I often host large parties around the holidays but I prefer to spend time eating, drinking, and socializing with my guests rather than being stuck in the kitchen throughout the party. The challenge: How can you prepare enough food for 20 people without stress and with plenty of time to spare when the party actually starts? The solution: A "BUILD YOUR OWN MEATBALL BOWL" PARTY!
Just the name alone sounds like a good time, right?! And the best part - the crockpots did a bulk of the work for me so I did not spend the entire day and night in the kitchen.
I put together four types of meatballs and four bases. Everyone could choose their base and top with the meatballs of their choice, creating many possible flavor combinations.
I also included five appetizers, two desserts, punch, and some take-home goodies. I will share some of my tips so you too can pull this off if you ever host a large gathering.
The menu included:
Meatballs:
Swedish Meatballs (Beef, pork, veal)
Thai Red Curry Meatballs (Pork)
Cranberry Glazed Meatballs (Turkey)
Marinara Meat-less-Balls (Vegetarian)
Bases:
Buttered Egg Noodles
Saffron Rice
Cranberry Jalapeño Stuffing
Whole Wheat Penne
Cocktail hour:
Shrimp Toast
Balsamic Onion Dip
Pesto Sausage Pizza Rolls
Parmesan Bacon Crackers
Brown Sugar BBQ Bacon Crackers
Cranberry Apple Sangria
Dessert plus take-home:
Pull-Apart Jelly Donut Tree
Hot Chocolate Dip
Chocolate Covered Sandwich Cookies
I thought about using frozen meatballs to save more time, and it would have, however I opted to make my own because I wanted all four to be uniquely different. For the Swedish Meatballs, I sautéed a diced onion in extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper until soft, translucent, and slightly golden. I added two minced garlic cloves, cooked for one minute more, removed from the heat, and allowed to cool for several minutes.
While the onions cooked, I added the meatloaf mixture (2-3 pounds) to a large bowl along with bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, allspice, grated ginger, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. I then added the cooled onions and thoroughly combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop, I shaped the mixture into equal sized balls and placed them onto two sheet-pans lined with a silicone mat or parchment. I baked them at 425 degrees for fifteen minutes and removed from the oven.
While the meatballs were in the oven, I made the sauce by melting butter and adding flour, cooking for several minutes. I added fresh thyme and ground allspice along with Dijon mustard, beef stock, heavy cream, and Worcestershire. I simmered until the gravy began to thicken and added fresh chopped parsley.
I added the meatballs to my first crockpot and poured over the gravy. I stirred to combine, set the pot to warm, and stirred every hour. Meatball #1 done!
Next up, the Thai Red Curry Meatballs. For the recipe, please read my post from November 4, 2023 except this time, I used ground pork instead of ground turkey. Once cooked, I added the meatballs and sauce to a second crockpot.
Meatball #2 - done!
Third - Cranberry Glazed Turkey Meatballs, I combined two pounds of ground turkey with diced onions, fresh thyme and sage leaves, one quarter cup greek whole fat yogurt, Worcestershire, Panko, salt, and pepper. I used the same method as the other meatballs to shape and cook them.
For the cranberry glaze, I combined canned cranberry sauce with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, whole grain mustard, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once it was simmering, I removed it from the heat and poured over the turkey meatballs in a third crockpot. Meatball #3 - done!
For the last meatball, I wanted to include a vegetarian option for my guests so I made these delicious Marinara Meat-less Balls by combining toasted almonds, garlic, Panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper in a food processor. I cooked them the same as the others and added them to a pan along with a jarred marinara sauce (time saver). Whether you are a vegetarian or not, these meat-less ball are absolutely delicious and you will never miss the meat.
I lined the crockpots and vegetarian meatballs on the counter along with the base options. Everyone built their own bowls of balls!
Every good party needs to start with cocktail hour and I had that covered as well. How did I have the time to make five hors d'oeuvres? Easy! The meatballs were all simmering away while the crockpots did the work so I had plenty of time. All of the hors d'oeuvres were easy and quick, plus one was make-ahead. I made a large bowl of Cranberry Apple Sangria for people to ladle themselves along with:
Homemade Shrimp Toast...
...Balsamic Onion Dip (which I made the day before as another time saver)...
...Pesto Sausage Pizza Rolls...
...Parmesan Bacon Crackers and Brown Sugar BBQ Bacon Crackers...
Dessert should be easy, yet big enough to feed the crowd. I had that covered with this Pull-Apart Jelly Donut Tree. I took cans of crescent roll dough, separated each triangle, rolled them into balls, and placed them on a non-stick cookie sheet. I baked according to the package directions and when they were finished, I used a chopstick to punch a hole in the center and used a piping bag to fill the center with raspberry jelly. A sprinkling of powdered sugar was the finishing touch.
The second dessert may be the easiest, yet one of the most delicious - Hot Chocolate Dip. I combined eight ounces of whipped topping with two cups of marshmallow topping and two packets of powdered hot chocolate mix until well mixed. I garnished with colored sugar and mini marshmallows, and served alongside a plate of fresh strawberries, pound cake cubes, and chocolate sandwich cookies.
And finally, I melted some chocolate, dunked some sandwich cookies, and decorated with colored sugar and crushed candy canes as a treat for everyone to either enjoy at the party or take home.
Still think it is impossible to cook for a crowd without stress?
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