We’re always looking for easy and delicious ways to feed a crowd at our family reunions.  It’s just no fun being the person left cooking or cleaning up while everyone else is having fun.  We used to cook Dutch Oven for every meal and then one year thought, Hey, this just isn’t fair, we want everyone to be part of the fun things we are doing.  So we decided to find some easy, no mess meals we could incorporate into our family reunions.

The recipes below are our family reunion favorites.  We like to have a big breakfast one morning and another morning do “Omelets in a Bag”.  It’s great for breakfast because everyone can eat on their own schedule.  We usually serve them with fruit in season.

“Tacos in a Bag” are perfect for your family reunion lunch.  Cooking the hamburger in advance makes them extra quick and easy.  We usually serve them with cold watermelon slices.

Omelets in a Bag

2 eggs per person
Meat- ham, sausage, bacon- precooked                               Vegetables- chopped onions, peppers, mushrooms
Cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Individual freezer plastic bags with some sort of seal or lock (some name-brand makers of these bags don’t recommend their bags for boiling so look for store brands or off-brands)and a large pot of boiling water.

Each person makes their own omelet by putting their choice of ingredients into the zip lock bag.  Be sure to seal the bag and get as much air out of it as possible. Put bag in a pot of boiling water until eggs are firm and cooked- usually 13 minutes.

NOTE: We use a permanent marker to write our names on the bags but sometimes they will come off,. A pair of tongs works best for removing the bags from the pot when cooked or for turning the bags in the water.  For younger children you can set the bag inside a paper cup while filling to give it more stability.

Fruit Salad in a Bag

Add a can of fruit cocktail with juice, a can of pineapple chunks with juice, a cup of coconut, a box of instant vanilla pudding, and a banana to a one gallon plastic bag and seal. Squeeze the bag and serve the salad right from the bag. For best flavor put in fridge or cooler to chill. Kids can help make this salad.

Tacos in a Bag

Browned hamburger
Individual bags of taco chips or corn chips
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sour cream
Salsa

Take an individual bag of Doritos and smash them up without opening bag. Then open bag and put in what you like to eat on a taco from the ingredients above. Hold the bag closed and mix up. Eat right out of the bag.  When you’re done just throw the bag away.

Aunt MO

“Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are alike, except that on Father’s Day you buy a much cheaper gift.”