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Cooking for the Crew

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I really enjoy the Ultimate Recipe Swap–I know I say that every week–but I do.  This week on the schedule is Company Dinners.

I have 6 in my family plus my brother’s families the total reaches 17!  That doesn’t happen very often anymore–ok–it never happens anymore but when it did I loved cooking for all those folks.  I enjoy cooking for larger crowds and have come up with some interesting ideas of presenting the ordinary–into something a little special.  I always enjoy having friends over.  When we open our homes and hearts to prepare a simple meal or a banquet, when we cook with love, when we make the chore of cooking into an extension of gratefulness for our bounty–dinner begins to look different.  We may not be multiplying loaves of bread and fish, turning water into wine or celebrating the Last Supper–but we can seek the everyday miracles of joy, abundance, grace and thanksgiving.

I love my guides–since I do not really follow recipes–these options can work with very large groups or just my own 6.

My White Bean Chili

My White Bean Chili

  • Red Beef Chili with the fixin’s–sour cream, cheese, cornbread, nacho chips, guacamole, crackers, crusty bread, polenta, green onion, rice and pasta
  • White Bean and Chicken Chili–with the same fixin’s as above
  • Very Veggie chili–I have had a 3 chili party–it was a lot of fun.
  • Baked Potato Bar–bacon, cheese, sour cream, broccoli, chili, or spinach and feta–endless choices
  • Fajita/tortilla  bar–I grill or roast peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onions, chicken, beef, and cheese.  I like tiny little tortillas–they look so cute.
  • Breakfast for dinner–French Toast Bake, Quiche, fruit salad, mimosa–yum, yum!
  • Baked Chicken Breast, with roasted potatoes and a simple salad–not fancy but can be prepped ahead of time, plated easily, and it gives lots of time for visiting with friends.
  • I love a great Salad Bar–almost everything can be prepped ahead of time and it gives me the opportunity to use every bowl in my China cabinet.  I have done themed Salads–like Caesar or the Ultimate Garden.
  • My mother-in-law makes Lasagna with garlic bread and a Salad
  • My sister-in-law makes beef and pork in the same crock pot and serves with potluck sides . . . I love potluck side dishes!
  • One time I did pizza to order (did you notice I said ONE time).  It was an awesome dinner but we all ate at different times . . . the concept is good but my execution was less than desirable.  I have not attempted this again–and probably won’t.

I cook breakfast, lunch and dinner each day–we eat our meals together–at a table, say grace . . . light candles.  We talk about our day.  Our meal time has become a special time for us to be together as we gather–three times a day.  It is a blessing to me.  I have grown to appreciate this gift.

Be Blessed.

Linking up with the Ultimate Recipe Swap, Thrive@Home, Simple Lives Thursday and Transformation Thursday, Thankful Thursday, Thoughtful Thursdays, Thought Provoking Thursdays, Womanhood with Purpose, Show and Share.

Womanhood With Purpose

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linking up with countdown 2013.

Top Ten Quick Meals

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I love writing on Thursday!  I love the Ultimate Recipe Swap.

These are my top ten meals that take less than 30 minutes to make . . . I do cheat a little since I prep lots of food while the pasta is boiling or while the rice cooker is doing it’s work!

cutting up veggies as the water boils

  1. I cook 2 lbs of boxes of pasta at the same time–one after the other.  I make cook one box of pasta and then take it from the pan with a big straining spoon.  I then drop the other box into the water and it cooks while I’m assembling the first 1 lb. of pasta.
  2. I cut up all my veggies for the next couple of days at once–then on the 4th day I make a soup!
  3. I make rice once a week–enough for leftovers.
  4. I make polenta in the rice cooker and then heat that up as I need it.

so beautiful–just waiting for a quick date with some olive oil and a hot pan!

After my prep work I’m ready to cook!

the best way to slice carrots, onions and peppers!

  1. Plain pasta with butter and salt–the kids always eat it and with a salad–I’m not feeling too guilty.  (I heat up chicken stock in frying pan and then add the pasta.)
  2. Pasta with Red Sauce.  I think that is everyone’s stand-by.  But when you are just reheating the pasta it can be on the table in minutes!
  3. Polenta with Red Sauce.
  4. Pasta with sautéed veggies.
  5. Mac and cheese–I used the new Progresso cheese starter and it was ok–the first time I made it with onions, celery and carrots–not a favorite–tonight I made it with ham and everyone loved it!
  6. I loved the Progresso Basil starter!  it was a great basil flavor without being “green” but pasta with pesto is so good–served hot or cold.
  7. I use the Frontera Soup Starter–normally I let it heat in the crock pot but it is just as good on the stove.
  8. Fried Polenta with veggies–I made this by mistake–I put the polenta in the frying pan and had to change a diaper–when I came back it was crispy and ssooooo good.
  9. End of the week soup–I just throw everything into a pot–usually it is just broth, random veggies and maybe a little left over chicken.
  10. Cold pasta salad–in the summer we eat lots of fresh veggies tossed in pasta with ranch, vinaigrette, and feta cheese, fresh mozzarella with basil and tomatoes–whatever happens to be in the garden.

butter and salt–the ultimate comfort food!

I’m loving these–they are on sale for $1.00 a can + $1.00 for a lb. of pasta and some veggies makes for an affordable meal

these are awesome add ins . . .

frontera soul starter is my favorite–well–my husbands, olive oil and garlic and everything is better with chicken broth

My goal is to serve fresh, local, in season food to my family most of the time–I don’t make myself go crazy–I buy pineapple, bananas, and spinach all year long–if I Laura Ingalls lived next door I might do things different–but she doesn’t.

I feel organized when my fridge looks like this!

Be Blessed as you prepare your meals for those you love!!

I’m linking up with countdown 2012.