For the prepping-minded here, I think soups will be a great way to cook for and feed numerous people.
They will require some time chopping up things, but it can easily cook all day with minimum supervision. With vegetables, meat, carbohydrates added, you can have all your nutritional requirements in just one bowl. Soups can also be filling, which we might be needing if calories are at a premium. Soup and a piece of bread make a great meal.
You can also add any leftover vegetables or meat or starches from another meal, so nothing goes to waste. Not to mention that a big pot of soup can go a long way and is very easy to reheat for meals that require very little prep time.
My Dad was a gunners mate on a destroyer in WWII. Being a serb he could not stand the food. He made friends with the cook and begged bones and scraps that would’ve otherwise been tossed. He started making soups and the guys started lining up.
Here is a link to my favorite winter soup. Just made a big pot and put some small containers in the freezer. I changed the recipe up a bit. And before serving add some heavy cream.
Garlic soup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjfeTuyiygw
Had a few cans of clams left over from making party dip, so I made Zuppa di Vongole.
Basically chicken stock, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, clams, basil & parsley, bring to a slow boil. Add cooked pasta (thin works best). (Salt & pepper to taste, but probably needs no salt). You can dress it up however you want (hot pepper flakes, maybe?)
Mangia!
My husband’s favorite soup is Pig ‘n Pepper Potato Soup. I found this recipe on the internet years ago.
6 c. potatoes
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 lb. polish sausage, cut into bite size pieces
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. coarse ground pepper
1 tbsp. dried parsley
3 c. water
2 c. milk
1 c. half & half
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
Boil potatoes, celery, onion, sausage, salt, pepper, parsley, and water until potatoes are cooked. Add milk and half & half. Melt butter and mix with flour. Add to soup and cook until thickened.
I gave this recipe to a friend, and she sometimes uses fried country sausage instead of Polish sausage.
I make several soups and always make a huge pot; when cooled down I fill quart yogurt containers and freeze. DH’s favorite is potato soup. I also make pea soup, bean soup of various kinds, and minestrone. I like tomato soup but he doesn’t (cry). I save vegetable water (when veggies are from my own garden) and freeze to use in soups. Soup is very warming in the winter, And speaking of that WHERE IS WINTER???? In SW Or it’s the warmest winter in almost 25 years that I can remember.
My wife cooks soups then cans them. They taste great years after.