Feeding my guests erev Pesach

MrsMortgage

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 5:44 am

What is the easiest thing to feed a crowd for late lunch on Monday. I could easily cut up a salad and defrost a tray of chicken & quinoa, but that feels innapropriate so close to yom Tov. Is it?

Liba

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 5:54 am

I would make a tomato and cucumber salad, avoid karpas, but it sounds great to me. We usually do fresh potato kuggel.

Tamiri

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 5:59 am

MrsMortgage wrote:

What is the easiest thing to feed a crowd for late lunch on Monday. I could easily cut up a salad and defrost a tray of chicken & quinoa, but that feels innapropriate so close to yom Tov. Is it?

In my parents house, yes. In my house, no. You need to feed them so they aren't cranky. All I remember from Erev Pesach is being hungry and being told we're supposed to be hungry for the seder. It's not a good memory. We had things like salad and beet borsht and potatoes but it was never as filling as a good meal. The cake was air and potato starch and there was nothing to nosh on (this is "the olden days" in Israel). I say: feed 'em!

curlyhead

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 6:11 am

Burgers, kugel, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, fruit salad.

I try to make double burgers and potatoes the night before for bedikas choemtz night dinner and lunch the next day.

chanchy123

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 6:16 am

In my parents house it was non-gebruchts brownies and jelly rolls, all day (sometimes omletts as well).
Right before shul kids (and adults are also encouraged) have chicken soup without kneidlach.

I think I might do omletts with cold cuts tomorrow and maybe mashed potatoes, maybe we'll do burgers and mashed potatoes. I think I'll continue with the tradition of brownies as well.

sarah86

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 6:19 am

We always had scalloped potatoes (milchigs) and fish. I have heard of people serving sheppard's pie. Or eggplant parmesan (just fry the eggplant without matza meal/breadcrumbs), layer it with tomato sauce and cheese and bake.

shalhevet

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 8:31 am

I make a great recipe, don't remember exact quantities (it's in the Aish book):

Boil potatoes
Add milk, cottage cheese, chopped tomatoes, parsley, onions. Cook till it all becomes a sauce. Sprinkle grated yellow cheese on top.

MrsMortgage

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 9:00 am

fish and scalloped potatoes sounds great! I even have salmon steaks I can defrost. the question is how much am I willing to work at this point and will I go into labor by tomorrow!

ora_43

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 9:00 am

I'm making chili with beans, peanut butter, tomatoes, corn and bay leaves. Maybe also rice.

Isramom8

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 9:31 am

OP's suggestion is appropriate, IMHO.

I remember sneaking tastes of seder food while my mother rested (she wouldn't have minded).

When my kids were younger and fewer, I did a cheese/hardboiled egg/sliced veg platter.
Now it's meatballs and boiled potatoes, a lot, as an official late lunch.

I tell my kids they should have interest in eating the matza, but it's no mitzva to be stressed and cranky at the seder. We also have nuts and candies on the seder table, for asking questions, or for whoever needs a little pick-me-up.

Tova

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 9:49 am

I'm making meatballs, mashed potatoes, homemade applesauce, and shehakol brownies for food for tomorrow.

cbsmommy

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 11:36 am

I'm planning on making a chicken in my crockpot today and then warming it up for tomorrow lunch.

jflower

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 12:02 pm

MrsMortgage, I had to read your post twice to make sure I read it right the first time.

Hope you have a healthy baby and an easy labor. Have a gut Yom Tov!

Seraph

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 5:23 pm

ora_43 wrote:

I'm making chili with beans, peanut butter, tomatoes, corn and bay leaves. Maybe also rice.

You eat kitniyot on Pesach also, or just erev pesach? Do you eat them erev pesach until the chag starts, or do you stop eating kitniyot when you stop eating chametz?

MrsDuby

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 5:32 pm

oh yes -- I remember feeling like there was NOTHING to eat erev chag... and we werent allowed to have anything that was on teh kaarah - so NO eggs, or potatoes either. So I remember finally having some jarred gefilte fish ... not very appetizing.

since you are trying to feed a crowd of people - I definitely think a HUGE salad is the way to go - along with some dairy like yogurt, cottage cheese. ... and maybe some nosh? (lady fingers?) the fact is that erev pesach is a weird food day - you cant have chomatz anymore, but you cant really eat all the pesach foods yet....

good luck !!!!!!

Raisin

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 5:42 pm

I'm pretty sure we eat potatos on erev pesach. Even though we use it on the seder plate, it doesn't have to be a potato - people use parsley, celery, onion and who know what else.