Cooking for 15 for a week. What would you cook?

[CookingAllDay]

Going to a holiday home with family for a week.
10 adults, 5 children. No dietary requirements. Kids aged between 3-15. Not fussy eaters.

I need breakfast, evening meal and snacks. I think I'll be doing most of the cooking which is fine, others will help if needed, so the easier the better.

Any suggestions please!!!

I would do things that can be chucked in oven and also meals that can be put in middle of table and people help themselves

Lasagne
Chilli
Fajitas
BBQ
Curry
Tray baked - chicken pieces (thighs/legs) with potatoes and other veg

Spaghetti bolognese (can cook in advance if you have a huge freezer).
Curry (again, can be cooked in advance).
Great big gammon.
Jacket potatoes.
Quiches.
Fish and chips.

Depends on size of oven as well.

Remember to take some huge cauldron size saucepans to make cooking for that amount of people easier!

Bolognaise
Chilli
Curry
Jacket potatoes with leftovers of the above
Hotdogs and salad
Loaded oven chips
Sausage butties
Pasta pesto
Pasta bakes

Make sure others help! Buy onions etc already chopped

Lunches -soup is good. But won’t you be doing day trips?
Breakfast - just the usual: cereals; toast etc.

echo the huge pans. I have 1 giant soup pan - make sure others bring theirs to make it easier.

And oven dishes / casserole dishes etc. Holiday let ones will be sparse

I think cooking enough spaghetti for 15 rules out spaghetti bol.

But lasagne and chilli are similar and would work.

Fish pie

Stews/casseroles/curries

@DownWhichOfLate yes, we'll be out for the day so I'm not fussed on lunches. Just everything else really. Thanks for suggestions so far...
What would you put on loaded fries @Workyticket

Breakfast as they'd have at home.
Lunch - sandwiches or eat out

Dinners- anything you can scale up easily

Chicken and chips
Curry/chili
Pasta
Fajitas - wraps and sides easy enough. One pan to cook the filling. Serve with wedges or tortilla chips. Lots that others can help with.

[quote CookingAllDay]@DownWhichOfLate yes, we'll be out for the day so I'm not fussed on lunches. Just everything else really. Thanks for suggestions so far...
What would you put on loaded fries @Workyticket [/quote]
I'm a Mackem so I'd do cheesy chips 🤣🤣

Gravy / leftover chilli / fried onions etc

Also - joints of meat. Gammon, pork, beef or whatever. Serve with new potatoes and veg or salad then dice all leftover meat and potatoes for curry the next day.

Fajitas done in the oven (I only discovered this recently after faffing about frying them for years) just slice everything toss in seasoning and bung in oven on large baking trays. Easy for everyone to construct their own.

Sausage and fennel pasta is easy - www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/rigatoni-with-sausage-and-fennel-ragu/ I add some chilli flakes to mine

Lunches - maybe make/buy a a big vat of soup and buy baguettes

Picky lunches of cheese/pate/crackers etc

Huge macaroni cheese.
Chilli.
Egg and chips!!

Sorry missed that you didn't need lunches - but what we often do on holiday is eat a hot meal when we are out for the day, so we only need snacks/picnic tea in the evening. Easier than getting home and starting to cook.

Tray bakes, curries, spaghetti bolognese, chilli, fish and chips .... yum

I'd do a fish and chip/pizza/Chinese takeaway one night too and eat out one night as well. It's not much of a holiday for you if you are planning, shopping and cooking for 15 everyday.

Take a couple of decent knives, holiday let ones are always shite and if you’ve got to cook for that many people you need it to be easy, not fighting with a crap knife

I’d be thinking about some delegation! Even if that means you do the main element and then rope someone in to do the sides each night. So you make a chilli, someone else cooks the rice and sorts tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
For 15, on holiday, I’d advise keeping dishes really simple.
Do you have a bbq there?
I’d do gammon, carved with salads
Roast lemon garlic and herb chicken with a cold roasted veg and cous salad.
Big bowls of pasta with either arabiata or carbonara sauces. Garlic bread, tomato and mozerella salad.
Salmon, courgette and new potato tray bake.
Sausage, sweet potato and apple tray bake.
Big puff pastry tarts with red onion, tomato and pesto.
Chilli, rice, tortillas, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, Mexican corn salad.

Breakfast par baked baguettes, frozen bake at home pastries, fruit, juices, bread for toast and eggs.

That sounds like full on catering for 15, not a holiday at all for you!

I'm sorry if I sound baaaad, but 10 adults all waiting with their knives and forks for you to supply their grub? Not a chance I would do it every day.

But anyway, all above suggestions sound good. Hard work is never easy eh?

Chicken and chorizo jambalaya is easy and makes huge portions if needed (think we use the BBC good food one)

Part baked baguettes and cheeses/anti pasti

Jacket potatoes and a variety of fillings?

Fajitas

Pasta bake

Marinated chicken and chips/salad

I'd be traybake queen - just layering up traybakes to minimise washing and fuss. Eg lamb with squash and broccoli; chicken drumsticks, fennel, new potatoes; sausage, lentils, spinach; whole fetas baked in tomato and pepper sauce; mixed roast veg and mozzarella. A free fresh leaves of something scattered across turns the knarliest looking traybake to a thing of beauty. Add some lovely condiments - yoghurt and harrissa, or mayo, and a leafy salad undressed but with oil, lemon and salt on the table. Low input, you can usually prep layers while the first bit gets going, occasionally too up the tin with boiling water. It's all very forgiving and straightforward

I've scaled these up for 20 people. Really easy.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beef-vegetable-casserole

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/leek-potato-bacon-bake

Sod that for a lark. You're supposed to be on Holiday, for heaven's sake

And this. I added mushrooms/peppers to bulk it out.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cheese-bacon-lasagne

Tray bakes are really easy.

If people like chicken you can do it twice in tray bakes. Once with fresh herbs (eg rosemary & thyme) lemon zest, garlic paste, baby tomatoes, baby potatoes, chunks of red & yellow pepper, aubergine and red onion, olives and just bake for 45 mins. Pur a glass of wine into the tray to help steam roast. Serve with leafy salad or steamed green veg.

Second chicken traybake, rub in jerk or curry spices with a bit of brown sugar and salt onto the skin pf the chicken. Add chunks of sweet potato and white onion and any other veg you think goes well in a curried dish. Serve with rice cooked in stock and coconut milk with a cinnamon stick, star anise and some cardamon pods, with peas.

Another good one is chunks of butternut squash, peppers, chunks of chorizo, any onion you like (red/white/shallots) tinned chickpeas, tinned tomatoes. Stir them all together with a huge spoonful or two of smoky paprika, some garlic paste or powder, a smaller spoonful of cumin, salt and pepper. Serve with garlic bread.

Butter the base of a roasting tray. Layer it with chunky rings of leek, sliced fennel, sliced old potatoes, chunks of carrot or baby carrots, fresh thyme, pour in a glass of cider and lay good quality sausages on top. Serve with steamed green veg.

Sorry - meant to say add some stock or coconut milk to the curried chicken one or it will be a bit dry.

Why are you doing most of the cooking?