We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
Need help with Family Reunion Meal Planning? Getting together with the ENTIRE family is always fun and exciting, but planning the meals can be very stressful. We are here to make it easy for you with The Ultimate Family Reunion Meal Planning Guide!
I have created a list of our favorite family reunion food ideas with some handy tips included. The key to a successful family reunion is all in the planning and getting as much as humanly possible done BEFORE the reunion begins.
Whether you have a family of 10 or a family of 100, you should be able to find at least a meal or two that will work for you! Cooking for a large group doesn’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) crazy stressful– you can do it!
Happy Planning!
🩷 Erica
Tips for Meal Planning and Prepping
Before we get started on the family reunion recipes here are some helpful tips to get you started:
Divide up the meals/responsibilities
There are endless ways to divvy up meals and responsibilities. Many times, if you are at a reunion with multiple families, the most convenient way to divide things up is to have each family take a day (or a meal). That family should be in charge of not only the meal but also clean-up for that meal. Make expectations clear as soon as possible so there is no confusion. Also, let each other know what you are making for your meals so there are no repeats. Feel free to share how your family shares meal responsibilities at reunions (no really, I would like to know)!
Know what will be available to you
How much kitchen space will you be working with? Are dishes provided? What about pots/pans/and cooking utensils? Is there a dishwasher? Is there enough cupboard/pantry space for everyone’s stuff? Will they be large enough for the amount of food you are wanting to cook? These are all things you will want to know before you get there. Try to get a detailed run-down of what will be available to you before you even book your accommodations. Many rental places will even provide a detailed inventory if you ask!
Prepare meat (or even entire meals) ahead of time
As I mentioned earlier, when preparing food for a large group, you will want to prepare as much as you can ahead of time. Ground beef, shredded beef, and shredded chicken (or even pork) are SUPER easy to do ahead of time. You can get these things all pre-prepared days (or weeks) ahead of time and freeze them until your reunion starts.
Keep refrigerated ingredients to a minimum
By this I mean don’t plan meals that will require a lot of ingredients to be refrigerated until the day of your meal. If you are sharing one large cabin with the entire family, chances are there won’t be a whole lot of refrigerator space. Be mindful of what others in the family will be preparing and have an idea of how much fridge space everyone will need. The less you can refrigerate the better.
Buy in bulk
This one is kind of obvious but I’m not talking “bulk” according to normal grocery store standards. Try to find a restaurant supply or food service store that has those BIG ol’ cans of stuff (Chili, Nacho Cheese.. etc..). The place we have here in Boise is called “Cash & Carry”and they are a dream come true for planning meals for large groups. If you don’t have a restaurant supply store near you, Costco or Sam’s Club will probably have what you need, too.
Consider food allergies
Don’t make things awkward come mealtime for a family member with food allergies. Be prepared! Call the person ahead of time to let them know what you are making and ask them how they would like to be accommodated. It isn’t that hard to accommodate allergies nowadays. I guarantee your thoughtfulness will be appreciated!
Cut down on dishes any way you can
I know this isn’t the most “environmentally friendly” advice but cleaning 50 people’s dishes at a reunion when you are wanting to spend time with family is never fun. Opt for paper or plastic goods and have trash bags readily available to encourage everyone to throw their stuff away when they are done. To cut down on excess, bring plastic cups and have everyone write their name on their cup and have them re-use that same cup all week. That way you aren’t unnecessarily using up hundreds of cups and wondering whose cup is whose. You can also cut down on dishes by preparing as much as you can ahead of time.
Recipes for Family Reunions
Now that you have read all of my Family Reunion Meal Planning Tips, here are some recipes that are perfect for reunions or large groups. I have included tips with most of the recipes on how to make it for a crowd of 20 adults– you can use that as a baseline to decide how to alter the recipes to your group size.
Breakfast Recipes
These breakfast recipes are perfect for family reunions. Depending on which recipe you would like to do, you can prepare your breakfast days ahead of time, the night before, or whip it up quickly the morning of. To help all of these breakfasts go further, include fruit and/or toast (or some kind of carb) in addition to the meal below.
Omelette in a Bag
4.98 from 34 votes
Omelette in a bag is a perfect breakfast for camping, family reunions, or at even home. Everyone can customize their own with their favorite ingredients. And clean-up is a breeze!
These Freezer Breakfast sandwiches are easy to make in bulk. For a family reunion, simply make and serve all 24 (or more). No need to freeze and reheat.
This French Toast Casserole can be made the night before then heated in the oven for breakfast the next morning. This recipe makes 8-12 servings, but it's easy to double or triple to serve more.
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls you’ve been craving are right here! This soft, fluffy cinnamon roll recipe with the perfect blend of cinnamon and sugar, is topped with the most luscious cream cheese frosting. They’re so dreamy!
These breakfast yogurt parfaits are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast at a reunion. They can be made up just before breakfast or the night before. No cooking, and very little clean-up.
Wraps and large sandwiches that you can prepare and slice are the way to go for family reunion lunches. Making individual sandwiches take WAY too long and require too many people in the kitchen. You want something quick that your hungry family members can grab and go so you can get on with your family reunion activities.
Ham and Cheese Wraps
5 from 14 votes
Ham and Cheese Wraps are so easy to make. You will love the combo of sweet pineapple in the cream cheese spread with the savory ham. Great for lunch, picnics, or as an appetizer.
These Chicken Salad Sandwiches are my go-to when hosting a large group. The sandwiches come together fast, and everyone loves them. Don't skip the grapes – they are the best part!
I love the Taco Salad recipe when I need a quick lunch for a crowd. You can prepare the meat ahead and freeze, then reheat just before serving. Set it up as a salad bar and let everyone pick their favorite toppings.
The family reunion meal that seems to give everyone the most anxiety is DINNER. After a long day of activities and fun, there is a lot of pressure to make a delicious dinner that everyone will love! Here are our favorite dinner ideas for a large group.
Walking Taco Recipe
5 from 14 votes
Our Walking Taco Recipe is the best thing ever for camping, reunions, and block parties. They are cheap, tasty, and clean up is a snap. No plate needed!
This is a classic reunion meal in our family because it's easy to prepare ahead, freeze, and reheat. The shredded beef is seasoned perfectly and is great in tacos, burritos, or on nachos.
Everyone loves this copycat salad! It’s one of those meals that feels like takeout, but you can make every part ahead and let everyone build their own salad just the way they like it.
Hawaiian Haystacks were always a favorite dinner in our family. And they are perfect for a large gathering. Use our rice for a crowd recipe, and make the chicken gravy ahead. The rest of the ingredients are easy to assign out to the group.
You can't go wrong with this classic Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe. I have been making spaghetti and meatballs this way for over 20 years and it's perfect every. single. time.
With only a few minutes prep time, the chicken filling for these tacos cooks for hours. Dinner is the as simple as loading up the tortilla shells with the prepared chicken and your favorite toppings.
For some family reunion dinners (or lunches) you may just want to cook burgers and hot dogs or something quick on the grill, which is great! Some families like doing meals like this “potluck” style– so if you are looking for a side dish, pasta salad, or something to go well with your “grill” dinner, here are some great recipes that will feed a crowd:
Please note: For ALL of these Side Dish recipes below, if it is the ONLY side dish being served you will want to double the recipe. If there will be several sides, you will want to make the recipe as-is and it should easily feed 20 people.
Classic Potato Salad
5 from 90 votes
Our best potato salad recipe comes straight from Mom's recipe box. Tender chunks of potatoes and eggs covered in creamy dressing is tried and true and a hit at any gathering!
This strawberry spinach salad is made with fresh strawberries, spinach and candied nuts. Combine these ingredients and more to create a mouth-watering salad.
A smooth and creamy dip with a hint of citrus. It complements the flavor of every kind of fruit. I love it with apples, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, bananas, cantaloupe, watermelon, and any other fruit that is in season.
At our family reunions, we usually include a “snack” that someone will be in charge of each day. Something for the kiddos to munch on mid-day when they get “snacky”. Here are some great ideas for some easy family reunion snacks that ALL ages will love!
Creamy Corn Dip
5 from 16 votes
This easy corn dip is full of flavor and whips up in no time at all. It is loaded with corn, tomatoes, and chilies in a creamy, cheesy ranch flavored dip.
Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats take your traditional Rice Krispie treats to a whole new level. You will love the gooey caramel and the hint of salt!
Peanut Butter Popcorn is a quick and easy favorite treat at our house! Perfect for family movie nights or a yummy treat to take to a friend or neighbor.
No one can resist these chewy homemade Oreo cookies! They take me straight back to my childhood. We used to pack them up for picnics by the lake. No family gathering felt complete without them.
This 4th of July Cake is the perfect chilled dessert for your Independence Day celebrations. It is festive and fun poke cake with red, white, and blue colors inside.
These better than box mix brownies are PERFECT. Ooey and gooey right out of the oven, soft and chewy after they cool with a light, delicate flaky crust.
So there you have it! The ULTIMATE Family Reunion Meal Planning Guide. Please feel free to share your OWN suggestions on how YOU plan for YOUR family reunions. We would love to hear your ideas! Also, feel free to also write comments below if you have any questions, we, or other readers, will do our best to help you out.
Feel free to SHARE this list with friends and family. Good luck with your upcoming reunion and have FUN (without the stress of planning reunion meals)!
Erica lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and their three daughters. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and has a passion for travel and adventure. Whether kayaking, hiking, or scuba diving, she loves exploring the world—and bringing her family along for the ride.
thank you for these timely recipes. Our family reunion is June 30-July 5 and we expect about 50 people. I was getting a little panicky but these new ideas, especially the lunch ones, are calming me down!
We are having an old fashioned picnic themed family reunion with hamburgers & hot dogs, is there any way I can cook about 100 hamburgers ahead and keep them warm without them drying out ? Any other ideas
Probably the best thing would be to get a big roasting pan and put the burgers in that and keep it covered with foil. I have heard of people keeping them in a cooler with success because they are well insulated but we haven’t done that before so I can’t say for sure. Hope these ideas help!
Can a pasta salad be frozen? I will be taking a pasta salad to our family reunion, but it is a 6 hour drive. What would be better, making the salad at home and freezing it, or could I just cook the pasta, transport it , and the dressing, to the reunion in the cooler and put the dressing on once we arrive?
I don’t think I would freeze a pasta salad. You can put the dressing on it and transport it in large Ziploc-type bags in a small cooler. What all will be in your salad?
The problem I have is refrigerator space. We will have probably 30 people staying for a week at a cabin. With only one refrigerator there isn’t enough room to make ahead foods to store it in the freezer refrigerator do you have any ideas for this? Another problem is all the relatives except for one family will be coming from out of town a distance too far to carry the food
Probably the best way to go would be to either pack coolers or to bring up the food un-prepared. It will take more time but it seems like you don’t really have a choice in your situation. Could your relatives stock up in a nearby city or town beforehand?
Hello,
I was doing a google search for reunion planning and found this wonderful site! We are actually planning our family reunion near Boise this year and would love advice for hosting it in your area! We will be there a week and have around 55 people (all ages). Thank you!
How fun! Will you want to be buying all of your food here in Boise? I can definitely tell you where to go! Do you have any specific questions? Shoot us an email and we would be happy to help you out>>>> favfamilyrecipes [at] gmail [dot] com 🙂
Want to do little – 80 years old – easy put out finger foods with cup cakes or other finger food – little to see good and different – ham and pineapple sounded good but need something else. like to pick up and serve with little work
50 to 100 people
Did you find any of the other things on this list helpful? It is also a great idea to make sandwiches with French bread and slice them into slices (much like how Subway does with their party subs) Just a few sandwiches can easily feed 50 people!
thank you for these timely recipes. Our family reunion is June 30-July 5 and we expect about 50 people. I was getting a little panicky but these new ideas, especially the lunch ones, are calming me down!
Family reunions can be so stressful, especially trying to plan the food! So glad these ideas can help with your planning. Good luck!
Need this!
Need a recipe for jambalaya for 20 people can you help thank you
Here is our recipe for Jambalaya: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/jambalaya/ You can double or triple the recipe depending on your needs!
We are having an old fashioned picnic themed family reunion with hamburgers & hot dogs, is there any way I can cook about 100 hamburgers ahead and keep them warm without them drying out ? Any other ideas
Probably the best thing would be to get a big roasting pan and put the burgers in that and keep it covered with foil. I have heard of people keeping them in a cooler with success because they are well insulated but we haven’t done that before so I can’t say for sure. Hope these ideas help!
Can a pasta salad be frozen? I will be taking a pasta salad to our family reunion, but it is a 6 hour drive. What would be better, making the salad at home and freezing it, or could I just cook the pasta, transport it , and the dressing, to the reunion in the cooler and put the dressing on once we arrive?
I don’t think I would freeze a pasta salad. You can put the dressing on it and transport it in large Ziploc-type bags in a small cooler. What all will be in your salad?
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much for this post!!! I am planning. A family reunion in the spring and this is PERFECT and so helpful!!!
Yayyy! I am so glad this has helped you! Planning meals for a big group is tough but totally doable! Best of luck to you!
The problem I have is refrigerator space. We will have probably 30 people staying for a week at a cabin. With only one refrigerator there isn’t enough room to make ahead foods to store it in the freezer refrigerator do you have any ideas for this? Another problem is all the relatives except for one family will be coming from out of town a distance too far to carry the food
Probably the best way to go would be to either pack coolers or to bring up the food un-prepared. It will take more time but it seems like you don’t really have a choice in your situation. Could your relatives stock up in a nearby city or town beforehand?
Hello,
I was doing a google search for reunion planning and found this wonderful site! We are actually planning our family reunion near Boise this year and would love advice for hosting it in your area! We will be there a week and have around 55 people (all ages). Thank you!
How fun! Will you want to be buying all of your food here in Boise? I can definitely tell you where to go! Do you have any specific questions? Shoot us an email and we would be happy to help you out>>>> favfamilyrecipes [at] gmail [dot] com 🙂
I just want to say that I never take the time to comment on these sites, but I felt like this was soo helpful, I had to say thank you! So thank you!!!
You are very welcome! 😀 Glad you found it useful! Hope it helps with your next reunion 😀
I saw a wrap and fruit. Do you prepare this to pick up and serve away from home?
I’m not sure what you are asking.. but yes, these meals should be easy to prepare at home and take to reunions
Want to do little – 80 years old – easy put out finger foods with cup cakes or other finger food – little to see good and different – ham and pineapple sounded good but need something else. like to pick up and serve with little work
50 to 100 people
Did you find any of the other things on this list helpful? It is also a great idea to make sandwiches with French bread and slice them into slices (much like how Subway does with their party subs) Just a few sandwiches can easily feed 50 people!
finger foods for 100 people from 3-5 – suggestions
So good!!! Thank you for posting this beautiful list!
You are very welcome 😀 So glad you like it!