PinkInTheBlue Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Tuesday evening we will have my daddy and his wife, my mom, my MIL, and the 5 of us in our house to eat together and watch Lost. They are coming around 4:30 or 5:00 so we can actually cook together, eat and just hang out before the first show starts for us at 7:00. What kind of things do you like to cook as meals when you're having a big group over? I'm not looking for snacks bur actual meals. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 This doesn't really apply to your situation, but since I have 2 very large slowcookers, I try to cook my fave slowcooker recipes when we are having company so that I can have the time to actually visit with friends rather than spending the time hiding out in the kitchen. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I like to do taco salads or Hawaiian Haystacks with a large group of people--then set up a buffet table where they just walk through and pile it on their plate. Or potato bar or several different soups, veggie tray & rolls. Hope you get some suggestions that you like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Pulled pork or barbecue beef for sandwiches, done in the slowcooker? homemade pizza? Sounds like a fun evening! astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I like to do taco salads or Hawaiian Haystacks with a large group of people--then set up a buffet table where they just walk through and pile it on their plate. Or potato bar or several different soups, veggie tray & rolls. And both taco salad and Hawaiian haystacks are great for delegating to sous chefs. Lots of chopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Jambalaya is one of my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 A) What are Hawaiian Haystacks? B) I cook once a month at church for 150ish and I make a LOT of casseroles and soups. I've done a breakfast casserole, sloppy joes w/ fruit salad and chips, pasta e fagioli w/ bread and salad, chili dogs, chicken soup, salsa chicken and rice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Our favorite (along the lines of the taco salad) is Mexican Buffet. We put out meat, beans, cheese, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, homemade salsa and guacamole, chips, soft taco/burrito shells, cruncy shells, etc etc etc! Everyone can make their meal exactly as they want, and as another poster said, there's lots of prep you can involve your guests with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I just made a crockpot full of filling for Italian Beef Sandwiches http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Italian-Beef-for-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx. Super easy and goes a long way. I serve it on hoagies (I offer provolone and banana peppers) with cole slaw http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Restaurant-Style-Coleslaw-I/Detail.aspx and potato chips. It's really yummy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I would just like to say that I've never heard of Hawaiian Haystacks in my life. Must be a regional thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Lasagna. The group I have are usually relatives, one of whom is a vegetarian. So I make a meat lasagna and a veggie lasagna (mushrooms & spinach instead of meat, everything else is the same). Several of us eat the veggie one as well as the meat. And the last time I did this, I bought 2 deep dish disposable pans with handles & lids from a card & party store. It was really nice to throw the pans away afterward (I had intended to try to salvage them to use again, but I couldn't). And they were a lot deeper than my own pans, so I was able to make a deeper lasagna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I'm beginning to suspect that Hawaiian Haystacks are a Mormon thing, but I can't prove it. Everyone I know who knows what they are is or was Mormon, or got the recipe from one. Essentially, it's a chicken sauce poured over rice and topped with any or all of the following: celery, green peppers, tomatoes, grated cheese, those crunchy fried onions in a can, pineapple, chinese noodles, almonds, coconut. (Did I leave anything out?) The basics are bland enough almost anyone can eat it, and everyone has total control over their own toppings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 (edited) Hawaiian Haystacks: Cooked, shredded chicken in cream of chicken soup (add a little milk to get a gravy consistency) Pour over cooked rice Toppings: pineapple olives tomatoes green peppers mandarin oranges green onions water chestnuts almond slices coconut shredded cheddar cheese chinese noodles (the crunchy kind) In our family, we typically just have pineapple, olives & the crunchy chinese noodles. I don't know that most people put everything on, but you just kind of pick your favorites. That's funny, I never would have thought it was a Mormon thing, but yes, I'm Mormon, so maybe it is. :001_smile: I think it's a great recipe to have with a large group because the meat goes a long way and everyone can fix it to their own liking. Plus you don't have to do too much to go with it...maybe a green salad and rolls. The rice can be all ready in a rice cooker, the meat & sauce in a crockpot, and you can have people help you cut/chop. Edited January 31, 2010 by cougarmom4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 For a big company dinner, I like: Turkey with stuffing, barbequed over mesquite Mashed potatoes and giblet gravy 3 appetizers, one very impressive, the rest made ahead Seasonal veggies--asparagus is great, or mixed mushroom medley is all season Salad with balsamic vinaigrette French silk pie for dessert For a fancier meal, for 6-12 people: Either Steak au Poivre Vert or Stuffed French Veal Rolls Rice pilaf A soup course--either fresh tomato bisque or fresh cream of mushroom soup (these are quite elegant) Same appetizers, dessert and salad, but usually no hot veggie For a more casual meal, a buffet of: Homemade refried beans from scratch Homemade corn tortillas from scratch (masa harina) Chopped garden or vine tomatoes Shredded Mexican cheese and sharp cheddar cheese Chopped white onions Chopped scallions Homemade guacamole Sour cream Salsa Tobasco Served with Mexican sodas and maybe homemade lemonade or sangria For a lot of young children: A platter of crimped (crust free) PBGJ sandwiches shaped like little pies Strawberry yogurt Strawberries with sugar Cookies for dessert and all the fixings to decorate them themselves For a smaller nice ish meal: Leg of lamb roasted with garlic and onion Roasted potatoes Lamb gravy Mesclun salad with red wine vinegar dressing Hot onion canapes Really good cheese platter--Humboldt Fog, Rouge et Noir Schloss, Black Diamond Canadian Cheddar Homemade lemon ice with candied rose petals for dessert I have a small expresso machine and demitasse cups. When I feel ambitious I like to use that for company, but it's really slow because you can only make 1-2 little cups at one time, so I don't use it very much. One trick I often do is make extremely strong coffee in advance--like 4X strength--and use it to 1/4 fill cups when serving, then pour boiling water in to fill the cups. That way I don't have to make the coffee at the last minute or keep it hot. I don't really entertain all that often, but when I do, I like my guests to feel pampered to death and quite overly full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Last night we had 3 families over (16 people total) and had a burrito bar. Everyone could put in their own fillings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I do Spaghetti or Lasagna when we're going to have a lot of people over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Me too. Easy to serve, easy to stretch if necessary, inexpensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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