I’ve always liked the idea of entertaining. I turn into the mom at the party, making sure everyone is fed and has something to drink, no matter where I am. Recently, I had the opportunity to have a few friends over and make dinner.
For starters, hosting can be expensive! I opted for a bit of a less expensive meal that would yield some leftovers for me to eat throughout the week. I also wanted something I could make ahead of time so I wasn’t spending a ton of time in the kitchen when I had guests. Let me tell you, I made the perfect meal. It’s honestly the best way to cook for a crowd.
The Menu
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Pasta Salad
French Onion Dip with Assorted Crudites
Iced Brownies
The Recipes
I’m telling you, these are the EASIEST recipes. You can make every item ahead of time too so it is the best way to cook for a crowd.
Crockpot BBQ Sandwiches
[Ingredients]
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced
40 oz of the BBQ sauce of your choosing
[Directions]
1. Place all items into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
2. Pull chicken out and shred.
3. Keep warm until ready to eat.
I have this Crockpot in a different pattern, and it’s awesome! It’s the perfect size without taking up too much cabinet space, but it still fits enough to feed a group. I managed to make chili for 8 in this crock pot, so it is small but mighty.
Pasta Salad
I have no shortage of pasta salad recipes. It’s one of my favorite things to eat, and it’s super easy to cook for a crowd in a variety of different ways. You can opt for more of a salad with a little pasta, or go with a creamy pasta salad. For this iteration, I brought it back to basics with the pasta salad my sister used to make when I was growing up.
[Ingredients]
1 lb of the noodle of your choice
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
Feta crumbles
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
ALLLLLLLL the green seasonings – Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, dill, etc.
[Directions]
1. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Rinse with cold water.
2. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Allow pasta to continue to chill.
3. While you’re allowing the noodles to cool, dice your peppers.
4. Combine everything and allow to chill.
I really love vinegar, so I under-vinegared the pasta salad and just added more to my plate when I was ready to eat.
French Onion Dip
[Ingredients]
16 oz plain Greek yogurt (or you can use sour cream)
1 packet dry onion soup mix (Like Lipton)
[Directions]
1. Combine yogurt or sour cream and onion soup mix.
2. Serve with chips or veggies.
For the brownies, I just opted for a simple box mix with a premade container of chocolate icing. I tried to make them festive with some cookie cutters, but I did not allow the brownies to cool for long enough so they weren’t too terribly beautiful.
I’m telling you, this is the simplest menu that you can cook for a crowd of people at your next party. You can also take any one of these items for your next potluck.
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