Baby #7 is halfway to the finish line which means there’s soon to be one more mouth to feed and our Party of 7 will become a Party of 8!
Having number four {as I’ve told you before} was the catalyst for a lot of change in our household. When he became a full-fledged eater {and I was pregnant with the next one}, I found that your normal recipes didn’t quite cut it for feeding my growing brood.
The MOMYS cookbook was quite a help with cooking bigger meals, and I learned to tweak other recipes to make them fit our family. In fact, the other day I found a recipe that had a handwritten note scrawled on it. It said:
Double for a crowd or to freeze.
At some point, I moved from doubling the recipe to have extra to doubling the recipe to have ENOUGH!
Today, the 4 Moms, 35 Kids mamas are hosting a Feeding A Crowd Link Up. I don’t feed quite the crowds these ladies do, but I do have a passel of healthy eaters, including a 5’6″ 12 year old boy at the head of the food chain! So, what do I feed this bunch?
Well, besides relying on my MOMYS cookbook and all the recipes I’ve doubled, I’ve managed to come up with a few on my own {not my forte’ by the way…I am not a foodie, I’m just a mommy}. What I’m going to share with you today are my quick and painless lunch ideas as I anxiously await the rest of the recipes on the link up!
Bagel Sandwiches
A twist on the boring old sandwich
2 pkgs of bagels
1 pkg deli meat (or some such thing)
1 pkg sliced cheese
mayonnaise
butter
Heat a family-sized griddle {a griddle is a MUST for a large family!} to 300 and slather it in butter. Cut bagels in half and lay on griddle, cut side down. When sufficiently toasted, remove and add a layer of mayonnaise, a slice of cheese, and a slice or so of meat. Put together as a sandwich, and place on griddle to warm. Flip to toast both sides of the sandwich. Pile ’em high on a serving tray and present to your hungry family along with cut veggies, chips, fruit, and some homemade lemonade your 9 year old made with way too much sugar!
Quesadillas
1 pkg fajita sized flour tortillas
1-2# beef, chicken, buffalo (or go meatless!)
1 pkg shredded cheese
salsa
ranch dressing or Dorothy Lynch dressing (for those of us who have started a bad habit!)
Heat griddle to 300 and slather in butter {can you tell this is my non-stick coating of choice? lol}. Place tortillas on griddle. Spoon on meat and cheese and top with another tortilla. Flip {very carefully} when bottom side is browned and transfer to serving tray when both sides are toasty and brown. Serve with salsa {and dressing if you like}, beans, and salad {so you can justify the dressing being on the table 😉 }
and finally…
Taco Salad
Incredibly easy and a family favorite!
So, there you have our favorite lunches for bunches!
Christin says
Thanks for the wonderful meal ideas! Something we could always use more of! 🙂
Also, congrat’s on hitting the halfway point with your little one! We are there, too, and found out Monday we are having a boy!! His name is David Samuel and we are just so thrilled.
If you get a chance, drop me an email and let me know how you’re doing! I miss visiting regularly! 🙁 I miss blogging terribly! HUGS!
amanda says
i’m amazed at how much more dustin eats than the girls EVER did. and i’m sure it’ll get ‘worse’. thanks for sharing a few great meal ideas.
GapGirl says
Thanks for the recipes. I often struggle with feeding the kids lunches… and I too will be feeding 8 mouths in the fall…. yikes. But creativity will abound!
Linda @ My Trendy Tykes says
mmm bagel sandwiches sound pretty tasty!
My kids love quesadilla days.
deputyheadmistress says
Thanks for linking up to us- great lunch ideas, and CUTE BABY!
Smockity Frocks says
Awwwww! That little creation at the top is the best recipe of all!
Thanks for participating in our link up!
Jennifer says
Awww, congratulations on being halfway there!
Thanks for the ideas! I only have three kiddos at the table, but my two boys that are on solids can eat as much as I can some days. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like when they’re teenagers! I need all the ideas I can get! 🙂 thanks!
Kimberly @ Raising Olives says
Quesadillas are one of our favorite picnic lunch options.
Thanks!
.-= Kimberly @ Raising Olives´s last blog ..Cooking for a Crowd: 4 Moms, 35 Kids =-.
Kate says
I’m not feeding a crowd yet, but I plan to! What I do now is make a lot and serve it for lunch 2 – 3 days in a row. Someday that will just be ONE day’s lunch. 🙂 My husband is SO excited for that day. He dreams of a kitchen with two stoves, two ovens, industrial fridge and freezer, etc. My two so far are BIG eaters (we can easily polish off 1.5 – 2 lbs. of meat in a meal, plus a ton of veggies and etc. between the four of us) so I can’t even imagine how much food I will someday make!
.-= Kate´s last blog ..Introducing Solids: What, When, How =-.
Deb says
We got a quesadilla maker for Christmas and I didn’t think we would ever use it. Boy was I wrong! We use it ALL THE TIME. It seals all the edges and also seals 6 little pockets together so nothing oozes out when you cut it. And for my picky eaters, I have discovered that a little smear or spagetti sauce on one side and calling it a Pizza Pocket workds wonders.
Amy says
Oh wow! Good idea! Those quesadillas are a bit of a pain to flip!
Mama Mirage says
Hooray for halfway!!! I’m so excited for you! So you must be due the same month as me I am guessing because my “halfway” is Sunday! How are you feeling now? Forgive me if I’ve asked this already (my brain is nonexistant when I’m pregnant), or if I’m too nosey (it’s a strong possibility that I am *wink* and in that case feel free to tell me so or ignore me!), but do you guys find out the gender in advance or wait for the birth? My sis waited for the birth for hers, and I always find out at my ultrasound, so my family has people on either side of the to-find-out-or-not-to-find-out fence. 🙂
.-= Mama Mirage´s last blog ..Toddler Tales Tuesday – Catching Marshmallows =-.
Amy says
Yay for you! I am feeling much better (and hoping you are as well!) As for finding out…we never let them tell us, but we always look. After this many children, that’s kind of like cheating. 😉
Mama Mirage says
Lol! Yes you must be really good at reading an ultrasound by now! 🙂 Do you ever get hunches as to the gender before the ultrasound?
.-= Mama Mirage´s last blog ..Young Families =-.
Amy says
I used to allow myself “hunches”. I don’t do that anymore. Since losing Emmy it hasn’t been a healthy way to spend my time. Not that I think having hunches is somehow wrong, it just isn’t good for me to do.
Mama Mirage says
🙁 Aww I’m so sorry- I wish I hadn’t asked now. **HUGS** I hope you know I didn’t ask it to hurt you. I’m rejoicing with you in this pregnancy and praying blessings on our babies!
.-= Mama Mirage´s last blog ..Large Family Bloggers – a call to stand in the gap! =-.
Amy says
I know that. I was just being honest. It’s ok. I don’t mind talking about why I do things the way I do. 🙂
Donna says
I noticed that my wife is one of your Blog followers.
If you have a chance, please stop by my wife’s Blog today and wish her a quick Happy Birthday!
http://blessingsatourhouse.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Donna’s “Hubbieâ€
Olivia says
Yum! Those all look great!
Mama Laundry says
Using the griddle for lunch.
I would have NEVER thought about that…but what a fabulous idea! I just adore my griddle and use it all of the time.
Great idea on the bagels. I have such picky, in-a-rut eaters but they might let me slip one of these in on them just for a change of pace…
Thanks for such great ideas! 🙂
-Lauren
Jammie says
So glad to find this website. I’m expecting baby #5 and #4 is about 2 so I’m just now at the point where all my recipes are not enough just as you posted. I’ll have to find the MOMY’s cookbook. Do you have a link to this cookbook?
Amy says
Jammie – I think the cookbook is out of print now. Sometimes you can find someone willing to sell theirs, but they are few and far between.