What To Feed Friends Helping Us Move?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Okay, so I will probably just end up getting the standard pizza and then cleaning and sanitizing everything so I don't get sick but the thought of having a bunch of people eating pizza in my new place kind of makes me queasy. I would order from a place that has gluten-free and vegan cheese as an option for myself but I can't expect them to eat that (nor could I afford to buy everyone the gluten-free type of crust). So I thought I would ask if anyone else has had this situation come up and if they fed peopel gluten-free. I won't have anything unpacked so cooking on the same day I move is out (and it would be crazy of me to even try). But is there anything I could make a week in advance and freeze or non-cook, non-prep food that I could make that is Gluten free, dairy free and soy free? The less prep required the better. OR does anyone know any restaruant chains (besides pizza) with gluten-free menus that also cater/have pick up and would be inexpensive to just go buy everyone lunch and get something for me too? My plan for pizza would be Z-pizza even though I don't really like their crust. I'm figuring I could have up to 20 people to feed. Is it rude to ask everyone to wash their hands after eating? Any ideas welcome!

[Jestgar]

Nachos - day of. microwave

Potato skins - make ahead and freeze. microwave

crock pot buffalo wings - day of. or precook chicken and heat. crockpot or microwave.

quesadillas - day before. microwave

[kareng]

Can you eat outside? That might help with the crumbs.

Maybe you could make something ahead that you could microwave or pop in the oven when it's time to eat like pasta. Then have salad, fruit, etc..

Does everyone need to be dairy & soy free? Could you make gluten-free sandwiches, chips, fruit? Grill?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Can you eat outside? That might help with the crumbs.

Maybe you could make something ahead that you could microwave or pop in the oven when it's time to eat like pasta. Then have salad, fruit, etc..

Does everyone need to be dairy & soy free? Could you make gluten-free sandwiches, chips, fruit? Grill?

It doesn't need to be soy free but I would really prefer dairy free as much as possible. Actually I'm more concerned about dairy cc than gluten cc at this point because my reaction to dairy is anaphylactic (as well as shellfish and pork but those are easier to avoid). So if I had cheese for sandwhiches I wouldn't be handling the cheese. I think I could manage that...Things with melted cheese or milk all over though would freak me out a little. I really don't want to end up using my epi-pen.

I thought about having people eat outside but that won't really work. We are moving into a townhouse--no front yard and the back yard is about ten feet by ten feet. We also don't have any outdoor furniture nor do we have a grill (we currently live in an apartment). We are plannign on getting a grill eventually. Maybe I can convince my husband to buy one for the move and we can grill stuff...hmmm...grilled chicken or steak kabobs sound doable. With fruit salad and a big green salad. Do you think people would miss the bread?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Nachos - day of. microwave

Potato skins - make ahead and freeze. microwave

crock pot buffalo wings - day of. or precook chicken and heat. crockpot or microwave.

quesadillas - day before. microwave

Thanks. Buffalo wings or something like that in the crocpot could work I guess. The other things sound like messy cheesy items and I don't really wan that if I can help it....

[kareng]

It doesn't need to be soy free but I would really prefer dairy free as much as possible. Actually I'm more concerned about dairy cc than gluten cc at this point because my reaction to dairy is anaphylactic (as well as shellfish and pork but those are easier to avoid). So if I had cheese for sandwhiches I wouldn't be handling the cheese. I think I could manage that...Things with melted cheese or milk all over though would freak me out a little. I really don't want to end up using my epi-pen.

I thought about having people eat outside but that won't really work. We are moving into a townhouse--no front yard and the back yard is about ten feet by ten feet. We also don't have any outdoor furniture nor do we have a grill (we currently live in an apartment). We are plannign on getting a grill eventually. Maybe I can convince my husband to buy one for the move and we can grill stuff...hmmm...grilled chicken or steak kabobs sound doable. With fruit salad and a big green salad. Do you think people would miss the bread?

No one would miss the bread. Get some chips, too. I never served bread with that before I went gluten-free. Sounds yummy. I'll help you move!

[GlutenFreeManna]

No one would miss the bread. Get some chips, too. I never served bread with that before I went gluten-free. Sounds yummy. I'll help you move!

Oh, yeah chips would be easy! Thanks! I'm starting to feel like I can handle doing a safe gluten-free/DF meal without a lot of work the day of. I was ready to just give up and order pizza if I had to.

[kareng]

Oh, yeah chips would be easy! Thanks! I'm starting to feel like I can handle doing a safe gluten-free/DF meal without a lot of work the day of. I was ready to just give up and order pizza if I had to.

Can you get into the new house the day before? Leave drinks & food & grill, crockpot, etc there.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Can you get into the new house the day before? Leave drinks & food & grill, crockpot, etc there.

Yes, we will be able to get the keys one day before our big move. I had planned on making some small trips with clothes and breakable items I don't want moved in the U-haul. I can totally put stuff in the freezer/fridge if I need to. I just want to do stuff that requires as little prep as possible since moving is so much work/stress already. I need stuff I can just pull out and heat up or serve cold. The more I'm thinking about it the more I think maybe I will skip the grill altogether and just pre-bake a bunch of chicken or something and then reheat. Then do potato salad, fruit salad, green salad, baked beans and chips with salsa, hummus and guacamole. All stuff I can just pull out and serve. And mostly stuff I can buy premade if I have to.

[Noomers]

Chili (frozen ahead of time) and tortilla chips. Simple, tasty, filling. Fruit for dessert.

[Mizzo]

Chicken taco soup served with Tortilla chips, sour cream and guacomole. You can make a big batch in advance and warm it up in crock pot the day of the move.

Brownies with ice cream for dessert.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Good ideas! Thanks! Anyone else that wants to contribute, please throw out their ideas of simple things I can make a few days before. I do live in the South and temps are around 100 degrees right now so I'm thinking more cold options and lots of cold drinks would be good.

[eatmeat4good]

Introduce them all to .....Drum Roll here.....

Lettuce Wraps!

Make a Huge platter of Lettuce...cold cuts...cheese if you must...condiments...chips....drinks....fruit....

Tell them it's light and refreshing fare...

and Wa La! Done....

That is what I would do.

[Jestgar]

I'd be miffed if I had just helped somebody move and was offered something as froo froo as lettuce wraps. I'd want crap! dammit!!

[GlutenFreeManna]

I'd be miffed if I had just helped somebody move and was offered something as froo froo as lettuce wraps. I'd want crap! dammit!!

LOL! That's what I'm thinking...I'm going to need a big MEAT dish for the men. Lettuce wraps are also kind of messy to eat and I won't have a table that everyone can sit at so things need to be edible while people standing around or sitting on the floor or packed boxes.

I do make an excellent Thai-style spring roll however which could be good for something that can be made in advance and kept in the fridge then just pulled out and eaten cold.

[Mango04]

platter of lunch meats and cheeses, big salad (can be meaty), big fruit salad, potato salad, etc.?

[sb2178]

Baked beans/ three bean salad

Corn bread

lots and lots of lemonade

[RL2011]

Make a good hearty chili with a side of fruit salad. Instead of bread, serve it with corn chips. I like chili. You make it I will drive on over and help you guys move.

[kareng]

What about a green salad base ( green leaves). Then bowls of gluten-free things to put on it. Leave off the cheese because you don't want it in your house. Cook some chicken & shred. Get some cold cut ham & cut up. Sunflower seeds, different veggies, salad dressings, fruits. Will take a bit of cutting up the day before but pack one box with the stuff you need to serve it & take it over the day before. It's so hot, no one will want chili no matter how yummy.

My oldest & I helped my SIL move 2 weeks ago & it was in the mid 80s. When we were done, everyone just wanted to go home or to the pool!

Freeze some miniature candy bars or get Popsicles for dessert.

[GlutenFreeManna]

All good ideas! Thanks everyone. I really think I will do several big salads--green salad (with lots of non-gluten, non-dairy topping options), potato salad, maybe a bean salad. And then do a meat that would be easy like grilled BBQ chicken. I mentioned the grill idea to my hubby and he got really excited. Even when I said, "Are you sure you would want to grill after moving a bunch of stuff in the heat? He said he did and thought we would need to do something like that to have enoguh food for everyone--he's thinking like a man and knows just salads and cold cuts won't be enough.

I love the idea of having popsicles too! We'll have big pitchers of gatorade made up and sweet tea too.

[Marilyn R]

LOL! That's what I'm thinking...I'm going to need a big MEAT dish for the men. Lettuce wraps are also kind of messy to eat and I won't have a table that everyone can sit at so things need to be edible while people standing around or sitting on the floor or packed boxes.

I do make an excellent Thai-style spring roll however which could be good for something that can be made in advance and kept in the fridge then just pulled out and eaten cold.

You can make pulled chicken, beef or pork with a recipe like this in a crock pot.

Open Original Shared Link

For 20 people, I'd do two (a pork butt roast and a chicken or beef roast.) That's alot of people to feed!

Add red or black beans (nobody will know if you just heated them up from the can and sqeezed a lime over them, but if you have time, saute an onion and chopped celery and some crushed garlic in olive oil before you add the beans (with liquid). That is so great over plain white rice. Easy. If you want to add bread, you can, but only the bread obsessed people will miss it. (1-2 out of 20.)

Meantime, make and freeze the peanut buttter cookie recipe posted on this link for dessert. They're fantastic with choped dark chocolate.

(As if you needed more to do to prepare for the big move,) Good luck, hope all goes well.

[GFinDC]

You can get some frozen Italian ices at many grocery stores. They come in little cups and are dairy free and taste good too. Luigi's is one brand. Would be good thing for people to cool off fast and all you need is a spoon for each person to eat them. You could also get some brown rice wraps if you have a Trader Joe's nearby. Warm them in the nuker a few seconds to soften and they can eat burgers with them. If you make burgers in the shape of a hot dog they fit in a wrap real well. They are a lot cheaper then buying gluten-free bread too.

[kareng]

All good ideas! Thanks everyone. I really think I will do several big salads--green salad (with lots of non-gluten, non-dairy topping options), potato salad, maybe a bean salad. And then do a meat that would be easy like grilled BBQ chicken. I mentioned the grill idea to my hubby and he got really excited. Even when I said, "Are you sure you would want to grill after moving a bunch of stuff in the heat? He said he did and thought we would need to do something like that to have enoguh food for everyone--he's thinking like a man and knows just salads and cold cuts won't be enough.

I love the idea of having popsicles too! We'll have big pitchers of gatorade made up and sweet tea too.

Will this be his first grill? My hub was so excited when he got his first grill. It was one of those tiny on the ground ones. Maybe get 4 hamburgers on. He had a basement apartment, with a small street level window. He would stand on a chair, open the window & stick the grill out to cook. When we got married, we got a regular sized Weber. Against the law to cook on the balcony, so we would lower it over the 8 foot drop into the grass. He grilled in 35 degrees & freezing rain.

BBQ chicken is good as you wouldn't need a bun.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Will this be his first grill? My hub was so excited when he got his first grill. It was one of those tiny on the ground ones. Maybe get 4 hamburgers on. He had a basement apartment, with a small street level window. He would stand on a chair, open the window & stick the grill out to cook. When we got married, we got a regular sized Weber. Against the law to cook on the balcony, so we would lower it over the 8 foot drop into the grass. He grilled in 35 degrees & freezing rain.

BBQ chicken is good as you wouldn't need a bun.

Oh no, he's had many grills over the years. We had to give up our grill when we moved to this city and the only place we could find to rent didn't allow grills--not even if we ditched the propane tank and stored it and didn't use it. We have really missed having one and having a yard too! Even though the yard is small I plan to cover most of it with a good sized vegetable garden.

That's hilarious that you would lower the grill from the balcony to use it! I can see my husband doign something like that if we were allowed to!

[kareng]

That's hilarious that you would lower the grill from the balcony to use it! I can see my husband doign something like that if we were allowed to!

He would lift it over the rails & rest 2 wheels on the edge of the balcony that stuck out, en I would grab it & hold it while he ran around the building. Then he would take it. I would lower a chair so he could go up & down. Remember, we were young back then. Some guys get so excited about grilling.