Need some quick ideas

[Jenivere]

I just found out that my expected guests will be here around dinner time instead of late at night. So I did the nice thing and invited them to eat with us. There will be 4 adults, 3 kids under 6 and 3 kids between 10-16. The biggest cut of meat I have is a 5lb boston butt roast so it's defrosting right now. I've never cooked one before and I was just going to throw it in the crockpot for ease since I have a bunch of cleaning to do. I have potatoes so I was thinking mashed potatoes and biscuits with some sort of steamed veggi for another side.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I don't cook for large amounts of people very often and I want to make sure there is enough to eat. Plus I don't know if there is a typical way for preparing this type of roast?

[texaspeach]

it's a pork roast, right? if so you could make pulled pork in the crock pot. put roast and your favorite homemade or bottled sauce (if bottled add a little water) to the crock pot and cook all day. it should be falling apart tender, you pull two forks in opposite directions over it and voila! pulled pork. serve on buns with pickles and onions

eta: I have used this recipe before and it's pretty good if you like vinegar style pulled pork, if not just use bbq sauce

[Jenivere]

Yes it's pork. I make a sauce very similer to the one you posted and we love it. If i do that what should i do for sides?

[texaspeach]

steamed veg and baked fries/potato salad? if you like coslaw and have the stuff to make it, that always goes with pulled pork, or broccoli slaw for a twist.

If you have enough potatoes, I'd probably do baked fries. I cut potatoes into thin sticks long ways, then coat them with slightly beaten egg white, toss with a touch of cayenne/cajun seasoning/salt and bake them until they're crunchy

[Ruthla]

So the only thing in the crock pot is the meat? No veggies cooking alongside it?

I'd make something starchy (rice or potatoes or corn) and something green- a green bean casserole, green salad, etc. Or maybe make a bunch of different sides- with the large number of people if you don't have huge pots for the side dishes it may be easier to make a few different things rather than larger quantities of one thing.

A yummy way to cook frozen veggies (spinach, broccoli, etc) is to bake it with some kind of fat and a chopped raw onion added before baking.

Are you planning on serving some kind of dessert?

[transformed]

sear it first, on a HOT HOT HOT skillet. Throw the potatoes in the crock pot! Get a baguette for a filler

[Arduinna]

We bbq these low and slow on the bbq and make pulled pork sandwiches with it. I've never cooked it any other way.

[dawn1221]

Originally Posted by texaspeach

it's a pork roast, right? if so you could make pulled pork in the crock pot. put roast and your favorite homemade or bottled sauce (if bottled add a little water) to the crock pot and cook all day. it should be falling apart tender, you pull two forks in opposite directions over it and voila! pulled pork. serve on buns with pickles and onions

eta: I have used this recipe before and it's pretty good if you like vinegar style pulled pork, if not just use bbq sauce

Do this for sure!

I prefer the BBQ sauce method personally.

And any type of picnic sides are fine for this. Baked beans, Cole slaw, Potato salad, etc.

Your roast will go much further as a pulled pork sandwich. Five pounds seems a little short to me with the size of your group. But the sandwiches would stretch it nicely.

And you can just use hamburger buns (to keep costs down).

[Jenivere]

Originally Posted by texaspeach

steamed veg and baked fries/potato salad? if you like coslaw and have the stuff to make it, that always goes with pulled pork, or broccoli slaw for a twist.

If you have enough potatoes, I'd probably do baked fries. I cut potatoes into thin sticks long ways, then coat them with slightly beaten egg white, toss with a touch of cayenne/cajun seasoning/salt and bake them until they're crunchy

I just bought 20 lbs of potatoes ( i live in Idaho!) so I have plenty and that does sound good.

[Jenivere]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

So the only thing in the crock pot is the meat? No veggies cooking alongside it?

I'd make something starchy (rice or potatoes or corn) and something green- a green bean casserole, green salad, etc. Or maybe make a bunch of different sides- with the large number of people if you don't have huge pots for the side dishes it may be easier to make a few different things rather than larger quantities of one thing.

A yummy way to cook frozen veggies (spinach, broccoli, etc) is to bake it with some kind of fat and a chopped raw onion added before baking.

Are you planning on serving some kind of dessert?

My crockpot is just big enough for the roast. Normally I make smaller roasts (since my kids are little) and cook them with herbs and vegis's.

[Jenivere]

I burnt my finger on my crockpot and it's making typing hard. I put it in a while ago with some sauce and accidently touched it with the side of my finger near the cuticle.

So after reading all the suggestions I am thinkng I'll get some cheapy buns, make up a pot of baked beans, a green salad and perhaps steamed vegi's the way Ruthla suggested. I don't know about dessert as we don't eat it often but maybe tonight would be a good time to make one. I have an awesome and easy cinnamon roll recipe but my family has been asking for something pumkin based.

[Jenivere]

I also think i need to invest in a larger crockpot for when we have company and because my family is growing.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by texaspeach

it's a pork roast, right? if so you could make pulled pork in the crock pot. put roast and your favorite homemade or bottled sauce (if bottled add a little water) to the crock pot and cook all day. it should be falling apart tender, you pull two forks in opposite directions over it and voila! pulled pork. serve on buns with pickles and onions

eta: I have used this recipe before and it's pretty good if you like vinegar style pulled pork, if not just use bbq sauce

This is what we're having for dinner. My house smells SO GOOD right now. I chopped some onions, added a can of diced tomatoes, and just topped it all off with hickory BBQ sauce. I threw everything in uncooked, unseared, cold, and cranked the pot on high for an hour, then turned it down. It's been in for about 6 hours already and I just checked, it's fall apart tender. I've since switched it to warm, and I'll make some baked potatoes to go with it, and I a green been salad (blanched green beens, can of garbanzo beans, slivered red onions, shreds of fresh dill, and an olive old Dijon dressing, really easy and SO good).

I can't wait for dinner.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by Jenivere

but my family has been asking for something pumkin based.

I made pumpkin spice muffins the other day. I used a basic banana bread/muffin recipe, and instead of banana I used canned pumpkin, then added all the yummy spices you would put in a pumpkin pie - all spice, cinamon, cloves, and ginger. It was SO good, and really easy.

[transformed]

Originally Posted by North_Of_60

I made pumpkin spice muffins the other day. I used a basic banana bread/muffin recipe, and instead of banana I used canned pumpkin, then added all the yummy spices you would put in a pumpkin pie - all spice, cinamon, cloves, and ginger. It was SO good, and really easy.

I had a really good fresh pumpkin from my csa delivery last week and I caved and made a pumpkin pie out of it...

What I really wanted to make was pumpkin cheesecake! How good would that be?

I hope they bring me another one. The pumpkin pie is just sitting in my fridge. I dont like pumpkin pie.

oooh I just found this.....
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._12909,00.html

[North_Of_60]

OMG, pumpkin cheesecake, that sounds really good!! But I love cheesecake, so you could make it with wood chips and I'd probably like it. Then again, it does have the word CHEESE in the name. Cheese makes everything better.

But I also like pumpkin pie, too. I'll PM you my address and you can send it to me. I have a lone can of rediwhip ( : ) that needs a friend. :