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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Need simple recipes for a crowd
Please share your recipe ideas for our housewarming party in a couple weeks! We anticipate 50+ people over the course of 3 hours (during afternoon) so simple but large qty and keeps well are ideal attributes 
. I have a family of eaters so good food is essential!
My Cooking Blog: Christine's Kitchen Chronicles
Latest Blog Update: Peanut Butter Cookie with Salted Peanut Caramel
Latest Blog Update: Peanut Butter Cookie with Salted Peanut Caramel
Re: Need simple recipes for a crowd
For a meal: Baked ziti, chili, bbq (shredded or sloppy joe), deli meat & cheese tray, super long or wreath sub sandwiches. Maybe a turkey or large roast-I'd slice it, put it in a disposable aluminum tray, and cover with gravy or au jus so it doesn't dry out. Or ham (not my fav, but it's easy) Salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, etc for sides. For hot stuff you can buy disposable chafing trays at party stores, Sams, and maybe even the dollar stores.
For just snacks-chips, salsa, hot & cold dips, Rotel dip, cheese balls, a veggie tray, pretzles, etc. Oh, and of course Skyline dip-all Cincinnati parties must have that! I'd go for stuff you can dump in a bowl (or crockpot) and keep refilling or make in one large dish vs stuff that requires lots of hands on work to make/assemble (like bite sized apps).
My essential is buffalo chicken dip with celery and or tortilla chips. I also suggest a veggie tray / fruit tray, chips and pretzels, 7 layer dip, corn dip, fruit pizza's, chicken salad croissants (they have pretty good chicken salad at Sams in tubs and I just get the croissants there too and cut them in 1/2 to make them stretch further) Kroger makes REALLY good boneless chicken trays and they are $25 each and feed about 15 people I think it calls for.
We just had a housewarming / labor day party too and we had about 75 people and we had everyone bring a dish. It worked out well because it would have been impossible for me to cook for 75 people plus make sure our house was completely finished in time. We grilled burgers, dogs, mets bratts etc... and provided the buns and condiments as well as drinks and everyone else did the rest. We ended up having SOOOOO much food it was unreal!
I make a spicy chicken dip that can be easily doubled or tripled for a large group. It's super easy to make and i get requests to bring it everywhere i go. It can be served with fritos or tortilla chips.
2 blocks cream cheese
2 cans white meat chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 jar jalapenos
Mix cream cheese and soup in microwave until smooth. Drain chicken and use fork to break chunks into smaller pieces. Add chicken and jalapenos to cream cheese/soup mix and stir all together. Put in pan and bake for 30-45 mins at 375. You can pour it into a crock pot to keep it warm, it's best served warm, or you can serve it straight from oven. It's very tasty and i use all the fat free soup and cream cheese to make it a bit healthier. Enjoy!
Tell me more-is this a chicken finger tray? And what goes in the corn dip?
I'll second the mini croissants. My dad does them with chicken, tuna, & egg salads and shaved deli meat (turkey, ham, etc).
The chicken tray is a combo platter. I get chicken fingers, boneless wings and regular wings on the tray. it comes with Ranch for dipping and you can get them plain, bbq or buffalo. I don't know if there are any other sauce options or not but those are the only ones I have ever gotten. You order them at the Deli. I literally crave their boneless wings sometimes...they are VERY good!
The corn dip I will have to get the recipe for. I just had it for the first time at our party, a friend brought it and it may have to be my new go-to dish to bring! I will ask her for the recipe and then post it as soon as she gets it to me.
Latest Blog Update: Peanut Butter Cookie with Salted Peanut Caramel
Here is the corn dip recipe I was talking about, it's FAB!!
(3) pks cream cheese (softened in micro safe bowl), mix in (2) cans of shoepeg corn, (1) can of mexican corn, Jalapenos diced and juice to taste stir together in crockpot enjoy once melted with Frito scoops or Tostitos Gold chips