Easy, cheap, pasta dish for 50.

[jen0610]

Any suggestions.

We are having a carry in on the 18th. We have been assigned to bring in a side pasta dish for at least 50 people.

The main meat dish, is still a mystery. And it has to be easy, as the amout of time to fix the dish is 1 hour, from start to finish.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

For starters, use elbow macaroni. It goes with everything from red sauce to cheese sauce and holds up well mixed.

Do you want mac and cheese or are you looking for the easy red sauce in a jar?

 

[Minnie824]

can you just make a couple dishes of baked spaghetti? You can actually just prepare it ahead of time and cook it when you need it. Jarred sauce, noodles, cheese...nothing easier than that.

 

[Help Please!]

My mom does a really simple chicken and broccoli pasta dish. It's basically ziti (or any pasta), grilled chicken (cubed or in strips), steamed broccoli cut into smallish pieces, garlic, olive oil or butter, salt and pepper, topped with parm. cheese. I don't have an exact recipe, but there are so few ingredients that I would think it would be quite easy. It is pretty basic as well, so theoretically it could go with any main dish (you could cut the chicken out).

Also, how about an easy pasta salad or mac and cheese?

Now that I'm thinking of it, we had an awesome tortellini salad for dinner last night...here's the recipe (as good as I can remember it!)...I think it's actually called "Texas Tortellini Salad":

1-2 lbs. of tortellini, cooked and cooled in fridge
add:
1 cup diced green pepper
1 cup diced onion
2 cups diced tomatoes
mix with dressing:
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup (we use 1/2) white wine vinegar
1 tsp. chili pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Let marinate in the fridge for a few hours if you like a stronger flavor. Serve over shredded lettuce, top with picante sauce or salsa and shredded cheese (we use cheddar).

I liked this recipe, my husband is a band director and during band camp they had a parent volunteer to make dinner for the staff, and they LOVED it! They ate it without serving it over lettuce, which we did for a few months, but it was quite strong to me. So last night we tried it over lettuce (which dilutes the flavor a bit, I think) and it was perfect! Give it a try, it's great!

 

[jen0610]

For starters, use elbow macaroni. It goes with everything from red sauce to cheese sauce and holds up well mixed.

Do you want mac and cheese or are you looking for the easy red sauce in a jar?

As long as it's easy and cheap, I am open to any suggestion. It just chaps my rear, that the dinner is in one week and NO ONE on the committee can tell us what the meat is. I don't think a red sause would go with a ham steak as well as a white saused pasta would. But nooo, they can't tell us to make it easier for us.

 

[simba20]

Any suggestions.

We are having a carry in on the 18th. We have been assigned to bring in a side pasta dish for at least 50 people.

The main meat dish, is still a mystery. And it has to be easy, as the amout of time to fix the dish is 1 hour, from start to finish.

Ummmmm pasta salad?

 

[krcit]

I agree with a pp on macaroni and broccoli. I would leave out the chicken to make it cheaper and so it would go well with anything. I simply saute a bit of garlic in some olive oil, then add the broccoli and a can of chicken broth and some black pepper. Pour it over the cooked pasta and there you go. Bonus is that it is good hot or cold

 

[LuvOrlando]

For me Baked Ziti is the quintessential party dish. It can feed 5, 20 50 or 100. It can be made ahead of time, frozen if necessary, can be heated and reheated easily then cut up and sent home with people. Other pasta dishes are yummy but they don't usually allow for being made ahead of time because they dry out.

If you want I can give you recipes for home made tomato sauce and the ziti.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

As long as it's easy and cheap, I am open to any suggestion. It just chaps my rear, that the dinner is in one week and NO ONE on the committee can tell us what the meat is. I don't think a red sause would go with a ham steak as well as a white saused pasta would. But nooo, they can't tell us to make it easier for us.

Figures.

Can you do a cold pasta salad?

 

[jen0610]

Hot or cold...it truely doesn't matter to me.

My biggest thing is time. I get home 5:00-5:10. We have to be at the dinner by 6:15. Takes me 15 minutes to get from our house to the school.

So I need something either really simple and quick - I have to get myself ready and make sure two teens share a bathroom to get themselves ready. Or I need something that I can make the night before and will not get mushy sitting for 24 hours or take to long to warm up.

DD13 could help me out, with cooking the pasta before I get home to give me a bit more time.

 

[Disney Doll]

I agree with a pp on macaroni and broccoli. I would leave out the chicken to make it cheaper and so it would go well with anything. I simply saute a bit of garlic in some olive oil, then add the broccoli and a can of chicken broth and some black pepper. Pour it over the cooked pasta and there you go. Bonus is that it is good hot or cold

This.
Or baked ziti.
But as you said, depending on what the meat is, baked ziti with red sauce may or may not go.

 

[simba20]

Hot or cold...it truely doesn't matter to me.

My biggest thing is time. I get home 5:00-5:10. We have to be at the dinner by 6:15. Takes me 15 minutes to get from our house to the school.

So I need something either really simple and quick - I have to get myself ready and make sure two teens share a bathroom to get themselves ready. Or I need something that I can make the night before and will not get mushy sitting for 24 hours or take to long to warm up.

DD13 could help me out, with cooking the pasta before I get home to give me a bit more time.

I would do pasta salad. It can be made the night before and the flavors only get better when the dressing has time to sit.

 

[Geoff_M]

can you just make a couple dishes of baked spaghetti? You can actually just prepare it ahead of time and cook it when you need it. Jarred sauce, noodles, cheese...nothing easier than that.

Our church does this... easy, and simple. They usually prep it the night before, throw it in the frig, and just heat-n-serve.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Honestly I would have to say cold pasta salad made with rotini pasta or a red sauce with meat and some other macaroni. I guess you could use whatever you want really. I say elbow because it will heat up faster.


You would need to cook the macaroni the day before with both meals. You will have no time to cook 5lbs of macaroni in that short time frame, trust me. But you can cook it the day before al dente, refridgerate plain.

For cold pasta salad just cut up everything beforehand, any veggies you want to add. Then add in the "sauce" whether it is mayo or a greek dressing, etc. they day of. Make sure everything is refrigerated so it will be cold when you mix it together, or mix the morning of, even better. I am hestitant for the night before because too much soaks in.

Easier to store and serve as you can use coolers to transport food.

With a red sauce, I would have a couple of crockpots simmering my sauce all day.

Then you can come home and just mix the stuff in serving pans, pop in the oven as you get ready. Get yourself some of those aluminum pans to throw away.

You could even put some cheese all over the top of it for effect.

Just make sure the SAUCE IS HOT HOT HOT before you toss it in to cook in the oven. Otherwise it will never get to the proper temp.

 

[jen0610]

Since I don't know the main meat - if I were to do a hot dish, which would be better.

A baked Ziti or Spaghetti or an Alfrado Sauce over noodles.

All your suggestions are greatly appreciated. I have never done a pasta salad, so I many be asking for more help. Depends on which way I go, the cold or hot dish.

 

[Pamlur]

My old stand-by is a pasta salad that everybody raves about but it is SO easy!

Cook as much thin spaghetti as you think you'll need. Chop (finely) such raw veggies as radishes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, carrots, celery, etc. Toss everything together with Italian Dressing; let it sit overnight for even more flavor. Done.

 

[Minnesota!]

tri color rotini
cubed cheddar
cubed mozzarella
pepperoni chunks or circles
black olives (sliced)
broccoli spears chopped
green olives (sliced)
a bottle of zesty Italian dressing (or however much to "wet" enough for 50 people)
a 1/2 bottle of McCormick's Salad Supreme. - same as dressing - enough to give color to the whole dish.

Yum!

 

[C.Ann]

I'd go with the cold pasta salad - which can be done the night before if you prefer.. It's so simple..

Mine is:

Cooked and drained elbow macaroni (or the tri-colored twists - looks festive)
Sliced pepperoni (refrigerated section - already sliced)
Chunks of cheese of your choice (or packages of shredded cheese)
Bottled Italian salad dressing (any kind except creamy)

Optional:
Can of drained olives (black or green - your choice)
Cherry tomatoes (the little round ones)
Canned, drained mushroom slices

Cook the macaroni per directions on the box; drain.. Put it in a big bowl, toss in all the "solid" ingredients, pour the dressing on top, mix it all up, and you're done..

If you want to do it the night before, just cover and refrigerate..

 

[dakcp2001]

I would do something meatless, just in case there is anyone who doesnt eat meat. That would give them at least an option other than salad.

Baked Ziti is always a big hit. The broccoli & pasta dish sounded really good, but has chicken which might be expensive for 50 people.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd do either baked ziti or lasagna, which can be done ahead of time, and just heated up. Heck, I don't think I've been to functions with trays of food without baked ziti!