Ultimate Team Dinner Ideas for Large Crowds

Got a group of hungry kids/teens coming over to your house for a sports team dinner? I’ve been cooking for hungry athletes for years, so I’ve got you covered my friend with this Ultimate Team Dinner Ideas for Large Crowds! If you travel with your sports kiddos you’ll love the Team Meals On The Road With Free Printable Menu Planner.

If you are a parent of an athlete you know your turn is coming sooner or later to have the Team Meal at your house for that fun weeknight dinner! You may be thinking “This is going to be super fun!” OR you may feel overwhelmed by the thought of a whole house full of hungry athletes! If you are the latter or you simply need some new Team Meal Ideas, then I’ve got you covered!

Why have team dinners?

When it comes to bonding, this is one of the most important things you can do for your athletes and team bonding. These kids spend so much time doing business and focusing on highly intensive training that they need time to let down their hair and just enjoy fellowship and food.

It’s important that they get to know each other on a personal level, not just as another player on the team…that sometimes they may actually get annoyed with. A team is more than just the game and team bonding can actually UP your athletes’ playing level!

I have a very large family so I am not easily overwhelmed by the whole idea of feeding large crowds, but sometimes coming up with fun, easy and tasty ideas has been a challenge. However, over the years I’ve come up with some Team Dinners that have been the hit of the year and I’m sharing them with YOU so that you can be the highlight of the year too! I’ll help you know what to cook for team dinner.

Team Dinner Ideas for Large Crowds

While these are all fun large crowd-pleasers, there are favorites that I will highlight! I’ve even gotten “high fives” from these kids for the BEST team meals.

Build-your-own sandwich or wrap bar:

Set out a variety of bread, wraps, meats, cheeses, and veggies, along with condiments, and let everyone create their own custom sandwich or wrap. This one is easy and fun, simply go to the deli and choose your favorite meats and cheeses, purchase your breads, and put out condiments…easy peasy.

Pasta bar:

Cook up some pasta, and offer a variety of sauces, meats, veggies, and cheeses for everyone to mix and match. I’ve only done this one once…it was more work than I wanted BUT was a hit with the crowd.

Taco/Nacho Bar:

The taco bar has always been a hit! Very filling and easy. Set up a self-serve station with seasoned meats (such as ground beef, shredded chicken, or pulled pork), tortillas, tortilla chips, a variety of toppings (such as shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, onions, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce), and sides like rice and beans. Along with the Taco Bar I’ve made my Easy Enchilada Bake which adds to your taco bar but only takes minutes to make!!

BBQ:

Always a hit but does take time. You CAN grill ahead of time and keep all your meats warm in the oven, which makes serving super smooth. Grill up some burgers, hot dogs, chicken, or veggies, and serving them with sides like baked beans, coleslaw, or potato salad.

Pizza:

We LOVE to make our own homemade pizza! BUT of course, it’s perfectly ok to order a variety of pizzas, including some vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Breakfast for dinner:

ALWAYS a hit! You can also make your pancakes and waffles and even eggs ahead of time. Serve up some eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit for a fun twist on dinner. Your kiddos would LOVE this Cheesy Hash Brown and Egg Breakfast pizza!

Baked Potato Bar:

A HUGE HIT! Provide a variety of baked potatoes and offer an array of toppings like butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, chives, and steamed broccoli. You can also offer chili or pulled pork as additional toppings! I have a whole post on baked potato toppings because it’s so popular! Use these 50 yummy toppings for a baked potato bar!

Slider Bar:

Provide a variety of mini sliders with different fillings, such as beef, chicken, pulled pork, or veggie patties. Offer an assortment of toppings and condiments, including cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.

Hawaiian Theme:

This is a fun one to do in the Summer. Create a tropical-themed buffet with dishes like teriyaki chicken skewers, Hawaiian pulled pork, coconut rice, tropical fruit salad, and grilled pineapple. You can also include a station for guests to make their own Hawaiian-style poke bowls.

Casseroles

Casseroles are always a big hit with our athletes! Make ahead and freeze for the easiest-ever team meal!

Extras or Sides to serve with your Team Dinners

Make sure to provide plenty of water, along with other beverage options like sports drinks, juice, or soda. And don’t forget dessert! Cookies, brownies, or fresh fruit are all easy options that everyone will love!

Tips for Making Team Dinners Easier

Serving a large group of athletes can be a challenge, but there are several things the you can do to make it easier!

Choose a meal that can be prepared in advance

This will save time and reduce stress on the day of the event. Many of the meal ideas I mentioned earlier can be prepared in advance and then reheated or assembled on the day of your team dinner.

Make it a Potluck Dinner

This is a favorite for me, because I’m a busy Mama, work outside the home AND run my online business! Guess what!? NOBODY MINDS HELPING OUT! This way, everyone can contribute their favorite dish for the meal and you don’t have to worry about cooking one big dish that may not please everyone’s tastes.

You can make it a theme dinner too! Like mentioned in my Team Dinner Ideas above, have each athlete bring one part of the meal, so instead of preparing all the food yourself. Definitely coordinate in advance to ensure a good variety of dishes, such as appetizers, main courses, sides, and desserts.

Use disposable plates, cups, and utensils

This right here is key to making these team dinners for large crowds EASY a MUST! Use disposable!

Set up a buffet-style serving area

This will allow your hungry crowd to serve themselves, which will reduce the workload on YOU! One thing you might like to do is to label each dish so that everyone knows what they are eating and whether it contains any allergens or ingredients they may be avoiding.

Enlist the help of volunteers

Ask some of the parents or other team supporters to help with setup, serving, and cleanup. This will make the event run more smoothly and will also give everyone a chance to get involved and feel like part of the team.

How do you feed a large crowd for cheap?

Budgeting for a large crowd can be a little overwhelming. As I mentioned before, don’t be shy to ask for help and have other families pitch in. The cost of a large meal is no secret and unless you can truly afford it, there’s just no sense in not doing a potluck.

All of the meals above are pretty cheap. You should know WAY ahead of time which week will be your turn for having the team dinner. This way you can even be deciding what you want to serve and buy non perishables that are strictly meant for this special meal.

I hope these Team Dinner Ideas for Large Crowds are helpful to you over and over again!