Anonymous wrote:I would NOT do sloppy joes because eating food that's inherently messy is not what you want to do in front of others. Food that's neat and tidy is better.

Yeah I might serve sloppy joes when the whole basketball team comes over, but for just another family maybe not as much.

I actually love it when people just serve like theire normal Thursday night meal, but trying to be fancy.

Lasagna is easy to make ahead and almost everyone likes it.

I would NOT do sloppy joes because eating food that's inherently messy is not what you want to do in front of others. Food that's neat and tidy is better.

Anonymous wrote:I would make a big pot of sloppy joes— you can put it in a slow cooker to keep warm— with a homemade Mac and cheese side and a big salad. For the vegetarians I would make veggie sloppy joes. There are various mixes, usually in a box, that I like.
Get some good buns, a few kinds of pickles, peppers, hot sauce for people to dress up their sloppy joes.
I do this often and it always seems popular.

We do this too, serve with sweet potato fries; or make a sloppy joe hot dish (less messy)
Other ideas: ham with sweet potato casserole; pot roast with mashed potatoes

Cauliflower Mac and cheese, bbq pulled chicken and bbq jackfruit sandwiches, interesting winter salad with citrus

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes make a batch of carnitas and then serve rice and tortillas and let people assemble their own tacos or bowls. Have a variety of sides including cheese, beans, diced tomatoes, avocado, shredded cabbage, a few kinds of salsas, etc. It's pretty flexible: last time I roasted cubes of sweet potatoes seasoned with cumin, for example, which might be a nice option for the vegetarians.

DP. I am looking for recommendations for corn tortillas that don't disintegrate when heated in a dry pan. Advice on how you keep tortillas warm without a tortilla warmer is also appreciated.

Chili, cornbread, roast broccoli, green salad.

Ask the family what they like and try to meet in between. If every member has different tastes, that would be a problem.
That's when you just cook for the majority of the people. If there is an allergy, that is different. The guests should tell you and probably bring their own food if there is an allergy.

I would make a big pot of sloppy joes— you can put it in a slow cooker to keep warm— with a homemade Mac and cheese side and a big salad. For the vegetarians I would make veggie sloppy joes. There are various mixes, usually in a box, that I like.
Get some good buns, a few kinds of pickles, peppers, hot sauce for people to dress up their sloppy joes.
I do this often and it always seems popular.

Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad
Homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese
Roast chicken, salad and roasted veggies
Make your own panini

Anonymous wrote:Baked ziti, garlic bread, salad.

This, or lasagna. You could serve Italian sausages on the side, if you want to beef it up, but not necessary.

I also think taco or fajita bar works well for this too.

I sometimes make a batch of carnitas and then serve rice and tortillas and let people assemble their own tacos or bowls. Have a variety of sides including cheese, beans, diced tomatoes, avocado, shredded cabbage, a few kinds of salsas, etc. It's pretty flexible: last time I roasted cubes of sweet potatoes seasoned with cumin, for example, which might be a nice option for the vegetarians.

Taco bar! You could have vegetarian refried beans or a sweet potato/black bean mixture as filling for the vegetarians, plus ground beef and/or chicken.

Baked ziti, garlic bread, salad.

We’re having another family with teens over and I can’t think what to serve. I have a couple go-to menus for summer, like grilled chicken with a variety of salads, or kebobs and pita, hummus, etc. What would you do for fall?

A few vegetarians in the mix and a generally adventurous and healthy group.