Main dish suggestions for track team banquet

[Deb in IA]

So, our DS was on the track team this year, and we are having the end of the season banquet this Wednesday.

We are a low budget sport (unlike football ), so for our banquet, the school is suppling salad, paper plates, cups, silverware and drinks.

The food is to be supplied by the athletes and their families.

We are assigned a "main dish" that will feed 12.

Now, the banquet starts at 5:30 pm. I work until 5, so this will have to be something that I can make ahead of time and grab, or something pre-prepared that I can buy.

Any suggestions?

 

[Sparkleshine]

Enchiladas or Lasagna are an easy make ahead dish that is economical and serves many!

 

[SpecialK]

Some type of baked pasta if you can have somebody throw it in the oven so it's ready to take, or pick up a sub sandwich on the way.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I second lasagna or baked ziti.

Chicken, brocolli and ziti is popular with that age group as well.

 

[Deb in IA]

Great ideas! I knew I could count on the DIS cooks!!

Anyone want to share an easy recipe?

 

[PatsMom]

We lived 15 or 20 miles from the school so I used to stop at Kentucky Fried Chicken and pick up a large bucket. Either that or stop at the local pizza place and pick up a few pizza's.

Track seems to be low budget everywhere! You are lucky the school is supplying as much as they are. Our coach used to divide it up that the girls had to bring in main dishes, boys a side or salad. We did get plates and stuff from the school. His reasoning wasn't that girls would cook better than boys, it was just that there were more girls than boys so he would end up with a greater variety of main dishes!

 

[lovesmurfs]

Another vote for lasagna. Or you could crockpot some pulled pork.

Our school has a single awards banquet for ALL sports at a local country club. It's not cheap (athletes and coaches eat free, parents and family are $25 each), but it doesn't single out one sport over another.

 

[shirleyb]

Crockpot of sloppy joe or pulled pork. A bucket of chicken.

At our school, the school doesn't pay for any of the awards banquets - that's done by the booster clubs for each sport.

 

[disykat]

I would do chicken from a grocery store deli.

 

[Michelle67]

I'm sure I'm just going to kill the purists here by saying this...but quick and easy ziti is just one box of noodles, one jar of sauce (sometimes I use extra so it doesn't seem dryish), one small container of ricotta, and a bag of pre-shredded mozzarella. Boil the noodles, drain, mix everything else in (leave a little mozzarella for the top) and plop it in a disposable pan. We did pans and pans and pans of it for a friend's wedding five years ago. Normally I make my own sauce, but if I'm pressed for time or doing a bunch, I'm all for a jar. I prefer ziti over lasagna for a crowd since you just mix instead of layering.

 

[scbelleatheart]

I do have two recipes that are super easy if I can remember them.
One is a lasagne type dish except instead of noodles you use frozen ravioli. Layer ravioli, sauce, ricotta and mozzerella in a crock pot. That way you don't have to cook any meat or boil noodles.
The other is crockpot reuben casserole. Deli corned beef chopped, sauerkraut, cubed swiss cheese. cubed rye bread and thousand island dressing. Mix all and put in the crockpot.
I also did beef borgonione (sp) but it went over so well at potlucks I had requests for it instead of a graduation gift for several kids parties
All three can cook all day on low and ready to go after work.
Hope that helps.

 

[gillep]

two that I like to do are

sausage and peppers with onions then I just buy some rolls and pack ketchup and mustard


meatballs in the crock pot then bring rolls and a little mozzarella cheese

 

[golfgal]

We always have pot lucks for banquets, the school doesn't pay for anything. Some teams have meals at restaurants but you have to pay for those too.

I agree, a bucket of chicken or some pizzas will be a big hit. Otherwise a party platter from Subway.

 

[mamajoan]

Hi Deb... I vote for the meatballs in a crockpot.... You can do it easy... a couple bags of frozen meatballs a couple jars of sauce with some extra seasoning. You can start them in the morning, take them to work, plug the crockpot in at work and there ya go. Some hoagie rolls, parmesean cheese and you got yourself an easy winner. You will take home an empty crockpot!

You can go the home made route too... that is the best but not always time savvy.

I used to feed the wrestlers who came to competitions meatball sandwiches , (after weigh ins, of course).. they loved it, telling other teams they got lucky when they got to stay with us.

Good Luck!

 

[wishesuponastar]

Chicken drumsticks or thighs are about $1.20 a pound now. I would buy a large package of that and bake then at the end of baking time pour a bottle of bbq sauce over.

Sausage, peppers and/or onions is also a good dish a pp mentioned.

 

[clh2]

If there is anyone who could heat up something so when you get home from work it is ready to go? If that is the case - I also recommend baked ziti. Much easier IMHO than lasagna, much less "fussy".

THe recipe we use is from allrecipes.

If you do not have a "helping hand" at home to heat something up - then I vote for a subway sub platter. Or - order a couple of pizza's to pick up on your way to the event! (Especially cost effective if you have a coupon or two! - subway (in my area) always has coupons around too!) All three dishes will "go" - trust me on that!