Feeding thirty-five people three times a day for three days is 315 plates. If one person is in charge of all of them, that person does not get a vacation.
Here’s the plan our guests keep coming back to. It’s built for Color House’s kitchen (two full-size refrigerators, two gas ranges, double ovens, two dishwashers and four dining tables that seat everyone at once), but the idea works anywhere.
The one rule: every family owns one dinner
Divide the group by family. Each family takes one dinner: they plan it, add their list to the day-one Walmart run, cook it and clean it up. Nobody cooks twice. Nobody cooks alone. The family that cooks Friday is off duty Saturday and Sunday.
With five families and a three-night stay, two families get a lunch instead. With fewer families, pair up.
Post the schedule on the fridge the first night. That keeps everyone on the same page and keeps kids from asking what’s for dinner.
Breakfast: self-serve, all weekend
Don’t cook breakfast for 35. Set it up once:
- Two coffee makers going by 6:30
- Cereal, milk, yogurt and fruit on the island
- Bagels and a toaster line
- One hot thing per morning if someone feels like it: pancakes on the griddle, or baked french toast in the oven
Everyone eats when they wake up. The dishwasher runs at 10.
Lunch: sandwiches and whatever’s left
Enjoy lunch on the patio. A sandwich bar on the kitchen island (two kinds of bread, deli meat, cheese, the fixings), chips, fruit, and last night’s leftovers from the second fridge. Done.
Dinner: the five that always work for a crowd
- Taco night. Ground beef and chicken in two big pans, rice in the 2 rice cookers, the toppings in bowls down the island. The easiest first-night dinner because it’s flexible for late arrivals.
- Pulled pork sandwiches. Two pork shoulders go into the double ovens low and slow at noon; by six, pull, sauce, buns, coleslaw. Zero attention required during the pool afternoon.
- Pasta bar. Two pots of pasta, one red sauce, one alfredo, a salad, garlic bread from the oven. Fastest cleanup of the weekend.
- Grill night. Burgers and hot dogs on the grill by the pool, corn, watermelon. The kids eat in swimsuits.
- Breakfast for dinner. Pancakes on the griddle, bacon on sheet pans in the oven, scrambled eggs in the biggest pan you can find. A crowd favorite and the cheapest night.
The day-one grocery run
Walmart is five minutes from the house. Place an online order the day before travel for pickup or delivery on the day of arrival to make everything smooth and easy. The kitchen here has labeled drawers/cupboards and a full set of serving dishes, sheet pans and big pots, so you don’t need to bring cookware.
Three things that make it smooth
- Easy Desserts! There is a full pantry and kitchen, but baking on vacation isn’t everyone’s idea of fun.
- Lots of Dishes and Silverware are provided. If you don’t want to buy paper products, you don’t have to. You can save yourself the space in the car because we have designed this home to easily feed 35 people. There are plenty of plates, knives, forks, etc., for everyone, even some plastic dishes for kids.If you don’t want to buy paper products, you don’t have to. You can save yourself the space in the car because we have designed this home to easily feed 35 people. There are plenty of plates, knives, forks, etc., for everyone, even some plastic dishes for kids.
- Dishwashers run twice a day. There are two. Load them after lunch and after dinner and the kitchen is reset by morning.
Why this works here
Most group houses that sleep a crowd can’t feed one. Color House has two of everything in the kitchen, seating for all 35 at one meal, and three washers and dryers for the towel mountain. Book direct at colorhousevacations.com/book to save about 10% over Airbnb and VRBO.
Questions about the kitchen before you book? Call or text 801-960-2394.