I’ve been feeding groups of people in my home for decades. Here are 20+ of my best easy and inexpensive meal ideas for large groups.
These group dinner ideas have fed many mouths and I hope they can make hosting groups of people in your home as easy as possible.
Make ahead: all the toppings can be cut and refrigerated in advance (same with the fresh fruit for serving); sweet pork or taco meat can be made in advance and frozen for easy reheating; cilantro lime rice can be made several days ahead and stored in ziploc bags for reheating in the microwave or pour in a pan and reheat covered with foil in the oven; cookies can be made several weeks ahead of time and frozen.
Feel free to chime in with any comments or questions below, and I’ll try to help out with any specific questions you have.
Sure, making homemade rolls is exciting, and I think we can agree that most often they taste worlds better than storebought, but when you are feeding a lot of people, there’s no shame in picking up those hamburger buns or dinner rolls at the grocery store.
It’s nice to have some large-and-in-charge items around to bail you out when you are asked to make a huge salad for church or you need to mix up an epically huge batch of slime for your kids.
A hearty main dish + fresh fruit or vegetables that don’t require much prep + a quick side dish + a make-ahead dessert.
20+ Inexpensive, Easy Meals for Large Groups
The key to this recipe for large groups is in the homemade BBQ sauce. Once it’s in the slow cooker, it’s pretty much hands off which is something I need when I have people coming over. And guys, this recipe is GOOD. So good that it made it into our second cookbook.
This recipe feeds an army. Almost everybody loves the hearty, beefy, cheesy pasta. When I’m not hosting groups, I assemble this pasta, divide it in two, bake one, and freeze the other. It makes a GREAT freezer meal. Just be sure to undercook the noodles a tad if you’re going to freeze it. Here are our very best freezer meals!
Everything you need to make your own Taco Bar at home. Delicious ingredients, perfectly seasoned Taco Meat, and practical tips on how to serve this easy dinner to a group of people. A great recipe if you need to make it ahead of time!
This pot roast yields a tender, shredded chuck roast with baby Yukon gold potatoes and carrots smothered in a velvety, complex-tasting brown gravy. No cream soups or gravy packets here! Just real food goodness that’ll have you asking for seconds.
Want a budget-friendly, tasty dinner that the whole family or any group you’re hosting will love? This classic Baked Potato Bar is it! With lots of hearty toppings, the humble potato gets elevated from side dish to main dish.
This 6-ingredient recipe only takes about 3 hours in the slow cooker. The 5-minute Pineapple Sauce is complex-tasting, sweet-but-not-too sweet and a beautiful golden color. Each person can drizzle it over the top of their ham slices.
These slow cooker carnitas are one of my all-time favorite, inexpensive dinners for large groups . They are easy, affordable, delicious, and can be customized for each person’s preference. Use these on a Taco Bar.
When I made this Chicken Spaghetti recipe for the first time, my husband ate it for about 5 meals in a row and proceeded to ask me to make it again the next week. It’s creamy, flavorful, and filling. This recipe easily makes TWO 8×8 dishes or one very full 9×13 dish. It’s a great dinner idea that will feed a group of people!
These truly are one of my go-to group recipes. They are cheap and easy to make in mass quantity. AND, adults love them. Kids love them. Everyone loves them. I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked for this recipe after making it for people in my home.
To make this a meal for large groups, simply double the portion in the slow cooker. It’ll cook for the same amount of time, and you’ll have twice as much to feed people! Or try making Instant Pot Taquitos or Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos instead. I always always, always double this recipe when I make them and freeze one for later.
Laying out a pasta bar is a great meal for large groups. Here are some ideas to have at your pasta bar:
- Baked Italian Meatballs – Meatballs are so easy to make lots and lots of. You can use them to put over spaghetti or stretch them even further by putting them in sub sandwiches. Or make Air Fryer Meatballs.
- Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce – With a few simple ingredients, this hearty meat sauce couldn’t be easier or tastier! It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and freezer-friendly.
- Pesto – Fresh pesto on top of pasta is divine!
- Homemade Cheese Sauce – I serve this 5 minute cheese sauce over pasta or broccoli almost once a week. It’s so easy to make!
With basically 4 simple ingredients, you can have a batch of Shredded Beef Tacos slow cooking in your crockpot (or Instant Pot) in minutes. This Mexican shredded beef packs so much flavor and will fall apart after a full day of cooking. Turn the leftovers into Shredded Beef Nachos.
This recipe goes a looong way and is sooo good. While you can make the meat ahead of time, the sandwiches will need to be eaten soon after they are assembled. Keep that in mind as you plan!
Tip: If you want to use it as a lunch for groups, just make the meat the day before and rewarm it before assembling the sandwiches the next day.
If I had to guess, this is in the top 5 recipes I have made most frequently for groups of people in my home. My husband wants it ALL. THE. TIME. It also makes a big ol’ batch. AND it’s really filling. A similar vegetarian option would be our Vegetarian Tortilla Soup.
Want more Mexican recipes? Here are 25+ Mexican Recipes you’ll love!
This recipe has been one of our most popular chicken recipes for a long time. Probably because it’s so easy to make and everyone likes it. After baking the casserole, serve it over some pasta. For a group, I’d recommend doubling it to make enough for a 9×13 dish.
Bacon, southwest marinated grilled chicken, two kinds of cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes wrapped in a tortilla with Southwest Ranch Sauce. What’s not to love about the Southwest Bacon and Chicken Wrap?
It’s easy to double the chicken and other ingredients and just lay out an assembly line.
TIPS FOR FEEDING LARGE CROWDS ON A BUDGET | HOW TO FEED LOTS OF PEOPLE FOR CHEAP
FAQ
How much food do I need for 40 guests?
How much salad should a guest eat?
For bean dishes, guests will eat roughly a half-cup of baked beans or bean salad each. Green salad – For leafy vegetable salads, plan on about one cup to one and a half cups per person, before dressing. For dressing, if the salads are a main, offer three tablespoons per person or just two tablespoons per person for a side salad.
How much food do you eat at a party?
In the grand scheme of things, an adult will eat roughly a pound of food at a party, while children (except for male teenagers), will eat roughly half a pound of food. The more food options you offer, the less each partygoer will eat of each food. If you only have hamburgers and chips, you’re going to need a lot of both.
How much food do you need for a buffet?
Your buffet would need 125 pounds of food for 100 guests. Next you would need to break your total down into different portions of the meal. If you are offering more than one food category option (perhaps 2 proteins or 2 vegetable sides), the total amount of proteins or vegetables offered should increase by 30%.
How much food should you serve at a BBQ?
Side dishes can be tricky, but you can estimate about four ounces of each dish as a serving. Prepared salads and beans – For potato, pasta, or other prepared salads, anticipate roughly one cup per guest. If you’re only serving one prepared salad at a BBQ, you can expect guests to grab extra.