.

Meals to Feed to a Large Crowd

Setting up a buffet in which people line up and fix their plate according to their preference is the easiest all the way around. This also ensures that people with food allergies or those who are picky can fill their plate the way they need and like.

How about casseroles that are easy to make in bulk to feed to a large crowd?

After all, if you’re going to make one, you might as well make…more than one. Each of these feeds 8-12, so double or quadruple accordingly!

Easy Meat Dishes that are Great to Feed to a Crowd

You’ve got to love how the word “Simple” is in each of these. These recipes each take just a few minutes of prep!

Soups and Stews That Are Great to Feed a Large Crowd

Make a big pot or two of these. Serve with fresh fruits and veggies, maybe bread, muffins, or corn chips. So easy and good!

Desserts that are Great to Feed to a Large Crowd

I typically choose to make cookies into bars when I am feeding a crowd. This cuts down on my time investment!

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

This recipe was inspired by my daughter’s favorite food—Buffalo wings! It tastes as if it came from a restaurant. —Melissa Millwood, Lyman, South Carolina

Slow-Cooked Chunky Chili

Pork sausage, ground beef and plenty of beans make this chili a marvelous meal. I keep serving-size containers of it in my freezer at all times so I can quickly warm up bowls on busy days. —Margie Shaw, Greenbrier, Arkansas

Double-Duty Layered Enchilada Casserole

Here's a heap of cozy comfort. The Taste of Home Test Kitchen took my recipe for chili without beans and turned it into a scrumptious enchilada casserole. —Molly Butt, Granville, Ohio

Meaty Arugula Pizzas

When I was growing up, my mom always made homemade pizza every Friday night. We'd watch a movie as a family or have friends over, too. Now that I'm married, I carry on the pizza tradition. —Morgan Harvey, Longview, Washington

Mini Barbecue Meat Loaves

I gave classic meat loaf a tasty twist by adding barbecue sauce. My kids usually get bored with beef entrees, but they keep asking for this dish. It's become a dinner staple at my house. —Vicki Smith, Okeechobee, Florida

Green Chile Beef Burritos

Recipes that are leaner in fat and calories—like this one for beef burritos—helped me lose 30 pounds! The meat is so tender and delicious. —Shirley Davidson, Thornton, Colorado

Slow-Cooked Pizza Casserole

A friend from church gave me the recipe for this satisfying slow-cooked casserole. It's always one of the first dishes emptied at potlucks, and it can easily be adapted to personal tastes. —Julie Sterchi, Campbellsville, Kentucky

What are some good large group meals?

Lean burgers (try turkey), chicken breast, and pork chops all make great large-group meals. Be adventurous by grilling the rest of the meal, too—pineapple, watermelon, mangos, grapes, strawberries, and peaches are all yummy on the grill.

How to make a skillet night for teens?

One fun twist on this is Skillet Night. Encourage teenagers to bring any healthy-ish food they want, and then use olive oil to cook it in skillets. Set up two stations using camper stoves or your kitchen facilities at church or camp—one for savory items and one for sweets.

What are some good chips to serve with a bag?

According to an Eat This, Not That online ranking, these are the healthiest chip options, from best to pretty okay: Lays Oven-Baked Original Potato Chips, Tostitos Oven-Baked Scoops, Pop Chips Sea Salt Potato, Pop Chips Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato, Ruffles Over-Baked Cheddar & Sour Cream, Pop Chips Barbecue Potato, Terra Chips Blues, SunChips Wholegrain Sweet & Spicy BBQ, Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips, and Simply Ruffles Sea Salted Reduced Fat Potato Chips. Using single-serving bags from any of these choices, you can make… Chip Pie. It’s a classic! Simply provide lean chili—which kids add directly to a small bag of chips—and a “toppings bar” with shredded cheese, black olives, chopped onions, cilantro, etc. Bonus points for using sporks! Another alternative is Walking Tacos. No taco shells required. All you need are single-serving-size bags of one of the tortilla-chip options from above. Open the bag on the long side and top the chips with lean taco meat and fixings. Bonus points if you have an impromptu jalapeño pepper eating contest.

What can I substitute for pasta for kids?

For example, try one of these six alternatives: whole-wheat pasta, quinoa pasta, buckwheat noodles, sprouted grain pasta, spelt pasta, and brown rice pasta.

What to serve at a mission camp?

For a weeklong mission camp, be highly intentional about what you serve. Breakfast is cereal, fruit, yogurt, etc. with milk and juice to drink. Lunch is cold cuts on whole-grain bread with fruit, baked chips, and bottled water. Dinner is high in protein and carbs with a good dessert and lemonade and water to drink.

Why does food matter to a lot of people?

Good food matters to a lot of people because they recognize its direct connection to overall health and well-being.

Is pizza a part of youth ministry?

Pizza is as much a part of youth ministry as the Bible and a smelly van. We love pizza as much as the next guy/girl, but we all reach a certain limit. As New Orleanians, food is a big deal to us. Our challenge has been finding food that’s affordable, fast, tasty, and (at a bare level, at least) nutritious.

Feeding Large Groups

I’ve been feeding large groups of people for decades. High school groups, college students, and adult small groups have been in a regular rotation around my dinner table.

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