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I'd go with some sort of cassarole - not messy, easy to transport, easily reheated (or heated in the first place - you can assemble and they can bake it). For sides you could do an undressed salad and have them dress it there!

Pasta, like a baked rigatoni-sauce type dish. Or a chicken and rice thing. There's a lot of difference between 10 and 15 people, especially teenagers with their appetites and food quirks. I did my daughter's prom dinner, but it was only for four, and Her Majesty was quite specific about what she wanted.

Salad can get tricky; I might thinik about carrots/celery/radishes with a ranch dip. Dessert ought to be fairly easy; Cake in a 9 x 13 pan, cookies, or, if you feel energetic, cupcakes.

You can get more exotic, but considering that it's a bunch of excited adolescents, I think quantity and simplicity ought to be the key notes.

I hear the teenagers all like penne ala vodka.

Yeah, I figured pasta is probably a best bet. I'm not used to cooking for guys either, so pasta is probably easiest to stretch the budget.
Thanks everyone!

I always turn to Italian food when I want to make something simple and delicious but not too expensive. You could do a nice pasta sauce in a crockpot or on the stove and cook pasta in the hotel room. Maybe something like a mushroom, tomato, and white wine ragout, and then some pounded, breaded, and baked chicken breasts for anyone who eats meat.

You could very easily doctor some frozen breadstick dough by brushing it with olive oil and sprinkling with garlic and parmesan, and you can make a nice salad with mixed greens and a simple vinaigrette.

For dessert, make a tiramisu cake with two rectangular layers of white cake soaked with espresso (or reconstituted espresso powder) and a not-too-sweet cream cheese filling and topping.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide to do!

i don't know if you have done it already, but i made the cook's illustrated manicotti last weekend, and they were a revelation. instead of filling those slippery tubes of pasta, you soak no-boil lasagna noodles for a few minutes to soften them, then roll up the filling in those. i am not a fan of lasagna, but have made it when i needed something for a crowd. no more, manicotti all the way for me.

I totally support the lasagne/manicotti idea. It's very teenager friendly but not nursery food, and it feels special. If you have to do pasta because of the budget, then baked is absolutely the way to go. I seriously doubt the guests will feel like taking out the pots and pans to boil water or reheat sauce. I also think PerkyMac's idea for a veggie option is great, because you never know who might be vegetarian out of a dozen high schoolers. Caesar salad is always popular, and it's easy to get the lettuce, cheese, and croutons in one container and the dressing in another for a quick toss on the night.

It's kind of corny, but chocolate covered strawberries would be a great finishing touch, if there's room in your budget (I can find strawberries quite cheaply around here). Otherwise I'd go with the most decadent chocolate cookies you can do.

Maybe not the most earth-shattering choices, but unless the kids are foodies themselves, I wouldn't push any boundaries, and I never met a teenager (and don't remember any from my teen years) that didn't love lasagne.

No! Tomato sauce + girls in expensive dresses and guys with white cumberbuns. No! Teenage girls who have been starving themselves for weeks to fit into said dresses No!

For an after-prom party, I think a cold 'picnic' style spread would be romantic--some roast chickens (chicken should be cheap), baguettes, cheeses, salamis (for the guys), hummus, and other simple appetizers. Marinated vegetables, potato salad. Perhaps a more elaborate cake, since that is easy to transport.

See, the key to prom is that you have a nice, elegant dinner beforehand, then go dancing, then get absolutely blitzed (if that's your scene) or otherwise spend the wee hours of the night in hilarious high-jinks.

I'm glad I'm not the only pasta-loather. I hate pasta, particularly baked things (insert obligatory high school baked joke here).

But it doesn't need to be 'kid food,' either, that's why I like the cold spread--chicken, salami, bread, olives (and I still say cake is always welcome)--it's classy without being pretentious and good finger food for picking. Cookies, chocolates, fruit, would be fine too.

What I ate at my junior prom (I was not *sniff* asked to the senior prom):

We had ice cream sundaes made at home afterwards--that's an idea!

Pancakes for breakfast.

A waffle (frozen before?) bar with ice cream, toppings, fruit, ect. might be nice, and cold fried or roast chicken for the people who want protien. Or nice chicken wings :p

One popular dessert thing I sometimes see is a 'candy bar' of different kinds of candy, to be used as toppings on cupcakes, ice cream, waffles, etc.

We got crepes after my senior prom, but I'm having trouble remembering my junior prom......I think it involved Jack Daniels.

Honestly I don't think it's fair to label lasagne "kid food," and if they're renting a hotel room that means they're gonna be drinking, and not wine-tasting drinking, case of Keystone Light drinking. If this is the case, they're going to want a big, hearty meal, especially if there's boys involved. Then again, I don't know your sister or her friends, I'm just judging this on having been a teenager 3 short years ago, and knowing that 95% of teenagers would appreciate something simple, classic, and filling. Hey - if I was still the size I was in high school, I'd eat mac and cheese and french fries almost every day - no shame in that!

I talked to the 'kids' tonight to finalize plans, so I can start shopping and cooking tomorrow. They have a fancy dinner tomorrow night before prom, and an expensive brunch the morning after in the hotel, so this dinner is basically a relaxed, fun meal in their suite. We decided on a couple of pans of macaroni and cheese, garlic bread, salad, and tiramisu. I hope all goes well!