"Snack" for 40 for a weekend?

[Slartibartfast]

DH and I have been invited to a weekend-long get-together with some new friends of ours.  We will know a few people at this gathering, but not most of them.  The hostess lives about 30 minutes away from us, on the other side of town, but I know she has 12 (!) people staying in her (small) house for the duration of the weekend, and she plans to cook for all 40 people for three days, so her kitchen will be swamped.

I volunteered to help with some "snack" type foods, and she was really grateful to have someone else also bringing edibles.  Her only recommendation was "think: locusts."  (This will be mostly a group of people playing board games and watching stupid movies all weekend, so I assume snack foods should fit that atmosphere - but 40 people snacking all weekend is a lot of food.)

I NEED SUGGESTIONS!  I'm happy to cook things ahead of time, but I need something that

a)  Won't just be store-bought - I want to make a good impression that I can prepare food :-)

b)  Can be made in bulk

c)  Can be made, driven half an hour, and won't need to use her kitchen for touch-ups.  So I'm guessing nothing that needs to be served hot.

d)  Won't leave a sticky mess all over the hostess's house when people are eating it sitting on the floor, in the living room, while playing board games, etc.

I'm kind of leaning toward getting some of those big pretzel sticks and dipping them in chocolate, but I would be very excited to try out anything y'all eHellions can recommend!

[Gigi]

Brownies: make them in foil cupcake holders or in mini-muffin tins so they don't even need to be cut up.
Spiced or glazed nuts: There are lots of recipies on line for various sweet or savory varieties.
Popcorn Balls
Puppy Chow
Cookies
Banana, pumpkin, date-nut, cranberry-walnut breads (all can be sliced and plattered at home)
Mini muffins
Chex mix
Gorp
Cheese straws
Scones
Devilled egglets (cut the eggs in quarters instead of halves) Arrange the whites in a pan like a covered cake pan or tupperware container, prepare the yolk filling and put in a seperate bowl.  Get a pastry bag and a star tip (check the supermarket aisle near the cake mix, a cake decorator supply, restaurant supply, craft store like Michael's or a party supply store for the bag and tip) when you arrive you'll only need a small amount of space and time to place the yolk mixture in the bag and squirt it into the egg white shells. You can transport the ingredients in a cooler.

[Suze]

Devilled egglets (cut the eggs in quarters instead of halves) Arrange the whites in a pan like a covered cake pan or tupperware container, prepare the yolk filling and put in a seperate bowl.  Get a pastry bag and a star tip (check the supermarket aisle near the cake mix, a cake decorator supply, restaurant supply, craft store like Michael's or a party supply store for the bag and tip) when you arrive you'll only need a small amount of space and time to place the yolk mixture in the bag and squirt it into the egg white shells. You can transport the ingredients in a cooler.

I get the really little eggs when I do a party platter -- they are one bites that way.

and when I fill them I just use a plastic freezer bag and cut a little bit (tiny little bit)of one corner off and use it like a pastry bag. (I usually put one bag inside of another, Just in case of "blowout")  Be sure to use the HEAVY FREEZER BAG not the thin, thin, regular one.

Best thing --YOU DON'T HAVE TO WASH IT -- you can just toss the bag when you are done filling.   Put the fillling in the bag at home (smoosh it down into one corner)   gather the bag and Twist tie it shut to keep it there, (so it looks like a pastry bag)  When you get to the party snip the corner and go to town. 

can you tell I've done this more than once?

[Venus193]

These are a little labor-intensive but they alway impress:

Stuffed Vine Leaves (this makes 40-50, so you might have to make 2 batches)

1 cup Short-grain white rice
1 can artichoke hearts (chopped)
4 scallions (chopped)
2 tbsp oregano (or equivalent fresh)
2 tbsp parsley (or equivalent fresh)
freshly ground 5-pepper blend
olive oil
grape leaves
clove garlic

Rub mixing bowl with garlic clove, then add dry ingredients.  Add just enough olive oil to hold mixture together.  Separate leaves, remove stems carefully, and stuff by laying leaf flat on table, point at top.  Place approximately 1.5 tsp of filling at stem, fold over sides, and roll toward the point.  Do not pack too tightly, as the rice needs room to expand.  Place close together (but not too tightly) in flat-bottomed frying pan.  Add two cups cold water, cover with dinner plate, and cook over low flame for 20-25 minutes.

Drain excess water, remove carefully with tongs, and refrigerate for three hours.  After this add the following and toss gently:

sliced cucumbers
chopped olives
chopped scallion or bermuda onion
fresh dill weed
fresh parsley
olive oil
white wine vinegar
lemon adobo
freshly ground black pepper

Refrigerate overnight and serve cold.

[dawbs]

mini cheesecakes
(I am only ever helpful w/ desserts...)

Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of 18 muffin cups in a muffin tin. Using the following mixture, fill each muffin cup approximately 2/3 full.

2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Top with cherry or blueberry pie filling after they have cooled.

For an interesting variation, add 1/2 cup Nestle's mini-morsels chocolate chips to the cheesecake mixture. They may have to bake 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Or press mini candy bars into the top after they've baked.
18 servings.

[ehellion]

How about cucumber cups? Take cucumbers, slice into 1" slices, scoop out the cetners (leave some of the center so it's a cup with a bottom) and fill with jar salsa or home-made vegetable salsa.

Vegetable salsa is basically 2 large celery stalks, grated, 1 diced tomato, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1 tsp chopped onion, dash of black pepper and garlic salt to taste. I also add the cucumber centers to it. Blend it all in a food processor and there you go. Of cxourse you will definitely need to make a big batch, lol. So maybe go with the jar salsa? Nobody will ever know and I won't tell.

Maybe bring some chips and dip. I made this AWESOME dip last night that is good hot, warm or cold. Mix 2 15oz cans of Denision Chili with meat and beans, 1 15oz. jar of Tostito (or wahtever bran you like) dip cheese, and 1 small diced tomato. Heat it and eat it.

I also like to take tortillas, lay out lunch meat like sliced turkey or beef, cream cheese, layer another tortilla on top, repeat with 2 more torillas, roll up and cut into slices. It's really good. I dip them in mustard. You can do any combo you want really. You can also do it with tuna, but that might not keep too well.

Breads are good, too. I make this really delicious pumpkin bread that's awesome and filling (and easy as hell to make, lol.) A couple loaves of those might be good.

[Suze]

you could always add in rice krispy treats cut them into bite size pieces about an inch or so square.  OK not so very elegant, but if you put peanut butter (or not) in with the marshmallow (about a half cup or one good sized "glob" out of the jar)  then spread melted choclate chips over the top. (instant candies)

tips for ease of preparation and serving:

Line the bottom of the pan with wax paper and grease it well.  You can run a knife around the edge and just flip the pan over and the whole pan falls out in one big chunk.  (don't forget to peal the paper off)

To cut easy after you have put the chocolate on it and it is hard is to flip it out of the pan (one chunk) turn it over so the chocolate is on the top.

Find the longest sharpest knife in the drawer.  heat the blade up with hot water, dry it off and start cutting, the hot blade melts the chocolate  instead of breaking it.  And since it is not in a pan it cuts pretty easy.

I have also gotten "lazy" and done popcorn balls that way (smash in a pan and cut)  less work and not nearly as messy.

My girlfriend does an awesome snack just by pouring a box of cinnamon Crispix cereal and a can of cinnamon roasted peanuts together.  She could NOT get the gals that she works with to believe that there is NO recipe for this snack, up until the day she took a box and a can to work and poured them in the bowl in front of them.  (the cereal makes a much better snack than a breakfast cereal.)

Yes I know these are not the most elegant of snacks but they would make "fill ins" for the more time consuming things.

Oh and I would make the cookies bite size as well (less crumbs all over the place)

[kkl123]

Caramel apple dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 c dark brown sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp hot water

Cream together until light and fluffy and all ingredients are well-blended.

Serve with sliced apples dipped in lemon juice or ascorbic acid to prevent browning.

Also good mixed with freshly popped corn.

[Venus193]

I posted a cereal treat recipe in the Cookbook folder that uses PB and Cocoa Pebbles.  This was always a serious hit.

[Wordgeek]

Some healthy options:

Veggie tray.  Easiest preparation: cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms, and baby carrots.  Wash them, arrange on a tray and put a bowl of your favourite dip in the middle.

Big bowl of fruit.  Mandarins are nice this time of year.  For something fancier: Hull strawberries, section oranges, slice apples (w/ lemon juice to prevent browning), skewer pineapple chunks or smaller berries, and serve with a sweet cream cheese dip (cream cheese mixed with milk to dipping consistency and sweetened to taste).   For locusts, though, the mandarins might be the way to go.  Maybe some bananas, too, and bring some plastic bags for garbage. ;-)

[Slartibartfast]

These all are making me hungry :-)  I went out and got ingredients for chocolate-dipped pretzels and the mini-cheesecakes, and I'm probably going to play with a few more of these recipes between now and next weeekend :-D

[Harriet Jones]

This is a cheesecake-y kind of thing that travels well.  It has a top and bottom crust and holds together pretty well after it's been cooled.  (It's a bit gooey when warm)  It's also very rich and you can cut it into pretty small squares.

Sopapilla Cheescake
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls 
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese 
1 Cup sugar
1 T vanilla
1/2 Cup butter, melted
1/2 Cup sugar
1 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350
Flatten one tube of crescent rolls and press into the bottom of a 9 x 13
pan.  In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla
until cream and spread over crescent rolls.  Unroll the second tube of
crescent rolls and place over rop of the cream cheese layer.  Pour melted
butter over the top.    Sprinkle the top with
mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until
top is slightly toasted.

[Xanthia, Maker of fine Tin-foil hats since 2007]

A 7 Layer Dip always goes over well (recipes all over the web)

Then there is the famous Cheese and salsa dip which is basically a block of Mexican Velveeta, some salsa and some browned ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning, melt together and keep in a crock pot to keep warm...have some chopped tomatoes, black olives and sour cream on the side with your chips and you have some good nachos.

I have a recipe for artichoke balls at home, they are good, but a little labor intensive (have to roll them out, but not too bad)

Easy no bake cheesecakes...get the philo cups for the crust and for the filling you mix 1 block of cream cheese at room temperature, 1 can of consensed milk, 1/3 cup lemon juice and a little vanilla, pour into a freezer bag and pipe into the cups (like someone suggested with the deviled eggs) and have a couple of bowls of fruit available for topping.  I have done this a few times and they go over GREAT and it makes A LOT.

Also, try the "magic bars" that you can find on line, that is an easy sweet thing if you want to go that route.

Also, if you have a crock pot, never underestimate the power of mini cocktail franks and meatballs!