This post covers the next large holiday gathering that we hosted during the month of December.
December 17
Cooking for a crowd! SIXTEEN people to be exact - our annual large Christmas party. But just because the crowd is large, that does not mean that the menu needs to be stressful or time consuming! In fact, this was one of the EASIEST menus I have ever planned. The secrets -
A. Slow cookers
B. Several make-ahead recipes
C. Recipes that require fewer ingredients!
Butter boards have become a bit of hit lately as an appetizer so I thought to myself, "why can't I make one too but for dessert in the form of a Buttercream Board! (Secret C)
The ingredients included room temperature butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, green food coloring, and heavy cream. Talk about easy! Then all I needed to do was pipe it onto a serving platter, decorate with sprinkles, and serve alongside cookies, pound cake, and fresh strawberries for dipping. Everyone can graze and the cook does not need to stress!
Whenever I host large parties, especially for the holidays, I never let my guests leave empty-handed, so I made cookie bags for everyone! (Secret B)
I started by making easy Peppermint Stuffed Muffin Tin Cookies. The dough is a basic sugar cookie dough, which I divided in half so that I could use red food coloring. I rolled the dough into small balls and pressed into the muffin tins. I added a chocolate peppermint candy to the center and topped with more dough and topped with candy pearls.
I also made Chocolate Covered Sandwich Cookies (Secrets B and C) which required only chocolate melting wafers. I flavored the milk chocolate with a teaspoon of orange extract and the white chocolate with a teaspoon of almond extract. All I needed to do was dip the cookies, decorate with candy pearls, colored sugar, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. This literally took just minutes!
Goodie bags to go!
All of my large parties start with cocktail hour and for cocktails, sometimes I make a bowl of non-alcoholic punch and allow guests to spike as they see fit, or a few bottles of wine, along with non-alcoholic drinks such as iced tea and lemonade. I also put out a large spread of appetizers. One of my most popular is my Homemade Balsamic Onion Dip. (Secret B and C) There is never any left! Olive oil, onions, salt, pepper, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, mayonnaise, and sour cream. I made it in the morning because the longer it sits, the better it tastes
Appetizer #2 is my platter of Bacon Wrapped Parmesan Crackers and Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Pepper Crackers. (Secret C) Butter crackers, bacon, Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, and black pepper. Small pile of cheese or brown sugar, wrap with bacon, crack on the pepper, and bake at a low temperature for several hours, which gave me plenty of time to work on other dishes. There were ZERO left! They are THAT good!
Appetizer #3 was a new one for me and I will probably start making this every year now - Carbonara Pigs in a Blanket. (Secret C) Dear lord these were good! Mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent dough, brushed with beaten egg, topped with crispy pancetta (or bacon), and baked until golden.
Appetizer #4 has become one of my favorites as well, ever since my mother-in-law introduced me to it years ago. BBQ Jalapeño Grape Jelly Meatballs! (Secret A, B, and C)
The sauce consists of grape jelly, BBQ sauce, pickled jalapeños and their juice, cornstarch, and the real time saver - frozen meatballs! I made this in the morning and let it simmer away all day until the party. EASY.
And now for the MAIN EVENT. What feeds 16 people, is easy and quick to put together, and is a huge hit? How about my Sliders Bar!!! (Secrets A, B, and C)
FOUR types of sliders to be exact -
Bánh Mi Pork Sliders with Pickled Veggies
French Onion Cheesesteak Sliders
Old Bay Shrimp Salad Sliders
Crispy Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Check out this spread!
The Bánh Mi sliders involved my make-ahead method. Using a slow cooker, I combined the pork with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and jalapeños. It cooked all day, and then all I had to do was shred the pork and assemble the sliders with fresh cilantro and the pickled carrots and cucumbers that I made in the morning.
My Old Bay Shrimp Salad is made with fresh roasted shrimp (which I cooked in their shells before peeling for more flavor), celery, Old Bay, mayonnaise, a splash of white wine vinegar, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. To assemble, I started with butter lettuce, then the shrimp, and topped with a slice of fresh tomato.
My French Onion Cheesesteak Sliders started in the morning when I sautéd sliced onions in olive oil and butter until golden brown. I added a splash of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of brown sugar, salt, and pepper. In a crockpot, I added two pounds of thinly sliced steak, the onions, Worcestershire sauce, and a splash of beef stock. It slowed cooked all day and then to assemble, I laid a slice of provolone on the bun and topped with meat and onions.
The forth and final sliders were my Crispy Chicken Parmesan Sliders. I took chicken cutlets, cut them in half, and then fried them before my guests arrived. (I kept them warm in the oven until they were ready to assemble.) I dredged them in seasoned flour, dipped into beaten egg, coated in seasoned Panko bread crumbs, and into the oil bath. To assemble, I started with warm marinara sauce (jarred sauce as a time saver), then a chicken breast, mozzarella cheese, and a fresh basil leaf. These disappeared before any of the others!
As a side dish, I made individual Baked Macaroni and Cheese Bowls. (Secret B) I made this in one big batch earlier in the day, spooned into individual disposable tins, topped with cracker crumbs and more cheese, and baked right before serving.
Not only was this entire dinner easy and delicious from start to finish, the advanced planning eliminated all stress and allowed me to enjoy the party as much as my guests. Now that is what I call a victory!
My next post will cover another huge menu - Feast of the Seven Fishes - which occurred the very next night! Stay tuned!
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