Need some easy meals for 20 people? Here’s how we fed 28 people on our recently family vacation including the meals we made + how we divvied up the responsibilities.
Want more easy recipes for large groups? Check out my post on last year’s Big Family Vacation Menu Plan.
Easy Meals for 20+ People
We recently went to Utah with my entire extended family (parents, 3 brothers, 3 sisters, and their spouses and kids). My dad rented a huge cabin for us to stay in and we all pitched in and helped with the food.
I thought it would be fun to share what we ate and how we planned and divided up the responsibilities. This might give you some inspiration in case you need some suggestions for easy meals for 20+ people!
How We Planned and Divvied Things Up
My sister planned the menu with easy meals that would feed a crowd and sent out a sign-up form using Perfect Potluck (it’s free and so easy to use!). Each family signed up for the main dishes and side dishes they wanted to be in charge of.
(A screenshot of the sign up form on Perfect Potluck.)
Whatever meals or parts of meals you signed up for, you were in charge of bringing the ingredients for and cooking/baking.
This time around, we also had a sign-up for kitchen clean-up, too, so that my dad wouldn’t spend the entire trip doing dishes. (He’s always working in the kitchen, it seems! He says he loves it, but 28 people make a LOT of dishes!)
What We Made for Breakfast
Here’s what we served for breakfast:
- Pancakes, Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Orange Juice
- Baked Oatmeal (my sister made the mix of the dry ingredients ahead of time for this), Sausage, Orange Juice
- Cereal, Fruit, Leftover Pancakes & Eggs
What We Made for Lunch
For lunch, we had a huge Build-Your-Own Salad Bar (most all of my family loves salads!). We also had bread and meat/cheese for sandwiches for the kids and any adults who didn’t just want a salad. In addition, we set out any leftovers from breakfast or dinner.
Build-Your-Own Salad Bar Ingredients: A variety of Greens and Lettuce, Canned Tuna/Salmon, Boiled Eggs, Raisins, Seeds/Nuts, Avocados, Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes, Dressings
What We Made for Dinner
Here’s what we made for the dinners:
- Build-Your-Own Haystacks, Homemade Guacamole, Rice
- Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Salad, Fruit, Green Beans, Homemade Rolls
- Hamburgers/Hot Dogs, Tater Tots, Corn on the Cob, Watermelon, Veggie Tray, Steamed Broccoli
Here’s what our family contributed contributed (I went to Smith’s — a Kroger affiliate — and was able to get all of this for around $50!) + I brought some salad toppings, canned tuna and salmon, and some extra snacks in our luggage.
It’s amazing how it’s not too much work on any one person to feed 20+ people if we all pitch in and help!
What other ideas of easy meals for 20+ people do you have? I’d love to hear!
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