Who needs quick meals for summer? I do, and you probably do too! Today, I’m happy to share several of the quick meals I’m making for my big family this summer!

For what may be the last summer ever, ALL of us are under one roof. Asa graduated from college and moved home to earn and save money before moving on. Justus completed his first year of college and moved home to earn and save money before heading back to school in the fall. Elias and Malachi are in and out between work, activities, and summer camps. We’ve got two littles again (one soon-to-be-adopted boy and one foster babe). There are eight of us in all, and seven of them are male. (Fine, one of them is just now starting solids, but still.) :)

We need food. We need a lot of it. And it needs to be quick and easy!

I’ve been amazed at how much food comes and goes in this house! Asa and Justus are our biggest eaters, so having them back in the house has been FUN because they love all the good food they get to enjoy! Just adding the two of them back into the mix has meant that I’m back to doubling and tripling recipes again. Here’s how I’m keeping us all fed – for three meals every day!

Oh, and never fear! All the big boys are playing a huge role in getting these meals on the table. Eating well is a team effort around here!

Quick Meals I’m Making for My BIG Family This Summer

Here are some of the meals that our table sees regularly!

1. Pancakes and Eggs, with fresh fruit and lots of bacon

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I make huge batches of Pancake Mix using the recipe from this awesome little book.
• I bake several pounds of Bacon ahead of time like this. Wow, is it a time saver!
• While I’m flipping pancakes, someone else scrambles the eggs. Teamwork for the win!

2. Grilled Chicken, with mixed greens, veggies, and fresh fruit

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I marinate (or have my kids marinate) the chicken with whatever sauce we have on hand, whenever I find a few minutes during the day to get it done.
• The sides I serve with this meal take little to no prep time – just grab from the fridge and eat!

3. Tuna Salad, with fresh fruit, grape tomatoes, and lettuce

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I almost always have my kids grab 4-6 cans of tuna and mix it up for the family while I’m doing something else that needs to be done.
• We serve our Tuna Salad on whatever odds and ends of bread, tortillas, or crackers we have around. (Or if I’m in a hurry, I just grab a fork and eat it as-is!)

4. Baked Potatoes in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot, with whatever toppings we have available

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I have each of my kids scrub a few potatoes early in the day so they can cook in the crock pot and be ready for lunch or dinner.
• We grab leftover ham, taco meat, or roast beef from the fridge and warm it up to serve on our potatoes along with butter, sour cream, and cheese.
• I almost always steam frozen peas to serve with Baked Potatoes, which takes about 2 minutes.

5. Grilled Hamburgers or Hotdogs

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I like to make patties ahead of time, then throw them on the grill for a quick lunch or dinner. Our favorite recipes are Make-Ahead Parmesan Burgers or Cheddar Ranch Burgers.
• I buy several packages of Nitrite-Free Beef Hotdogs at the store to keep in the freezer so I can grab them out and grill them quickly for summer lunches.
• I set out fixin’s and everyone builds their burger or dog the way they like!

6. Beanie Weanies

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I have a supply of Nitrite-Free Beef Hotdogs in the freezer so I can grab them out and thaw them in hot water when we need a quick meal.
• I have a supply of Organic Baked Beans in my pantry so that if I don’t have to make Simple Baked Beans from scratch, I can grab a few cans and make a meal!
• I slice fruit and get out carrot sticks to complete this simple meal.

7. Tacos

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I try to keep a jar of Homemade Taco Seasoning in my pantry to easily season ground beef or chicken.
• I like make Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken to have on hand for Chicken Tacos.
• I easily cook 5-7 pounds of frozen hamburger meat in my Instant Pot so that I always have cooked ground beef ready to re-heat and use for Taco meals and other quick meals!

8. Instant Pot Meals

Take a look through all the Instant Pot Recipes we’ve posted so far! I have been amazed at how much time my Instant Pot has saved me. Whatever I make in my Instant Pot, I serve with a quick salad and veggie and food is on the table so quickly! During the summer, I especially love that using my IP keeps from heating up the kitchen!

Our favorite Instant Pot Recipes so far:

• Simple 10-Minute Mac and Cheese
• Simple One Dish Chicken Florentine
• Beef Roast
• Simple Chili Mac
• Simple Lasagna Casserole
• Simple Creamy Pasta ~ I can’t shout loudly enough about how delicious and easy this is!! This one is our favorite, favorite!

9. Special Salads

Salads are great because we get so much nourishment from them, we can use garden fresh veggies, and we avoid heating up the house! But salads are only great as meals if they are hearty and filling.

Here are our favorite Hearty Salad Recipes:

• Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Salad
• Black Bean Taco Salad
• BLT Chopped Salad
• Easy Taco Salad
• Chicken Chef Salad

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I try to have Homemade Bacon Bits cooked and in the freezer to grab out for easy salads.
• During all the months of the year that fresh lettuce is not growing in our garden, I keep a package of Organic Mixed Greens in the fridge. Then, when we want to make a salad, we just grab the greens and add whatever we want!

10. Stir Fry

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• I make a large batch of this Stick of Butter Rice so we can stir it into our fried veggies. (We often serve our stir-fried veggies with whole wheat spaghetti noodles, but we love rice with them too!)
• I use whatever veggies we’ve picked from our garden, received from Bountiful Baskets, or purchased at the farmer’s market to make super flavorful, nourishing Stir Fry! And I usually throw in a big handful of fresh spinach too. :)

11. Grilled Salmon

How to make this meal quick and easy:

• If I haven’t thawed our salmon ahead of time, I dunk the package into hot water and they thaw super quickly!
• I serve a simple salad and whatever fresh veggies and fruit we have on hand to complete this simple meal.

12. Pizza on the Grill

Cooking pizza outside on the grill keeps the oven off and the house cool!

• I’ve been keeping a supply of ready-made store-bought mini crusts in the freezer and have found that these work great on the grill too!
• If I have time, I make a big batch of Homemade Pizza Crust to use on the grill like this.
• I grab loaves of French Bread at the store for $0.33 to make Pizza Boats on the grill!
• It’s fun to make Tortilla Pizzas, and they cook in just a couple of minutes.

So we’re eating well and we’re eating a lot! How about you? What are you feeding your family this summer?