Q: I'm having a housewarming party in late October and would love some suggestions on a few "main dish" items that go with a Fall theme. I'm already planning to do some homemade hot spiced cider, caramel apples and doughnuts from a local cider mill for sweet items, and some roasted pumpkin seeds for snacking.
I should mention I am a vegetarian, but all suggestions don't need to be meat free, as I am definitely in the minority! I'm expecting anywhere from 20 to 30 guests, so something easily adaptable for a larger crowd would be appreciated.
Sent by Laura
Editor: Laura, we love this sort of question! Your menu sounds fabulous so far. Caramel apples, doughnuts, and cider are all fall classics. In keeping with that classic autumn flavor, here are a few suggestions.
• White beans with caramelized onions — This is a fabulous vegetarian dish (leave the bacon out of the onions) and it's different and utterly delicious. Also, it's easily scaled for a crowd.
• Bratwursts with sauerkraut — Taking inspiration from the Martha Stewart menu pictured above, we really like this option for non-vegetarian guests. You can grill or broil high-quality brats or sausages from your favorite butcher, and they're easy for guests to eat while balancing a plate in the other hand.
Readers? More October main dish ideas for Laura?
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A good butternut squash soup would be really nice at the end of October
I highly recommend Lidia Bastianich's garlicky white bean soup. You could make it a day or so ahead (or even a few weeks & keep it frozen) and then serve it from a crock pot to keep it warm. It's a vegan soup as is (I always add julienned strips of zucchini) and then your guests could garnish with drizzles of good olive oil, parmegiano reggiano shavings & bacon chips. Serve in tea cups. The recipe makes plenty for 8-10 hungry eaters as a main course. In tea cups it would easily serve a nice portion for 20-30. The recipe also doubles, but you will need to use the largest (11qt) Le Creuset or like pot to cook it in. Have a fun party!
I second the squash soup. A good chili or braise would be lovely and fall based.
Domino Mag (oh how I miss Domino...) had a great Fall Grilled Cheese party article a few years ago and we've been throwing one every year since! It's really easy and who doesn't love grilled cheese?
From Domino:
Pumpernickle, Cheddar, Mango Chutney
Farmhouse white bread, Smoked Mozz, Basil, Prosciutto (I make a few non-porky sammys for my veggie fiance)
Baguette, Brie, Granny Smith Apples
Whole Wheat, Blue Cheese, Walnut, Honey
Serve with hard ciders and a big serve yourself pot of tomato soup!
I would say:
-make the white beans into a bean dip (rosemary, olives, lemon zest and juice, olive oil)
-sweet potato fries (just roasted) with an aioli or Hellmans dressed up with something spicy on the side, or some of those harvest chips
-beet tzatziki
-cheese grits bar: big pot or casserole of cheese grits (super easy and cheap to make) guests can top their grits (in martini glasses, or cups, or bowls--whatever you have around) with green onion, crumbled bacon, tofu or shrimp with a spicy BBQ sauce, diced tomatoes, etc.
And if you end up doing an entree instead of appetizer or mezze spread, do a side of roasted turnips, sweet potatoes, beets, potatoes, and onions: cheap and easy to do in quantity!
If you wanted more of a finger food, skewer slices of sausage with roasted red peppers.
A nice cheese platter with apples - a bowl of assorted apples would be a lovely decoration and mitigate the brown factor - or figs.
A roasted pork tenderloin (with apples and rosemary) slices be served at room temperature, maybe with crostini.
Apple crisp for dessert.
We host a bbq in november each year ("novem-b-q"), and I always make a big pot of chilli - it can sit on the stove on a very very low heat (or in a crockpot) and stay warm all night.
I also like a warm dip in a fondue pot to snack on all night: 1 package of hot sausage, cooked and crumbled, mixed with two packages of cream cheese (melted in) and a can of diced tomatoes with chilis. Yum. Serve it with those big fritos chips.
A cheese plate with figs and nuts (or pumpkin seeds you mentioned) is always a good place to start!
For a housewarming, I would recommend foods that can be eaten by hand. Soups are good, but anything that requires a fork/spoon and bowl can be cumbersome for such a large crowd. Lots of tasty little bites are best, in my opinion.
Small sandwiches are always a hit, and you could probably adapt some of the ideas you have gotten to fit between bread. Manchego with figs, arugula, and white bean puree on a crusty roll is amazing.
Some things I love for fall parties are mini spanakopita, apple sausages on small rolls, different olives, bean dips with root or pita chips, pumpkin mini muffins, and a cheese plate with seasonal assortments... perhaps a baked brie with cranberries.
Hope this helps!
What about Emeril's vegetarian chili (go to food network and search for it)? My sis makes it and it's stunningly good. I don't even LIKE chili normally. And neither of us is a vegetarian but we totally don't miss the meat.
Another option is a braise/stew that you could make in the oven. My fav is Flemish stew, which is essentially beef, onions, beer and a little bit of honey and thyme. It smells unbelievably good, tastes just as delicious and it's dead easy. If you want the recipe, I'd be happy to send it to you or post it.
For our housewarming party, we had a chili bar. We just made a huge batch of chili and had every conceivable topping, etc. Saltines, corn bread, corn chips, chopped onions, cheese, hot sauces, and a few other things I'm probably forgetting. Not particularly swanky, but the whole point of our party was to show off our gross, pre-renovation house in all its 70s glory.
Roast beets (chiogga, golden, and red if available) and sweet potatoes in their skins.
While they're roasting, take a couple of logs of goat cheese, form into aggie-sized balls, and dust some with ground pink peppercorns and some with herbs de provence.
When the root veggies are done, peel and use a melon baller to scoop them into little bite-sized balls.
Just before your guests arrive, toss everything together and sprinkle some fresh parsley and thyme on top.
Everybody loves bacon, so here are a few small bites suggestions - bacon-wrapped dates or figs or bacon candy (halve or third thick-cut strips, place on silpat, cover in brown sugar, broil or bake @ 350 F - soooo good!).
Pasta is an easy way to feed a crowd and those giant aluminum baking containers can be had for cheap at a grocery store. Something compact like penne with a white sauce and some autumnal veggies (onions, leeks, various squashes, cabbage, etc.) go well together, especially when you add roast chicken and a little cheese.
Pear slices roasted with a little gruyere, swiss, or goat cheese on top would be lovely with spiced pecans (sweet or hot).
A little more down-home option is chili cheese dip - a package of cream cheese, a can of chili, and shredded cheese to top divided between 2 pie plates or all in a 9x13" glass baking dish and broiled is amazing with Fritos.
Spiral cut ham can be baked and sliced off and served warm, cold, or at room temp.
Hot spinach-artichoke dip with pita chips or chunks of rustic bread is also amazing.
Now you're making ME want to throw an autumn party! : D Anywho, good luck and have fun!
Is it a sit-down dinner for that many people? You're much braver than I.
It sounds like you've got a great handle on things, but remember that if you're doing something adventurous with the main dish, you can always keep it really simple with the appetizers: a dish of olives, a cheese platter, and some crackers go a long way.