Hi Tammy,
Check out the cookalong threads that are stored under the FAQs on this page. They are sorted by ingredients, so it might be more helpful than trying to use the search feature (which seems to be more wanky than usual lately.) And if you see something on the WFD posts that looks good, don't hesitate to ask for the recipe. Even if it's been posted before, almost everyone is happy to post it again when requested.

Hi Tammie,

You're rght about weekly menus - they save a lot of hassle & make cooking much easier. You've come to the right place for recipes; go back through all the previous posts here & in the Recipe Forum for some great ideas.

How about oven-fried chicken, vegetable beef soup, chili, sauerkraut & sausage, pot roast & potatoes...?

I've made this meatloaf for years & swear by it. It's good cold in meatloaf sandwiches too.

Swiss Loaf (A Meatloaf by Peg Bracken)

2 lbs ground beef
4 1/2 ounces Swiss cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 cups milk
1 cup dry breadcrumbs

MIx ingredients together in the order they're given. Press into a greased loaf pan. Bake uncovered, on a baking sheet to catch drips, at 350 F for 1-1 1/2 hour. Let sit 10- 15 minutes before serving.

Here is a link that might be useful: Recipe Exchange Forum

Tammy, another idea is to look at the Pioneer Woman's blog. She is the wife of a cattle rancher & mother of 4 boys. Her recipes are good, easy, & she gives step-by-step pictues & directions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pioneer Woman's recipes

Yes, I like The Pioneer Woman's recipes too, but she has 2 boys and 2 girls - a correction there.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Taco Soup

I used less meat and it was great; subbed some bulk sausage for some of the ground beef. I did not include the can of hominy. But I add some canned or frozen corn to this - 8 or 16 oz. can or package. This is similar to a chili but not as thick or spicy; most people love it.

2 pounds ground round
1 large onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch original dry mix salad dressing
1 can kidney beans (with liquid)
1 can pinto beans
(1 can yellow hominy)
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)
2 cans stewed tomatoes (I use Mexican stewed tomatoes)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup of water

Cook beef and onion until beef is browned, drain excess grease. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or put in a crock pot and cook on low all day.

Chicken Stuffing Bake

1 box Stove Top stuffing for chicken
cooked chicken, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
a little milk
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables, corn, green beans, carrots, thawed

Mix the stuffing per the package but you can omit the butter.

Mix the soup, sour cream, and milk in a bowl with a whisk, blending it well. Add in the thawed vegetables.

Layer about 1/3 of the stuffing in a greased casserole dish. Top with a layer of chopped chicken. Spread the soup sauce with veggies on top of the chicken, then put on the rest of the stuffing.

Cover casserole with lid or foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 5-10 minutes to crisp up the top.

Green Chile Enchiladas serves 8
375 preheated oven for 20-25 min.

1 1/2lbs. lean ground beef
1 TB chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups grated Monterrey Jack cheese
3/4c fine chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2c sour cream
1 small can green chiles
8 to 12 flour tortillas

Brown ground beef with onion, drain fat. Stir in chili powder, s&p. Spoon meat mixture and some grated cheese on each tortilla. Roll up, put in greased baking dish. Combine soup, sour cream and green chiles, spoon over enchiladas.
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, top with more cheese, bake 10 minutes more. Freezes well also.

Turkey (or chicken) Tetrazzini
4 tablespoons butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
4 cups cooked diced turkey
1/4 cup flour
salt
2 cups chicken broth
Tabasco sauce
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3 tablespoons light cream
8 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon butter

PREPARATION:
In a skillet heat 3 tablespoons of butter; add mushrooms and saute briefly.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan; add flour and stir until smooth. Whisk in broth and cook until thickened and smooth.

Add salt and Tabasco to taste. Whisk a little of the hot sauce into the beaten egg yolk, then pour the egg yolk mixture into the rest of the sauce. Add sherry, cream, turkey, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, just until heated through.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a buttered casserole, place alternate layers of spaghetti and sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Brown quickly under a preheated broiler and serve.

Tammy, welcome to the Cooking Forum.

When my girls were still at home, I always made weekly menus. The girls were responsible for choosing the menus, I was responsible for cooking. They each got to choose 3 dinners, Sunday was my choice or leftovers.

They'd sit with a stack of cookbooks and pick out new recipes, or they'd ask for old favorites. If they chose a new recipe they had to note where the recipe could be found and what ingredients were needed if they weren't something normally kept on hand.

Since they both got to choose what was for dinner, they didn't argue over whether they liked this or that, and I didn't have to try to figure out what the heck I'd make for dinner after I worked all day.

Just hang around here, you'll get lots of recipes. So many you'll never be able to make them all, LOL.

Annie

Thanks beanthere. I will do that. I love looking at those pics. They look like they belong in a magazine.

Thanks for the recipe kathleenca, and theresa, and the link. I started a file on my computer with just recipes since I have been perusing this forum. Kathleen, I do fix baked chicken, vegetable beef soup (which the kids dont eat), chili,and pot roast & potatoes. It seems like my recipes alternate thru about 20 different ones filled in with occasioanl breakfast for supper. I also like an occasional vegetarian meal, as it would be so easy for me to revert back to that.

Annie, thats a good idea about getting the kids involved. My two are 20, and 23. I hate trying to figure out what to eat.

Tammy

Tammy, here's something that's very, very easy and tastes real good. You'd have to muliply it for a large family.

Brown 4 center cut boneless chops, seasoned with s/p & thyme
Just as the second side is browning, scoop out a (gasp) can of Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup over the chops.
Cover and turn the heat down low. Cooking till done, depending on thickness of chops. (very short time if they're thin)

It's one of those no brainers that taste good. I serve them with basmati rice that's been made previously and frozen. I'm sure you could throw a vegetable in the pan too, I've just never tried it.

Be sure to use the Golden Mushroom soup, not cream of mushroom. There's something in the Golden Mushroom's flavoring that works with the pork.

I don't know if it would help, but one thing I started was a spreadsheet with a list of dishes, with main ingredients in the columns out to the side. I started it for ideas on lunches to take to work. It's great because it has all favorites on there and with a quick glance I can tell if I have the main ingredients. You still have to pair up each dish with other side dishes, but it's still easy to do with everything right there. And, yes it's a huge list with all those columns but I don't print it out.

Thanks dirtgirl. I did something similar a few years ago with a small photo album. I just keep recipes that I have tried and know we like in it. I will have to try that recipe. I have to admit tho, my family has never ate mushrooms before. I have had them on pizza, and Applebee's Orange Chicken Bowl. I dont find they have much noticeable taste tho. But I have never tried the soup.
Tammy

I am checking out the pioneer woman's site. Love It!. So far I have found the baked Lemon pasta, has anyone tried it? It sure sounds good.Here are some of her's I thought sounded good. Have any of you tried them?
Baked lemon Pasta
Chicken Stuffing Bake
Crispy Yogurt Chicken
Monday Night Stir fry
Roasted Carrots
Spicy Shredded Pork
Tammy

Hi Tammy, welcome to the Cooking Forum! Here are some things that we enjoy - maybe you'll find something to your family's liking. I occasionally am challenged by cooking for 6 grandchildren (not all at once usually) but these recipes have their thumbs up!

Meatloaf Patties and Pan Gravy

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Cook's Notes: Buy tomato paste in the tube, rather than a can; it makes storage of leftover product easier. Tomato paste in the tube is often kept with Italian specialty foods, rather than with the canned tomato products.

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin, 90 percent lean ground beef
1 slice white bread, spread with softened butter, then cut into small cubes
1/8 cup (a splash) milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend, or coarse salt and black pepper combined
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium onion, finely chopped, reserve 1/4 amount

3-Condiment Pan Gravy:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped, reserved from meatloaf mixture
2 tablespoons (a handful) all-purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 rounded teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon steak sauce

Place meat in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center of the meat. Fill the well with the bread cubes and dampen them with a splash of milk. Pour 1 beaten egg over bread and add seasoning or salt and pepper, allspice, tomato paste and onion to the bowl.

Combine the meat, bread and grill seasoning or salt and pepper and form mixture into 4 large oval patties 3/4-inch thick. Pan fry meatloaf patties in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat 7 minutes on each side under a loose tin foil tent. The tent will reflect heat and allow the steam to escape the pan.

Remove meat loaf patties to a platter and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium and add butter and onion to your skillet. Cook the onion 2 minutes and sprinkle pan with flour. Cook flour 1 minute and whisk in 1 cup beef stock. Bring broth to a bubble. If gravy is too thick, thin with additional stock. Stir in condiments and remove gravy from heat.

Slice meatloaf patties and drizzle with gravy.

VEGETABLE LASAGNE

1 pound lasagne noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded fontina cheese
1 package (10 oz.) chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
3 cups part skim milk ricotta (divided)
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix together fontina, veggies, 2-1/2 cups of the ricotta and the egg.
Place layer of noodles in 13 x 9 pan. Spread half of ricotta mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles on top.
Cook and stir onion in oil under tender. Stir in flour and nutmeg. Stir in chicken broth and 1/2 cup ricotta. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Spoon over lasagna. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and broil about 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.

8 servings

Easy Baked Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt
Ground pepper
Garlic powder
4 T. mayonnaise
4 T. fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1 c. fresh coarse bread crumbs (or packaged, or panko)
Chopped parsley

1. Season chicken lightly with salt, pepper.
2. Combine mayonnaise, garlic powder and cheese.
3. Put chicken in baking dish and cover with the mixture.
5. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with parsley.

Bake at 400 until juices run clear (about 15-20 minutes)

Tammy, I don't like mushrooms at all but the soup really on has bits in it. Sorta like chicken noodle where you have to search for the chicken! :) What I do find, I just push to the side.

Very interesting dirtgirl. I think I will give it a try.

Thanks woodie2, those sound really good. Especially the chicken. I doubt my kids will eat the veggie lasagna tho. None of my kids are big on veggies, including my 30 yo dd who thinks she wants to be vegetarian.For me tho...I could live on veggies.
Tammy

Hi, Tammy. Welcome to the Cooking Forum. My suggestion for menu planning is to start out with a couple of dishes that can be made ahead and reheated later in the week, like soups or stews. Here's one my family likes:

MEATBALL STEW

1 egg, beaten
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) beef broth
2 cans (10 3/4 oz. each) condensed golden mushroom soup (not cream of mushroom)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into chunks
1 small onion, cut in half and slivered
1 16 oz. package frozen Fordhook lima beans
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

In a bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, chopped onion, salt, marjoram and thyme. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 48 meatballs. In a Dutch oven, brown meatballs in oil; drain.

Add broth, soup, potatoes, carrots and sliced onions; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add beans and continue to cook until all vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Notes: Cut green beans can be substituted for the lima beans and mushrooms can be added if desired.

Tammy, grilling season can't be far away for you in West Virgina. I love this recipe; it's so different from what I usually cook. The burger is very moist and just a touch sweet.

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger

* 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
* 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
* 3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
* 1/8 cup canola oil
* 4 pounds ground turkey breast
* 2 Tbsp. salt
* 1 Tbsp. black pepper
* 2 tsp. Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
* 1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
* 1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
* 1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney , pureed

Directions:

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with a side of Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.

(I haven't made any changes to the recipe other than to make the burgers smaller--probably around 1/3# each. It is so good that I can't think of anything that would improve the orig. recipe. Any leftovers are still great the next day, just nuked to warm them.)
----------------------------------------------------

Another recipe that would be good for a crowd like yours is the Bierocks recipe that I posted on the February New Recipe Review thread. I was initially a little disappointed in them. Either I underestimated them or Bierocks are just better reheated--after the flavors have melded.

Bierocks

Dough (Pam's Bierocks by Pushkemaa)

2 c. warm water
2 pkg yeast (I used 1 T.)
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. margarine, softened (butter, of course)
1 egg
2 t. salt
7 c. AP flour

(I made the dough the evening before.)I just dumped the ingred. into the bread machine & let the machine do the work. Had to add quite a lot of extra water. You want a soft dough & even w/ the extra water, the dough ended up being a little stiffer than I would have liked. So, I would suggest cutting back the am't of flour to 5 1/2 - 6 cups & adding more if needed. (Another reason to cut back on the flour is because this recipe made more dough than need for the filling.)

After mixing the dough, I turned it into a greased bowl, covered w/ plastic & popped it into the refrigerator overnight.

Bierocks Filling (allrecipes Pamela Logsdon)

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped (used 3 T. dehydrated onions)
1 clove garlic (used 3 cloves)
1 1/2 t. salt (omitted because of DH)
1 1/2 t. lemon pepper (Used lemon zest & pepper)
1 small head cabbage, shredded
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. Caraway seeds (I lightly toasted)
1/2 c. butter (didn't use)

Saute beef, onion, garlic, salt & lemon pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat until beef is browned. Add cabbage, Worcestershire sauce & caraway seed. Cook until cabbages is limp; drain liquid from mixture. (My mixture was very dry, probably because I used the dehydrated onions?)

Let beef/cabbage cool to room temp or lukewarm.

Now, it's time to roll out the dough. Squeeze off approx. golf balled size (or slightly larger) piece of dough. Roll out on unfloured surface to about 5'' diameter. Measure 1/4 c. of cabbage mixture into circle (I added about 1 t. of water to each pile of cabbage because my mixture was so dry), gather up edges & pinch the edges together, sealing the seam well. Place seam side down onto parchment covered baking sheet. Repeat until all dough & meat mixture is used.

(When rolling out the dough, you want it to stick to the surface so it doesn't shrink back up. I had heck w/ these at first until I tossed the pastry cloth & rolled it directly on the counter. I'd get it to stick to my marble rolling pin, then peel it off the pin and stick the side that was stuck onto the pin--stick that side to the counter--and finish rolling.)

I ended up with 15 bierocks & 5 extra 'hot rolls' from the extra dough.

Let rise for an hour or so.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or wrap & freeze for heating later. Or bake the day before desired serving & reheat.

Hi Tammy - I have trouble too. I garden and it's disappointing when my family won't eat what I grow (or what I buy). Check out my comment about Allrecipes in the thread called Favorite Foodie sites because it's helped me a bunch.
It's virtually impossible to find something that everyone likes when you're cooking for several people and they all have a different list of things that they won't eat. Makes me want to scream. lol

Tammy when you first posted I was not sure what you were asking for, what the source was of your desperation. But I think now I'm maybe getting a clearer picture. If your sons are grown and are still living at home, there is no reason they can't cook dinner once and a while or at least help with some of the prep. Nothing like being responsible for cooking to make you appreciate the hard work the cook puts in. If they are giving you grief about your cooking I say ignore it, if they don't like it they can cook! I don't mean be nasty about things, I just mean learn to ignore it and take pleasure in cooking things you like to cook. A guy I worked with once posted some instructions on the bulletin board for the staff, followed by the caveat, "Send all complaints via the Kremlin." I've always remembered that phrase and liked it! Cooking for a big crew like that who are hard to please could definately make a person feel desperate. We've all been there. We have had posts from time to time about this, I know some of us come here for companionship because we are the only foodies in the family! You'll find a lot of good suggestions here, on WFD, the New Recipes threads, the Cookalong threads, etc. etc. Search for some of those old ones, they have great recipe ideas.

As for saving money, shop the outside of the aisles, that's for sure. With a big gang like you have, you can buy the big roasts when they are on sale and stock up. Hopefully you have a freezer. Get used to making a big animal on the weekend (a rump roast or a turkey, chicken, pork or lamb roast) and then having it for sandwiches and casseroles for the rest of the week. That's a good way to save money. Also check out the crockpot thread. I can't give you much advice on that style of cooking though, I'm a vegetarian! Make some kind of soup too, that is great for lunches and even some dinners. You might take up canning too, you can make a big batch of applesauce, for example, over the weekend and can it to have quick during the week. This stuff can also be frozen if you don't want to can. With a big brood like yours I would imagine having a freezer would really lighten your load so look into getting one if you don't have one.

And most important, welcome to the forum, check in often and feel free to vent, we've all been there MANY times.

lpinkmountain, I must have missed your post.Your right cooking for a large crowd is difficult. Someone always has a complaint abut something. And I a not a bad cook. I spend prob 250-280 dollars a week in groceries( and paper supplies etc) to feed 7-8 people. All adults but 1. (when will they all move out,lol?)
I am almost vegetarian, and same with my 20 yo daughter, but she doesnt eat most veggies. But she never complains. if I dont have something she wants, she doesnt hesitate to get a bowl of cereal. I do have a chest freezer, and a side by side. I purchased veggie seeds this winter, and plan on having a small garden. or at least trying. The last few times I tried, I ended up just feeding the deer.
I thought by making up a menu, it might help with more focused grocery spending, and more savings with re using leftovers. I think this is a big area that could also use some help. Plus I have been saving lots of recipes to try now and then for some variety. I hate the same old things everyday. makes it so difficult to plan and cook.
Tammy