Need Some Ideas - Bonsall,CA

Stuffed mushrooms
Meatballs
sliced fruit such as watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, mango
Chicken salad sandwiches
cheeseball and crackers
sliced deli meats and cheeses like salami, cappicola, proscuitto, gorgonzola cheese, etc.
Olives- Kalamatas are good. I really like the Napa Valley brand, the ones that are soaked in herbs and wine. They are about $5.00 for a bottle but soooo good, a few go a long way as they are a strong taste, and there is no prep involved.
Veggie Tray

I love party food!!

I just had a party for my husband and am planning my baby's first birthday.

mini calzones (not hard to make, are filling and delicious), a tapenade dip with french rolls (the tapenade is mainly olives, so it is super easy and delicious), a plate of different cheeses and crackers/ breads, garlic/ herb knots, tortilla roll-up sandwiches (like the ones you buy at costco but are way better homemade, and are very simple), sweet rolls, pasta salad, regular salad, veggies and dip, strawberries and grapes in bowls, and some peanuts in bowls all around.

Think filling foods that serve many. Main dishes, lots of sides, snacks.

Sandwich bar (w/all the fixings: hoagie type buns, salami, pastrami,
turkey, mayo, mustard, cheese slices, yellow peppers etc)
Green Salad
Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
Lil' smokies (throw in crock pot w/bbq sauce)
Lil dogs baked in crescent rolls
Lasagna (easy throw in oven, come back in 1 hr 15 min) :)
Dip: 1 can of chili beans & 1 block of cream cheese. yum sserve w/chips
Cookie tray (bought)
Bowls of pretzels
Fruit Tray
Veggie Tray w/Ranch
So you're not in kitchen cooking: buy pre-made items, prep night before
etc. Have fun!

pilsbury and hillshire farm cocktail weenies make great piglets in a blankets, also those Tyson throw in the oven wingettes are always a party fav. this link at food network is great too: http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchStr...
drinks: http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchStr...
good luck! ;-)

Go to taste of home magazine;s web site and look for foods for a crowd or something like that. A lot of those recipes are for 15 and up to 100+. I always used them for church activities and other dinners too. I love each recipe I used and everyone else did too. They are all recipes that have been tested and that are very good.

There are also tons of recipe/hostess ideas at your local library in the cookbook area. Some of the ideas to look up on the computer are entertaining for 20, hors d'ouevres, appetizers, and other finger foods.

Hors d'ouevres are usually a bit more substantial where appetizers are small amounts of food to whet the appetite. I have checked out entertaining books with layouts for setting a buffet table, making centerpieces, etc...all at the local library.

Meatballs, finger sandwiches, a dip like taco dip or chili cheese dip, pin wheels, toasted ravoli's.

What's the occasion? I have done a potato bar for intimate parties where drinks will be free-flowing. I buy a bag of mediuim-sized potatoes. Boil some until soft (not mashable soft, just like baked potato soft) and then cut them in half (length-wise) and place them in a large pan. I put them in the oven and warm them and then set them out on the kitchen island with potato fixin's--chili, sour cream, butter, cheese, chives, whatever people like on their potatoes.

A vegetable tray with dip
A fruit bowl or platter.
Chips and dip and/or 7 layer bean dip.
Cheese & crackers.
Finger or pinwheel sandwiches.
Pasta salad.
Teriyaki meatballs
Pizza sliced into small squares.
Cookies, cupcakes/muffins or brownies.

i love making a veggie tray and a watermelon basket for my guests, they look so pretty and tasty.

Chicken wings, doused in sauce and baked till sticky. Or dry rub.

homemade hummus: garbanzo beans mashed of course, add a little garlic, olive oil, green chiles; you could also put a little lemon or lime juice and cayene pepper in for a more "zing". Make enough for what you need. Get pitas or pita chips or fancy crackers. It is really yummy!
How about something in the crockpot like pork roast w/coke/barbecue sauce to make pulled pork sandwiches. Super easy...
Have fun, don't stress and enjoy the food and company
K.

We... after years of stuck-in-the-kitchen parties (doh!)... finally purchased some chafing dishes. I precooked almost everything the day before our daughter's birthday party last month. Finished cooking them and put them in the chafing dishes and had everything ready to serve about five minutes before guests started to arrive. It was wonderful!

My go to dish that I always bring to potlucks is a caprese salad. It's super easy and most people love it.

Fresh mozzarella cheese (medallions or balls make it really easy if you can find them - Trader Joe's and Fresh N' Easy both carry them) cut up.

Fresh Basil chopped
Fresh tomatoes chopped
Roasted Red peppers chopped (can find a jar in the canned section of the grocery store)

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt (if you have it, regular if you don't) and black pepper. Toss salad in large salad bowl and serve.

If you want to be a little fancier, you can make caprese skewers (but it takes a little more time) by purchasing mozzarella balls, grape or cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Skewer each one onto a toothpick, then drizzle all of them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Cute little dessert: Nilla 'nana sandwiches: Nilla wafers with a shmear of peanut butter and a slice of banana then sandwich together with another nilla wafer.

Easy Easy Easy:

buy a bunch of different stuffed olives and serve in individual bowls.
Hummus with pita bread cut into bite sized triangles as well as veges like carrots, celery and grape tomatoes
cheese & crackers is obvious but always appreciated
go to Arby's and buy 15 of their junior roast beef sandwiches from the dollar menu, then put cute stickers of your own on top (lots of free printables at my blog and ishareprintables.com), then arrange on a platter.

Best,
S.

*** SPINACH ROLLS ***

8 oz mayo
8 oz sour cream
1 box thawed & drained spinach
1 pkg ranch dip mix
6 finely chopped green onions (scallions)
bacon bits to taste
5 taco sized flour tortillas (chilled in refrigerator)

1) Mix all but tortillas in a large bowl
2) Spread on tortillas (hint : thin layer, only 1/2 of tortilla - the mixture will spread & spill out if you do too much)
3) Roll tortilla with mixture inside & cut into 6 bite size servings
4) Place on a platter (or even plastic plate) & chill until "go time"

Note(s) :

* Chilling the tortillas for a bit makes them easier to cut
* You can put toothpicks through them for easier eating (and for guests to clean the spinach out of their teeth afterward)
* If you have the time, add some boneless, boiled & cut up chicken thighs or breasts to the mixture

I just learned this recipe last week & have made it twice....
The platter without the chicken received good reviews, but the platter WITH chicken received "GREAT!" , "AWESOME!", "SOOOO GOOD!" reviews (and I had no leftovers)

It is super easy, and you can be boiling your chicken while you are preparing & chilling your mixture

Good luck, Mama! :-)

It's hard to reply without knowing the time of day and the intent. Is this a casual affair? Is this a full blown meal or a selection of appetizers? I entertain all the time and can make numerous suggestions for an easy, minimal kitchen experience. First, the crockpot is perfect for many parties...meatball sandwiches, pulled-pork, spaghetti, tostada bar, pot roast, and so much more! Petite deli style sandwiches are an option. I often purchase a platter that will serve 20-25 people for about $35 from any of the grocery delis or Costco (I prefer Stater Bros. petite deli rolls sandwich platter). I often will make a selection of salads, such as fruit salad, chinese chicken salad, potato salad, caesar salad, etc. Most of these can be prepared ahead of time and just dress it right before serving. Costco also has a lot of pre-made salad options perfect for a crowd. Or you can go the appetizer route. Crackers with cheese and salami are always a huge hit! But, there are also a huge selection of appetizer fair at Trader Joe's that we like. It's easy to heat in the oven and serve hot without a ton of effort and time in the kitchen. There are many options, but it depends on your personal preference and the format of the party. Good luck and have fun!

Hi Jamie! Sorry I'm late on this, but you could do pulled pork sandwiches easily. Throw a large piece of pork butt (relavent to the # of peeps your having over) in the crock pot, season it a little and then simply wait till it is fork tender ( a few hours if the setting is on low) add BBQ sauce and have sandwich rolls ready. Honestly its a hearty meal for cheap and you could make a side of cole slaw dressing very simply if you want to go along with it. Hope that helps!