School holidays have a way of multiplying people. One minute it is just your own household. The next there are extra kids at the table, cousins arriving, friends staying for dinner, and someone always asking what’s for lunch before breakfast is even finished.
I have been feeding crowds since my boys were small. And what I have learned is this: the food does not need to be complicated to be good. It needs to be generous, easy to scale, and something everyone will actually eat — kids included.
Not everything here is Lebanese. Some of it is just good food that works for a crowd. But there is a Middle Eastern thread running through most of it, because that is simply how I cook. Here is what I reach for during school holidays when the house is full and everyone is hungry.
🫓 The pass-around food — set it out and let them go
This is the food that goes in the middle of the table and disappears without any effort from you. No plating, no serving, no fuss. Just put it out warm and step back.
1. Tahini Sausage Rolls
A Middle Eastern twist on the classic Australian sausage roll — spiced beef mince with tahini, cumin and coriander wrapped in golden puff pastry. Kids think they are eating sausage rolls. They are, just better ones. Make a double batch and freeze half before baking — on the next school holiday day, they go straight from frozen to the oven and you have done zero extra work.
→ Homemade Tahini Sausage Rolls
2. Za’atar Croissants
Store-bought croissants brushed with olive oil and za’atar, then baked until the za’atar crisps into every fold. They look impressive, take five minutes to prepare and smell incredible coming out of the oven. These are perfect for the morning crowd — kids arrive, croissants come out warm, everyone is happy before the day has even started. Adults love these just as much as the kids.
🍽️ The mains — one for the kids, one for everyone
School holidays means feeding different appetites at the same table. These two cover both — something the kids will eat without question and something that satisfies everyone else too.
3. Crispy Chicken Tenders Wraps
Crispy golden chicken tenders wrapped in flatbread with whatever you want inside — lettuce, cheese, sauce, pickles. The kind of meal where everyone builds their own and nobody complains. This is hands-down the most crowd-pleasing thing I make during school holidays. Set up a little wrap station with the fillings out and let the kids assemble. It keeps everyone occupied and fed at the same time.
→ Crispy Chicken Tenders Wraps
4. Crispy Chicken Schnitzel
Thin chicken breast crumbed and fried until golden and crispy. A crowd classic that works for every age at the table. Serve it with the ruz or macaroni alongside and you have a full dinner that feeds ten as easily as it feeds four. Make it ahead and keep it warm in the oven — it holds well and the crumb stays crispy.
🍚 The rice and pasta — because one main is never enough for a crowd
When there are a lot of people at the table, you need a base that stretches. These two do exactly that.
5. Ruz with Lahme — Spiced Lamb and Rice
Spiced lamb mince with long grain rice, topped with toasted nuts and pomegranate seeds. This is the rice that feeds a crowd and looks beautiful doing it. Make a large pot — it scales up easily and tastes just as good at room temperature. Serve it alongside the schnitzel or the chicken wraps and it becomes a full spread with almost no extra effort.
→ Ruz with Lahme — Spiced Lamb and Rice
6. Macaroni Bel Laban with Meat
Spiced beef mince in a creamy garlic yogurt sauce tossed through pasta. One pot, under 20 minutes, loved by every age at the table. This is the school holiday meal I make when I need something fast, filling and guaranteed to work. Kids who think they do not like Lebanese food eat two bowls of this without realising what they are eating.
→ Macaroni Bel Laban with Meat
🍫 Something sweet — because school holidays call for it
You cannot have a full house of kids during winter school holidays without something warm and sweet to end the day. These two do the job.
7. Pistachio Rose Brownies
Dense, fudgy chocolate brownies with crushed pistachios and a hint of rose water. The rose is subtle — barely there — but it gives the brownie a fragrance that makes people ask what is in them. Make a tray the day before and cut into squares. They keep well and taste even better the next day. The kids will eat them before you have a chance to plate them properly.
8. Hot Cocoa
Rich, thick, properly made hot chocolate — not from a sachet. On a cold winter school holiday afternoon with kids on the couch and nowhere to be, this is everything. Takes five minutes. Makes everyone feel looked after. Serve it with the brownies alongside and you have the best afternoon tea of the holidays.
❄️ The school holiday freezer tip
The best thing you can do before school holidays start is spend one hour filling your freezer. The tahini sausage rolls freeze raw — make a double batch, freeze them in a single layer, then bake straight from frozen whenever you need them. The ruz with lahme freezes beautifully portioned into bags. The macaroni bel laban sauce freezes separately from the pasta.
One hour of preparation means you are never starting from zero when the house suddenly fills up. That is the whole game during school holidays — not cooking more, just being more prepared.
The full guide to what freezes well and how to do it can be found here.
School holidays, Lebanese style
Feeding a crowd does not have to be stressful. It just has to be generous. Put enough food on the table, make it good, and let people help themselves. The kids will eat what they eat. The adults will find something they love. And you will spend less time in the kitchen and more time in the room where everyone actually is.
That is the whole point of school holidays. The food is just what makes it easier.
What do you make when the house fills up during school holidays? Tell me in the comments or tag me on Instagram @roubasfoodjourney.
