As I am writing, a Lemon poppyseed macaron my daughter made is melting in my mouth! This is not what we’ve been eating for dinner, but it definitely has the flavors of spring delight in it! These were her first macarons and I’m only a little jealous they turned out so well. However, you are likely not here to see what treats we’ve been enjoying. If you are reading this you likely, like me, are looking for some fresh dinner inspiration and are curious what our large family eats on the reg. I’m happy to share 10 of our large family spring dinner ideas with you today that we have been making recently!

We spend so much time in the kitchen that a fresh recipe can give us that inspiration needed to make yet one more meal. It can be difficult to find the ideal meal- healthy, easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and generally accepted by all age groups, that easily feeds crowd. Othewise known as the impossible meal? I kid.. sorta.

What to make for dinner when feeding a large family?

• Healthy
• Uncomplicated
• Budget-friendly
• Generally accepted by all
• Easy to upsize

Most of the meals listed below fit most of these and have customizemable options to accomodate pickeir eaters. I hope this list gives you a little inspiration to keep feeding souls and filling bellies.

I follow a meal planning formula for the most part. You can also watch the video here. But I am not super strict with it. It is there to help me make a quick decision when my brain feels bleh. If I have new inspiration and a new recipe I want to try, I go ahead and make it. On even my busiest weeks the formula is simple enough to maintain. When there is little to no inspiration I just stick to the old family favorites.

We keep a stock of half a cow, some lamb, chicken and fish that we purchase direct or wholesale in our freezer. I love to keep a variety of whole grains and beans stocked in our storage room, as well. This limits me to mostly needing to purchase fresh items weekly and restock what we run out of from the pantry. This still ends up being quite a bit of food to buy each week, but not as much as you’d expect. You can see a grocery haul of ours here if you’re curious.

Large family spring dinner ideas

1. Vietnamese inspired noodle soup ”pho”

This recipe is my inspiration, but I just use what ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes its lots of spring veggies with hard boiled eggs. Some nights I can make it more fancy depending on time. This whips up quick if you just include lots of veggies, spiced broth, some leftover meat and your choice of noodles. I use udon, rice or soba noodles.

2. Mexican lasagna, Spanish rice, pinto beans

This is a meal we make regularly now after enjoying it at a friend’s house. It is a great crowd pleaser, and easier to put together than rolling up the tortillas for traditional enchiladas. I make my pinto beans from scratch with lots of garlic and canned chopped green chilies.

Easy Spanish rice

4 cups white or brown rice made as usual ( I prefer a 1: 1.5 rice to water ratio for long grain varieities, which are my preference)

Add in 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes

4 gloves of garlic

Salt to taste

3. Tom Kha Gai thai soup

We all love this soup! I serve it over rice as an option. My little guys love the creamy coconut milk broth over a larger bowl of rice, while we that have more sophisticated pallets enjoy some spicier additions!

Fun toppings:

• green onions
• cilantro
• toasted pine nuts or penuts
• toasted coconut flakes
• red chilli pepper flakes
• fresh lim wedges
• siracha

4. Spaghetti, focaccia bread, Caesar salad

Just a simple easy dinner with our grass fed beef. We don’t need a pic or recipe for that do we? But, you do need this easy focaccia bread recipe! It’s fool proof enough even my kids whip this up for me. It comes together quick, too, if you’re in a pinch for time. I have yet to try a sourdough version but I’m eager to try this one! I just make homemade sauce with canned tomato sauce a little wine and lots of spices.

5. Hamburgers, potato salad

This is a go to when I need a break or have a busy evening. It’s a meal that pleases everyone and a different way to use up our large quantity of ground beef besides another casserole. I thaw the meat, shape the patties and freeze them between wax paper until my hubby is ready to grill them up. Making time to bake homemade sourdough buns is my family’s favorite. Warning: once you’ve made them from scratch it’s hard to enjoy the store bought ones! The potato salad can be made in advance, as well. If you have leftover peanut sauce- make these chicken satay burgers! So yummy!

Hamburger patties from scratch:

2-3 lbs ground beef

2 Tb. steak seasoning

1 egg

Tip: Shape the patties 50% larger than you want the finished size, as they shrink when cooked!

6. Roasted chicken, roasted green beans, rice

Another easy dinner to have prepped ahead. Just rub a whole rinsed chicken (we eat 2) down with oil, garlic and herbs and roast. I toss the beans with olive oil and garlic and salt and put those on a sheet pan on the bottom rack for the last 20 min of bake time. Make some rice or quinoa and you’re set!

7. Tacos, black beans

Another quick Taco Tuesday dinner I can always whip up with what I have on hand. I always have grass-fed ground beef and dry beans. Or I throw a roast in my crockpot all day with 3 ingredients and it’s ready for a delicious dinner later. My sister makes amazing authentic cuban black beans, and when I have extra time, I use the recipe above, which is closest to the one her Cuban mother-in-law passed on to her (except the sherry and olives).

We pile high with whatever veggies and sauces we have on hand. To make prep for a large group easier, I mix the meat with cheese and beans and place in a tortilla. Place on a sheet pan, spray with a little oil and bake for 20 min. Then everyone can put their own toppings on afterwards.

8. Beef minestrone soup and sourdough biscuits

This is a quick meal I can whip up on a pinch with ground beef and macaroni noodles. Soups are always an easy meal to upsize. A big pot guarantees an easy lunch the next day. I include any veggies on hand- carrots, peas, potatoes etc. I love to top with fresh parsley and a pinch of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Of course this soup is best paired with our favorite sourdough biscuits.

Most of our kids like this soup but it makes me laugh that the littles love macaroni noodles, ground beef, and brothy soups, but add veggies and they pick through it sullenly. Just us? heheh

9. Thai chicken peanut noodles and lettuce cups

This recipe is the bomb combo! I love how versatile this is for different age groups. My littles love the noodles and chicken with some of their fave veggies on the side, like the carrots and cucumbers. But the rest of us get creative piling the toppings high or all rolled up into one rainbow in the mouth experience via the lettuce cups! Don’t forget to add some peanut sauce over your lettuce wrap. We also prefer to use butter lettuce.

I just cook up some rice, soba or udon noodles, along with terryaki chicken thighs. Then I make the peanut sauce and chop up a ton of fun veggie toppings. A delicious customizable dinner that everyone enjoys. It really is a rainbow on your plate and in your mouth!

Our favorite toppings:

• Diced cucumbers
• matchstick carrots
• diced green onions
• cilantro
• sesame seeds
• peanuts
• sriracha
• Chopped red, orange and yellow bell peppers
• thinly minced red cabbage
• Mau Poi sauce
• Sambel Olek suace
• Sriracha Mayo
• Endless options! Have fun with it!

10. Homemade pizza

Who doesn’t love pizza? My favorite way to mix it up is some fun fresh seasonal ingredients. This is my go to dough recipe in a pinch or this sourdough one. When it warms up enough we even bake these up on the grill for a more authentic fired flavor.

Our favorite spring toppings we are enjoying right now:

• Baby arugula, goat cheese, dates, honey, prosciutto, with garlic sauce
• Fresh mozzarella, basil, sun dried tomatoes, with red sauce
• Pineapple, ham, red oinion, peppers, pickled jalapeños, with bbq sauce

HAPPY COOKING!

Pin for later & Share!

The post Large family Spring dinner ideas appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

Reasons why meal planning might not be working for you

• Requires making a lot of decisions every week
• Takes a lot of time
• Can make you feel boxed in
• Too many choices
• LImits creativity & flexibility
• Adds to decision fatigue

I don’t know about you, but I hate meal planning! I love to eat what sounds good, and I feel like meal planning locks me into a meal I might not feel like making that night! Does this resonate with you? But meal planning works, and I equally despise not knowing what I’ll be making for dinner! Hah! Talus the fact that we have a large family- 11 of us- yes ELEVEN- to feed every single night. I can’t just wing it like I used to enjoy doing back when our family was much smaller.

For me, finding a large chunk of time to decide all my recipes for the week sounds too daunting. So daunting, in fact, that I’ll put it off. Something else I’m prone to, is over confidence on how many fun new recipes I can try in a week. I’ll jump on PInterest for inspiration and before I know it I get carried away with an overwhelming list of ingredients and new recipes to try. This does not set me up well to stick with consistency. However, if I already have a simple framework to decide from, my planning is much quicker and I might only plan one special recipe that week to mix things up.

So, I have adapted a new approach that is a balance that works well for me. This formula gives me creative flexibility, but still helps eliminate the dreaded “WHAT’S FOR DINNER?” lingering all day on my mind or my kids’ lips. I am sharing here today in case this formula helps simplify you getting dinner on the table, too.

Benefits of a seasonal meal planning formula

• Reduces decision fatigue
• Budget friendly
• Utilizes seasonal and sale ingredients
• Minimizes your daily to do list
• Allows for flexibility and creativity
• Streamlines grocery shopping
• Makes healthy choices easier
• Helps you cook more of the dishes you want to make

Planning your meal strategy around the season also helps you take advantage of seasonal produce that is more readily available and affordable. If all I have to know is that we’re having Italian I can work around whatever is fresh or on sale at the grocery store that fits within that category. It is much less intimidating of a decision to make when the option is slightly limited but still has flexibility.

I actually feel like my creativity in the kitchen has increased since implementing this approach. It helps me remember to cook more of the types of dishes I like making when I have more time, rather than getting stuck in a rut of making only what’s easiest. Breakfast for dinner again! Anyone else?

Steps for creating a seasonal meal planning formula

I think one of the struggles with getting dinner on the table in our modern era, is not that we lack time, resources or even energy but we have TOO MANY CHOICES. Most of us are blessed to live where we have an abundance of food and choices around us. This can create a problem when it’s time to decide what to actually make! We all want a meal that is easy, quick, healthy, and that we have all the ingredients for on hand! Hah! Well, this can be an overwhelming decision when there are myriad of options but none that seem to fit that criteria in the moment. This can however, be achieved easier when we actually just narrow things down and limit our options.

Some meal category variations

Ethnic cuisine: Mexican, French, American, Asian, Italian, Thai, Indian, Brazilian…..

Cooking method: slow cooker, instapot, grilled or smoked, stewed, roasted, fried

Type of meal: vegetarian, pasta, soup, crockpot, in tortilla, wrap/ sandwich

By the day: Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, World Wednesday, etc.

A few seasonal meal ideas

The possibilities are endless here! Hope this is enough to at least get you started thinking.

Winter: soups & stews, casseroles, slow cooker, roasted meats, braised meats

Summer: Green/pasta/potato/grain cold salads, stir fry, BBQ/smoked meats and veggies, grilled pizza, spicy foods, sandwich & burger varieties

Spring: Roasted meat and veggies, light soups, green & grain salads, fresh herb & veggie pastas, sandwiches and burger varieties

Fall: roasted/braised meats, ethnic noodle dishes, soups & stews, pasta, casseroles

Amazingly, having at least an idea of what you are going to make in a given week can really benefit not only your mental energy, but also your budget, and your health. We all know it is less intimidating to get a healthy meal on the table if we have a plan in advance and healthy ingredients available.

Our current list: Summertime

• Monday: Chicken & Rice
• Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
• Wednesday: World Wednesday- Asian, Indian, Thai
• Thursdays: Grilled- Dad’s night
• Friday: American- burgers, pizza etc.
• Weekend: Free flex day or Fish

Having a simple formula like this really helps me find a rhythm with my weekly meal planning that keeps things simple, fresh and still inspiring in the kitchen. I hope this has helped you figure out a way to simplify your dinnertime routine as well!

Save & Share!

My favorite Places to find recipes

• Allrecipes
• Simplyrecipes
• Ambitions kitchen
• Nourished Kitchen
• America’s test kitchen
• Damndelicious
• Food 52
• Farmhouse On Boone

Please, let me know in the comments if you have any other great ideas you have incorporated for this type of meal planning!

Thanks for joining me here in my little corner of the inter-webs!

The post A seasonal meal planning formula to simplify dinnertime appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

These 3 Ingredient Healthy Beef tacos taste like the indulgent ones you can get at your favorite Mexican restaurant but without the guilt! They are so simple to throw together in your crockpot or instant pot on a busy day. No slicing, chopping, or browning required! Just toss the ingredients together in the slow cooker and 6 hours later you have delicious juicy tacos ready for your dinner.

They have a sweet and spicy flavor and are very kid friendly if you use a mild salsa. If you’ve ever had those sweet delish pulled pork tacos from Mexican food restaurants, these have a similar flavor except without the coke that all the other copycat recipes use! I use a lower amount of Coconut Sugar. Coconut Sugar is a lower glycemic sugar, unrefined, paleo friendly and easier on your blood sugar.

3 Ingredient Healthy Beef Tacos ingredients

1. Beef roast: chuck or sirloin tip. (I use our grass-fed beef that we bought as half a cow.)
2. 32 ounce jar of salsa- to your desired spice level
3. Coconut Sugar- substituting regular refined brown sugar will work as well

3 Ingredient Healthy Beef Tacos tips

• Change the spice level by using a hotter salsa
• These can be cooked for a shorter amount of time- about 4 hrs.- but the meat will have to be cut and will not pull apart as easily.
• You can cook them longer, 8-10 hours on low, as well. The beef just gets juicier and more tender the longer it cooks.
• I make these in my slow cooker, but it would be just as easy to use an insta pot- just look up adjustments for cook time based off the size of your roast.
• Swap the beef for pork, chicken or even shrimp! Just adjust your cooking time accordingly.
• Add more sugar if you like things even sweeter!
• Mix things up by adding some taco seasoning, garlic powder or whatever you desire on top of the roast before the sauce mix, but it is plenty flavorful enough without.

Tools you may need

My favorite slow cooker

My favorite Instant pot

(these links are affiliate links- which means they are not sponsored, but I do make a tiny commission off of the sale at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog! More here)

3 Ingredient Healthy Beef Tacos topping ideas

I love to serve these tacos with fewer toppings so the flavor of the meat can really stand out! They do great with just a little pico, cilantro, sour cream and cheese. Of course you can go crazy and add onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, whatever you’re craving! I like to serve these with fried corn tortillas. I think that light crispiness compliments the meat really well! Small street taco tortillas are really fun for kiddos, too! Of course you can use regular flour tortillas or even a grain free option if you like.

3 Ingredient Healthy Beef Tacos ideas for sides

Some great complimentary sides for these tacos are homemade black beans you can make quickly in the instant pot – here is a great recipe. I also love to do an easy Mexican rice by just adding grated cheddar cheese and some salsa to our favorite sticky rice ( a 2 ingredient dish again! hehe!). Refried beans are my kids’ favorite side. I make my own, by cooking up some pinto beans in my instant pot, straining them and then frying them up in my cast iron skillet with some butter and blending them with an imulsion blender.

This meat is also delicious in a salad or taco bowl! I will heat some up the next day with a bunch of veggies and some Mexican ranch dressing for a delicious lunch! A few corn tortilla chips on the side and I am a happy girl!

How to make 3 Ingredient Healthy Beef Tacos

Make sure your meat is thawed and place it in your crockpot fat side up, if it is a fattier cut.

Mix the sugar and salsa together in a bowl and pour it over your meat.

Turn your slow cooker on to HIGH for 6 hrs. Yes, 6. 4 works, but it won’t be as tender and easy to shred.

When the timer turns off, open the slow cooker up and pull any chunks of fat out. Then shred up the meat with forks or tongs. Let the meat simmer 10 more minutes and absorb more of the sauce while you get the rest of your ingredients together.

Serve with a slotted spoon! Enjoy!

pin and share

Printable Recipe

3 Ingredient Healthy Beef Tacos

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

These juicy tacos are so quick and simple to throw together! They're an easy, healthy, dinner option that everyone will love! With a flavorful, spicy and sweet flavor. You can up the heat with the salsa you choose or leave them kid-friendly with their mild sweet flavor!

Print

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. chuck or sirloin roast (you can also use pork)
• 3 cups of mild-hot salsa
• 1/2 cup of coconut sugar (you can substitute regular brown sugar)

Instructions

1. Place thawed roast in your slow cooker with fat side up.
2. Mix salsa and sugar togeher.
3. Poor salsa mixture over the roast in the slow cooker.
4. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 6 hrs.
5. When the time is done, open the cooker and pull the top layer of fat off if needed (more on a chuck or fattier cut) shred up the meat with 2 forks or tongs and stir a bit.
6. Leave meat to soak in sauce for 10 minutes or so, and then serve with a slotted spoon and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe can easily be adapted to cook in an intstapot! Just cook accoring to your manuel's recipe instructions for a roast.

I use this sauce with almost any taco I make- even when sauteeing shrimp for shrimp fajitas! Try it in any mexican dish you're serving up.

The post 3 Ingredient Healthy Beef Tacos appeared first on A Legacy In Days.