Need Easy Side Dishes That Feed a Lot of People

Updated on December 15, 2017
S.L. asks from Arvada, CO
8 answers

Main dish is ham - there is also chicken salad with croissants, mac n cheese, salad and appetizers and cake for dessert. This is a large (30-35 people) party buffet style. Any easy ideas?

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E.B.

answers from Honolulu on

You can bake sweet potatoes, then slice them in half. Serve them hot with lots of topping options. Topping ideas might include: toasted pecans; mini marshmallows; honey; butter; something spicy like cooked chorizo or smoked jalapenos; chopped cooked bacon.

The potatoes can be baked ahead of time, cut in half, then reheated quickly before serving. The toppings can be prepared ahead of time too.

Another option might be to roast small new potatoes and serve them whole, with a little drizzle of butter and a sprinkling of some chives, in a large bowl.

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

D.B.

answers from Boston on

The only things you seem light on are veggies or fruit - but I don't know what you have for the appetizers.

If you want something hot, oven roasted veggies are really easy: scrub but don't peel some Idaho or red potatoes, cut in wedges or large chunks. (Chunks are more manageable for a buffet if people are standing or balancing plates on laps.) Rough cut some broccoli (or just florets), cauliflower florets, maybe some carrots or parsnips (whatever you want), and some butternut squash (buy it already peeled and then either you or the store can cut it in chunks). Peel and cut in wedges a couple of large onions and maybe a fennel bulb or two (save the feathery tops for for garnish). Just choose a few things of different colors and it looks great. You can put everything in a casserole or on a cookie sheet and toss with oil of choice (I use olive but canola is fine) and some salt/pepper and herbs of choice. Bake in oven about 25 minutes. You can do these in a large foil pan and just stir once during the cooking. You can do them a little while before and keep them warm in a crock pot or two, or use those foil pans in a chafing dish over a can of sterno.

Otherwise, do a fruit salad or just a platter with different cut up fruits in sections. There are holiday designs or you can do a fruit kabob "porcupine" (Google it) but these are labor intensive and you may not have time. You can also buy cut-up fruit from the supermarket and save yourself the time.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

You have lots of food already on the table.
I don't think you need anything else.

2 moms found this helpful

W.W.

answers from Washington DC on

swedish meatballs in a crock pot
bbq meat balls in a crock pot
rice with a veggie mixed in

apps....that are filling...

spinach and artichoke dip with chips.
cheese and fruit platter
cheese and cracker platter

2 moms found this helpful
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G.♣.

answers from Springfield on

Bread. Rolls. Soup in a crockpot.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Scalloped potatoes, keep warm in a crock pot.

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

Large fruit salad, Large green salad, Green beans sauteed in a little butter and olive oil with a sprinkling of sliced toasted almonds on top. Or some other vegetable dish. Some people like to do baked beans as an easy side.

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M.6.

answers from New York on

Lil smokies and meatballs in a crockpot (google that plus grape jelly for my husband's "secret" recipe). Vegie/dip tray (buy at Sam's club for cost savings and convenience). Meat/cheese tray (ditto Sam's). I make garlic mashed potatoes in the crockpot so I can do it in the morning and get it out of the way - one of my most requested items! Green bean casserole - easy to double, triple, whatever (use large disposable cake pan for easy clean up). Fruit bowl/diced fruit (ditto Sam's).

Good luck!

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