Get Together and Kid Friendly Lunches

I have been ordering Pizza Hut a lot lately. We can get a large pizza for $10. If it's just us and the kids we get 1 large. 1/2 ham and pineapple and 1/2 pork sausage and red onion. Then we get the big personal pan for $5, just cheese. This way each person gets what they want but gets great pizza.

When we have company we can get 2 larges and do 1/2 and 1/2 whatever is the most popular. I'd ask her what the kids want on their pizza and just order that.

Another option would be to do pizza crust at home, either buy it or make it, then get the various toppings and let each child/person make their own.

That is always the most popular. I cook 1 lb of pork sausage for this ahead of time. It can even be frozen for a few days too. I use Jimmy Dean Sage sausage. I like the flavor the best.

I just use pizza sauce or regular spaghetti sauce. Mozzarella cheese and then a package of pepperoni.

Another option is mac and cheese with green beans or some other green veggies that would look pretty.

Hot dogs are always pretty easy to use too. I get the cheap ones for the kids, if I have enough money I might buy Hebrew national because they never make me sick after eating them.

I don't know many kids who will be game for cold cuts and bagels or egg and chicken salad. The adults might like it, but not the kids...too much like "big people food" LOL.

Appetizers will not appease big eaters and before you know it, the kids'll be whining they're hungry.

Of what you suggested, pizza is probably best.

When we have a mixed group of adults and gaggle of multi-aged kids over we usually do a burrito/taco bar, fajitas, or good old fashioned hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.

The nice thing about a burrito/taco bar is there is something for everyone and everyone can make their own to their liking. You can make alot very cheaply. 1 pound of ground beef and taco seasoning, prepared veggies like lettuce, tomato, etc. and relishes like salsa, shredded cheese, or sour cream and you're set. If you have vegetarians they can make themselves burritos with refried beans and cheese or if you go with fajitas, they can make them with just grilled veggies and leave off the grilled meat.

Hamburgers and/or hot dogs are an easy and cheap classic if you don't have vegetarians on board...and even if you do, there are veggie dogs and veggie burgers which taste great.

All of these ideas are very easy to prepare and can be kept warm fairly easily in crock pots or warming trays so you don't have to babysit it once it's prepared.

I think you're spot on with the pizza.
It's easy (no cooking for you) & appeals to the masses.
Add salad, chips & salsa, veggie tray w/Ranch (great for kids).
Goldfish the 3 yr old.
Even buy a pre-made taco dip.
Some drinks & bottled water. Done.

I just had a play date at my house the other day with a few moms and their kids (all 6 and under). I had roll-up deli sandwiches for the moms and just PBJ for the kids (no peanut allergies). Fruit salad, chips, popsicles and ice cream sandwiches. Water, sodas and juice boxes. The kids were fine with just the juice boxes and water (it was a hot day and we were all outside) to drink and were fine with PBJ.

out of the choices you gave pizza will probably be the best. but pasta is a huge hit. make a dish of mosticolli and put the sauce on it. put it in a big casserole dish with some cheese over it to bake for a bit. it will be a huge hit and everyone loves it. some salad and bread and butter and you can feed an army for 20 bucks.

Technically, I think pizza makes most sense in this situation, but because of that, its the easy thing to do. When I have people over, I want to have something they usually DON'T eat everyday, but that's just my opinion.

My friend shared a recipe that her family used when they owned a restaraunt in OH. People raved about it and came in just to eat them. They are shredded chicken sandwiches. You get say, 2# of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and 2# of B/S chicken thighs. Put in a crock pot, cover with water and add 2 packets of onion soup mix and salt and pepper. Cook on low all day or night. Stir with a slotted spoon to shred, then just scoop out of crock while its hot and put on kaiser rolls (you can add a slice of cheese too). They don't need any kind of sauce and everyone, adults and kids, will love them. (Leftovers freeze well and can use again for sandwhiches (maybe add bbq sauce this time) or quesadillas, pasta, etc).

I would also maybe do BBQ meatballs. They are a party hit too. I get the big bag (I think 6#?) at Costco, dump in crock pot and add a large bottle of BBQ sauce. Cook on low until heated thru. Just serve in the crock on the "warm" setting.

Then just a homemade baked mac and cheese, fruit salad and a green salad or veggie tray, some chips and dips and a platter of misc cookies and you're good. Hope you find some things that will work for you. Good luck and have fun!

I think pizza is a great idea. Do a garden salad and a pasta salad for the sides. Pizza never really goes to waste.

Quesadillas, or grilled cheese. You can add sandwich meat to the grilled cheese for the adults to make them heartier. Then maybe a fruit salad, chips.