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Need Help x3 - re: FOOD

I've got 3 food events coming up and I'm looking for brainstorming help and opinions.
#1 10/23 - going away food day for a coworker
#2 10/29 - Crocktoberfest
#3 11/8 - hosting a baby shower

#1 - Tomorrow is a coworkers last day.  She doesn't eat grains and prefers healthy stuff.  I need to find something quick and easy.  I'd prefer something that can be kept at room temp or refrigerated.  But crockpot recipes that can cook in 2 hours or less are fine as well.

#2 - Crocktoberfest is something work throws every October.
The categories are:
           Overall favorite
           Best Appetizer
           Best Entree
           Best 3 Ingredients or less (not including spices)

Last year I did my crockpot pulled pork with my Jack Daniels BBQ sauce.  I prepared it the day before and then brought it in and rewarmed it in the crockpot.
I have 3 sized crockpots - 2 qt, 4 qt, 7 qt.

#3 - Hosting a baby shower
SIL is having her first baby and I want to make sure everyone is well fed.
This is what I have planned so far - I'm open to thinning and/or suggestions to add.

Food:
Assorted sub tray
Chips
Veggie tray with at least one dip (french onion/dill/ranch)
Fruit tray with at least one dip (coconut dip/yogurt)
Cheese and cracker tray
Chicken wing dip
Nacho dip
Beer bread
Cupcakes - White, Strawberry, Chocolate, Pumpkin
Cookies - Chocolate chip, Pumpkin
Cookie dough bites
Mini caramel apples
Pumpkin roll
Apple crisp

Drinks:
Hot & cold apple cider
Water
Coffee
Tea
Soda
Hot cocoa

I'd like to have more hot stuff that can be put in the crockpot, but I'm coming up short on ideas.

TIA!
Anniversary

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Re: Need Help x3 - re: FOOD

  • For work, I'd do hummus and veggies. Easy and a crowd pleaser.

    For the baby shower, make sure SIL doesn't have any food aversions and see if she's avoiding anything for the baby. For example, lots of expectant moms are told not to eat cold cuts, and I know lots that got sick at the thought of chicken. You'll want to make sure she can get enough to eat! I'd probably cut one dip and one dessert in favor of another entree type dish. Maybe turkey meatballs in the crock pot? Or a pasta dish?

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  • Yay! I love menu planning. 

    1) I like Lolo's suggestion. Or maybe since it's fall you could do sliced apples with the greek yogurt/pb dip that's all over Pinterest. 

    2) I love the pork tenderloin with sliced apples in the crock pot (also via Pinterest). 

    3) Yay baby! What time is the shower? I think you have too many dips and sweets. I think more variety would be nice. I think a soup or chili in the crock pot along with meatballs would be delicious. I'm also a huge fan of puff pastry bites (basically fill them with anything... caprese, spinach & feta, ham & cheese) and are tasty at room temp. I would cut the pumpkin roll & apple crisp. 
  • esstee33esstee33 member
    Ninth Anniversary 1000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited October 2014
    For Crocktoberfest, I'd do salsa chicken - 2 ingredients! - with some tortillas to dip in it.

    Since you can do 3 ingredients, add corn or black beans.  
  • lolo883RebeccaFlower 
    Meatballs are always good. I got frozen mini quiches for a party once-- all you do is stick them in the oven-- and everybody LOVED them and wanted the recipe. Lol. Recipe: go to the store, buy the box, go home. 

    For the crockpot thing, I'm a fan of making chicken pot pie filling, (super easy!) putting it in the crock pot to warm it up, and then bringing store-bought biscuits instead of having pie crust. 
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  • 1.) Mediterranean mezze always goes down well at parties: Hummus, tsatziki, tarmeselata with pitta bread and veg

    2.) I made a buffalo chicken chili in a slow cooker and it was a huge hit (and very simple)! All it requires is onions, shredded chicken, Frank's hot sauce, cream cheese, and cannelloni beans. Serve it with crumbled blue cheese and a celery stick.

    3.) Sounds really good! But that is a lot of food/ work. How many people will be there. I think you could easily cut 3-5 of those and still have a fantastic spread. If you want things that can go in a crock pot, cocktail meatballs are really good and filling, and don't need a knife and fork to eat.

    It all sounds really good!
  • Great ideas!
    I didn't realize that sometimes moms are told to stay away from cold cuts. Thanks for that @lolo883.
    And I don't think they'd let me bring a blow torch lol.

    I like all of these ideas. Now which to choose?!
    Anniversary

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  • 1. I concur with hummus. 

    2. Buffalo chicken dip. I follow the Frank's Red Hot Recipe. People go nuts for it. 

    3. Soup or chilli? Pulled Pork? 
  • Great ideas! I didn't realize that sometimes moms are told to stay away from cold cuts. Thanks for that @lolo883. And I don't think they'd let me bring a blow torch lol. I like all of these ideas. Now which to choose?!
    Yeah processed meats like that (including hot dogs) can carry listeria - it's very rare for an adult to be infected, but can be very dangerous to an unborn baby. They're also high in nitrates, which aren't good for you. 

    Other things potentially off-limits - soft cheeses unless they're labeled as pasteurized, processed cheese (nacho cheese), raw sprouts, Caesar dressing (can contain raw eggs), tuna and other various types of seafood. 

    Lots of expectant moms eat all these things, some are much more vigilant and won't touch them even if they're cooked/pasteurized just in case. It's just easier to ask her! :)

    Note: the deli meats are safe if they've been heated above 165 to kill any bacteria. I made these ham and swiss sliders for my sister's baby shower and everyone loved them. I kept them warm in an electric roaster. I chopped the ham and shredded the cheese rather than using slices so the whole thing stuck together better.


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  • #1 - Tortilla roll-ups (look them up on-line, super easy to make) - I love them with broccoli, tomatoes, green pepper, and carrot. Every time I take them somewhere they are gone within an hour and people ask for the recipe so much that I usually bring a few copies when I bring them places.

    #2- Spinach Artichoke Dip

    #3 -Holy craziness batman...I didn't know cold cuts aren't good for pregnant people!?!
  • My go to crock pot dishes for parties are Spinach Artichoke Dip and Buffalo Chicken Dip. DH always does BBQ meatballs and pulled pork. It goes over well anytime we have people over.
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  • Just found out she's paleo.
    That rules hummus out. >.<
    Anniversary

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  • I make a hot dip that's super easy and everyone LOVES. 

    I brown two tube thingys of spicy breakfast sausage in a pan, drain the fat, add two bricks of cream cheese and a can of spicy Rotel. Stir. Slap in a crock pot. 

    Bam.


    Dip. 
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  • Just found out she's paleo. That rules hummus out. >.<
    Oh Jesus.

    Well, you can make "hummus" out of lots of things, not necessarily just beans. This one is made from pureed artichokes. http://myheartbeets.com/artichoke-hummus/  Or zucchini http://www.paleocupboard.com/zucchini-hummus.html  Or pumpkin http://www.savorylotus.com/paleo-roasted-garlic-pumpkin-hummus-beans/

    Otherwise you could do guacamole with bell peppers to dip. 

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  • edited October 2014
    @lolo883 thank you for dinner tonight. 

    I got nothing for the baby shower, and second @shessocold because her dip sound fantastic too. 

    I always like things that involve pepperoni and cheese. A thing I am going to try tomorrow night nope I lied doing this tonight now: 
    Muffin tin (because we need one anyway)
    Canned pizza dough / crescent rolls
    Pizza sauce
    Mozzarella
    Pepperoni

    Grease muffin tins. Line with canned dough. Stick muffin tins in oven at temp on canned dough instructions - cooking for 1/2 time. Take out of oven. Layer sauce, cheese, pepperoni x3. Stick in oven for remaining time.

    Eat. 

    I'll let you know how they turn out. 
    Daisypath Wedding tickers
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  • Ooh I like to make this super easy cheese dip that just needs to be refrigerated: 
    One 8oz container of regular cream cheese 
    One 8oz container of chive cream cheese 
    1 bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 

    Let cream cheese get to room temperature and then put them in a big mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, blend in shredded cheese, some paprika, and a little bit of cayenne pepper. Then scoop it out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up, and roll it around till it forms a ball. I do this for Halloween, use a butter knife to draw lines down the sides, and then stick a celery stick in the top so it looks like a little pumpkin. 

    It's good with Ritz crackers. You can also get experimental and add stuff like bacon bits! 
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  • Just found out she's paleo. That rules hummus out. >.<
    Oh Jesus.

    Well, you can make "hummus" out of lots of things, not necessarily just beans. This one is made from pureed artichokes. http://myheartbeets.com/artichoke-hummus/  Or zucchini http://www.paleocupboard.com/zucchini-hummus.html  Or pumpkin http://www.savorylotus.com/paleo-roasted-garlic-pumpkin-hummus-beans/

    Otherwise you could do guacamole with bell peppers to dip. 
    This made me LOL outloud and I got a few funny looks.
    I did end up getting hummus because there are other people that will be eating too.
    I looked at the list of things people were bringing and there's a decent variety so I don't feel as guilty.
    Anniversary

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  • PPs have given you great advice! I would add a garden salad to the baby shower.
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