LTP Sent Me ;) (Easter Dinner Help)

huber22

I found out last night that I have 8-20 people coming for Easter Dinner.

I have a ham in the freezer.

I'm dealing with an erm... "interesting crowd." For example, my mom thinks that salads have jello in them, and the first time my 20-year-old brother ate brocoli, it was Tuesday night at my house. Did I mention that my mom considers mashed potatoes a vegetable?

For Thanksgiving I roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc) and asparagus, and no one ate them.

I'm trying to do something "different" and not white/goopy, but I don't know that these people will actually eat. I want healthy, but not "weird."

 

Any ideas?

Also, I'd love to post here more often, but you all seem a lot more sophisicated than I am.

livinitup

I struggle with this, too. I enjoy cooking and I like to make a wide variety of foods for guests. But my family can be very fussy. It makes me sad to stick the same-ole, same-ole. So, sometimes I think of it as 'embracing traditional dishes' to go with the flow and serve what people expect. Mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, etc.

So, no harm in serving mashed potatoes with the ham. Maybe some plain pineapple slices. You could take a page from the italian tradition and serve a first course of pasta - like penne a la vodka, or ravioli, or fettuccini alfredo. Pasta is always a crowd pleaser.

Then just serve the meat and some simple veggies.  

ETA: Or for a crowd that could be as big as 20 - try a baked pasta, like lasagna. Very easy to make ahead.

Or you could do a Easter brunch buffet. Cook and serve the ham but serve with a mix of cold salads, quiche (or baked egg dishes), lettuce/tomato, rolls, hot pasta or potatoes - most crowds love a breakfast-lunch option, and its perfect for Easter.

amief

If it were me I'd probably go with the basics that you know the crowd is used to for dinner.... like pp suggested.  When I think of my extended family this would probably mean...Maybe the ham, mashed potatoes, a salad, corn, rolls.  (although I would probably make the salad more elaborate and not just the usual garden salad they would probably prefer 

If you wanted to try and broaden some horizons as well as have some fun in the kitchen for yourself why not do that as either the dessert or appetizers (not sure if people will be around for a while before dinner?). 

UDscoobychick

If you want to be sneaky about it, you can do mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, or mash some cauliflower in with the potatoes.

Or make a cheese sauce to go on the vegetables?  That used to be my mom's go-to way to get my sister to eat broccoli when she was a kid.

huber22

I actually really like the lasagna idea. Or maybe some additional pastas?

I'm not really excited about doing anything "traditional." We could also grill and do roasted potatoes or something like that?

I'm really not excited about traditional- or leftovers that won't get eaten at our house (I can't eat anything with dairy, and I'm bitter about it).

Maybe I should just fess up and say that I'm not excited about hosting (which is unusual for me).

 

MyPunkinPie

This is an excellent compliment to ham, isn't traditional but isn't fancy-fancy either, has no dairy and is really easy: Hot Fruit Compote

Magdala9

Would they eat a salad?

Spring salad - Strawberries, spinach and poppy seed dressing (out of a bottle)

Orange Greens- Orange slices, romaine lettuce, croutons  with honey mustard dressing (out of a bottle)

Would they eat slightly fancy vegetables?

Green beans steamed with craisins and topped with toasted pecans.  For each pound of green beans, use 1/3 cup of craisins and 2 tbsp of chopped toasted pecans.  

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/honey-glazed-carrots-recipe/index.html  

In any case good luck.   I get the fun of cooking for my in-laws and I understand these kinds of challenges. 

 

livinitup

huber22:

I actually really like the lasagna idea. Or maybe some additional pastas?

I'm not really excited about doing anything "traditional." We could also grill and do roasted potatoes or something like that?

I'm really not excited about traditional- or leftovers that won't get eaten at our house (I can't eat anything with dairy, and I'm bitter about it).

Maybe I should just fess up and say that I'm not excited about hosting (which is unusual for me).

Can you eat pasta with a dairy intolerance? If not, go straight for the lasagna, a real crowd pleaser. It's nice that it can be prepped ahead and no dishes need to washed on the day-of. If yes, then do an angle hair pasta with a marinara sauce, fresh ripped basil and grated parmesan reggiano cheese (enjoy with your guests).

I don't think you need another starch if you serve pasta, but you can do a roasted potato or a cold potatoe salad. Serve it with the ham and some steamed green beans. The grilled meat is nice/fancy after a lasagna (even BBQ chicken), too. Has a nice, casual party atmosphere. 

nestinginjapan

8-20? There's a big difference between those numbers. I'd first try to figure out how many so you can actually plan your menu!

I generally have no tolerance for picky eaters. Make what you love. Highlight spring produce (it is Easter after all). If they don't eat it, more leftovers for you to enjoy later!