I will be hosting my family Christmas get-together in about a week and a half. They just want to do an "appetizer only" type thing. These are very simple meat & potatoes kind of people. (They balked when I put pickle relish in my deviled eggs.) Do any of you have any easy to prepare, crowd pleasing dishes?

TIA

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How about sausage balls? I think mommy2mercedes has posted the recipe, and I know it's often on bisquick and jimmy dean sausage packages, too. Really simple and good.

And potatoe skins are something you could make ahead, just bake some potatoes, scoop out the middles (I'd put them in a bag & freeze for mashed potatoes later), maybe even cut into smaller serving sizes, and top w/ cheese, bacon, chives/scallions, and whatever else. You could even freeze them then just bake the day of.

Meatballs in bbq or sweet & sour or even marinara is a quick and easy one. (Buy frozen or make ahead & freeze.)

Stuffed mushrooms...you could do a sausage or seafood stuffing in them.

Maybe some kind of boneless chicken--popcorn chicken or strips? With some different dipping sauces?

Or pinwheels--add meat/cheese/sauce to a tortilla, roll up, slice and voila!

That's all I can think of now, just trying to think of things dh's family would like--they're good meat & potatoes people, too!

how many people are you gonna have?

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10-12 adults and about 12-14 children

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myspace.com/jessthenurse1980

We do this with my family on Christmas eve. Here are some things we make:

meatballs in a sauce( sweet 'n' sour,bbq,ect)
pizza rolls
pigs in a blanket( little wieners wrapped in a crescent roll)
Italian beef sandwiches
ham buns(sliced ham-like lunch meat- on a bun)
mini eclairs
bacon roll up
cheese and crackers
veggie tray
cookies


HTH

I would def recommend the corn dog muffins for the kids!!!

2 (8.5)cornbread mix
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 c grated Cheddar cheese
9 hot dogs, cut in half


Preheat oven to 400
Lightly grease muffin tins.

Mix all but hot dogs,spoon into muffin tins 2/3 full. Add 1 hot dog half to each muffin.
Bake 14 to 18 min,til golden brown.

(you can also slice em smaller and make them in mini muffin tins which is what I do...just how our kids like em best-more lil kid size ya know )

serve w/must n ketchup

big parties are best if ya can keep up with the kids and I think finger foods work best)

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okay...let's see...10-12 adults and about 12-14 children

I would definately do 1 main dish type thing.....and I would probably keep it a stew or chili.

now granted this is just my opinion....but I like to have hot and cold dip options...I would definately do a spinach dip(at holidays I keep that simple by just doing it in a pretty bowl and then slicing down baguette bread....instead of cubes..then they can just "butter"on dip and one piece equals 2-3 bites)

maybe even a seven layer bean dip...cheap easy and pretty universally friendly(just keep a few green onions and tomatoes out for the top to make it festive and its a "chip"option)

I would also do something with cheese....prob a cheeseball and a hot cheese dip(even rotel looks frstive and that takes 2 min to toss together )

then a couple fancier ones....stuffed mushroom and maybe mini quiches(you can even buy mini quiches this time of year just about everywhere)


another great idea for kids is to just buy a thin crust pizza,then just cut into squares!!
(all kids seem to love pizza)

and I would do something with fruit as well.(fruit salsa and cinnamon chips is always good-but you could keep it simple w/a salad as well)

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Those tiny sausages by Hillshire farms(forgot what they are called) wrapped up with bacon, and put them in the oven.I know there is a sweet sauce put on them too, maybe someone else here has the recipe. I think it may just be brown sugar sprinkled on top before you bake them. They are so yummy, I can't stay away from them. I think my and my 16 year old son ate most of the ones that were by our seat.

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I have nothing to declare except my genius."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) upon arriving at U.S. customs 1882

I have a simple "meat and potato" family as well and the one thing that always goes over big is you take a slice of sandwich honey ham - spread ceam cheese on it and the long green onions. You wrap the green onion in the ham/gream chees and cut it into bite size portions. Stick some toothpicks in them and they are really simple and easy! The easiest way to spread the cream cheese is to blot the water of the ham first with a paper towel.