Help! Holiday Party This Weekend!

I am a big fan of themed parties - how about going Mexican? I've made Emeril's Chicken enchiladas several times and everyone has loved them: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_99...
The only thing I do different is that I use flour tortillas and I do not fry them. I just dip them into the sauce, and then fill them. Use less chili powder if you don't like too much spice. The recipe is easy to double, triple, etc. It freezes well, too. One more thing: if you make them, butter the pans before you put them into them; it will keep them from sticking to the bottom.
For side dishes, you can just buy a few boxes of the spanish rice. For an appetizer, make some homemade guacamole (avacodo, lime juice, tomato and any type of onion). Margaritas are always good, too!

Simple Baked Mostaccoli for MANY

This recipe goes over very well in a non-vegan crowd, is easy to spice up a bit for the locals, is light on the budget, and a cinch to make... I got it from my mom and have adapted it slightly since.

1 lb mild ground italian sausage
(or hot if you KNOW you want it - you could probably sub turkey sausage or a veggie equivallent if you wanted to too!)
16 oz jar PREGO (yes the brand is important) spaghetti sauce
(I usually get the traditional or italian sausage blend, but you can try any of the other blends too)
1 lb box of mostaccoli rigoti (the ridgy ones, otherwise the sauce slides off)
1 lb pkg shredded mozzarella cheese

Start water for noodles in large pot. Brown italian sausage in large pan, as you would ground beef. If it is in sausage form, remove outer skin and break sausage up into small bits while browning. Drain fat. Add jar of Prego sauce to sausage and simmer while noodles are cooking. Drain noodles and return to large pot. Pour sausage mixture into noodles and fold together until well-mixed.

Put 1/3 of noodle mix into large (bigger than 3 qt or plan to use a second small one too) casserole. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese evenly over it. Continue to layer, twice more, until you've got three layers each of mix and cheese.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-40 minutes (depending on if you have one casserole or two - the big casserole needs more time), or until cheese is bubbly on the top. Serve and enjoy. Serves 8 - 12, depending on hunger and if you serve it with a veggie side dish and/or garlic bread. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or put back in the oven.

You can also cut the recipe in half to make it for just your own family at home, it's easier for me to remember the 1 lb for everything ingredients though, and we like leftovers.

I'll sometimes add onion, garlic, and/or mushrooms when browning the sausage to vary the recipe now and then too.

One warning - do NOT eat this while breastfeeding!! It WILL cause gas in the baby ! I learned that the hard way, since this is my default recipe for something quick to serve the family when I don't have a lot of time.

Enjoy!

cranberry chicken is really easy to make.....i buy the huge bags of frozen tyson 99% fat free, in a light blue bag (and, oddly enough, they are the most tender I have ever had - beats fresh and perdue by a landslide)
6 breasts (thawed)
1 bottle of western dressing (french dressing - name "western")
1 packet of lipton onion soup mix
1 can of ocean spray whole cranberries
mix ingredients together and pour over - cook on 350 for 1 hour
it's so easy and the cranberries are festive....you can make 2 batches....use 9 x 11 pans...good luck

Try Oprah.com for her party with Rachel Ray. The episode from last year airs Friday. She has recipes for Chicken & biscuits, and Beef Burgundy. Both are great for a stove top buffet. I also would recommend Costco and/or the Mostaciolli.

Do yourself a favor and go to Costco. I just had a party Sunday with kids and adults and I have a two year old and an 8 month old. I went to Costco and got the chiclen enchaldas and some other things. I took it out of the container put it in my own dish and popped it in the oven. Everyone raved and said I went to way too much trouble. They have lots of choices and no one needs to know. The food is very good quality and great prices. Do that and enjoying yourself!!

Hi Pam. we jut had our annual christmas party last weekend for about 45 people, adults and kids..I usually do full course meals, this time I just did appetizers. Costco had tons of appetizer frozen stuff that I used, jewel had some not much. i made 5 different dips from tastefully simple and homeade gourmet, had sausage bites, cheese cubes, deviled eggs, chips, mini sandwiches of ham and roast beef, bagel dogs(for the kids of course), meatballs, wings and weiners in the crock pot, and veggie tray. Oh and desserts. It was plenty and had food leftover. Hope that helps..K.

I have an easy recipe for what I call Pepperoni pasta. It can be served cold or warm.

16 oz angel hair pasta, cooked
3 large tomatoes
6 oz. pepperoni, chopped
5 oz. sliced black olives
6 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Boil pasta per directions. While pasta is cooking in large bowl combine all other ingredients. Drain pasta. Add to other ingredients and mix to coat pasta. Better served cold for buffet dinner but good served warm.

Good Luck and happy holidays!!

My easy party food is beef sandwiches (you can even get it at sam's club in the frozen food section) and sausage with peppers & onions. I also make a big thing of mostaccioli with out meat for the vegetarians. Add a big tossed salad and it's done. Sam's club has tons of appetizers to choose from. Hope that helps. Have a great party.