Stroganoff is a big hit at my house. Just brown the steak strips, make a gravy with mushrooms, onions and 1-2 T. ketchup. Add a cup of sour cream just before serving. Serve over warm noodles. Add a vegetable, maybe a salad and your are set. You could have the meat cooked and gravy cooked before hand and warm up. What I like is if a meal time gets delayed it will stay warm.
Spaghetti is always good, too.
Make a lasagne ahead of time and freeze it. Thaw before baking and you are set.
Make ahead meatballs--I made 128 of them, froze them on cookie sheets and put them in zip lock bags-was easy to pan fry when family was here last week-that was enough for 30 people!!!
Try scalloped potatoes and ham--doesn't take long to cut the potatoes and add the ham and milk. Quicker still if you used frozen hash brown potatoes.
You could cook a couple of chickens ahead of time, debone them and have pulled chicken sandwiches, a chicken noodle hot dish, or chicken gravy over mashed potatoes.
You can cook a roast, refrigerate it and slice it thin for au jus sandwiches. Have a salad and you are good to go.
Let's not forget a pot roast. The night before, in a crockpot put in a frozen roast on low. In the morning add vegetables and by noon you have full meal.
Ask me how I know all this! For 10 days I had anywhere from 2 to 50 people in and out. Thank goodness siblings know how to help in the kitchen!
Most of all enjoy those little ones, S.