While in the rest of the world family gatherings are around end-of-year holidays, in the U.S. it’s Thanksgiving when family members, fly, train and drive from disparate parts of the country to unite in one cohesive family unit (with their spouses and kids in tow). This is a time of joy and stress for head of the household.
The masses must be fed and not just Thanksgiving day but the whole week, too. Here are my favorite recipes for feeding a crowd along with doubling and serving suggestions.
Remember: No need to increase cooking times for more food – though the cooker will take more time to reach pressure – and if doing this in an electric pressure cooker simply us the longer cooking time indicated in the recipe (if any).
Red Bean & Turkey Chili (transform those leftovers)
Instead of raw turkey use left-overs. You can skip the browning step just toss them in the pressure cooker with the beans. This recipe feeds 8 – it cannot be doubled in a 6L pressure cooker.
Spaghetti & Tender Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
This recipe already feeds about 10 people, you can increase it by 50% to feed 15 in a 6L pressure cooker. The spaghetti is made separately without pressure. To make the right amount of pasta, calculate 100g or 3.5 oz of spaghetti per person.
From-scratch Cream of Mushroom Soup & Garlic Bread
You can safely double this recipe in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 12. Get the soup going then work on the garlic bread so they’ll both be ready at the same time
Hasselback Pork, Apple & Coppa Roast with Millet Pilaf
It looks tricky, but totally easy to do – especially fun to get the kids in the family involved in constructing this mound of delicious flavors (and then eating it). This roast feeds 8, make two to double the pleasure. Serve with with super-fast Millet Pilaf (which can also be easily be tripled in a 6L pressure cooker – stay below half full for other sizes) for a low-carb satisfying meal!
15 Minute New England Clam Chowder in a bread bowl
Toss this chowder in a bread bowl and it’s a one pot meal. This recipe can safely be doubled in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 12!
Easy Black Bean Soft Taco Night
Make a pot of these black beans (which can be doubled in a 6L pressure cooker), pair with a bag of lettuce and home-made salsa. When the bean recipe is cooling with the natural release, wrap tortillas in foil and put them on the lid of the pressure cooker to pre-heat. Got left-over beans? Serve them on short-cut baked potatoes with some cheddar cheese.
Ligurian Lemon Chicken with Black Olives on Quinoa Pilaf
This recipe can be safely tripled in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 16. Make this, and keep warm in the oven, while you make a double recipe of 1-minute quinoa pilaf.
Kamut Salad Meal
Put the grains to soak the night before and cook the kamut for this satisfying salad meal in the morning and stick it in the fridge – it already feeds 8 but you can double this recipe, too!
Finger-licking fall-apart BBQ Ribs with Three Bean Salad
This recipe can be tripled in a 6L pressure cooker to three racks of ribs to feed 16. Get the ribs started in the pressure cooker and then shoo everyone out of the kitchen to the BBQ with a hot chocolate in-hand. No BBQ? No problem, just slide the ribs under the broiler until caramelized. Serve with a three-bean salad that can be made up to a day in advance.
T3: Tomato, Tomato, Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Double this recipe in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 12 tiered & hungry shoppers. Serve with grilled-cheese sandwiches made out of two baguettes that are sliced in half slathered with butter and sprinkled with cheddar cheese and toasted in the oven or broiler. Slap the halves together, and slice into individual sandwiches to serve with this soup!
Beef Roast with Carrots & Potatoes
Double this recipe in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 16. Throw everything in, and go have fun with the family.
Coconut Fish Curry on Fluffy Steamed Rice
Double this recipe in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 16 or serve with a triple recipe of steamed rice.
Refreshing Carnitas Lettuce Wraps
This recipe already serves 16! Make it in a day following the variation in the recipe description – or prepare a day in advance to get it SUPER spicy!
Butternut Squash Soup with Gorgonzola Cheese Toasts
Triple this recipe to serve twelve. Toast a baguette in the oven sprinkled with Gorgonzola cheese and serve with this soup to make it a complete meal packed with eye-rolling delicious flavor.
Cheesy, Meaty, and Quick Pasta Casserole
Double this recipe in a 6L pressure cooker, but pressure cook pasta for only 1/3 the pressure cooking time on the package (the pasta will cook while the pressure cooker takes longer to reach pressure). Pour into two casseroles – or one very large one to serve 8-10 people.
Fennel Scente Pork Chops & Cabbage
Double this recipe in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 8. Use the same minimum liquid to bring the cooker to pressure (the extra chops will add more liquid to the cooker).
Hearty Pasta & Chickpea Minestrone
Double this recipe to feed 8.
PERFECT Chicken & Rice
Since this is one of our recent recipes, I put it last – but it’s absolutely worthwhile to make for the taste of the rice, alone! Double this recipe in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 16!
This satisfying soup can safely be increased by 50% in a 6L pressure cooker to feed 9!
