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What’s the one item you make for get togethers that everyone loves that is secretly super easy to prepare?
What’s that one recipe you make that is in reality super easy to prepare, but perhaps seems complex, and is always empty at the end of every party?
Slowcook meatballs or chopped sausage in bbq sauce mixed with grape jelly.
Layered bean dips are easy and delicious.
My favorite is a bowl of instant pudding layered with gram cracker crumble, cool whip, and topped with chocolate crumbles.
I think those are my favorite low effort party foods that I don’t end up having to take home any leftovers!
Mine is similar to your meatballs, but lil smokies in grape jelly (makes it's own BBQ sauce!) is my mom's secret weapon of party time. I do it all the time now too, so simple and tasty.
Hummus and pico de gallo are my get together go-twos (get it?) They're simple to make, easy to eat, and finger foods that can be set out early for everyone to enjoy. All you need to include are a few veggies or some tortilla chips.
For hummus, I follow this recipe from Zahav, a very popular Philadelphia restaurant my wife and I love. I do like to roast a head of garlic though, for dressing.
My pico de gallo recipe is traditionally straightforward:
1 ½ lbs of tomatoes, diced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, diced
2 tbsp lime juice (1 medium lime)
¾ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp kosher salt, to taste
⅛ tsp black pepper
*My biggest suggestion is to do everything ahead of time so it can sit overnight in the fridge. Giving the flavors time to combine makes a noticeable difference between good and mediocre pico.
We do hummus for every event. And it's rare for us to bring home leftovers. Mafackas love homemade hummus.
Bonus recipe: the mostly-prepped pico can also be used to make guacamole. Just take some of the onion, jalapeno, lime etc mixture and combine it with some of the diced tomatoes at a smaller ratio (I dunno, maybe 3:1 mixture:tomatos? maybe less?), then smash them together over a bed of avocados.
Other thoughts:
I like making egg nog and bringing it around the holiday parties. People think it’s complex but honestly the hardest part about it is figuring out how to transport a large volume of cold liquid.
Gatorade coolers are great for this lol
Alton Browns aged eggnog is amazing if you have never made it before.
Oh I based mine off his, but I iterated on it over the years to make it my own. I use a secret mix of aromatic spices (which wouldn’t really be a secret to anyone with a good nose).
Okay fine
I basically use a bit of almond extract and the spice mix for making [badam kheer](https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/badam-kheer-badam-payasam/)That sounds lovely! Since you described it as your “secret” additional mix, make sure to check with your guests for any allergies before serving, or include a note (though it’d break the secret); that extract can be a not totally uncommon allergen and it’s not something I’d expect in egg nog.
That's the best type of recipes, the ones you tweek that make them even better than original.
People seem to think that roasts are difficult to make. They're not. They're just expensive. Coq au vin is relatively inexpensive but it's a bit harder to pull off than most.
Lasagna is way easier to make than people think, and it looks especially fantastic if you can make it tall and serve it so it's perfectly square and the layers are visible.
French Onion soup is really easy to make... it just takes forever to cook down all those onions.
This specific risotto is ridiculously easy and doesn't even take that long to make.
You can make some impressive turnovers / hand pies with canned pie fillings and store-bought pastry dough. Anything with pastry dough will impress people because most people don't know that you can buy the premade dough in the stores.
A basic cheese sauce can be made easily by taking any cheese and melting it into evaporated milk; add extras like peppers, mustard, whatever to make it really pop. It will go well with most savory things.
Hummus is way easier to make than you think, and fresh tastes way better than anything you will find at the grocery store.
Meringue Kiss Cookies, with or without chocolate chips. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/meringue-kisses-recipe
Fyi, I always drop them with a spoon and never use a pastry bag and they are fine. Soft peaks is essential however and much easier with an electric mixer.
This roasted garlic, tomato, and goat cheese dip is super easy, and a fine way to redistribute garden cherry tomatoes. You can bake it right in the ceramic dish you use to serve it.
A couple of recipe alterations - it's neater to wrap the garlic in aluminum foil than to bake it directly on the sheet pan, and it cooks a bit faster as well. I also slice the tomatoes in half and arrange them on top, but I'm fancy that way.
I usually bake crostini to go with it. A friend on a gluten-free diet turned me on to almond flour crackers, and the combination with this dip is divine.
Need I mention this goes well with Chardonnay?
Damn that looks tasty! Will try it one day!
Do you peel the garlic and put it in a papilotte?
Nope, when roasting garlic there’s no need for that. Like the recipe says, just cut a bit of the top off of the head, like you would with an onion, and roast the whole thing. Wrapping in foil will steam it a bit, so it cooks faster, though I like to open it toward the end so it gets a little color. When it’s done, the garlic will be so soft that you can simply squeeze it out of the skin. Easy peasy.
As the recipe suggests, the garlic heads first get sliced at a point that exposes all the cloves. They remain unpeeled - between the olive oil and the softness after roasting, it's easy to squeeze the cloves out of the skins. I'm not particularly careful to make a perfect papilotte with the aluminum foil - I'll just wrap each unroasted half-head like a loose Hershey's Kiss, cloves-side up, brush with oil, close the foil, and set it on the sheet pan. They're done if you can insert a knife tip into a center clove without resistance. You'll also see that the baked garlic cloves have shrunk away from the skin a little - roasted garlic is much quicker to prep than raw garlic.
As /u/DrStone said, you can open the foil towards the end of the cooking time to get some caramelization, but it's got to be watched carefully at that point so the exposed edges don't get dry and tough. The unaltered recipe uses direct contact with the sheet pan to get the same effect. It's harder to judge doneness and you can lose or scorch some bits if the garlic sticks.
I had a friend from Louisiana who would always make bacon wrapped dates for company. They are amazing.
That sounds a lot like devil's on horseback. I also have a friend that makes them, and they are delicious.
You can one-up them by adding some chorizo; makes them doubleplusgood.
I've had them stuffed with blue cheese at some tapas restaurants and it is lovely.
I think this recipe is on packages of Rollos now, but for years it wasn't. Put a bunch of cheap snack pretzels (the "knot" kind) on a baking tray. Place an unwrapped Rollo on each one. Fire up the broiler and toss them in there for a few seconds, just to soften the Rollos. Then pull 'em out and squish each Rollo flat with a pecan, let em cool. Dumbest, easiest, sucker-proof snack ever. If you live in Texas, try the Cajun spiced pecans from Buc-ees. Shit slaps.
Buc-ees is expanding east! I haven't had the Cajun spiced pecans, but the salted caramel and cinnamon beaver nuggets are so good. As is the peppered beef jerky (SO much better than the bigger brands like Jack Links).
I'll have to pick up some pecans next time I visit one.
We are getting one here in Colorado this year, I believe. I took my special lady-friend to one while visiting Texas a month ago and her head almost fell off.
https://www.yoderscountrymarket.net/waffle-pretzels/item/70970
Same, but with the upgrade to the waffle pretzels. The waffle voids really let the rollo sink in, meaning they get stuck further in your teeth.
Buffalo cauliflower. It's cheap, easy, and relatively healthy. Close enough alternative to boneless buffalo chicken for meat eaters to love it while still being vegetarian friendly. Could even be vegan if you used a vegan butter.
That sounds perfect if you could get the caulifour crispy. Thanks for the idea.
You can bread and fry it if you want it to be extra crispy on the outside, but then obviously it wouldn't be that healthy anymore.
Personally I skip the butter and microwave the cauliflower instead of baking or frying it. But by that point it's just steamed cauliflower with hot sauce....
One of my neighbours is from Atlantic Canada. I once had this cold bean salad at his house that reminded me of the side dish they used to serve on plane and train trips back in the 90s in Canada.
I make it really often. It's good by itself over some rice or as a side dish for barbecued or stewed meats. It's basically beans in a seasoned vinegar. All ingredients are to taste.
Marinade / Dressing for Cold Bean Salad
You can take all the ingredients above and combine them well. The original instructions tell you to heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar, but I find that unnecessary. You can just agitate the mixture really well. Sometimes, I substitute the dried herb mixture with Herbs de Provence.
Take any mixture of canned beans and/or corn. Drain and rinse. Add them to the cooled dressing. Chop up some onion and add that to the dressing too. That's it.
I like to use enough dressing so that it's practically a pickle. It's better if it's left in the fridge for a day. After about four days, the texture becomes soft and kind of unpleasant. When you serve it, you drain away most of the liquid.
Pork Loin.
Rub the loins with an unreasonable amount of Montreal steak seasoning and soy sauce in a 9x13 glass pan, bake at 350 uncovered for 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting to keep the meat juicy.
That's it. 5 minutes of work and in less than an hour it's ready to eat. But people say it's the best meat they've ever eaten.
Mine is little smokies with hot sauce. Cook up smokies in a small pot, pour la Victoria hot sauce (mild or medium), let it simmer for a while.
Simple and always a hit.
Man, Mac and Cheese is the way forward here. Cheap, quick to make and so many possible toppings. Get gud at your bechamel though!
I've never been to a communal dinner where someone says "too much Pasta."
If anyone is looking for a specific recipe, I highly recommend taking Alton Browns stovetop recipe, found here, and then experimenting with different cheeses until you find a combo you and whoever is eating likes. The sharp chedder only is good, but it also works really well if you sub out a bit for something different. A bit of Provalone is good, so is some good parmesan. I like a bit of swiss mixed in, but that has gotten some mixed reviews when I've served it.
Depending on your ability to get good avocados for a reasonable price, guacamole is always a winner. I'm from a border town and the way I grew up making it only has 4 ingredients: avocado, lime, salt and red onion. Get the avocado to your preferred level of mushed and then mix everything else in a bit at a time until it tastes right to you. Even in my new northern home everyone loves it, I've never once had any left over. It's great with corn chips of course but I also like to put it in little cucumber "boats", which makes it easier to eat in some settings. I thick-slice cucumber, hollow each slice out a bit and add a generous dollop of guac on top.
A few tips: Make sure the avocado still has the nub from the stem on it when you buy it. I prefer to buy them ahead of time while they're still hard because it's easier to avoid overripe ones. If you check them often and stick them in the fridge as soon as there's a little give when you press the skin they'll stay at the right level of ripeness for days. If you need to store the guac, either a layer of water on top or plastic wrap pushed down directly against it with no air space will keep it from turning brown. (If you use water just pour it off and give the guac a stir when you're ready it use it. It will be as good as new.) When you cut the limes, don't cut them in half. Cut them into thirds, then cut each third in half. You will get more juice easier that way. I prefer to leave the avocado fairly chunky but I chop the red onions fairly fine.
The appetizer I get the most requests for during the holidays is also the easiest: stuffed dates. Try to use whole dates, you can use the pitted kind but those tend to be dry and not have as good a texture. It only takes a few seconds to pit them. Slice them lengthwise down one side only and pull the pit out, that leaves a perfect little pocket for stuffing. There are infinite options. Some of the easiest:
-Stuff with peanut/almond butter and top with roughly chopped dark chocolate and/or a little coarse salt
-Stuff with goat cheese and stick an almond on top
-Stuff with crushed pistachios and top with toasted shredded coconut
-Stuff with a pecan, wipe with a damp paper towel and roll in sugar.
I've got two that I use frequently, the first is pasta salad. I feel like this can differ so much depending on region but I keep it simple. Tricolor Fusilli, zesty Italian dressing, packet of Italian seasoning dressing mix, orange and yellow bell peppers, pepperoni, pepper jack and colby cheese cubed, and if I can a variety of cherry tomatoes from my garden but I'll settle for store bought if out of season.
The second is if I'm in a hurry and need a dessert. Orange soda cake. It's so dang easy. One box of white cake mix (the gluten free kind works too, just ends up more dense.) 12oz of your favorite orange soda (I like Stewart's orange cream soda) mix box and soda in a bowl until evenly mixed. Bake as directed on the box of cake mix. Let cool, then top it with whipped cream. Best served really cold. You can make it vegan with the right cake mix and vegan whipped cream too. I've also experimented with other sodas and root beer is fun as well. You can garnish it with colored sugars or mandarin oranges but it's yummy either way.
The whole idea of using a cake mix bewilders me as cakes are so easy to make already.
You can use your own white cake recipe too, just don't add any of the usual wet ingredients and sub in the soda
Man I miss Stewarts
Seven Layer dip. You just put an even layer of bean dip, shredded cheese, guacamole, sour cream, black olives, diced tomatoes and green onion in a casserole dish, top with a little salsa and serve with tortilla chips. I personally really like fritoes with it.
Giant meat pies! It's super quick and easy to feed a bunch of people. Takes about 15 mins to prep and 30 or so to bake. Generally if I don't feel like making dough myself, any pizza dough from Pilsbury or whatnot will do. All you need for filling is ground beef/lamb, brown it up and then caramelise some onions/peppers/mushrooms in the remaining fat. Fill out the inside of the dough on a baking sheet, add cheese and Vegeta then wrap it up.
Each one feeds about 10 people and they only cost $7-8 to make on average. Not super great on the calorie side of things but it gets the job done and the lads generally don't leave me with leftovers.
Overnight, no knead, one pot (two pans)/Focaccia.
Focaccia is an Italian flat bread. Its got a ton of variation from region to region. This is a recipe I have been playing with and refining. Its super fluffy and super rich.
You basically wack everything in a pot and throw it in the fridge overnight. This helps develop the gluten and a nice flavor. Then you slam it into a pan and hurl it into a hot oven.
I have a detailed recipe here.
https://www.solidscribe.com/#/public/note/1153/kVU7Q9yw2UveMxMF9V5qWZfCcw4%3D
A grilled corn salad. Every time I've made it, everyone at the gathering has asked for the recipe. I've made it just before having to leave for the party, but it really shines if you let it sit and allow flavors to develop for a day or so.
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 ears of fresh sweet corn, grilled
1 cucumber, diced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Dressing
Juice of 2 limes
3 tbsp olive oil/avacado oil
1 tbsp honey
Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Dash of cumin
Cut the corn off the cob then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices.
Set aside and let cool. Once cool, gently mix with other vegetables. Mix in lime juice
from 1 lime to prevent browning of the avacado.
Whisk dressing ingredients together, reserve until serving then drizzle over.
Chocolate Port Cake. It's so easy to make and people always want to eat at least 2nd serving :-P
Empanadas. Get the pre-made dough, and make a filling. I saute ground beef with chopped onions, green olives, raisins, and hard boiled egg, season with salt, pepper, and either cumin or paprika, throw in a little water towards the end to make it a little sauce like. Spoon that stuff into the shells, crimp, and bake.
You can make the filling ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. It's not the fastest recipe, but the hardest part for most people is getting the crimping down. The recipe is really forgiving and it's a reliable winner.
My recipe is from Asi Cocinan Los Argentinos, which is packed with great stuff.
This recipe is easily multiplied to account for a larger crowd. To make one batch, I spread out a can of Pilsbury crescent dough, smooth all the premade cuts together so it’s one sheet, and top with a fairly thin layer of flavored cream cheese and spinach leaves. Roll the whole thing up tight, slice into rounds, and bake according to package directions. Perfect little pinwheels that you can customize by changing up the cream cheese flavor!
Broccoli casserole. Frozen broccoli, mayo, cheese, panko, salt and pepper, bake.
Broccoli salad is out most requested and easiest dish for BBQs!
Crazy easy, all amounts are basically “to taste”. This is essentially a broccoli coleslaw
Raw broccoli washed and cut into bite sized florets
1/2 cup Mayo
Splash of Apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Golden raisins
1/4 cup Sunflower seeds
1/4 cup Sugar (I use 20 stevia drops for my low carb version)
A little salt
Stir it up, that’s it! It’ll be a hit with burgers etc
I got this recipe from my grandmother, and we've always just called it "Orange Stuff". Some folks would call this a "congealed salad", especially in the South, but I don't like that name.
Ingredients
1 tub of Cool Whip
1 package orange Jell-O (with sugar)
15 oz cottage cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 small can Mandarin oranges
Directions
Like revenge, it's best served cold.