Other than Sloppy Joes...

I have a Quesadilla maker and for my sons birthday we made taco bar, set up the quesadilla maker and provided more salad fixing so that others could make taco salad which was a huge hit. I actually was thinking of doing it again this year as so many people have asked me to do it again. Make it the theme, a fiesta! Nacho dip, salsa, I have a great recipe for a chocolate tortilla dip, you could even have fried ice cream for desert with Mexican hat cup cakes! Just have fun don't stress about it or you will never enjoy the party!
from L.

for a bit more fancy, but super easy to make a ton ahead of time - go for Indian food! My favorite is Chana Masala. Chana is Hindi for "chickpea".

You can buy packages of the spice mix for Chana Masala at kitchen stores & probably large or specialty groceries too. I bought a really nummy one from "Kitchen Window" in Calhoun Square Uptown.

It has 4 recipes inside, and I always add potatoes and carrots to the recipe for Chana to make it more diverse, since I usu. make 6-8 servings at once, and eat over the course of a week.

Since this is for a party, you could make the recipes just for spiced potatoes on the side, and have Indian flatbread to go with it. And for sides, you could make (or buy) a nummy rice or tapioca pudding, and have orange slices out.

And for meat-eaters, you could have some Indian-style chicken wings on the side, if you want.

Very healthy, tasty, and I'm sure your in-laws would be impressed! Have fun! Happy Birthday Charlie!

I just threw a huge party for my parents and I did one Steam table with sliced baked ham (let it simmer in pineapple juice and threw in pineapples and cherries for color) and another one with shredded turkey. What I did is make everything the weekend before and froze it in doubled ziplock bags (not the pineapples/cherries). I took it out of the freezer the night before and put the steamers on low. I used packet gravey for the turkey. It was great! Had rolls there for those that wanted to make sandwiches and also lettuce, tomotoes and whatever else. It was a success. Good luck. If you have any questions, feel free to email me direct M-F at ____@____.com

well...I don't know if you have time in advance to prepare, but if so, you could do luncheon style...it's pretty easy & cheap but gives a fancy feel if you do it right! suggestions: shrimp cocktail (with an herb and flower ice bowl), finger sandwiches, fresh fruit salad, olive & pickle k-bobs, fresh herbs & spring mix salad...I could go on and on...I also have a fabulous recipe for a balsamic vinaigrette that I would be glad to give to you...shoot me a message if you want. (totally Bree VanDekamp, I know!! lol :) but ohhhh so fun!)
good luck dear!

K.

If you were thinking maybe tacos...go fajitas! I maranade the steak or chicken with some sliced onion and red pepper in taco seasoning, some oil, and a little BBQ sauce. You can grill, then cut or slice then sautee the meat. I usually sautee the red pepper and onion until a bit aldante (not sure how to spell that). Then serve up on warm tortillas with all the fixings--a real hit at my house!
Good luck and Happy Birthday to your son!
M.

Hi J.. Have you ever looked at kraftfoods.com? It is a fantastic website with recipes from real basic to quite fancy. I use it all the time. You can also sign up to receive their weekly e-mails as well as their season magazine - all for free. Good Luck. B..

If you want an awesome and easy salsa recipe that is good for you too, try this:
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of shoepeg corn
2 bunches of green onions (Cut up greens and all)
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes with chilies (or one with and one without, depending on your taste buds)
1 green pepper
2 roma tomatoes
1/3 bottle of Italian dressing
Cut all up in bite size pieces and refrigerate! YUMMY! Should last in your fridge for about five days! It is very addicting so if you have any left over it will be a miracle!

My suggestion is Middle Eastern or Greek food such as hummus and pitas, falafel, baba ghanoush, tabouli, spinach pies. I think they are perfect foods for lunch, exotic, but not over the top or messy. My mouth is watering already. Try a place like Holy Land Deli in NE Mpls if you don't want to make it yourself. My husband and I find these foods generally pretty easy to prepare on our own. Let us all know what you make and maybe I can use your idea for my son's birthday in May!

If you want to go real easy but not to fancy you can always do a chili soup bar. Have different soups and some chili and the fixings. I've done this and it was a hit. Plus the soups and chili can be frozen.

A easy crockpot dish is bbq chicken sandwiches. It is just chicken breasts, a bottle of bbq sauce (I prefer KC Masterpiece original flavor) on high for 8 hours --maybe less depending on how many breasts you use. It just shreads when it is done. Serve on buns with cheese.
Kinda like sloppy joes, but way better (and I dont like bbq stuff)

Happy Birthday to your son!

When I want dressed up easy I have two sandwiches I love to serve; Both get served on a bakery crusty roll. One is a tenderloin sandwich I serve with mayo and dijon mustard (pretty basic - generally do on the grill or broiled in the oven)(I put out condiments on the side so everyone can do as they please -- mayo, dijon, mustard, catsup, etc.)

The second is a lemon-herb chicken breast sandwich -- I just buy the meat already seasoned but I know there are lemon herb marinades and plenty of recipes on line -- the chicken is cooked on the grill or in a pan and I throw a slice of brie cheese on (It melts on it's own.) With some fresh fruit and tortilla chips and fresh salsa it's yummy fare; but the recipes are so easy we've done them at tailgates.

Maybe make a nacho bar. Have chips, a dip you make (I usually use fat free refried beans, salsa, block cheese, and meat that is browned before hand), shredded lettuce, cut tomatoes, and anything else you want to add. It's different and fun, and your guests could choose what to put on their nachos.