Need major menu help

My mom recently had a stroke and is rather ill; on top of this, she has both brain and breast cancer.

For a number of reasons, we are still having Christmas at our house. However, I need meals that don't need to be in the oven/need to be cooked all day long...basically, I need things I can prepare completely in advance and just pop in to heat up. I'm thinking I'll definitely do a spaghetti pie.

I also have three Crockpots. I need food for about 10 people.

Any suggestions on appetizers, entrees, anything that I can do to make the cooking significantly easier?

TIA!

Re: Need major menu help

Pulled Pork in the crock pot
Salami/ham/cheese platter with small buns to make sandwiches
mini crab cakes
some sort of tart I have a recipe for a nice carmelized onion bacon one
deviled eggs
Shrimp cocktail
stuffed mushrooms
baked ziti or lasagna
sausage and peppers in a crock pot

Re: Need major menu help

I'm sorry to hear about your mother.

Can't you get most of it catered or at least semi-pre-made?

I'd recommend a dip with veggies and cheese and crackers for appetizers. Both are super easy and can be made way in advance. Also just put out olives, nut assortment, chips or dried fruit... (things that just need to be put in bowls).

For a main meal, a baked ziti or lasagna would be good and made in advance and just heated up. I'd buy a packaged salad mix that you can throw together easy. Cut up a loaf of bread with it and you have a full meal right there.

For dessert buy all premade. If you insist on doing it yourself, a chocolate pudding pie is super quick and fine to do in advance. You can also put out fruit or cookie assortment with whatever you choose to make.

Need major menu help

I'm not sure exactly what's in spaghetti pie, would meatballs work? You could make them in advance and warm them in the crockpot. I always do a spiral ham for christmas eve since you just throw it in the oven and then glaze it at the end. You can do mashed potatoes ahead of time, dinner rolls, green salad. Maybe a creamed spinach?

For apps, I go super simple and do shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, cream cheese with pepper jelly, and of course peanut m&ms.

Re: Need major menu help

Very sorry to hear about your mom. Nice of you to host Christmas for everyone!

For main courses, I agree with some kind of baked pasta (e.g., lasagnas) that can be assembled ahead of time and just baked before serving. They are always crowd pleasing items and don't require last minute attention.

If you want to do a main meat, I always do a boneless pre-sliced glazed ham at Easter. I get the Dietz and Watson brand, which is delicious. But I literally just remove the packaging, pop it into a baking dish, and put it in the oven. No glazing, and it's already cooked, so you are really heating it up (no worries about when it's done). And because it's pre-sliced, no last minute carving.

With the ham, you could do sides like baked mashed potatoes or twice-baked potatoes (both of which can be assembled ahead of time and just baked before serving). I also posted a carrot soufflé recipe that would be great with this (and is a total make ahead, bake, and reheat in the microwave item). Or a corn casserole, like Paula Dean's, that can be made ahead of time and reheated (or served at room temp). With a green salad and some dinner rolls, and some store bought cranberry relish, that would be a great Christmas dinner in my opinion.

I also would try to keep appetizers simple - things you can just buy and assemble... cheese and crackers and grapes, olives and nuts, antipasto, shrimp cocktail, veggies and dip.

For a heartier warm appetizer, you can use your crockpot for mini cocktail meatballs. Just buy frozen cocktail meatballs (I like the Cooked Perfect brand or even Trader Joe's) and throw them in the crockpot with a jar of grape jelly and a jar of chili sauce. Very easy and people love them! Or buy pigs in blankets as a hot appetizer.

Desserts - I agree - I would try to see if people can bring items and try to purchase things. When I host holidays, I've had a small edible arrangement for fruit (it's festive, you can get specialty items like chocolate covered strawberries), I've ordered things like cookie/brownie platters, or cannoli platters (fill your own cannoli shell). If you have kids, you can do a make your own sundae thing - just buy a couple of kinds of ice creams and things like red and green M & Ms and Christmas sprinkles. Just a nice selection of chocolate candies and nuts goes over well, too.

Hope this helps!

Need major menu help

Wow, I'm so sorry. Here are some ideas...

Baked ziti/lasagna - can be baked beforehand and just reheated, or put together ahead of time and bake when needed

Deli platter (you can just get this from the store), potato salad, cole slaw, etc

Veggie platter (Can get from the store)

TJs has a nice looking frozen spanikopita - maybe get that? Or even appetizer sized ones.


For dessert - slice and bake cookies spinkled with sea salt, or if you want to do something more homemade, make a trifle - store-bought pound cake, pudding, berries, whipped cream. BJs or Costco have a really good tiramsu, too. Fruit platter (also can get from the store)

Re: Need major menu help

Lasagna, Eggplant Parmigiano, Italian Bread, Salad - and if you feel like doing all of the extra work ....meatballs, sausage etc in the sauce

You can do ALL of that beforehand, assemble both the lasagna and eggplant prior and just bake that day - OR bake first and reheat (I would do that w/ the eggplant, but not the lasagna)