Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Meals for a Crowd

'Tis the season for family reunions. If you family is gathering this summer, or if you have a big party of any type coming 'round the corner, what do you serve?

My friend P was asking for ideas beyond the burgers/dogs genre or huge vats of pasta...so I turn it over to you...

SP&P readers, what do you cook or eat when you have a large crowd to read in the summer?

Here are a couple ideas I came up with for you P:

--Pulled Pork BBQ or Carnitas in the Crockpot. We did the BBQ last summer and it was a winner. Only issue is you need a slow cooker, and if you are flying somewhere, this is obviously not your best option. Serve with Cornbread, Coleslaw and Baked Beans.

--Taco Bar...marinade grill up some chicken, seafood, beef or pork and serve with whatever toppings make you happy and tortillas. This is a great option because you can easily do beans as an option and make vegetarians happy too.

Ok, what other ideas are lurking out there?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

We have a family party the first sunday of every month. This includes 50-75 people. Every month one person buys croissants,someone else cooks a big ham, and someone else brings tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. We all assemble our own sandwiches. The kids and the adults all love these sandwiches. Plus everyone else brings a salad and dessert. There is always plenty of food.

Deep in the Heart said...

We always seem to go the BBQ route when there's lots of family together. Potato salad, cole slaw, jello salad, corn on the cob, etc.

Slacker Mama said...

When we head down to the beach, we usually freeze a few meals in advance to enjoy down there. We have a weeknight enchildad recipe that is really easy to make ahead. I did one tray beef and one tray ground turkey and they were a hit.

Also, what about pizzas or calzones? If you get a bunch of different toppings you can have everyone make their own pizzas and throw them on the grill or in the oven.

Oh...Everyday Food just had a recipe for BBQ sandwiches that was very similar to your BBQ recipe...but used the oven instead of the crockpot. When I get home I can check out the cooking times on that.

Wow...apparently I know how to cook for a crowd. I really need to have a party!

Laura said...

I am looking for something other than pasta to serve to Italians. Since Mom's passing, I am now in charge of the Brucato reunion, so I am hoping to come up with something other than pasta or salads to serve old ladies and their grandchildren. I have to hold up my mother's good name here! Would meatball sandwiches be ok in the crockpot? I'm not really adept with said appliance... do I make and cook the meat completely first and then keep then in the pot until ready to serve, or form and then cook in the pot with sauce? I can deal with bread and cheese, but the meat is a mystery... help me!

Sweet Pea Chef said...

I would check allrecipes.com to see if the slow cooker has a meatball recipe. I have never used the slow cooker to make meatballs, but I don't see why you couldn't use one.

Anyone else have any thoughts on meatballs in the crockpot?

Live.Love.Eat said...

I do swedish meatballs in the crockpot so I am sure doing them the Italian way would work. You may just have to make them ahead of time, freeze them, and then add to the crockpot with your sauce, unless you start with frozen meatballs from the store.

JerseyBaby said...

My mom had a great idea for a salad for 75-100. He bought a bunch of bags of spinach (prewashed small leaf), a few bags of sliced almonds and a few bags of Craisins, and then "on site" tossed it all with a lowfat raspberry vinaigrette.

Sweet Pea Chef said...

Love all your ideas!

BTW, I forgot that we also have done ribs...easy peasy.

Anonymous said...

SPC - Thanks for posting my question and thanks for all the ideas.

-- P