Food for a crowd

[AwakeAtLast]

Hi all -

Please post your best go-to recipes to feed a crowd. I am the Hospitality person for one of my professional groups. There will be about fifty or sixty, from 9am-1pm on Saturday. It is not really a brunch or lunch, mostly finger foods and they tend to graze the whole time. The last one I did was quite a challenge. I made: Original Chex Mix, a French Toast Bake (will be doubling this time), ham and pickle roll ups. I also had crudite an dip, chips and salsa, cheese and bagels with spreads.

Looking for something new, interesting, but doable.

Help me C & B Group!

[elleng]

1. Here's a dip:

Cheddar Scallion Dip

http://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/100000003079515/cheddar-scallion-dip.html?playlistId=100000001606605

another, 7 Layer dip

http://www.ro-tel.com/recipes-Fiesta-7-Layer-Dip-2797.html

and if you're not required to prepare everything yourself, these are quite good:

http://sabra.com/products/category/Hummus

[trof]

2. Little meatballs with this trick:

Use pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks.
No used toothpicks lying all over.

You can use frozen meatballs and bake.

[msanthrope]

4. You can do the meatballs in a small crockpot, too. Keeps them hot.

Soooooo stealing the pretzel trick.

[msanthrope]

3. Deviled eggs with chopped capers. Mushrooms stuffed

with pesto, or sausage, or cream cheese mixed with pureed sundried tomato.

Gougeres. Fruit Kabobs with poppyseed dip. Stuffed grape leaves.

If any of these sound good to you I will post the recipe.

[blackcrowflies]

6. everyone likes deviled eggs

I sprinkle paprika on top.

Small cookies, not the giant ones.

[eissa]

5. Pulled pork in a crockpot

Get some pork loins and shoulder (or whatever cut you like.) Season and let place in crockpot overnight. Smother with bbq sauce at the end, put out some buns and condiments, and it should keep everyone happy.

[japple]

7. Form a hospitality committee and get several people to contribute so you don't have to do all

the work yourself (unless you LIKE doing it all!) The hospitality person for our Friends of the Library group does quite a bit herself, but we all contribute something, even if it's only ice (usually the men bring the ice.) Someone always brings these rollups that they get from some place like Sam's Club or maybe Costo, but they are very good. One has turkey, pesto, cream cheese, red pepper and there's also a vegetarian one. I recently read a recipe for one with hummus, grated carrot, cumin (see below). I always like to make a large fruit plate. Cookies or fruit bars are always good.

Hope you can get more EASY suggestions from the DU C & B branch.

Edit to add: A tray of cold cuts, cheeses, pickles, olives, condiments so that folks could make a sandwich--not very original, but easy and filling. You could get a deli platter from the grocery store, and some small sandwich rolls.

Hummus filling for rollups:

1/2 cup store bought regular hummus
handful of grated carrots and green onions
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes - chopped
1/4 cup baby spinach - roughly chopped
handful of pine nuts
spices - salt, pepper and paprika

[locks]

8. Quiche is always a favorite

I like basic spinach, bacon, and cheese, but shrimp, crab, or asparagus is great too. Bake little pies in tiny (well-oiled) muffin tins or bake quiche in square baking dish and cut into small squares.

[grasswire]

9. it's apple harvest season!h

I would do this:

an apple tasting with many varieties, sliced
a cheese tasting board alongside, with assorted good cheese chunks and cheese spreads
thin-sliced baguettes of various kinds
a walnut basil pesto and cream cheese with good crackers
lots of nuts -- maybe some spiced ones too (easy to do)
a slab apple pie
some little spice muffins
homemade baked caramel corn (easy!)
sliced cucumbers with tzatziki eip

and so on. Somewhat seasonal.

[AwakeAtLast]

10. Great suggestions, thanks!

[noamnety]

11. With that many people

odds are high there will be some vegans and some low carbers. I'd make sure to have those angles covered in some way. Last time I was in a similar situation, I made a vegan quiche. I've also done crockpot eggplant curries that went over well with people who didn't expect to be able to eat anything at an event.

[PADemD]

12. Garden-Veggie-Pizza-Squares

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garden-Veggie-Pizza-Squares/Detail.aspx?src=VD_Summary

Made with crescent rolls, cream cheese, Ranch dressing and chopped vegetables. Easy to make and great finger food.

[Phentex]

14. I love those!

and they always disappear!

[PADemD]

15. There's another dish I like to make.

But it's not really finger food for a crowd.

It's poached salmon on a bed of noodles with steamed broccoli and Knorr Bearnaise sauce. If you use three pans, the dish can be made in minutes. It's colorful, and everyone seems to like it.

Recently, I've tried baking salmon; and it's much more tender than poaching.

[pinto]

13. Cream cheese, green onion tortilla wraps. Simple finger food.

Lay out large flour tortillas, spread with cream cheese, top all with diced green onions. Roll tight. Chill overnight. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces to serve. You can spice it up - I like a bit of diced chilies - but the key is to get a good tight wrap to chill and slice.

Have fun!

[AwakeAtLast]

17. That is super easy!

And beginning with that base it could be customized so many different ways. Thanks!

[MrMickeysMom]

16. This was a good idea for a group coming through our town next week...

Our community will be putting on a pot luck for about 50 people due to walk through SW PA on behalf of climate change. Great ideas!