Feeding 9 for 4 days - Menu Planning!

[QforCucumber]

We are staying in a lodge with friends for New Years period, 3 nights.
4 adults and 5 kids (3,6,8,14 & 17)

We have decided on a BBQ for the night of the 30th and some kind of cheese, meats and pizza buffet for the 31st, with a roast dinner New Years day but otherwise stuck - and I'm sure everyone will need more than 1 meal a day.

I'm the foodie here, but have never fed this many people for this long before (the 2 younger kids are mine and only 3 and 6) please share some ideas for what we need to take (Tesco delivery booked for lunchtime on the 30th Arrival)

Jacket potatoes with lots of toppings?
Cheese/tuna/coleslaw/chilli/salad

Lunches- posh soup with warm baguettes & deli sliced meats

And if any of the teens are boys, stock up on cereal, toast, peanut butter and milk.

My son can eat a full roast dinner (with about 9 roast potatoes) and then have a bowl of cereal and 2 rounds of toast about an hour later.

Taco wraps? Loads of fillings and straps and everyone does their own

Lasagna (or pasta pesto for a very quick meal)

Chilli con carne with rice and nachos

Curry and rice

You need easy food outside of the main meals. Stock up on par cooked.baguettes, good quality bread, ham/cheese, salad etc.

Breakfast cereals, jams, eggs, bacon, pastries (frozen or par baked).

Snacks and treats - crisps, popcorn, fruit, hummus/dips, yoghurt.

Lasagne
Fish pie
Curry with raita and yoghurt
Halloumi traybake
Baked risotto
Jacket potato

Oh these are brilliant ideas Thankyou! Yes the 2 older and 2 younger are all boys (at least I’ll get an idea of what’s it’s going to be like living with 2 teenage boys 😭)

hate looking at a piece of paper with no idea where to start

You're there for three nights, one evening a bbq, one cheese meat and pizza buffet and one night a roast right? So you need 4 lunches and 3 breakfasts. If you include a cooked element for breakfasts you could get away with pretty light lunches, I don't think you need another full on cooked meal.

Breakfasts I'd go with bacon sandwiches one day, scrambled egg with optional smoked salmon another and pastries, pancakes and croissants on the last day.
Then the usual fruit, yoghurt, cereal, toast, tea, coffee, juice each day to accompany.

Lunches soup and fresh bread
Quiche/frittata and salad
Panini's or wraps
Fresh filled baguettes

Fajitas with loads of salads, roast pulled chicken, cheese, salsa etc plus sauces.

Pizza night, you could even buy plain bases and everyone chooses their toppings.

Big ass lasagne or baked pasta dish with salad /peas

Massive meat stew with mash and roast veg

Soup and nice bread

Whole baked salmon with rice and creamy lemon garlic sauce. Or wrap it pastry for fish pie.

Savory pancakes followed by sweet pancakes.

Sushi making station/summer rolls making.

Mezze. Pitta bread warmed. Then lots of dips. Feta salad, hummous, babaganoush, olives etc.

@AtleastitsnotMonday thats right, it just feels overwhelming due to the number of people I think. Breaking it down like that is helpful and you are right - I was thinking too ‘big’ on the lunches too which won’t be required. I am really looking forward to it as its been a hell of a year, I just don’t want to end up doing a panic last minute shop and buy loads of shit that we can’t make a meal out of (my usual procedure)

I don't think you can count the 17yo boy as a child! He may well eat more than an adult at that age.

My approach would be to get in bread and jam and cereal and milk and croissants etc for breakfast; quiches and cold baked salmon and eggs (for omelettes) and baguettes for lunches; then plan out dinners (as you have).

THEN, I would buy an absolute fuckton of fruit, raw vegetables, snacks, yogurts, olives, cheese, peanut butter, crackers etc. You will all eat much more than you think over the NY period, especially if you're lolling about indoors, especially with bored teens (who at a push might make some toast or a pot noodle).

Crisps, juice, nuts, wine, beers, milkshake/hot chocolate, bananas, apples, chocolate, satsumas + satsumas + satsumas, olives, cornichons, Bombay mix - just loads of that stuff.

THEN I would make sure we cook and eat all the perishable stuff there (spinach, meats, fish, raw veggies that can't be kept, milk etc) and then share out whatever's leftover for people to take home.

Sounds fun!

Delegate lunch and breakfast: the shopping, prepping and clearing up and you do the dinner?
It won't be a break otherwise and there are other adults there.

Oh that’s already in process @Squeaky2023 DH is great anyway, friends husband is doing the bbq (it’s his thing year round) pizza buffet was planned by the 2 older boys and they’ve said they’re sorting that and the roast is me :)

but we still need a vague plan in place for lunches and breakfasts otherwise my messy brain won’t know what to add to the shop!