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There is a pennette recipe with meat sauce on the Food and Wine website that looks delicious, and supposed to be good for a crowd. Their macaroni and cheese with buttery bread crumbs is also a big hit with kids and adults alike.

I make a roast and spaghetti squash.

I get a top rump roast (or two) with generally half as many pounds as people so 20 people = 10 pounds. (there's usually some left over but that's what roast beef sandwiches are for.

Then, for cooking it:
-put the pan in the oven while preheating, and five minutes before you put in the roast, pour a small amount (couple tbsp) of olive oil in the pan.
-cut an onion in half, cut a tomato in half, cut a few cloves of garlic in half.
-Put it all in the pan with the roast(fat side up, so it self-bastes)
-cook at: 425 deg F for 15 minutes, then 350 for 15 min/lb (10 pounds=150min=2hrs 30min)

I usually serve the roasted veggies on the side because the onion gets amazingly sweet. You can use the jus and a bit of red wine to make a light gravy on the stove.

Now for the spaghetti squash:
1. poke it all over with a knife (I have broken too many forks that I simply use a knife).
2. put it in a microwavable dish
3. microwave on high for 15 minutes
4. cut in half and scoop out seeds: dispose of them.
5. use a fork to scrape out the "spaghetti", top with salt, pepper and butter

1 squash feeds about 5-7 people

Voila, simple, yet yummy meal in just a couple of hours.

I must add that I got the roast recipe from Nigella Lawson's How to Eat, and this is what I have memorized now.

And the spaghetti squash is from The Joy of Cooking

If it's really relaxed and you are ok with a non- roast type meal - I say spaghetti all the way. One big bowl of pasta, a wonderful salad and a glass of wine (or juice for the kids) and you are done.

I have done this several times for the holiday's for a large relaxed family get together.

No fuss, one pot and lots of time fun fun and talking with loved ones and making memories.

What about a big pot of soup stew with lots of crusty bread? Something with white beans, kale and sausage? Sounds good to me!

pierrot,

you are making me very hungry.

Great idea too because it can be made well in advance and just reheated.

One problem I could see though, is that many people don't have that many big soup bowls?

I don't want to sound too simplistic but...you could roast a ham or a beef roast and set up a buffet with various rolls and bread, a salad or two and a veggie (like the roasted squash above).

That way, it would be pretty casual. People may be late due to traffic, flights, work, etc. and there's no worries. People can slice the meat for sandwiches with some mustard or horseradish (kids mostly) and the others can prepare a nice plate.

And if you serve the sausage, kale and bean soup can you email me a bowl please?

When cooking for a crowd, I go for casserole dishes that I can pre-make the night before and pop into the oven when I get home from work. I've done lasagna, enchiladas, mac and cheese, and spanokopita. Add a salad and maybe an extra side dish and you're good to go!

Chili. Pre-made, the night before and heated up. Guests can top their own with a variety of toppings (cheese, sour cream, fresh herbs, etc.). Serve with crusty bread or corn bread.

Chili is great for big groups... You can even have several types going in different crock pots. We usually have crackers, cheese, sour cream, noodles and such going for toppings.

We've also done the pasta route, with the sauces in crock pots. One was just a marinara, one with meatballs in the sauce, and one a meat sauce. Just remember to toss the noodles in either butter or oil to keep them from sticking to one another since guests are adding the sauce later. Don't forget Parmesan cheese, and lots of crusty bread.

If you do a big pot of stew, but don't have a lot of bowls, we've also served such items in coffee mugs, so we would have less waste when the whole thing was through.

The Barefoot Contessa's Turkey Sausage & Goat Cheese Lasagna. You can even make it layered with plain tomato sauce, and serve the turkey sausage sauce on the side in case you have vegetarians.

On Christmas eve, my family makes corned beef sandwiches. My grandmother used to actually make the corned beef from scratch, but she's gotten a bit too old for that sort of thing. Now we buy a bunch from the deli, a couple of loaves of bread and all the fixings, and everone makes their own sandwiches. It's very laid back, and everyone just spends the evening enjoying each others company instead of making food. It's definately doable for a large crowd, and no cooking for you!

I'm all for the stew or soup idea. That's easy in large quantities, and gets better if it's been in the fridge over night anyway. And if you buy the bread and make a large salad, you don't have to do much cooking beyond the soup. If there are any kids who are picky eaters, keep some of those individual bagel pizzas in the freezer. If they refuse the soup, they'll probably eat them and you won't have to cook them.

Also, Trader Joes is your friend.

The trick to a large dinner party, I have discovered, is to have everyone bring a food item until you have everything on the menu covered...

heehee....

Why don't you make a buffet of dishes that you can prepare in advance?
* a pasta salad with nuts, gruyere cheese cubes and diced roasted vegetables;
* skewers with herb frittata cubes, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves;
*spicy roasted chicken drumsticks
* a fennel gratin
*pots de creme for desert, and a chocolate cake as well...

just some ideas

I second J-fer Rose's chili suggestion, with either a yummy homemade cheddar cornbread, or the ubiquitous No-Knead Bread. Mmmm.

Well, you really can't go wrong with a spiral ham - you just heat that up. And maybe a roast beef or pork? If you got some great crusty rolls and good cheeses it could be a make your own delicious sandwich supper.

Coming from a big Italian family I guess I'm from the 'deli tray & antipasti platter makes any party good' school - oh and don't forget a couple of decks of playing cards.

I always like those super long sandwiches! I usually make a southwester butternut squash stew with hominy from the Greens cookbook. It's really good, and seems very gourmet without having to fuss too much.

How about chicken marbella? I made this for 9 people and had leftovers. And it's so delicious.
Serves 10-12. Easy to make.
4 chickens quartered (I use 2-1/2 and seems to be plenty)
1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 c. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. Red wine vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
1 c. pitted prunes
1/2 c. pitted green spanish olives
1/2 c. capers with juice
6 bay leaves
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white wine
1/4 c. chopped parsley

1. combine all but last three items. Marinate in fridge overnight. Try a
garbage bag if making a full recipe).
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Arrange chicken in shallow pan. Spoon marinade over it. Sprinkle
with
brown sugar and drizzle with wine.
4. Bake 60 minutes, basting occasionally.
5. Transfer to a platter with slotted spoon. Drizzle with a few
spoonfuls
of pan juices. Garnish with parsley. Pass remaining juice in a
sauceboat.

Enjoy!

Two lasagnas...one vegetarian with white sauce, one with meat sauce, tossed salad, fruit salad, crusty garlic toast.

Go for some Rick Bayless-inspired build-your-own tacos with a couple of different fillings. Good for groups with picky eaters...the meats can be prepared the night before and quickly reheated. Last-minute prep is limited to some chopping -- the guests do most of the assembly work themselves!

Make three kinds of fillings...I'd go with:
- shredded poached or roasted chicken simmered briefly with some mild tomatillo salsa right before serving (I make my own, but Arriba or another good brand is great)
- shredded slow-cooked spicy pork or beef (i.e., cochinita pibil or barbacoa)
- black beans and sauteed baby bella mushrooms/onions/garlic

Take care of vegetarians/vegans, meat eaters, and kids (they love the chicken) with your selections. Other possibilities are grilled or fried fish, fajita-style meats, and old-school Tex Mex ground beef. The ones above are the easiest for me, though.

Chop up tomatos, lettuce, raw onions, seeded jalapenos, maybe some avocado, and cilantro (required). Have sour cream, cheese (I'd go for a crumbly fresh mild skim cheese), and guacamole, plus maybe some salsas. Serve with small soft tortillas warmed up (people will want to try multiple fillings) -- consider both corn and flour.

The secret is ample variety, to suit all tastes. The tomatillo chicken is usually a huge hit in my house -- twenty people could easily take down two good-sized hens.

Zack from Texas