9 Inexpensive Meals For Large Groups
Whether you have a big celebration coming up or it’s just game night with your friends, cooking for a crowd can be kind of overwhelming. This is especially true when you’re trying to eat healthy and stay on a budget. You may be asking yourself, “How the heck to serve a big group without breaking my financial and nutrition goals?”
That may seem like a tall order (hah, pun intended), but you can totally find easy and inexpensive recipes for large groups—and they don’t have to be carb-loaded potato bars and pasta feasts. So, today, I’m dedicating this post to some of my favorite healthy and cheap meals to feed your loved ones. You’ll notice most of these are soups and casseroles, which are really simple to make and feel like the classic comforting foods you're used to when eating at parties!
Here are the recipes:
9 Inexpensive Meals For Large Groups
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Servings: 12
Ingredients
4 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2 chopped large onions
4 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp chipotle chile powder
2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
24 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups fresh corn
4 TB lime juice
3 TB chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Brush the tortillas on both sides with 2 TB oil. Slice each one into half-inch strips. Place the strips on a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes on each side until they’re crisp.
Step 3
Heat the rest of the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft and transparent. Then, add garlic, paprika, salt, chipotle chile powder, and tomatoes and cook. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Step 4
Add chicken and cover. Cook on simmer until the chicken’s internal temperature is 165°F. This could be 15-18 minutes. Once it’s done, transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Add the corn to the stockpot and let it cook until warm.
Step 5
Remove the stockpot from the heat. Shred the chicken on the cutting board and then stir it into the soup. Add lime juice, cilantro, and your tortilla strips. Now it’s ready to go!
Butternut Squash and Turkey Bean Chili
Serves: 10
Ingredients
2 TB of avocado oil
1 chopped white onion
1 chopped green pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 lb ground turkey
1 15 oz can of drained and rinsed kidney beans
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 TB chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 cups of diced butternut squash
2 cups of chicken broth
Instructions
Step 1
In a large saucepan, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat and then saute the onions, green pepper, and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Then add the ground turkey and cook until the pink is gone.
Step 2
Add in kidney beans, black beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir. Then, add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir again, add the butternut squash, and then mix until everything is well combined.
Step 3
Pour your chicken broth in and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and then cook for 20-25 minutes until the squash is tender. (Check with a fork.) It’s ready to serve!
Mexican Chicken Casserole
Serves: 12
Ingredients
2 cups of water
2 cups of uncooked quinoa
2 TB avocado oil
2 chopped yellow or white onions
4 chopped bell peppers (whatever colors)
2 lbs cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 TB chili powder
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
2 drained 15 oz cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 drained and rinsed 15 oz cans of black beans
2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Fresh cilantro
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9x13 inch pans or one large deep jelly roll pan.
Step 2
In a large saucepan, pour in your water and quinoa. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Let the quinoa cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then fluff it with a fork.
Step 3
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a deep saucepan. Saute the onions and peppers until soft. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and cook until the chicken has no more pink in it.
Step 4
Stir in the garlic and tomatoes and cook for another minute. Then, remove the pan from heat. Add black beans, quinoa, Greek yogurt, and ½ cup cheddar cheese and ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
Step 5
Transfer the mixture to the two baking dishes. Top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Remove it from the often and top with cilantro. Time to serve!
Chicken Zucchini Casserole
Serves: 16
Ingredients
6 TB butter
4 lb cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 chopped zucchini
2 chopped red bell peppers
⅔ cup of flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
6 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 ½ tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Melt 2 TB of butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in the pan until browned. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Step 3
In the hot pan. Add zucchini and peppers and cook until the vegetables start to soften. Then, transfer the zucchini and peppers to the bowl with the cooked chicken.
Step 4
Add the rest of the butter to the pan. Stir in the flour and cook until the flour browns. Add broth and milk. Whisk until it boils, and then remove the pan from heat. Add cream cheese and half the mozzarella cheese until everything is melted. Seasons with your salt and pepper.
Step 5
Drain the liquid from the chicken and vegetable mixture and then stir the mixture into the cheese sauce. Transfer it all into a 4-quart baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
Step 6
Bake for 20-25 minutes. (You may want to put a baking sheet under the dish in case there’s any spillage.) Enjoy!
Red Bean Vegetable Soup
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
3 chopped red bell peppers
3 chopped celery ribs
2 chopped onions
4 rinsed and drained 16 oz cans of kidney beans
4 ½ cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp hot pepper sauce
Instructions
Step 1
In a large crockpot, add your peppers, celery, onions, and beans. Then, stir in all remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours or until the vegetables are to your liking. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Beef Barley Lentil Soup
Servings: 10
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 chopped onion
2 cups cubed red potatoes
1 ½ cup chopped celery
1 ½ cup chopped carrots
1 cup rinsed dried lentils
½ cup medium pearl barley
8 cups water
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
½ tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
2 14 ½ oz cans of stewed tomatoes (chopped)
1 tsp salt
Instructions
Step 1
Spray a deep skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium heat. Cook beef and onions in the pan until there’s no more pink in the beef.
Step 2
Transfer the pan contents into a large crockpot. Layer the slow cooker with potatoes, celery, carrots, lentils, and barley.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, mix water, bouillon, and lemon pepper. Then, pour the liquid over the contents of the crockpot.
Step 4
Cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Then, add tomatoes and salt for 2 more hours on low. Finally, it’s time to eat!
Zesty Chicken Soup
Servings: 10
Ingredients
1 ¼ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups water
1 TB canola oil
1 chopped onion
2 chopped celery ribs
4 minced garlic cloves
1 14 ½ oz Mexican diced tomatoes
1 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes
1 8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup medium salsa
3 chopped zucchini
2 sliced carrots
1 cup frozen white corn
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
Instructions
Step 1
In a Dutch oven, add chicken and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then, remove the chicken and cube it.
Step 2
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Then, cook onions, celery, and garlic until tender. Pour the contents of the saucepan into the Dutch oven.
Step 3
Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, zucchini, carrots, corn chiles, cumin, chili powder, and basil. Bring it to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Step 3
Add chicken and cook until heated through. Then, enjoy! Serve it with cheese and tortilla chips if you want.
Tuna Pasta Bake
Servings: 12
Ingredients
9 cups dry chickpea pasta
¾ cup olive oil
12 minced cloves garlic
3 diced onions
3 chopped bell peppers
3 chopped carrots
24 chopped green olives
6 cups baby spinach
12 drained 6 oz cans of tuna
6 cups of tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
3 cups of cheddar cheese
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Cook pasta to al dente using the package instructions. Drain, drizzle with olive oil, and set aside.
Step 3
Heat a few TB of olive oil to medium heat in a deep skillet. Saute garlic and onions until fragrant and browned. Then, add bell peppers, carrots, and olives and cook for 5-7 minutes. Mix in spinach and cook until wilted.
Step 4
Add canned tuna and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Then, remove from heat and transfer the mixture into a large baking dish (maybe two if you don’t have a large enough pan.) Add pasta to the dish and the remaining olive oil. Combine.
Step 5
Sprinkle cheddar cheese onto the top. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly brown. Time to eat!
Frittata Tray Bake
Servings: 10
Ingredients
10 eggs
¾ cups milk
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cups shredded cheese
3 oz sliced mushroom
3 oz feta
2 TB olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram
1 ½ tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
12 oz cubed pumpkin
2 chopped zucchini
1 sliced red capsicum
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 430°F.
Step 2
In a bowl, toss vegetables in oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then, spread them out onto a baking tray. Roast those vegetables for 25 minutes.
Step 3
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Spray a large deep baking sheet with cooking oil and then line it with parchment paper.
Step 4
Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Then, spread ½ the roasted vegetables on the new baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over that. Then, top it with cheese. Finally, add the remaining vegetables, feta, and mushrooms.
Step 5
Bake for 40 minutes until it’s all set. Use the baking paper to lift the frittata out of the pan and cut it into slices. Time to eat!
Feed a crowd with these healthy, inexpensive, and easy-to-make meals!
These soups and casseroles are the perfect healthy and easy meals for large group gatherings. That’s one of the best parts of hosting when you’re being mindful of your nutrition habits—you can control what food is put in front of you! So, get in the kitchen, invite over your friends, and enjoy a meal, knowing your budget and nutrition goals are intact!
You can find more on nutrition, finances, and fitness on the Core Life Habits blog. I have recipes and advice, to keep you on track. Plus, if you’re struggling in any of these areas, I offer 1:1 coaching to help you form your objectives and reach your goals. I’ll be with you every step of the journey and can make sure you win in every scenario!
