Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Looking for some ideas for a group of people (about 50). In the past, I've hosted about the same group but am tired of rotating through the same menu items..
-sausage and peppers
-meatballs-sweet/spicy
-Baked Ziti
-Hero

What are some Low maintenance/make ahead ideas that won't break my back entertaining.

I'm thinking about doing a Spanish style menu
-rice and beans
-empanadas (can I bake instead of fry these??)
-what else?

TIA!!

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

I like the idea of doing a Spanish style menu.

You could do make your own tacos:

-Chopped meat
-Lettuce
-Tomatoes
-Shredded cheese
-Sour cream
-Soft and hard shells

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

My mom just made a cold rice and bean salad yesterday that was delicious. I would do ground beef and some kind of shredded chicken too with tons of toppings. You can do an avocado, tomato, lime salsa as a yummy topping. Add some kind of green salad and you're pretty set. There are also so many easy appetizer possibilities so that would be great too.

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

For the Spanish idea, you could also do big trays of paella or arroz con pollo.

A Mexican fiesta theme with a taco bar is also fun!

You could also do something like pulled pork (people can make their own sandwiches) -- if not everyone eats pork, you can also do a turkey breast or two in advance and served sliced roasted turkey as another sandwich option. Then do easy, make ahead sides like Mac and cheese, salads, cornbread , etc. Another meat option is marinated London broil that you make ahead, slice thin, and serve at room temp.

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Yellow rice and pigeon beans (arroz con gandules)

Plain yellow rice and red beans. Or you can make black beans if you are going to do tacos/fajitas. We use rice and beans as a topping for our fajitas.

Chicken, steak fajitas

Flan

Meats:
Roast Pork (this takes long and needs to be seasoned overnight), shredded beef (ropa vieja), Pork Chops, chicken drumsticks, Chorizo, steak and onions, fried beef.

I make a dip layered with ground beef seasoned with a taco mix, cream cheese, beans, sour cream and topped with five cheese blend. Serve with tortilla chips.

If you use the taco or fajita seasoning mixes, try mixing it with beer or white whine instead of water. Adds so much flavor.

I would fry the empanadas, more flavor to me. I always put them on napkins to drain the oil.

Message edited 8/25/2014 7:04:50 PM.

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

I got this recipe from a friend and tweaked it a little:

Ingredients:
Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning pack (Optional, taco bell one is good)
Corona Beer or cooking wine (optional)
Sour Cream
Cream Cheese
Mexican Shredded Cheese Blend
Can of Black Beans (use the already seasoned one)
Onion
Green Pepper
Garlic
Adobo, sazon (puerto rican staple but this is optional to season meat)

Ground Beef: I sauteed onions, peppers, chopped garlic in a pot for a few minutes in olive oil. Then add ground beef and season with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, adobo and 1/2 packet of sazon. Not too much because the Taco Bell season has flavor and salt. Add Taco Seasoning mix to meat mixture. For the Seasoning mix, I replace water with beer per the packet instruction. Mix it in a bowl or measuring cup and then add to meat. Cook through. (You can also use White Cooking Wine instead of beer)

Black Beans - again I use the already seasoned Goya Black Beans (red label can). Alot of flavor is coming from the meat, so I dont season the beans and leave it as is. I heat it in a separate pot or you can microwave.

In a pan layer the components in the following order:
1. Ground Beef
2. Cream Cheese (just kind of spread pieces across the meat, it will melt so dont worry about it not spreading easily.)
3.Beans - I dont pour the beans over, I use a spoon to reduce the liquid.
4.Sour Cream
5.Then top with the Mexican Cheese Blend

Bake in over at 375 for about 15 minutes, depending on your oven. Its just to make sure the cheeses melt.

Serve with Tostitos Scoopables.

Obviously, you can tweak such as use real beans instead of can (but thats alot of work, LOL) or axe some ingredients. My friend who shared this, makes the dip without the beans and sour cream, this is something I added. You can also just season the meat and forgo the Taco Seasoning.

I know cream cheese isnt a popular product for cooking on this board but not to toot my own horn, i've always gotten compliments on the dip.

Message edited 8/26/2014 1:05:02 AM.

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

I just did this. I did empanadas (baked), nacho bar, taco bar, chicken fajitas, rice & beans and a Mexican chopped salad. It was all easy. I did most of it the night before. Everyone loved it

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical

Re: Menu for a large crowd-easy but not typical