Mumsey responded November 19, 2008 at 11:11AM

  

You'll want something that doesn't need oven time, as I'm sure the oven will be full of turkey or some other major meat.
Here are some kid-friendly things that adults also enjoy and you can put together ahead of time if you have a cooler (or just leave it in the trumk with this weather!):
- 7 layer dip: spicy refried beans(w/o fat- you can buy those easily), no-fat sour cream, salsa, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, sharp chedder, chopped black olives, paprika
- Peanut butter or cream cheese stuffed celery
- A can of black olives that kids love to put on their fingers
- Deviled eggs
- Fresh fruit with whipped cream (a family favorite you can put together at your in-laws)
- Puff pastry stuffed with soft cream cheese and a dab of jelly in the middle (looks festive and you can buy the puff pastry)You can also fill the puff pastry with canned crab, shrimp, or tuna - even mushrooms!
- Go to Costco and purchse the Jamacian Meat pies - microwave 'em and cut up - yummy and most people haven't had these before. They aren't too spicy, either.
- Make your own nut-cheese ball.
- Stuff larger cherry tomatoes with crab meat or sandwich spread (deviled ham in the can is tasty and simple) or tuna.
- Meatballs in sauce. Get meatballs pre-made from Costco and put together a sweet-sour sauce (can buy that as well), bring your crockpot and cook it there.
Any of that sound easy? Can't really help on the veggies except that you could make a tahani or hunnas spread and cut up veggies to go with it.

  dustbunny responded November 19, 2008 at 4:12PM

  dishing the dirt, cleaning the chaos

I second the meat balls. seriously, bring the crockpot and fill er up. also, mashed potatoes in the crock pot...

OR you can microwave baked potatoes. you can heat up cans of baked beans. you can make couscous / rice pilaf (from the boxes ) in the microwave...tasty!

  crysle responded November 19, 2008 at 8:51PM

  Christina

Mashed sweet potatoes w/ or w/o coconut mixed in and topped with mini marchmallows. Just need to heat for 15/20 mins the day of.