what can i do for a great cheap dinner at home four 20 people ?

Answer 1

Make a couple of baked ziti casseroles, salad amd crusty bread.

Answer 2

I have a large family (11 brothers and 3 sisters) and a typical gathering at my house includes at least 25 people. Needless to say, I have become a pro at accomodating these appetites.

If I am in a rush or budgeting, I always go with fajitas. You can buy the fajita seasoned meat (beef, chicken, shrimp, etc.) at the grocery store. Throw in some grated cheddar, sour cream, guac, tomatoes and tortillas and you can easily satify 20 with little effort and expense.

Answer 3

How cheap do you want it? You could always make spaghetti and meatballs, or I have a great recipe for a chicken casserole with broccoli, mushrooms, rice pilaf and sour cream and cream of mushroom soup mixture poured over the top. If you made 2, it would easily feed 20 people...email me if you want the recipe.

Answer 4

You can easily do two pans for the manicotti, and double the recipe for Creamy Cucumber Salad.

"Cordon Bleu" Manicotti
1 pkg (12) string cheese snacks
12 slices each deli sliced ham and chicken breast
12 manicotti shells
1 jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup water
shredded parmesan cheese

Roll ham and chicken slices around each string cheese snack and slide into mannicotti shells. Mix water with pasta sauce. Pour a little sauce into bottom of baking dish. Place Manicotti in baking dish and pour remaining sauce over shells. Bake covered with aluminum foil (or if baking with covered dish, cover with lid) bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until pasta is tender. Top with parmesan and serve.


CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD
3-4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1-2 Tomatoes, diced
1 ½ cups Ranch or Cucumber Ranch dressing

In large bowl, combine all ingredients, tossing to coat the vegetables. Place in refrigerator and chill before serving.



Chocolate Chip Cake
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs. In another bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add this alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Chop the chocolate chips coarsely and add to the batter. Pour batter into prepared pans, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. You can fill with a Butterscotch Filling, and top with a Chocolate Glaze. I prefer a white frosting dotted with Milk Chocolate Chips. Pretty and good to the pallet.

Answer 5

You can go a long way with a pasta buffet. Pasta and sauce are very cheap (even more so if you make your own sauce which I recomend). A little salad and garlic bread (which are also inexpensive) and you pretty much have a meal that everyone loves.

Answer 6

Do a pasta of Mexican food buffet.

I have a link with some really great, easy recipes in my profile. I have a lot of Mexican stuff under the Vegetarian section, besides the one with beef. And my Fettucine w/ Chicken Mustard Sauce is awesome too!

Answer 7

Do a soup and salad buffet. Most soup can be made a head of time and reheated and may use similar ingredients so you can buy in bulk. For salads try a greek, ceaser and regular green salad. Some crusty bread and you are all set. YUM!

Answer 8

you will want something easy right? well if you do, you could do a BBQ and salad and hot dogs too. for appetizer set up chips and salsa while your guests are waiting and have a friend help you make a Taco salad. cut up tomatoes, lettuce, brown some ground beef, put some shredded cheese out, warm the tortillas up and use sour cream too on the taco salad (if you want) and salsa and just plain tortilla chips are good to use to. it is pretty simple if you want to use it. hope you have a fun party!

Answer 9

Make a 'kitchen sink" soup. Use chicken or turkey or beef and have everyone bring thier favorite veggie to go in. Serve with crusty bread. one person an bring thier choice of noodles or grains to go in also or several people can bring thier favorite already cooked and people put in what they like when the soup is served.

Answer 10

I would prepare for them Garlic Bread with Parley, Potatoes Mornay au Gratin, Tuna Penne , Baked Pork Tenderloins Rounds, Dessert Galore which is any slice of cake topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup...This is a very cheap menu but a hearty and satisfying one...you can add Corn Soup....besides they are fast fixes...

Answer 11

Build-your-own-burritos is fun, cheap and easy.
Spicy beef, spicy chicken, rice, beans, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, chips, cilantro, tortillas. Yum!

Be careful not to overstuff with goodies which you'll put in the center of your tortilla. Fold the left&right side of the tortilla, then roll it up.