Sunday, May 8, 2011

Dinner for Twenty

My dear friend V will be meeting her new boyfriend's extended family in June, and they are up for cooking dinner for all twenty people that will be staying at the house.  She asked me for some ideas on what she could cook for a big group - so I figured I'd come up with some for her here!

The first thought I had, was that she should have a Mexican theme dinner.  Nothing is easier than throwing together fajitas, nachos, guacamole, queso, salsa, margaritas, and sangria.  It's a crowd pleaser, and you can have something for everyone by getting chicken, steak, and shrimp and throwing them all on the grill.  You can even get a few portobella mushroom caps if you have any vegetarians.  I know V can make some serious margaritas and sangria!

Another idea I have for them, is to whip up a lasagna or two.  You can do a veggie one with spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and a creamy bechemel sauce and do manicotti with a meat and red sauce.  Pair that with salad, garlic bread, and it's always a crowd pleaser!

You can do an old fashioned bar-b-que too!  Make some ribs and bar-b-que chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, and baked beans.  Grill up corn on the cob, and add a festive beach element to it by doing mussels or steamers in a white wine garlic sauce.

Any of these are great options when you have to entertain a large crowd and give you something for even the most picky eaters.

3 comments:

Fabulously Awkward said...

Good suggestions! Other good ideas is a big crockpot of Italian-style beef sandwiches...for the veggies, there could be a separate mix of bell peppers, onions, squash to put on the bun...

Unknown said...

Thanks, Little J! And Fabulously Awkward. I'm not sure we'll have a crockpot at the rental house. We were also thinking of a few different kinds of mac and cheese. I would love to do a seafood pasta, but we'll see.

I do love the idea of a Mexican themed dinner. And you know I love my sangria.

Little J said...

@V - I have a killer truffle mac and cheese recipe I can give you. As for seafood pasta, I can give you lobster mac and cheese, or I can do a bouilabase (red sauce, lots of seafood) and mussels or clams in a white wine garlic butter sauce, and then you guys can just have people pick their own topping for pasta.

I was suggesting ideas that were a little less expensive than seafood because I want you to have more money for drinks with us, or flights to visit each other...

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