I posted this over on RC the other day so thought I would be lazy and just copy it here
Hope it helps you a little Dee
We are a family of 7 too with ages of 20, 18, 17 (boys and yes they can EAT!!) ... then 6 (another boy) and 4. The best thing I have found if I don't want to bulk out a meal with bread is to make it a couple of courses. Easy as with a TM. Soup for a starter and you can put that in your Thermoserver whilst you get the main cooking and then start with the soup, main is ready when you are then ready for it.
The other is to embrace the Thermoserver and double batch. I find if I leave everything on the bench when I make the first batch then it is really quick to get the second one going with the first in the Thermoserver. By the time I put the second on, put everything away, clean up, call the kids (a few times lol) to set the table and I start dishing up ... the second batch is ready with really no more effort on my part as I have only got the ingredients out and put them away once!