What Can I Serve for a Crowd on a Friday During Lent?

[karlene]

Hi everyone...asking for your input!! I have a show this Friday and my host already has 20 RSVP'd. I've done PC for 8 years, and have had large crowds before, but this is a Friday show during Lent so I want to do something without meat, but not just a dessert! I will probably make up 2 simple dessert trifles since I made one last Friday for 8 people and they gobbled it up!!
But what could I make for a main appetizer or main dish? Something that doesn't have too much baking time since the crowd will be big..I'm expecting more Rsvp's within the next day or two...
thanks in advance
Just can't think anymore!!!

 

[lizcooks4u]

What about...

Hi everyone...asking for your input!! I have a show this Friday and my host already has 20 RSVP'd. I've done PC for 8 years, and have had large crowds before, but this is a Friday show during Lent so I want to do something without meat, but not just a dessert! I will probably make up 2 simple dessert trifles since I made one last Friday for 8 people and they gobbled it up!!
But what could I make for a main appetizer or main dish? Something that doesn't have too much baking time since the crowd will be big..I'm expecting more Rsvp's within the next day or two...
thanks in advance
Just can't think anymore!!!

Something with either fish, or the imitation crab meat??? Shrimp would be good, but probably way too expensive, unless you made some kind of bites, like on crackers or something.

Good Luck and hoping for lots of orders for you too.

Liz

 

[DebbieSAChef]

Shrimp tostadasI saw a recipe for Baja Shrimp Tostadas in the new SB.

Also I found these:

Crab Spread

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces flake-or chunk-style imitation crabmeat
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped

In Small Batter Bowl, combine cream cheese, milk, lemon juice and salt. Finely chop onion using Food Chopper. Add to cream cheese mixture along with pressed garlic; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture over bottom of small serving bowl. Coarsely chop tomato and bell pepper with Food Chopper; sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. Top with crab meat. Snip parsley with Kitchen Shears; sprinkle over crab meat. Cover & refrigerate. Serve with crackers or fresh vegetables. Yield: 12 servings

Dilly Seafood Dip

1 lemon
1/2 cucumber
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 small red bell pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
1 carrot
2 tablespoons Dill Mix
green onions
1 clove garlic
1/4 lb (4 oz.) cooked med-shrimp, shelled and deveined
10 cups assorted fresh vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, or celery

Zest whole lemon using Lemon Zester/Scorer. Juice lemon using Lemon Aid to yield 1 tbs. juice. Combine lemon zest, juice, may, sour cream and dill mix in 1-Qt Batter Bowl; mix well with Super Scraper. Press garlic into batter bowl using Garlic Press. Finely chop shrimp, cucumber, and 1/4 of bell pepper with Food Chopper. Grate carrot using Ultimate Slice & Grate. Slice green onions using 8" chef's knife. Add chopped ingredients, carrots, and green onions to batter bowl; mix well. Pour dip into Chillzanne Mini-Bowl. Place mini-bowl in center of Chillzanne platter fitted with Chilzanne Platter Divider. Fill platter sections with vegetables. Serve dip using Bamboo Spooners.

Seafood Primavera Squares

2 (8-count) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
4 Ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup seafood ****tail sauce
1 Teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 (6-ounce) can crab meat, drained, flaked
1 Cup frozen salad shrimp, thawed, rinsed
1 Cup finely chopped broccoli
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 Cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/3 Cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/3 Cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.


Unroll the roll dough. Pat over the bottom of an 11x17-inch baking sheet with sides, pressing edges and perforations to seal. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Let stand until cool. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, ****tail sauce and horseradish in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Spread over the baked layer. Layer with the crab meat, shrimp, broccoli; green onions, red pepper, green pepper and yellow pepper. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, until serving time. Cut into 40 squares.
Yield: 40 servings

Shrimp Wonton Cups

24 square wonton wrappers
1 T. butter or margarine melted
10 oz. shelled deveined and cooked medium shrimp
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 C. grated carrot
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 C. (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. With pastry brush, brush one side of each wonton wrapper with melted butter. Press wonton buttered side up into muffin cup. Bake 8 minutes or until edges turn light golden brown. Remove pan from oven. Meanwhile, reserve 24 shrimp. Finely chop remaining shrimp. Combine cream cheese, garlic and Worcestershire sauce in bowl, blend well. Stir in chopped shrimp, green onions, carrot and mozzarella cheese. Using small scoop fill each wonton cup with rounded scoop of cream cheese mixture. Top with reserved shrimp. Bake 5 minutes or until wontons are golden brown and filling is bubbly around edges.

Yield 24 appetizers.

Hope these give you some good ideas!
Debbie

 

[pcchris]

Just a thought - you said you didnt want too much baking time, but you CAN make the aloha pizza without the chicken...I did that just this past friday...actually it was 1/2 with chicken, and 1/2 without...it's still YUMMY without the chicken. I'm tellin' ya, SOOO many people love that pizza!!!

 

[chefann]

The Crab Rangoon Dip from the Stoneware Inspirations book is really good.

 

[Morvin]

you could also do the fabulous fajita pizza. You could do one ahead of time so you would have enough for everyone and you could do one with chicken and one without or both without. I love this recipe it highlights the cookware and the stoneware. The cookbook says that it feeds 8 but i had a party last week and it feed about 16 of coarse they also had other food to. If you cut it in squares instead of slices you can get more servings.

Heather

 

[pamperedlinda]

Hey Karlene! How've you been? How about making the Tomato & Basil Squares from All the Best? Those are very good and don't take too long to bake.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Hey Karlene! How've you been? How about making the Tomato & Basil Squares from All the Best? Those are very good and don't take too long to bake.

I was just going to post the same thing!!! Everyone loves the Tomato Basil Squares!

 

[DebbieJ]

The new Spicy Shrimp Ceviche Cups are really good and it makes 24. You could do a second batch ahead of time if you wanted.

You can get inexpensive shrimp at Aldi.

 

[etteluap70PC]

The Rustic Focaccia is awesome! I have done it many times. Shows tons of tools. It's very similar to tomato basil squares. I keep this recipe on my list sept thru may because I love doing it so much!

 

[gratergirl]

I agee with Paulette, the Rustic focaccia is awesome! And smells great!

 

[karlene]

thanks everyone!!! I will sift through all these ideas...I'll let you know how it goes...hey Linda...I'm great
you going to conference? we are going the 11-15...(actual dates of conference are 12-14...but taking some extra shopping days
karlene