Go-To Meal Ideas for Big Groups: Ski Edition
As our annual ski trip comes to an end, I though I’d share some of our tried and true meal ideas for bigger groups. They are easy to throw together, warm and cosy crowd pleasers. I love nothing more than hygge tradition and cooking and eating with family and friends, so here are some go-to meal ideas for big groups or friends or family that would be perfect for a wintry day.
Breakfast
Breakfast is a bit of a free-for-all. There are skiers and non-skiers, early risers and night owls. What we all are are frugal foodies, and so we aim for a variety of good quality ingredients within a reasonable budget. We always have oatmeal, cereal, bread, eggs, yogurt, butter, jam, peanut butter and maple syrup available. Someone always suggests bacon, hash browns breakfast sausage (ok, maybe that’s me). I love enjoying a leisurely and substantial breakfast on vacation, but not everyone in our group feels the same way!
I typically wake up the earliest and get breakfast started: a large pot of oatmeal, cut up some fruit and, on pre-determined days, prepare pancakes/French toast/sausage/bacon (more for me than for anyone else). Plenty of yogurt with granola or cereal with milk. I love to have breakfast tacos as an easy but hearty buffet option, and I’m itching to try this breakfast hack from Cup of Jo.
Lunch and Snacks
Our group likes to soften the blow of the ski resort meal prices ($14 for microwaved mac and cheese?) by supplying our own snacks and homemade sandwiches for at least a few of the days. We load up on bread, cold cuts, PB and J, nuts, fruit, trail mix and energy bars in compact packages tucked into a ski backpack. Crucial for keeping the kids fed and motivated. Plenty of water, especially at higher altitudes.
For those of us non-skiers, or whoever is staying behind for the day, there are always boxed soups (roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwich, anyone?), lentils for soup, and chili. We like to have lots of greens on hand (kale, spinach, spring mix) with quinoa or rice to make salads or grain bowls. (No recipes, but inspiration here, here and here).
Dinners
For dinners, we tend to go out once or twice, but in general, will prepare meals at home. One year, one couple in our group prepared a beef bourguignon (*chefs kiss*), and we also once braised short ribs and baked a whole fish. Our go to meals are: pasta (marinara sauce dressed up with more garlic and good olive oil, or with pesto), shrimp scampi with linguine, simple roasted chicken and vegetables (just salt, pepper, garlic), and Japanese curry with rice or udon. All comforting, cosy meals, perfect after a day in brisk mountain air.
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