18 Recipes to Feed a Crowd When Everyone’s Home for the Holidays

Whether you’re planning a big holiday gathering or simply trying to feed houseguests in between festive end-of-year activities, you’re going to need recipes that serve at least eight or 10 or 12, rather than the usual one or two or four. Below are some of The New York Times Cooking and Food staff’s favorite dishes that are built for groups or extremely easy to scale up, so you can worry less about the “how” and just enjoy the “what”: a delicious, celebratory meal.

Buttery Breakfast Casserole

This buttery breakfast casserole from Melissa Clark stretches the Christmas spirit beyond dinner and appetizers, and can comfort anyone hurting from a holiday hangover. Even better? You can make it the night before. Yes, there are croissants and cheese and sausage, but instead of competing, they build one another up. If that’s not a metaphor for spending time with family over the holidays, I don’t know what is. ELEANORE PARK

Recipe: Buttery Breakfast Casserole

Birria de Res

Preparing birria de res may be complex, but this recipe, which Tejal Rao adapted from the chef Josef Centeno, is always worth the effort. It’s delicious and feeds so many — in one sitting or across multiple meals. I last made it during Thanksgiving weekend, a pivot from turkey that perfumed the air as we trimmed the Christmas tree. BRETT ANDERSON

Recipe: Birria de Res

Roasted Mushroom Larb

This mushroom larb from Yewande Komolafe can be very easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled, maybe even sextupled. It is delicious at any temperature, and everyone gets to build their own perfect bite. Without a doubt, it is one of my favorite recipes in our database. PRIYA KRISHNA

Recipe: Roasted Mushroom Larb

Picadillo

I toggle between my recipe for picadillo and this one from Sam Sifton. The bowl of seasoned ground beef, well populated with chiles, olives, raisins and so forth, becomes do-it-yourself party fare. I serve it with warm tortillas, a bowl of somewhat soupy black beans, sour cream, shredded romaine, slivered red onions and pickled jalapeños, and let the guests go for it! Enjoy with beer. It’s great for New Year’s Eve. FLORENCE FABRICANT

Recipe: Picadillo

Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Intensely cheesy, with strands of Colby Jack stretching from each forkful, this giant casserole from Millie Peartree is beloved by my kids and their friends. If I’m hosting right after work or on another busy day, I assemble the whole thing the night before, then cover and refrigerate it. Just bake it for about 10 extra minutes. GENEVIEVE KO

Recipe: Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Sheet-Pan Kimchi Fried Rice

Sheet-pan kimchi fried rice is always the answer when it comes to feeding big groups. Sometimes I make it for myself on a Sunday so I can have lunches throughout the week. My recipe is easy and requires one pan, gochujang and really good kimchi. Reach for the funky stuff. ERIC KIM

Recipe: Sheet-Pan Kimchi Fried Rice

Waffles

You know what’s a really good time? Brunch with a waffle tower. Pile the waffles high in the center of the table, and surround them with all of the fixings — blueberries, bananas, jam, whipped cream, peanut butter, regular butter. It feels extra but doesn’t break the bank. In the past, I’ve used Sam Sifton’s recipe for sourdough pancake or waffle batter, which is an amazing way to use up your starter discard. But this recipe from Melissa Clark will do wonderfully, too. And should you have leftovers, freeze them so you’re ready for every crowd.KRYSTEN CHAMBROT

Recipes: Waffles | Sourdough Pancake or Waffle Batter

Baked Ziti

This is a go-to when I need to feed a crowd. The rich, cheesy goodness satisfies kids and adults, and as a bonus, it’s vegetarian. I assemble it a few hours in advance so that I have more time with guests. When I’m short on time, I use a good store-bought sauce and follow the rest of the directions in this Alison Roman recipe as written. I usually double the recipe for a crowd because it disappears fast, and my kids are always hoping for leftovers.KIM GOUGENHEIM

Recipe: Baked Ziti

Cheese Fondue

Once a year, I like to make my retro cheese fondue with Appenzeller, Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois, then set out bread, homemade pickles and cornichons, boiled tiny potatoes and a big mix of blanched and raw vegetables to either dip in the cheese or in some salad dressing. If we make it to the bottom of the pot — it happens! — I fry eggs in it to have with the crispy cheese that’s formed. TEJAL RAO

Recipe: Cheese Fondue

Pernil

My parents would always throw down when it came to New Year’s Eve cooking, and few years jump out in my memory like the ones they made pernil. In my own years of cramming too many people into an apartment for a dinner party or trying to impress a group on vacation, I’ve also come to find that few things impress like that hunk of garlicky pork, crackling from the oven. The recipe that Von Diaz adapted from the cookbook author Maricel Presilla is a great guide for first-timers, as it provides foolproof instruction for ending up with the crunchiest chicharrón. You’ve been warned: Your guests will fight over it. TANYA SICHYNSKY

Recipe: Pernil

Aioli With Roasted Vegetables

Melissa Clark knows how to please a crowd and the cook. This garlicky dip comes together in seconds. The only time you’ll need is for roasting the vegetables, and you can use her recipe as guidance. Roast some red cabbage, mushrooms or potato wedges for a more wintry feel. And if garlic is what you crave, use five or six cloves in the aioli, as readers have done with great results. SARA BONISTEEL

Recipe: Aioli With Roasted Vegetables

Pan-Seared Zucchini

When I planned the menu for my Friendsgiving this year, the biggest goal was to strike a balance so that guests didn’t feel like the meal was too heavy. I included Lidey Heuck’s pan-seared zucchini so there would be some lighter, fresher options. It can be doubled or tripled, but the really great part is the technique: placing slices of zucchini in hot oil, immediately seasoning with salt and pepper, then flipping when it reaches a nice char. If you’re looking for something that can be done even more quickly, you can skip basting the planks in butter, garlic and rosemary. It’s a knockout even without it. And you can expand that same cooking method to other easy-to-slice vegetables.CHRISTINA MORALES

Recipe: Pan-Seared Zucchini

Tacos de Carnitas

These carnitas from the journalist and cookbook author Tara Duggan offer the biggest bang for your big gathering buck. The recipe is simple but offers rich flavors and a big pot of soft meat and crispy bits. Enjoy it all rolled into tortillas, and topped with vegetables and salsas set out in bowls on the counter. And a big green salad doesn’t seem like something all that sexy for a big group, but Samin Nosrat’s version of Via Carota’s insalata verde — piled high and tossed in dressing so good you’ll want to drink it on its own — will be a welcome addition to the table. KIM SEVERSON

Recipes: Tacos de Carnitas | Via Carota’s Insalata Verde

Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Don’t forget about dessert. This Bundt cake is rich and extremely boozy, and it feeds at least 10 to 12 people. Melissa Clark, who adapted this recipe from the baking legend Maida Heatter, gave me an excellent tip: You can make the cake more festive by filling the center hole with fresh whipped cream. EMILY WEINSTEIN

Recipe: Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Pastitsio

Colu Henry’s recipe for Greek baked pasta, which is made with a spice- and herb-laden tomato and meat sauce that’s topped with a layer of creamy béchamel, is my go-to party pleaser. Anyone who loves lasagna will adore it, but it’s just different enough to feel festive and fun. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Pastitsio

Bo Ssam

When Sam Sifton wrote about David Chang’s bo ssam a decade ago, he called it the bo ssam miracle, and that’s exactly how I think about this spectacular dish. It’s not fast — you have to start curing the pork shoulder the day before, and then it takes six hours in the oven — but the recipe itself couldn’t be more straightforward. Present your friends with a platter of that tender, melting, brawny pork beneath its salty, caramelized crust and let the praise roll in. It’s the best party trick I know of.MELISSA CLARK

Recipe: Bo Ssam

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