Surroundings Market Blog

Whether you’re hosting an extra family or having a full blown fall gathering, we’ve got some great ideas for the best foods that feed a large crowd. These food ideas are meant to handle big serving sizes, be easy to make, and go easy on the pocket. They will help make hosting people in your home fun and stress free! Tips for Feeding a Large Crowd Before diving into the crowd-pleasing meal ideas, let’s have a quick chat about a few things that go into feeding a large group of people. First and foremost, there’s always a level of preparation necessary to pull off meals of group-size. Part of this prep involves choosing meals that accommodate the number of people that will be in attendance. You’ll also want to clarify if there are any food allergies so you can stay away from no-no ingredients (or make appropriate substitutions). Another aspect of crowd-hosting to consider is the hospitality. Having the proper amount of seating, cutlery, and tableware is a must. You don’t want to run out of the essentials and be left scrounging up additional stuff from your own cabinets. You can also go the extra mile and dress up your paper or plastic cups with a classy cup and marker holder. And if you’re into matching, complete the look with a classy plate holder! Last but not least, having an itinerary of plans may help as well. If you’re simply having dinner, that’s all you would need to account for. However, if a meal is only a portion of what will be taking place, be sure to have those ducks in a row.  RELATED: How to Plan the Best Get-Together Ever 5 Best Foods That Feed a Large Crowd Pulled BBQ Sandwiches  Chicken breasts are one of the cheaper types of meat to use for making this yummy meal. Just a couple family-size packs of chicken breasts can yield a lot of sandwiches to go around. Go with the classic bake, shred, and add bbq sauce recipe to make it easy or go with a homemade sauce. To make sure you create a well-rounded meal, don’t forget to add sides. Classic bbq sandwich sides are cole slaw and chips - two things that keep this meal option inexpensive. Pasta From baked penne pasta to traditional spaghetti, pasta meals always go a long way. Not to mention, this tends to be a classic meal for most families (especially if there are kids in tow). Whip up a huge batch and keep it warm in the crockpot. Make some homemade garlic bread or pick up a few boxes of frozen bread sticks to pair with this simple crowd-pleaser. Taco Bar Even if it’s not Taco Tuesday, you can’t go wrong with having a taco bar. This is one of the best meals that feed a large crowd. If you’re hosting a gathering with well-known friends and family, you could even ask them to pitch in and bring a side or topping. Cook up several pounds of meat in the Instant Pot, add a tableside of toppings, and you’re all set! One trick to make the meat stretch even further is to add cooked rice or beans to the mix. A few topping suggestions are: chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onion, green onion, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Refried beans, tortillas, chips, and taco shells are the perfect sides and additions for one awesome taco bar. Sandwich Bar Similar to a taco bar, a sandwich bar can be stocked with bread slices and choice cheeses and sandwich meats. Condiments are just as easy because all you’ll need are mayo, mustard, and pickles. Pair the sandwiches with a variety of chip options to keep it simple or give your guests the choice of a side salad. Don’t just stop at the classic side salad with lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Consider potato or macaroni salads, too! Soups Soups are always a good option when you have to feed a large crowd. They can be made well ahead of time and feed an abundance of people. You can also choose to make a few different soups to offer your guests choices. When it comes to soup, they are best served with breads such as Italian, rye, and/or rolls. Complete the meal by having soup and salad. Final Thoughts When it comes to foods that feed a large crowd, these are sure to be a big hit with your crowd. Remember to plan your meal ahead of time, stock up on the ingredients you need, and have a blast cooking!

While brainstorming your next party menu, consider grabbing from our list of healthy soup recipes to feed a group. With the fall season comes parties and harvest gatherings that typically have a large group of people in attendance. Take the guesswork out of what to feed everyone by having a few soups on the menu.  Tips for Cooking Healthy Soups for a Large Crowd Once you’ve decided to put soup on the menu, you may be wondering about practical ways to cook them. Although recipes have their own ingredients to throw together, keep these other cooking (and catering) tips in mind. Give yourself plenty of cooking time.  Since most soups need time to simmer for the flavors to combine, you don’t want to start it right before the party. In addition, soups can be made up to a day in advance and be warmed up before gathering time. The rule of thumb is the longer a soup cooks, the more flavorful it becomes.  Use a crock pot or Instant Pot for cooking, reheating, and transporting. These lovely kitchen gadgets come in handy when cooking soups and stews. You can cook your soup as directed, leave it in the pot, and easily transport it to the party. Simply plug it up and allow it to reheat all in one dish. Keep it simple. Stress-free is the name of the game when it comes to cooking for a crowd. You’re most likely already doubling (or tripling) the amount of ingredients of the recipe, so keep it simple with the fewest amount. In other words, go for recipes with five ingredients or less. With these tips in mind, let’s look at --- crowd-pleasing soup recipes to consider cooking for your next gathering. 5 Healthy Soup Recipes to Feed a Group Tomato Soup with Stuffed Gnocchi Three ingredients is all you’ll need for this yummy soup. Grab several cans of tomato soup, a couple packages of frozen spinach, and a few packages of stuffed gnocchi - and that’s it! Simply throw all of your ingredients into the crockpot and cook over the low (or high) setting. This soup can easily make big batches and be served with loaves of sliced Italian bread. Easy Lasagna Soup This recipe will help you get rid of any pantry leftovers, especially the lasagna noodles that you’ve had every intention on using. Skip the mixing and layering of a traditional lasagna and go for throwing all the ingredients together in the crock pot. This will be one of your more hearty soups with plenty to go around. Consider serving it with garlic bread topped with cheese.  20-Minute Pumpkin Soup We mentioned that you’ll want to give yourself cooking time; however, if time is of the essence, then this pumpkin soup recipe will come in handy. It’s also a fall classic since the main ingredient is pumpkin! It’s the spices that bring an entirely new flavor to the canned pumpkin (or you can use fresh). Check out how easy it is to make here. Go for sourdough or rye bread to pair with this soup. Slow-Cooker Chili You can never go wrong by bringing a pot of good ol’ chili to feed a group of people. Not to mention, a chili cookoff is the perfect theme for a fall party. Have everyone whip up their best batch using their favorite recipes, and you can confidently participate with this recipe. It’s more on the hearty side, so if you’d like it a bit more soupy, consider adding water or a beef broth. Serve this chili with Italian pull bread. Easy Minestrone Nutritious and low-fat are the highlights of this soup recipe, and yes… it can feed a group of any size. It’s packed with vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, and cabbage. And it has a flavorful kick thanks to the garlic, parsley, basil, and oregano. All of these herbs plus a few choice stocks come together for an award-winning soup. This soup is best served with crostini or chewy French bread. Final Thoughts As you’re planning for your next fall-themed gathering, take the stress out of what to cook by going with a soup bar. The recipes above can be cooked on the stove, in the crock pot, or even in an Instant Pot. Also, consider putting your soup in a disposable pan holder to make cleanup way easier! Don’t forget to add the above recipes to your favorite recipe book. In the meantime, would you do us a favor and pin this post, tweet it, and share it with your Facebook friends? Thanks so much!

My husband and I get asked to bring this dish to just about every gathering or potluck,  It's my family's spin on a traditional potato salad.  We've added and subtracted ingredients over the years, this version is the one that has stuck around the longest.  And it is delicious.  At first glance we get wide eyed stares at the olives, pickles, and sometimes even the mayo.  But by the end of the party, we've converted even the pickiest eaters. Best of all it's easy to make ahead, and in large amounts to feed large crowds or as a side for family dinner, and if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, tastes great the next day.  Now forwarning, this is a yummy and savory recipe.  If you are looking for a sweet potato salad keep looking!     The BEST LOADED Potato Salad (Potluck Size) 8 Potatoes - boiled and cooled (peeled and diced bite size) 1 cup Dill Pickles (diced) 2 cans Sliced Olives 1 Bunch of Green Onions (chopped fine) 10 Boiled Eggs 2-3 Cups Mayo (add to desired thickness) 2 Tbs. Mustard Mix together potatoes, pickles, olives, onions and 7 of the boiled eggs diced (set aside 3 eggs to slice on top of salad) Mix mayo, mustard, salt & pepper together and combine with potato mixture.  (Add more mayo and mustard if needed, to make more moist.)  Slice 3 eggs and arrange on top.  Sprinkle paprika for garnish. Refridgerate before serving. Let us know if you try it!