Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 What would you prepare? It is a special day for us and we are having guests. Generally when we do this we have brugers/dogs that dh has grilled. The problem is that does not appeal to any of us. I can make lasagna but I have a friend coming who is gluten intolerant. I could do gumbo, but I'm not sure I want that. Part of my problem is when I did my yoga this morning the up and down was too much for my head and I now have a sinus headache and nausea. Noting is going to be appealing to me. Of the people that will be here, 8 will be adults. I have to go to the market in about half an hour or so. Oh, I do have a pineapple that needs to be cut and I can make a green salad pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Tacos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarymelon Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 IF you have pineapple and gluten issues; I would probably make sweet and sour meatballs with rice with pineapple and a salad on the side. You could use premade meatballs to be even faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 What is the temp?(its cold here) Chili? I like the taco suggestion, perhaps you could do a taco salad bar? oh heck forget the food and serve margaritas!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I would make a big pot of my special homemade spaghetti sauce. I would make pasta, and make sure I made a side of gluten free pasta for the person who is gluten intolerant. Takes the same amount of time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Tacos. I'll run that by dh. We had tacos a couple days ago though. Thanks IF you have pineapple and gluten issues; I would probably make sweet and sour meatballs with rice with pineapple and a salad on the side. You could use premade meatballs to be even faster. Best guestimate how many bags of meatballs for 20 people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I like the sweet and sour meatball idea. Meatloaf and baked or scalloped potatoes. Baked pork chops with baked potatoe or scalloped potatoes. Salad and dessert..you're done. (Make your own sundae or top some brownies with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce) (I made them recently with an old recipe..DH loved it. Top each pork chop with a slice of onion, slice of lemon and a squirt of ketchup..bake til done. Easy peasy.) Really easy is BBQ beef on buns with beans, chips and a salad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 I would make a big pot of my special homemade spaghetti sauce. I would make pasta, and make sure I made a side of gluten free pasta for the person who is gluten intolerant. Takes the same amount of time. :) I thought about spaghetti but dd said she didn't want that. Today is a day that she has some say-so in the planning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 chicken (baked, grilled, sauteed, etc.) and... potatoes (do potatoes have gluten?) and salad. Another veggie option we like: grill pieces of bell pepper with olive oil/salt/basil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 I like the sweet and sour meatball idea. Meatloaf and baked or scalloped potatoes. Baked pork chops with baked potatoe or scalloped potatoes. Salad and dessert..you're done. (Make your own sundae or top some brownies with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce) (I made them recently with an old recipe..DH loved it. Top each pork chop with a slice of onion, slice of lemon and a squirt of ketchup..bake til done. Easy peasy.) Really easy is BBQ beef on buns with beans, chips and a salad. Oh, BBQ. Yeah, I can do BBQ pretty quick. I could drag all my crock pots out and do BBQ in one meatballs in another and rice in the rice cooker I finally broke down and bought for occasions like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 If I had to have dinner for 20 ppl in 4 hrs, I'd lose my mind. No suggestions, just a big round of applause for not being curled up in the fetal position under your desk at the very thought! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Baked Potato bar with chili and a salad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cani e porci Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Bagged meatballs nearly always contain gluten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 20 people? I'd be ordering pizza. (or Chinese) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Baked Potato bar with chili and a salad. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Bagged meatballs nearly always contain gluten. But if I do BBQ also..... I took a bit of pork loin out of the freezer. And found I'm totally out of pork products. :glare: I'll grab a butt roast to go with it and make BBQ. I also grab a couple bags of meatballs and some rice. I can't believe we are out of rice. :confused: The pineapple and a green salad and probably some beans. I'll have to cheat and buy canned. I'll doctor them. Yeah that sounds good. Thanks for helping me think this through. My head is finally starting to settle down too. Maybe I won't need the Sudafed after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 If I had to have dinner for 20 ppl in 4 hrs, I'd lose my mind. No suggestions, just a big round of applause for not being curled up in the fetal position under your desk at the very thought! :lol: Your are funny. There's no reason to stress. No new people coming today. Just friends who I have fooled into thinking I can cook. It helps that there are no picky eaters.:D My food processor will be getting a workout in about an hour. Not me so much. I'm buying a cake so no worries about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) Is it too warm to turn on the oven? Assuming I am not feeding vegetarians, I always find it easiest in cooler weather to make a brisket or roast a chicken in the oven. You can add small potatoes and/or baby carrots to the roasting pan. Put together a big, colorful salad and you're set. You can have crusty bread available for those who can have gluten, or skip that all together. Edited October 8, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) I'll run that by dh. We had tacos a couple days ago though. Thanks Best guestimate how many bags of meatballs for 20 people? I don't think you're going to find a gluten free meatball in a bag. Whoops--that's already been mentioned. BBQ is sounding better and better. Country style ribs usually grill up nice and quickly. Baked potatoes (beans & rice dish maybe?), veggies, salad & fruit and you're good to go. Edited October 8, 2011 by darlasowders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Tacos or tortilla soup with all the toppings. I'd be losing my mind at the prospect of 20 people showing up at my house with such a short notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Sounds like you have it under control, but for future reference, here are some ideas for large meals for groups that don't take much time. The trick is to use as many pre-prepped ingredients as possible to cut down on prep time. Also, pick meals that don't need to be eaten immediately, like things that need to brown on top or things that look ugly if they aren't eaten the second they're served. At church on Wednesday nights, we have dinner for about 150ish and I can do it alone in about 3 hours, so these would be a snap with even more time and with some helpers. :) Main dishes: Chili dogs Sloppy Joes Meatballs (sweet and sour, or in spaghetti sauce, or stroganoffy) Breakfast casserole Shepherd's Pie Lasagna Tacos Taco salad Pulled pork bbq Chicken Pot Pie (do the filling in the crock pot and then serve in a bowl with a Grands bisquit on top) Baked Potato Bar Soups Sides: Green salad (pre cut lettuces) celery and carrot sticks w/ dip chips noodles fruit salad (use frozen, pre-cut fruit) cinnamon apples (get bags of frozen apple slices, put in crock pot, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and then dollop some butter on top. Let cook until apples are tender. People LOVE this) green beans green bean casserole corn cooked carrots w/maple syrup rolls cornbread biscuits Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Your are funny. There's no reason to stress. No new people coming today. Just friends who I have fooled into thinking I can cook. It helps that there are no picky eaters.:D My food processor will be getting a workout in about an hour. Not me so much. I'm buying a cake so no worries about that. Honey, I stress over *anyone* in the house. I have all the charm and dignity as a hostess as a water buffalo in a china shop. I just don't do well. I don't think my guests have ever picked up on it, its all internal, but no, I just don't do well :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 With the gluten issue, I would have those barbequed chickens that are already cooked, and baked potatoes with all the toppings, and corn on the cob, and green salad. You might also buy one or two of those ginormous cans of baked beans from Costco for a side dish but a main dish for kids who hate chicken. If I were on more of a budget and had food prepared as I normally do, I would just pull out the refried beans from the freezer, grate up a bunch of sharp cheddar and Monterey jack cheese in the food processor, and make masa tortillas. We would have build your own burritoes, with chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, and jarred salsa and hot sauce as well. If I felt ambitious I would add chili-seasoned ground sirloin as an option. I serve it all with green salad with a vinaigrette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Okay, BBQ is on the stove simmering. I cut up the meat into smallish chunks, boiled it until it was done, shredded it in the food processor then dumped sauce over it in a clean pot. Meatballs were microwaved until they were hot. I used Paula Deene's sauce recipe from Food Network.com. They are now in the crock pot. The pineapple is cut and chilling in the 'fridge. The rice is sitting in the rice cooker waiting for me to add water and turn on at the appropriate time. Baked beans are in the oven warming. A friend called and offered cut veggies. I jumped on that instead of green salad. I bough buns in case anyone would prefer a sandwich. The cake is store bought. It was the most expensive thing I bought. Drinks are in the cooler chilling. Anything I'm missing? I have 40 minutes until others start to arrive. Gotta go put on makeup. Who called for 76*F in northern New England today? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) I'll run that by dh. We had tacos a couple days ago though. Thanks Best guestimate how many bags of meatballs for 20 people? Careful with the pre-made meatballs. Most are made with filler which is usually wheat. How about chicken tacos? Buy pre-roasted chickens, shred and season the meat, prepare fixings. Make Ambrosia salad for dessert with the pineapple: 4 cups stiffly whipped cream 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup chopped canned peaches and/or pears 1 cup pineapple chunks 1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained 3 cups miniature marshmallows 1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries, drained (optional) 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Edited October 8, 2011 by Audrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Okay, BBQ is on the stove simmering. I cut up the meat into smallish chunks, boiled it until it was done, shredded it in the food processor then dumped sauce over it in a clean pot. Meatballs were microwaved until they were hot. I used Paula Deene's sauce recipe from Food Network.com. They are now in the crock pot. The pineapple is cut and chilling in the 'fridge. The rice is sitting in the rice cooker waiting for me to add water and turn on at the appropriate time. Baked beans are in the oven warming. A friend called and offered cut veggies. I jumped on that instead of green salad. I bough buns in case anyone would prefer a sandwich. The cake is store bought. It was the most expensive thing I bought. Drinks are in the cooler chilling. Anything I'm missing? I have 40 minutes until others start to arrive. Gotta go put on makeup. Who called for 76*F in northern New England today? :thumbup: You are awesome! Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I am completely amazed. Dinner sounds wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Sounds like you have it under control, but for future reference, here are some ideas for large meals for groups that don't take much time. The trick is to use as many pre-prepped ingredients as possible to cut down on prep time. Also, pick meals that don't need to be eaten immediately, like things that need to brown on top or things that look ugly if they aren't eaten the second they're served. At church on Wednesday nights, we have dinner for about 150ish and I can do it alone in about 3 hours, so these would be a snap with even more time and with some helpers. :) Main dishes: Chili dogs Sloppy Joes Meatballs (sweet and sour, or in spaghetti sauce, or stroganoffy) Breakfast casserole Shepherd's Pie Lasagna Tacos Taco salad Pulled pork bbq Chicken Pot Pie (do the filling in the crock pot and then serve in a bowl with a Grands bisquit on top) Baked Potato Bar Soups Sides: Green salad (pre cut lettuces) celery and carrot sticks w/ dip chips noodles fruit salad (use frozen, pre-cut fruit) cinnamon apples (get bags of frozen apple slices, put in crock pot, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and then dollop some butter on top. Let cook until apples are tender. People LOVE this) green beans green bean casserole corn cooked carrots w/maple syrup rolls cornbread biscuits Hope this helps. I'm going to print this list out. Thank you very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Honey, I stress over *anyone* in the house. I have all the charm and dignity as a hostess as a water buffalo in a china shop. I just don't do well. I don't think my guests have ever picked up on it, its all internal, but no, I just don't do well :lol: I know what you are talking about. I have 0 charm and even less grace. That is why with all the people I know only three other couples are coming to our party. I've never been popular. If I ever head your way we can meet at the mall or something so you aren't stressed out. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Careful with the pre-made meatballs. Most are made with filler which is usually wheat. How about chicken tacos? Buy pre-roasted chickens, shred and season the meat, prepare fixings. Make Ambrosia salad for dessert with the pineapple: 4 cups stiffly whipped cream 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup chopped canned peaches and/or pears 1 cup pineapple chunks 1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained 3 cups miniature marshmallows 1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries, drained (optional) 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon If I had this recipe before I went to the store I'd definitely make this. It sounds wonderful. I'll print this out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel marie Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 spagetti !!! did i spell it right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Great save, Chucki! Dinner sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Excellent save! Enjoy the gathering! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) If I had to have dinner for 20 ppl in 4 hrs, I'd lose my mind. No suggestions, just a big round of applause for not being curled up in the fetal position under your desk at the very thought! :lol: :iagree: Chucki I am truly impressed with what you have pulled off!!! Enjoy your company!!! : ) Edited October 8, 2011 by Teachin'Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Spiral sliced ham, rolls, green salad, a potato casserole and fresh fruit. Brownies and ice cream. Tea and water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Too late probably but I would have said marinate chicken in teriyaki and grill them-serve with pineapple. Do salad or veg on the side, rice is a nice addition. (Don't know if teriyaki has gluten but could leave a piece or two free of marinade if needed.) If in a rush buy dessert. But since I'm probably too late--hope you had a great party! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 IF you have pineapple and gluten issues; I would probably make sweet and sour meatballs with rice with pineapple and a salad on the side. You could use premade meatballs to be even faster. My go to meal for a crowd is spaghetti, but Scarymelon's idea sounds better. I second the premade meatballs idea. You could make the salad ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator, do the meatballs in the crockpot, and wait until almost the last minute to make the rice in the microwave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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