A Full Feast For A Family Gathering Of 15
It’s my first time cooking a full feast for a 15-person family gathering! I was so excited for this meal because this is actually the first time I’m having the whole family over together. Today, our dinner spread includes my hosting guest favorites, like Korean Soy Glazed Pork Belly, and some Classic Taiwanese dishes, including Taiwanese Cold Appetizer and Cheesy Baked Cabbage. If you’re wondering what to cook for a large group of people, take a look at our family feast!
Hosting Dinner For 15 Family Members
Hosting large group dinners is all about bringing people together, and this week, we were celebrating Dom’s grandma visiting from Taiwan. There’s just something about having the whole extended family around the same table that makes me feel so loved. Naturally, I had to put together an amazing 14-course feast for 15 family members.
When it comes to hosting, my biggest rule is to prep as much as possible ahead of time so I can relax and enjoy time with my guests. So, I chose dishes that I can either put together in 15 minutes, or easy to prepare the day before.
Appetizers
For our appetizers, I started with two dishes that represent great memories of travel: one inspired by my trips to Tainan and the other by a recent visit to Hawaii. Both are served cold, making them perfect for a big gathering like this. These light and flavorful recipes don’t take a lot of time to make. But, they can also be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to eat!
Taiwanese Cold Plate Appetizer with Garlic Sauce
I started with a Vegetarian Taiwanese Braised Cold Dish 滷味拼盤 with braised egg, tofu, and seaweed! Slowly braised until every ingredient is infused with flavor, this dish is served cold, drizzled all over in that delicious homemade Taiwanese Garlic Dipping Sauce. The longer the braise, the richer the taste! Dom’s Grandma actually gifted me this really high-quality mushroom set, so I used these extra fancy shiitake mushrooms for this Braised Appetizer!
- 6 tbsp Four season scallion sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 3 Star Anise
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 3 dried shittake mushroom
- 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorn
- 1-2 cup Water
Braising Ingredients
- Kelp
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Medium-firm Tofu
Taiwanese Garlic Sesame Dipping Sauce
- 2-3 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 tsp Everyday Garlic Oil
Salmon Poke 2 Way: Creamy and Spicy
Next up, I made 2 different styles of easy salmon poke – creamy and spicy. This salmon poke appetizer totally brings me back to Honolulu and our beach poke adventures! It’s like a taste of the islands with the creamy salmon and a little kick of gochujang, just like the poke bowls I had on the beach. It’s fresh, vibrant, and makes me think of those warm, salty breezes. Plus, it’s no-cook and super easy to prep ahead, so you get that same laid-back vibe without the stress. With 2 different flavors, there’s something for everyone.
- 1 pound Sashimi-grade Salmon
- 1/3 cup masago
- 4 tbsp Japanese Mayo
- 1.5 tbsp Gochujang (Optional)
- 1-2 stalk green onion chopped
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1/2 Cucumber
- Crispy Seaweed to serve
Main Dishes
Our main dishes are all about big flavors and fun eats. We’ve got a mix of savory, sweet, and smoky dishes that just go so well together. The best part? You can totally prep most dishes of these the day before—marinate the meats, chop your ingredients, and then the next day, it’s just about putting it all together. It’s super chill, no last-minute stress, and the flavors get even better overnight. Perfect for a laid-back feast that still feels like a big deal!
Taiwanese Sticky Rice with Unagi
My mom’s signature Taiwanese sticky rice also known as 油飯, is hands down one of my all-time favorite dishes. Growing up, I would always beg her to make extras so I can have leftovers the next day. It’s so good, I know we had to make it for Dom’s grandma and the rest of the family. Today, I made an extra decadent version with unagi on top. The sticky rice has that signature chewy texture, which soaks up all the luscious, smoky sweetness from the grilled eel.
- 3 cups of Glutinous Rice (soak for 3 hours+)
- 400ml of Mushroom Water or Chicken Stock
- 5 pieces of Chicken Thigh (bite-sized pieces)
- 3 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp of White Pepper
- 1 tsp of Sugar
- 1.5 tbsp of Sesame Oil
- 4 Shallots (sliced)
- 1 cup of Dehydrated Mushroom (soaked in water to hydrate)
- 3 tbsp of Dehydrated shrimp (rinse clean 2x)
- 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 2.5 tbsp of Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
Korean Soy Glazed Pork Belly Wraps
My Korean Soy-Glazed Pork Belly Wraps is an absolute must-have for hosting. Imagine fatty, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly slowly cooking and steaming until super tender. It’s then coated with the most flavorful soy glaze. It’s the best paired with some perilla leaves and my homemade kimchi! I swear the sweet-savory pork with that zing of fermented kimchi is unmatched. I make this dish at least once a month, but probably more!
Oven Roasted Honey Soy Glazed BBQ Ribs
This Oven Roasted Honey Soy Glazed BBQ Ribs is the star of my feast! It’s a recipe that lets me prep as much as possible ahead of time so I can relax and enjoy time with my guests. Thanks to that overnight orange juice marinade, the meat is super tender. Combined with the dry rub and the honey soy glaze, this oven roasted rib recipe is simply irresistible. It was hands down the best dish of the night.
Ribs:
- 1 large rack of ribs (about 7 pounds or 3.2 kg)
- 3 cups fresh orange juice
Dry Rub:
- 2 tablespoons five-spice powder
- 2 teaspoons white pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Honey Soy Glaze:
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons five-spice powder
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
Japchae – Korean Glass Noodle Stir-fry
Our next dish is Japchae, a classic Korean stir fry noodle dish. Japchae is made with chewy glass noodles, vibrant veggies, and that sweet-savory sauce. I love that Japchae is really really versatile. You can actually serve it warm or cold, making it a great dish for hosting such a big family gathering.
Cooking each ingredient separately is the key to making every ingredient crisp and flavorful. You can mix and match veggies based on what you have but today, I’m using carrots, bell pepper, sautéed onion and mushroom, and blanched spinach. To make sure the noodles are packed with flavor, cook them with a little bit of soy sauce before rinsing them off with cold water and draining well.
- 250g of Korean Sweet Potato Starch Glass Noodles
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (sliced)
½ Carrot (shredded) - 5 Shiitake Mushroom (sliced)
- 1 Onion (sliced)
- 3 cloves of Garlic (minced)
- 3 cups of Spinach
15 Minute Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry
I wanted to make a quick seafood dish, and this easy 15 minute Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry was exactly what I needed. It’s one of those dishes that takes no time at all, because shrimp and asparagus both cook so fast. But, this dish always impresses my guests. The sauce is super easy to make with pantry ingredients, so all you need to do is chop, mix, and saute.
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 bundle asparagus
- 1 tbsp oil
- ¼ cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ⅛ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp sugar
Vegetable Side Dishes
With all the rich meat and carbs in the main dishes, you definitely need something to balance it out with a bit of freshness and lightness. That’s where these easy veggie sides come in. The creamy baked cabbage and garlic cucumber provide exactly what the meal needs: a refreshing contrast to all the heavy, savory flavors without taking away from the main event. They bring in that much-needed crunch and freshness that helps cut through the richness of the pork and sticky rice. These dishes are mostly made the day before, and develop more flavor the next day. They’re the perfect veggie dishes to round out a hearty meal that could otherwise feel too heavy.
Taiwanese Creamy Baked Napa Cabbage
This baked cheesy cabbage, or 焗烤奶油白菜 is rich, cozy, and so flavorful! This baked cabbage casserole has the rich smokiness of bacon, which deepens the umami of the dashi cream sauce. Seriously, it’s the most underrated way to enjoy napa cabbage. This dish was so delicious that my cousin immediately asked for the recipe! Safe to say, this creamy baked cabbage was one of the first dishes to disappear.
- 1 napa cabbage
- 1 pack bacon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp dashi powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
- shredded cheese
Fruit Salad with Candied Walnut
Of course, the easiest way to add veggies into your dinner spread is with a quick salad. For our feast, I made a refreshing fruit salad featuring my 5-minute homemade dressing and a crispy caramelized candied walnut. It’s light, vibrant, and the perfect way to balance out all the richer dishes. It gives you the right amount of sweet, sour, and crunch. It’s a great, slightly-fruitier veggie option for dinner.
- 3-4 Cups Spring Mix
- 1 Red Apple cored and diced
- ½ Cup Pomegranate Seeds
- ¼ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- ½ Cup Candied Walnuts
- 1/2 Cup Lemon Vinaigrette
Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad
This Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is one of those side dishes that just never misses. if you’ve been following me for a while you probably know this dishes already, because I make it all the time. I feel like no dinner party is complete without this perfect appetizer that pairs beautifully with literally every dish. It’s crunchy, refreshingly garlicky, and just the right balance of tangy and savory. It’s so easy to make, yet it always disappear first from the table.
- 2 English Cucumber
- 10 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 4 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp of Sugar
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 3 tbsp Black Vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- Cilantro
Dessert
Of course, with at least 2 sweet tooth’s in the family, we had to have dessert. Because some people prefer not to eat dessert, or can’t eat a lot after stuffing themselves from good food, I usually like choosing desserts recipes where everyone can choose their own portion sizes. It keeps food waste to a minimum, and is easy to serve a large group.
Easy Matcha Tiramisu
I am not a huge dessert person, but whenever I’m hosting and need something quick, easy, and sweet, I always go for tiramisu. It’s effortless, delicious, and never disappoints. Since I’ve been really loving matcha recently, I want to make a Matcha Tiramisu, a fun twist on the classic Italian dessert, as the last pick-me-up dessert course. I make this dessert the day before, so that matcha has time to really soak its flavor into the lady fingers!
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- 16 oz mascarpone
- 2 cups matcha extra strong
- 40~ lady fingers amount vary depending on container
- 2-3 tbsp matcha powder for dusting
