alright, the kids birthday unfortunately fell right as we found out we were moving so, i promised them a big party once we got settled...

well, it looks like next saturday is the big day

also, i promised my friends a move-in get together, kinda like a house warming party

sooooo, when i asked the kids what they wanted to do, jake had kind of an interesting idea he wants to have 15-20 kids over for a big football game... we have a few grown men comming to be the quarterbacks and the referee.
so, if the boys are playing football, and the girls are out on the playground, mind you this is all in the backyard at the new house, what should i serve for the meal ????


also, keep in mind, im thinking if the kids are outside playing during the get together, and we have cake/ice cream before the meal.... i was thinking i could serve one dinner and blend my friends and the kids friends together. then, when the food part is over, the kids could get picked up by their parents so, i want the food to be good for the kids and the adults as well....

i was thinking of hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, potato salad, beans, chips, a great hot potato dish, and drinks.... but, thats a bit expensive when you are cooking for 30-45 people

pizza would be high dollar too for that many folks...


so, i need advice


how about sloppy joes ????? although, thats not a very pretty 'serve' at dinner time

Sloppy joes are always good, I looove Sloppy Joes. They are easy to make and delicious! Not to worry about them being messy, just give everybody a plastic knife and fork (and possibly a spoon to scoop up what falls out) and you're all set.
[Edited 2/25/06 9:20am]

psychodelicide said:

that could work....

i could always do the nicer food for my adult company later on....


kids eat these things, dont they ?

Fajitas? Might be cheaper than the barbeque stuff, and if you have a big table you can just let them all serve themselves...same kinda party vibe! Or else just make a huuuuge lasagne

susannah said:

those are good ideas

I think tacos are always fun for this sort of get-together.

You can lay out the shells (or pita bread or whatever is you like to use) and the various toppings in dishes, and just let people prepare their own taco their own favorite way. The most expensive part of that, I think, would be the cost of the meat. We used to do this a lot when we had bigger family get-togethers and it was always fun and worked well.

Or else you could make a big dish of something involving rice, like risotto, or paella, or jambalaya - something you can use a lot of (cheap) rice and some random ingredients. something else on the side maybe, and a nice colourful vegetable filled dish, should keep them happy!

WillyWonka said:

oh oh oh

that IS a good idea i could serve it with beans and rice to help fill folks up, plus chips and sauce

could get messy....


but, it would go damn well with margaritas later

susannah said:

how about a big thing of speghetti ????? some bread and some salad ????

nakedpianoplayer said:

Mmmmm. Margaritas.

(and messy is fun sometimes! )

nakedpianoplayer said:

Spaghetti! Yum!

You could get a couple loaves of French bread make some really nice garlic/cheese bread to go with it.

nakedpianoplayer said:

easy as well! everyone likes spaghetti! ALthough I still like the tacos or fajitas ideas....theyre fun!


dammit I want fajitas now...

WillyWonka said:

this is true... and it would go well with my homemade chocolate/cinnamon cake that im baking for the lil ones

still thinking... this might actually be the solution to the problem thanks

susannah said:

I GOT IT !!!

tacos for the kids... fajitas/tacos for the grown-ups


and tons of margaritas for me


thanks guys....

nakedpianoplayer said:

youre welcome! Have a great time Let us know how it goes

nakedpianoplayer said:

I'm glad to have offered a helpful suggestion.

It's fun thinking up stuff for parties. Yours sounds like it will be a great success with lots of yummy food, no matter what you end up serving.

The chocolate/cinnamon cake sounds yummy too!

susannah said:

Co-sign!

nakedpianoplayer said:

Oh yeah, adults do too. My mom makes Sloppy Joes sometimes for dinner when I come over on Halloween Night, they're always good and easy to make.