Need to feed hungry movers--make ahead recipes?
I'm moving this weekend (tomorrow) and was hoping someone has a quick, never-fail, satisfying casserole recipe or some other type of recipe that I could throw together tonight and bake/reheat tomorrow. After moving all day, not to mention the endless unpacking/decorating, the last thing I'm going to want to do is work in the kitchen for an hour to feed my movers. Have I mentioned that these "movers" are my family members who request to be paid for their services in food? A brief flip through my cookbooks and google search hasn't left me inspired. Help SE-ers!!!
Thanks for all recipes and ideas!!
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13 Comments:
This is a rich and filling casserole I invented for feeding a group of hungry people. It’s also great to take to neighbors and friends who’ve had a death in the familiy or new baby or whatever. You’ll need to adjust amounts depending on how many people you’ll be feeding, but here are the basics:
Boneless chicken breasts or thighs
Frozen cheese stuffed ravioli
Fresh or frozen spinach
Onion/garlic to taste
Butter, milk and flour for white sauce
Season and sauté chicken pieces until done. Do not overcook them.
Make enough white sauce, seasoned with garlic and/or onions and plenty of salt and pepper to taste, to nicely coat the casserole contents. You’ll need several cups, depending.
If using fresh spinach, lightly sauté it until the liquid is mostly evaporated. If using frozen, thaw it and squeeze out excess water.
Cover bottom of casserole dish or lasagna pan with a layer of sauce. Place half the frozen ravioli upon the sauce. Layer on chicken and spinach. Add another layer of sauce. Layer on remaining ravioli and cover with sauce. Top with cheese if desired. Refrigerate, then bake covered with foil, until bubbly and heated through before serving.
I realize these directions are not very scientific as it depends on how much you are making but it is really not difficult and always gets great reviews. You may want a thinnish sauce as some will be absorbed by the pasta and you don’t want a dry casserole.
You can serve some salad and bread with this if you like.
robincat at 1:18PM on 07/09/08
Beer and pizza. Okay, I hate alcohol and pizza, so that idea sucks but is the choice of many.
Let's see...something simple that doesn't require too many utensils, cool and sating but not heavy after a sweaty, dusty, back-breaking move, and can be prepped ahead of time.
Sub sandwiches - whatever tickles your pickle - if they're the roasted eggplant with bocconcini types or salami, ham, and turkey kind of folks.
Calzone or any kind of item in a pocket. Not cool, but easy to eat.
I love fattoush with toasted pitas, but that's not for everyone. It's a salad with sliced lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, mint (whatever veggies you want really) mixed with olive oil and lemon juice - no meat - and eaten with toasted pita slices on the side used to scoop the salad. I hate when restaurants serve the pita chips on top of the salad. Ugh.
Don't forget some ice cold watermelon. If there's room, a large fruit salad.
Of course, having juice, iced tea, whatever cold fluids always available on a counter for ppl to grab and go would be nice. A shave ice machine would be awesome but unreasonable. :)
Cassaendra at 1:20PM on 07/09/08
I'll be making this in a little bit to bake after a baseball game this evening.
Johnny Marzetti, I use all ground beef insread of 1 lb. sausage, carrots instead of green pepper, and fresh mushrooms. Pretty quick and easy to put together and bakes up well, serves 10. Great with some garlic bread, and tonight will add tomato cucumber salad.
http://www.suntimes.com/recipes/pasta/47725,johnnymarzetti.recipe
Good Luck with the move! I'd also vote for pizza and beer, always worked for the people moving me if I had no kitchen stuff unpacked!
bobcatsteph3 at 1:47PM on 07/09/08
robincat that sounds wonderful! I'm going to try it this weekend, i need to feed 20 people thanks!
huneybumper at 1:49PM on 07/09/08
I'm with Cassaendra - I immediately thought of sub sandwiches as well, along with some cold watermelon and fruit. It's the easiest meal under the circumstances, since it doesn't involve any cooking at all, which may be a good thing in this case.
We moved on the New Year's eve last year, so it's still fresh in my memory:-) I was lucky to be able to set up the kitchen before the official move, so I managed to cook a New Year's "feast" while unpacking (which consisted of onion soup and turkey bacon wrapped breadsticks per my Other Half's request:-)), but really, bearing in mind the "endless unpacking/decoration" part, go for something that is easy and doesn't require much of your attention (like sub sandwiches:-)), and invite your movers for a good dinner a week later.
brooke29 at 2:15PM on 07/09/08
You can try these... I love them because they're one or two-pot dinners...
- How about a pasta dish where you won't need to boil the pasta ahead - here's the plain version and here's the version with Spinach and Tomatoes
- Any lasagna - I particularly like lasagnas in white sauce , because they seem much more exotic and fancy than the regular kind
- Any Mac & Cheese - With pumpkins or butternut squash, in a pink sauce, in a florentine style
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Spinach and Asparragus Casserole made with rice
- Potato and Fried Eggplant Pastelon - or any pastelon for that matter, I love doing them filled with sweet peas, hummus , or any other vegetables, mix the potato with sweet potato or using IQF sweet plantains for the top and bottom make the filling with green beans and other veggies and binding the whole thing with a bechamel sauce.
Any of these with a bagged salad and a nice dressing on the side - and dinner is served!!!!
Other alternatives that are not casserole-type:
- Salade Nicoise - this might seem time consuming, but everything can be prepared the night before and eaten at room temperature.
- I am a big sandwich fan... I know some people do not find them too filling... but if you buy nice sized baggettes and prepare a few fixings tonight - like fried or grilled eggplants/zuchinni, roasted peppers, etc. and have like a panini/sandwich bar where you put our various fixings (lettuces, tomatoes, onions, mayos, mustards, dressings, etc) and people can create their own sandwich.
Good Luck with your move and afterward dinner plans
MadelynRodriguez at 2:23PM on 07/09/08
How about any of these 1 or 2 pot meals:
Any pasta that you won't need to boil the pasta ahead - here are a plain and w/ veggies versions
Any Mac and Cheese combo
Eggplant Parmesan
A rice casserole with Spinach and Asparragus
Lasagnas
These with a bagged salad with a nice bottled dressing on the side and you have dinner!!!
I also like the sandwich/panini bar idea. I know some people do not find sandwiches very filling, but if you can prepare fried eggplants or grilled zuchinni, onions peppers - stuff that can be eaten room temp mixed with lettuces, tomatoes and condiments... that to me, is a complete dinner for when you're tired. And possibly even less clean up.
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 2:45PM on 07/09/08
I'm with Brooke...You're moving and you are going to cook? I don't think that's should you should be worrying about on moving day. Why not order subs and drinks, maybe have some alcohol...Or you could order some food from a fav local restaurant (if you are familiar with the area) and pick up some food. Tell your moving party you will repay them with good eats once your kitchen is up and running. Make things easy for yourself that day-you don't need to make things harder on moving day.
Congrats on the move!!
Butrflygirly at 3:35PM on 07/09/08
I am with Brooke and Butrflygirly on this one.
izatryt at 4:46PM on 07/09/08
What about a crock pot recipe? Maybe something like pulled pork for sandwiches that your movers could come and eat as needed.
Also whenever I am asked to make anything for anyone, anywhere, I tend to fix pasta salad. Makes a lot, if it's not a mayo- or sour cream-based dressing it can sit out for a while, and leftovers are always welcome (though I don't usually get any).
A big cooler with soda/beer and a couple bags of ice.
Popsicles.
akk328 at 4:56PM on 07/09/08
Thanks guys!! All of your ideas are great! Just signed my lease, picked up the keys and now the "fun" part can begin!!
nichole at 5:00PM on 07/09/08
I've moved a LOT with family helpers. Folks always appreciated bagels (with accompanying trimmings) and juice for breakfast, and asked for pizza and/or sub sandwiches later. No one expected or asked me to cook.
I know this comes late, but I hope the move was a seamless one.
hereandthe at 5:02PM on 07/09/08
I'm "coloring outside of the lines" here, but instead of a make-ahead casserole, perhaps you could just buy some hot dogs and/or burgers and grill them? You could also grill some corn and serve some kind of salad to round out the meal.
This way, wouldn't have to mess up your kitchen at all. Seems less labor intensive for a tired person.
Of course, this suggestion assumes that you haven't packed up your grill yet . . . .
Susquehanna at 6:12PM on 07/09/08