I need some help. I am the senior citizen programmer for a senior center. Every Thursday, we offer a meal and dessert to a group of 55 for $6. I am running out of ideas for what to offer. We have done so many, so I am looking for unique options to feed 55 people. They won’t do spicy 😂
thank for the original creator Jennifer Kelley
Chili goes a long way. You don’t need to make it spicy.
Apricot chicken, rice and corn
Chicken breasts in tall baking dish, slather with apricot jam and cover baking dish with tin foil. Bake at 375 degrees 60-90 minutes (depends on how many breasts are in the oven at once).
This isn’t spicy. It’s now served in a restaurant in New Orleans. I’ve served it to over 50 workers a couple times.
Bacon wrapped Roast chicken w/broccoli & cheese casserole
Stuffed baked potatoes
BBQ chicken leg quarters, potato salad & green beans
Tater tot shepherds pie & green beans
Cranberry Pork loin w/southern dressing and roasted Brussel sprouts
King Ranch Chicken & salad
Let me know if you want recipes.
Salisbury steaks or Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, ham and scalloped potatoes.
Chicken and dumplings, peach cobbler
Navy Beans with ham, cornbread, and fried potatoes. Every senior citizen I’ve EVER been around LOVES this meal!
-Chicken salad in crossaintsnor mini pitas, and veggies and dip or fruit salad
-sausage rolls, cheese, pickles and olives and fruit kebobs
-beef sliders and potato
salad-beef dip and onion rings
-pulled pork or pulled chicken on buns with a tossed salad
Cowboy beans with honey glazed hotdogs, cold chicken pasta salad and English muffin toast, snickers salad, cranberry walnut salad, roast beef sandwich with horseradish Mayo dressing, turkey/lettuce/tomato/provolone sandwich with Mayo on ciabatta bun, corn fritters with chili, rice crispy bars using Carmel syrup instead of butter and marshmallows
Pulled bbq chicken and buns. Coleslaw in or on the side. You can throw in slow cooker. Have multiple going at same time, when I use the the mixer to shred it make a very large amount. 8 chicken breast per pot. Feeds about 16-20ppl.
Stuffed shells is always a huge hit and makes a ton plus is fairly cheap. Lumpia I’d also another one I’ll be a bit time consuming but can be easily frozen. Enchiladas can make quite a bit too
Spaghetti casserole,
Garlic bread or French bread or rolls,
Green salad,
Texas sheet cake brownies
Spaghetti casserole is so easy.
1 lb hamburger or ground Turkey
12 oz pkg spaghetti noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 med onion or mixed dried onion
Shredded cheese (I used mixed mozzarella and Colby jack)
Brown burger, add onion.
Cook spaghetti al dente
While this is all cooking mix together soups and Worcestershire sauce.
After draining hamburger mixed together and stir.
Add pasta and mixed together until well coated
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick coating.
Poor in spaghetti mixture
Top with shredded cheese,
Cover lightly with foil
Cook for 30 minutes at three 350°
Each pan makes 10 to 12 servings depending on how large the servings are.
This can be doubled, tripled etc. and also frozen to cook later.
I have made it x 10 and had my electric roaster pan filled for my work! Of course I cooked it a little longer.

1 case strawberries 1 cup heavy cream 1 can.condensed milk. Double triple amounts for more. Quarter strawberries into large bowl, mix /blend condensed milk and cream mix pour over straw berries add crushed pecans into mix stir and Chill! Its amazing and super easy
spaghetti. I get senior lunches consisting of tuna or chicken salad on croissant, noodle salad,salsbury steak,
Just an idea but why don’t you get each resident to write on a piece of paper something they miss, love, want to eat and collect the answers, then you will have some ideas as well as catering to their needs. I’m sure there will some cheap options in the answers for you 😊
Chicken or tuna burgers are good. Myself I prefer the chicken. It is just made with can chicken and other ingredients made into a patty and served with tomato, lettuce whatever you want on it on a bun.
Casseroles? Mix 1 can of chicken, 1 box of stuffing, 1 stick of melted butter, 1 can cream of celery, 1 can cream of chicken, 1 can of milk. Bake at 350 for 45. Top with one bag (8oz) of shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 15 more minutes. Let it set for a few minutes, to settle. So super yummy and it will be devoured
We make super fries kinda like nachos but with French fries
Usually older people love comfort food. Macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, baked ham, meatloaf, soups, filled chicken breast, ect.
Lunch meat tray
Cheese tray
Sliced tomatoes, sliced onions,lettuce,pickles
Mayo,mustard
Several kinds of bread
Potato salad
Baked beans
Cookie tray
Soup night
Several different kinds of soup
Broccoli and cheese
Potato
Veggie
Crackers and bread
Jello and pudding cups
Baked chicken
Loaded baked potato
Broccoli
Ice cream sundaes
Grill out
Burgers
Hot dogs
Macaroni salad
Baked beans
Brownies
Chicken Alfredo
Bread
Fruit bowls
Chicken Fettucine alfredo, pastas, Teriyaki chicken white rice, My FIL receives this kind of meals every Tuesday at
Home
Chicken Stuffing casserole
Cooked boneless chicken, about 2 pounds (canned chicken is okay,, save the liquid to mix into the stuffing)
Your favorite stuffing recipe (I use 1 bag each seasoned stuffing and cornbread stuffing mixes, 1 cup each chopped onion, celery, carrots, 1/2 pound cooked breakfast sausage including fat, 1 stick melted butter and 4 cups broth including liquid from canned chicken. )
1 large can cream of chicken soup or 2 regular cans any cream soup like celery,onion, broccoli etc.
Mix chicken and cream soups together in a 9×13 baking dish and top with stuffing mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until browned.
NE Boiled cabbage dinner
In very large pot:
3# corned beef, bring to a boil and cook simmering in enough water and/or chicken broth to cover meat 3+ hours until tender keeping it covered with liquid the entire time then take out of the pot and trim and cut up to desired size pieces then put back in liquid and add:
1 head of cabbage cored and cut into wedges (or 1-2 bags precut coleslaw mix)
4-5 carrots peeled and cut into bite size pieces
4-6 potatoes peeled and cut up (or baby potatoes)
1 – 2 onions cut into wedges (optional)
2 turnips cut up (optional)
Several yellow beets to taste (optional)
If needed add more liquid and
Cook until vegetables are done
Variation: instead of corned beef when vegetables are all cooked slice up a can or two of spam and put it on top to heat for the last 10 – 20 minutes. I serve in bowls with lots of the juice per serving. You can also use ham.
Serve with a few splashes of vinegar & butter, or mayonnaise, and pepper. I don’t add salt because the meat is salty enough. But salt is still optional according to your taste
How about mixing it up a bit and serving breakfast for dinner? Baked french toast and bacon or sausage yumm
I work in assisted living and we are signed up for “grove menu’s” it gives you a week of recipes every week for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts made by a nutritionist. And has a huge bank of awesome recipes. I make tons of the recipes at home too
Cowboy beans with a side of rice, corn and cornbread. Easy to fix. Just fry up and drain hamburger meat and add it all to crockpots….hamburger, diced onion, lima beans, pork and beans, chili beans, pinto beans, brown sugar, honey or molasses, ketchup, honey mustard dressing. It’s really good and one of our favorites.
A senior center where I live has partnered with local restaurants (no chains) who provide a meal for $7 a person and they are named in the senior center marketing. Just a thought 💭
Chicken pot pie bake. Chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces, cooked. Cream of chicken soup (add a bit of water but not enough to make it soupy) mixed veggies. Mix those 3 together and put in a baking dish. Canned biscuits, quartered, on top of the soup mix (I do the flaky kind). Bake until the biscuits are cooked through. Maybe a fruit cup on the side to finish off the meal. $6 should be more than enough to cover 1 serving.
What a great idea!! Ham slices with potato salad and green beans or corn. Dump cake for dessert or maybe beef tips over mashed potatoes or rice a vegetable a side salad
Chicken tenders baked in oil and French onions..Buttered parsley potatoes and green beans….Jello for dessert
My son just made us fried rice tonight and it was cheap. I told him no spice. For our family of 4, it was 2 Cups brown rice, two eggs, a pound of seasoned ground sausage, frozen peas and carrots, and he added some soy sauce at the end. I don’t know how else he seasoned it, but I’m sure you can find an easy recipe and multiply it for 55 peeps. I actually liked it and he served a salad with it and a slice of pie. (He works at an Asian restaurant and is learning recipes that he tries out on me).
Liver & Onions, with bacon & mashed potatoes!
Pulled pork Sandwiches & Chips
Goulash
Vegetable Beef soup
Pierogi lasagna. It’s a tad time consuming to assemble but cheap, filling and delicious! Use lasagna noodles, grilled onions, mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Layer like lasagna and serve with sour cream once it’s baked. Absolutely a huge hit and never any leftovers.
I was a manager at a senior center, one of their favorite meals was hot beef.
Beef roast served on bread with mashed potatoes and gravy
I worked at long term care where they were aloud to pick their birthday suppers. Surprisingly tjeu often picked tacos or hot dogs
Goulash
1 lb of cooked pasta your choice
1 lb of hamburger meat chopped up and cooked in butter with one whole onion chopped up and one whole pepper chopped up, drain grease
3 cans of your favorite stewed tomatoes chopped up or put in blender til smooth
Garlic to taste, S&P,
Italian seasoning, Adabo seasoning, whatever your other favorite spices are to taste
A couple shakes of Worcestershire sauce
1 whole stick of oleo or butter
1 personal size can of V8 juice
You may choose to add one can of drained corn – optional
Mix it all together and heat well before serving
Since everything will be cooked before you put it together it doesn’t need to heat for very long and it doesn’t need to boil. Cook for a little while to simmer to your taste. Hope you have leftovers and if pasta has soaked up the juice add another small can of V8 juice.
I work in a kitchen that cooks for Senior Mealsite. We’ve done so many different types of meals that I can’t remember them all. Some ideas….
Ruben casserole…layer meat, potatoes and sauerkraut in jello pans. Sides of the bread and salad.
Kielbasa n kraut. Don’t remember sides.
Beef or chicken stew over biscuits, mashed potatoes, or rice. Salad on side.
Garlic mashed potatoes.
Dill potatoes…canned potatoes with dill mixed in.
Potato soup, ham salad sandwiches, beets (hot or pickled)
Italian wedding soup.
Lemon jello with shredded carrots.
Cranberry fluff
Fruited jell
Melon salad…Cantaloupe, Honeydew, and Watermelon cut up and mixed together
Don’t remember what exactly they’re called but …cut an Apple in half, core it and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar or put half a caramel in it and bake.
Bread pudding…save bread ends in freezer til your ready to make it.
Poke cake
I don’t remember any more or have recipes. You should be able to Google these to get one.
Cube chicken( breast or thighs), red onion, all color peppers (red, green, yellow, toss with Hawaiian bbq. Bake 20-30 mins, then add pineapple chunks, cook 10 more mins. Squeeze fresh lime over, Serve over rice! Cheap, easy, good.
Pirogi lasagna.
Melt Velveeta cheese into mashed potatos.
Add sautéed chopped onions to them.
Do shredded cheddar cheese between the layers. Regular lasagna noodles
I made a pineapple cake yesterday that was literally a yellow cake mix and a 20 oz can of pineapple in a 9×13 pan. 2-3 of them would give you 55 servings. Ravioli lasagna- layer sauce, ravioli, sauce & cheese ending with the mozzarella. Cover, bake – done.
Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans …Hamburger stew…. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans….chicken strips, mashed potatoes, gravy….. potato soup…. Beans and ham with cornbread….. Desserts…cake, peach cobbler, jello, cookies…. Fried Squash and fried okra, squash casserole are good veggie choices besides standard green beans