What was the last group/party meal you made?

[Claire]

Yesterday was my turn at what we call the Bunch for Brunch. It doesn't have to be what you'd traditionally call brunch food (we exhausted egg and sweets type food after the first year), since we do it at noon one Sunday a month, we can pretty much do what we want. This week was my turn, and I made stuffed cabbage rolls. It was a huge hit, especially since it was a cold, rainy day (real comfort food). I actually was surprised at how much everyone enjoyed it. What have you done recently in the entertaining field of cooking?

 

[kadesma]

We are planning a cioppino dinner for several sets of our friends. It's something we do every year and enjoy.
kadesma

 

[GotGarlic]

It's been a while now, but I made a paella dinner for friends last fall. I also served a fresh-from-the-garden tomato salad with sherry vinaigrette.

 

[lyndalou]

I had six couples over recently. I made muffaletta sandwiches, a huge pasta salad and brownies. We all had a great time, and I wasn't stuck in the kitchen.

I also use my crock pot a lot when cooking for friends.

 

[HMGgal]

Posole for 10, with all of the toppings (shredded cabbage, cilantro, avocado, cheese, sour cream) put on the table in Mexican bowls, then homemade tortillas. I brought people into the kitchen to help press tortillas. I made jicama crudites with a sour cream/dill/may/Beau Monde seasoned dip, with fresh strawberries and ice cream for dessert. Oh, and homemade Sangria. It's easy, can all be done ahead of time, and has a theme. And is so crunchy, healthy, and yummy. I don't use the meats tradionally used for posole. I use a trimmed pork loin roast and cube it up myself.

 

[licia]

My last time entertaining ( I don't count family in this) wasn't a meal. We had about 25 people over for dessert. I made 4 different desserts plus a huge bowl of sliced strawberries that they could put on pound cake, ice cream, or whatever. We all went to a seafood restaurant before and came back to our house. We had lots of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

 

[Cooksie]

The last time that I cooked for company we had:

Appetizer - Marianted crab fingers with croutons and cheese
I made the marinade with a Ralph & Kacoo's recipe and bought the cleaned/pre-cooked crab claws.

Entree - Deboned stuffed chickens from Hebert's that I cooked. The stuffing is a spicy rice and crawfish etouffe dressing that is very good. Sides were carmelized cipollini onions and roasted asparagus.

Dessert - Chocolate pie or Hershey's kiss/peanut butter cookies made in the mini muffin pans

I like to do build your own fajita too! And, Claire, stuffed cabbage rolls is one of my husband's favorites. I make them the lazy way though.

 

[roadfix]

As the chief chef (me) at Park Drive Bar & Grill (my house) I must prepare a feast every Sat for our family and friends.
This weekend features the Pacquaio vs Hatton fight on pay-per-view television so I plan on preparing just finger foods for the most part. Chicken hot wings, for sure, among other items, will be on this Sat.'s menu. )))

 

[Robo410]

Easter dinner for 10

leg of lamb, dijon roasted potatoes, basil and garlic roasted tomatoes, roasted asparagus with herbs de provence, tadzikhi,

last week did a Thai red curried goat stew for 6.

Grill roasted with mesquite chips whole chicken on Sunday. just three of us

 

[lynseysnatural]

I had friends over after work, so I needed something really quick:

I set out a bunch of chopped veggies with hummus, then made a couple different flatbread pizzas using store-bought flatbreads. I did one with chopped sundried tomatoes, the oil they were packages in, spinach, garlic and feta; one with sliced tomatoes, basil and mozzarella; and one with spinach, garlic, olive oil, diced cooked bacon and mozzarella and ricotta.

The cocktails were the real hit - my friends said it was the best cocktail I've made them. I made sparkling white sangria:

1 C peach schnapps
2 C white grape juice
1 bottle white wine
1 C sliced frozen peaches
1 lemon, cut into 1/4-inch slices

I made that the night before and kept it in the fridge, then served it as about 2/3 sangria with 1/3 champagne.

 

[HMGgal]

I had friends over after work, so I needed something really quick:

I set out a bunch of chopped veggies with hummus, then made a couple different flatbread pizzas using store-bought flatbreads. I did one with chopped sundried tomatoes, the oil they were packages in, spinach, garlic and feta; one with sliced tomatoes, basil and mozzarella; and one with spinach, garlic, olive oil, diced cooked bacon and mozzarella and ricotta.

The cocktails were the real hit - my friends said it was the best cocktail I've made them. I made sparkling white sangria:

1 C peach schnapps
2 C white grape juice
1 bottle white wine
1 C sliced frozen peaches
1 lemon, cut into 1/4-inch slices

I made that the night before and kept it in the fridge, then served it as about 2/3 sangria with 1/3 champagne.

Oooooh I cut and pasted that straight to my recipe file. Can't wait to try it!

 

[Chicks]

I had a birthday dinner for 8 last week Swai filets wrapped around asparagus and red pepper with hollandaise sauce, lemon basmati rice and roasted asparagus, gingerbread bread pudding for dessert.
Having another birthday dinner next week DH is doing (at the Birthday boy's request) his wonderful pulled pork on the Big Green Egg along with Slaw, Baked Beans and Couscous Salad and Creme Brulees
C

 

[lyndalou]

Chicks,

Will you post your recipe for the Swai you prepared? Also would like the gingerbread pudding recipe.

Thanks,

Lyndalou

 

[Dumpandstir]

Yesterday we had a potluck at an amusement park. I took the Nacho cheese.

Every Year for fathers day we have a Fathers day fish fry. This year should be great. Last year I bought a large propane fired deep fryer. I can't wait.

 

[Chicks]

Chicks,

Will you post your recipe for the Swai you prepared? Also would like the gingerbread pudding recipe.

Thanks,

Lyndalou

The Swai was easy, just wrapped a fillet around blanched asparagus and pepper and baked it 400 for 15-17 min. Gingerbread was bread pudding recipe using ginger bread, easy peasy.
C

 

[Snoop Puss]

My last time entertaining ( I don't count family in this) wasn't a meal. We had about 25 people over for dessert. I made 4 different desserts plus a huge bowl of sliced strawberries that they could put on pound cake, ice cream, or whatever. We all went to a seafood restaurant before and came back to our house. We had lots of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Now that is a fantastic idea. I'm often not ready for dessert straight after a meal out. And restaurant desserts here in Spain are, frankly, disappointing in the extreme, even in many 'posh' places. Can I borrow (steal!) your idea?

Anyway, last meal I did was lunch for another couple who came down to see us. Very simple, but we were sitting outdoors in the sun, and when the weather's like that and the company's so good, anything and everything tastes delicious.

We had marinaded grilled lamb (with the added pleasure that I know the shepherd, met the ewes one day being walked around the countryside and know the butcher, who's the shepherd's wife), fried chorizillo sausages (made by the same butcher), mixed salad and fantastic bread, followed by sliced oranges in syrup. That and good wine that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

[Claire]

I, too, have a problem with dessert right after a meal. I don't like feeling that I have to jump up to clear the table, don't like sitting over dirty dishes, don't like facing the kitchen just yet, and neither my husband nor I have much of a sweet tooth. My answer is to get the group to adjourn to the living room. Our "coffee table" is what was actually supposed to be a Japanese dining table (in other words, it can seat about six sitting on the floor, which most of my friends are too old to do, but we can arrange a lot of chairs around it). Once everyone is out from underfoot, we start coffee/tea/after dinner libations, and everyone converses and lets their food settle for awhile, then I bring dessert service out to the living room.

 

[babetoo]

had kids here for mothers day. just had finger foods, with the exception of a shrimp salad. a fruit plate with fresh strawberries, fresh pineapple, and cantaloupe to dip in a sweet dip. egg salad dip, crudités with dip. melted chocolate for dipping fruit and pound cake. for dessert made an apricot nectar cake with cream cheese frosting. had a bit of barefoot bubbly. wanted to enjoy their company instead of being in the kitchen cooking.

 

[Claire]

I got sick and tired of having friends (and I mean several of them) telling me they were going to do something over this holiday weekend, then either canceling or simply not going through with the plans. This left me feeling a little at odds. Is there anyplace we have to be today? Finally I got sick and tired of it, bought 3 racks of ribs, and decided to do my own Memorial Day barbecue, invited said friends, rather assuming they'd made other plans by now (now being Saturday afternoon). They were relieved to be relieved of the responsibility. As is usual in my social group, everyone will bring something to the feast. But what is it that some simply refuse to plan two or three days in advance?

 

[ellakav]

guilty!!! I suck at organising my time. I have a little one at home
and I'm studying online, the housework doesn't get done if I don't do it
(and there is always a lot of it, it seems, especially when ALL the kids
are here - long story) and I swear there are times that a whole week
will go by and I will be so confused!! like, are you SERIOUS??
so I am really bad at planning ahead these days!!
to give you an idea how crazy things have been, my last social gathering
was last June, for my son's 2nd birthday party!!