I've made this pumpkin empanada recipe. It's good and pretty easy. If I remember right, if you have a fleshy pumpkin it can make about double the filling. It would be nice if it were written by weight, but you can make it work.

I don't think I'd care for a dip kind of thing in a boat. If there will be plates, you could put out hummus and bean dip with spoons, and pita chips and tortilla chips for people to dress themselves, or dip into what they put on their plates.

I worked hard to develop a gluten free, soy free, lentil and bean loaf, and it's really good. It's based on a recipe from a blog which was based on a recipe in a book, and now I have it down. If you want, I can also upload or e-mail to you a much easier to work through version. It would also make a good filling in a pie or turnover.

There are all kinds of non-meat pies. Besides samosas, there are tiropita and spanakopita (cheese or spinach filling rolled in filo).

You could adapt all of these fillings to tarts. If you want to really play up the pie idea, that's the thing to do. You can even buy tart shells in several sizes at the restaurant supply store if you don't wan't to roll and cut them all out. Those usually have heavy bottoms to keep them manageable.

You could make minced meat (not to be confused with mincemeat, which is fruit, but also makes a good pie), pumpkin, spinach, fish, chicken, bean and lentil, cheese, etc., etc.

There are also all kinds of fish empanada recipes, and veggie ones.

This isn't helping. Give us some more guidance on what you want to make!

Small chicken vol-au-vents? A bit retro, but still good.
Or filled with sweetbreads in a lovely mushroom sauce.
Or these vegetarian pies : see link

Here is a link that might be useful: link

plllog: Thank you! I think I've decided to forego the empanada idea for this event due to the struggle with keeping them warm and yummy. The lentil loaf is a bit ambitious for the timing of this party too. But my young vegan friend will be over several times during the Christmas season when my daughter comes home for a visit (they're BFFs) so I will definitely try both recipes then.

islay: My dad was a fan of sweetbreads. I, alas, am not. The vol-au-vents and veggie pies look fabulous, though I'll probably make them for hubby and myself, rather than trying them for 40. Again, I'm concerned about keeping them warm.

I x-posted this question to the home decorating conversations forum and they've suggested I keep it simple with one large penne and marinara dish, a cold (or room temp) pasta with olive oil and veggies, salad and some type of roll. Annie Deighnaugh came up with some amusing food names to go with my opera theme, including Turan Dough and Pagliaccheese, lol.

I think we'll do the pies for dessert since they will not need to be kept warm that way.

plllog, Got a good vegan pizza dough recipe that I can turn into breadsticks?

What about a penne recipe that will hold well in a crockpot, roaster or rented chafing dish? (Sigh, why didn't I take my mom's when she offered them to me?)

You are doing absolutely the right thing by going with something you feel comfortable with serving.

I would have chosen the empanadas. They can be done way ahead and frozen, they don't have to be piping hot to serve, and they're easy to carry, portion and plate. The trick would be to get them good and hot all the way through at home, then wrap them well in foil pans or containers and Turkish towels (hot and steamy), then newspaper and cardboard, or even better, an ice chest cooler that you've warmed with boiling water. You can transfer to the roaster on site, if necessary, but they really should stay warm in a cooler if you don't open it until you're ready to put them out. In cardboard, maybe or maybe not.

The trick is to mark the crust so it's easy to identify what's inside. You can use a cookie stamp, or put different colorings in the dough (annatto, turmeric, etc.)

Here's a download link to the Bean and Lentil Loaf recipe much better organized for making, in a Word document.

For pasta, I'd cook it only halfway through, toss with oil to help keep it from sticking into a big ball, no fridge time, then heat it with just a little itty bit of water in the crock pots on site. That would help keep it from going mushy. I'd bring the sauces hot and also put them in crockpots to keep warm, and only combine them after the guests arrive, or let them just choose and combine pasta and sauce in their own dishes. Will they have dishes? If it's disposable, do try it with pasta first and make sure it's up to it. (Empanadas don't even really need a plate if people are milling around. Just napkins. If they're seated and want a spread, pasta looks more like a meal on a plate.)

I'm sure there are crockpot pasta recipes that do the whole dish at once, but I don't know how they keep it from turning into mushy glop. Maybe the people who suggested it know the answer? Pasta is pretty cheap for serving a lot of people, but it's also hard to make good under difficult circumstances.

Almost all pizza dough is vegan. Mine is whole wheat and starts with milling your own. People like King Arthur. If you want my recipe, I'll post it for you. :) Since it's a fundraiser, you might ask your favorite pizza place if they'll donate some dough to you, or sell it on the cheap. They might even make the breadsticks for you and donate them.

I would have gone to some bulk foods place that sells party foods and gotten a big frozen bag of meat pies and heated them in the oven and brought them, lol! No matter how you slice it, making small pies for a party is not fun or easy. On the flip side, you could make BIG pies and then cut. I once made quiche for 100! Vegan quiche, well, I dunno, maybe something with tofu?

Plllog, I really wanted to make the empanadas and I'd thought I'd read the boiling water in the cooler trick (probably here) but so many folks were questioning it ... and then someone suggested the pasta. It sure does sound easier to make a couple of big pots of something than all the fussy little pies. I can rent a couple of restaurant quality chafing dishes for just a little $. Do you think they'd do a better job than the crockpots? Also, when I first read your comments re the breadsticks, I thought it said that you mill PEOPLE. Soylent Green!

lpink, A trip to the food service store did cross my mind. I considered quiche too, since it's not so bad at room temp but I didn't think it was possible to make vegan quiche. What do you use as the egg substitute?

LOL!!

I agree that big pots of stuff is easier. It's the pasta that I'm questioning. It doesn't do well sitting in a chaffing dish. So, I guess the question is how good do you want the food to be? At the hospital cafeteria--not a bastion of fine dining--they have a chef making pasta to order on an induction hot plate. The pasta is pre-cooked most of the way, but it's not held hot or combined with the sauce, specifically because it would turn to moosh.

Casseroles work great. You could make one vegan/gluten free enchilada casserole, and do some with chicken, meat or fish. They don't have to be mexican. It could be lasagna, though vegan cheese doesn't melt right, and I'd make it all about the filling (bean spread, olives, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.) and not about cheese.

Actually, if you make them in deep dish pie plates, you could call them pies! Those can be easily cooked ahead and rewarmed, and will do fine in the roaster or over candles/sterno. But also ask around. Some of your friends might have electric hot trays. If you slice them before putting them out, you can control portions.

Then you could put mulled cider in a crockpot or two, and maybe a soup or cocoa.

If you don't want to put boiling water directly in the cooler (they were questioning it for cooking corn in, because the water would touch the food), you can put a pot or steel bowl in the cooler, on a towel, pour the boiling water in it, and shut the lid until you're ready to load it. Don't boil the water in the pot or the pot will be too hot. You could probably even use an electric heating pad, like for backaches. Just don't squish the cord. The cooler doesn't have to be hot, just warmer than colder.

When I was in college, we made empanadas to sell at a cultural fair in our dorm kitchen (a very basic and little used space). It only took a few hours for three of us to make hundreds. If that's what you want to do, go for it. It's probably the easiest thing to make and serve where there's no oven and still be good.

The dough in the recipe I linked is just enough for a dozen, if I remember right, but it was super easy to make and handle, and didn't tear or separate. One thing that makes it easy is that you separate the portions before you roll, so you just have to flatten a small disc.

I'm not trying to convince you! Just encouraging you to follow your heart.

Easiest still, I use refrigerator biscuits, roll them out thin and put in the filling of your choice. Fold, crimp and bake. They're just as good at RT as they are hot, and will hold well in a chafing stand.

Steve

I dunno about "vegan quiche." Kind of an oxymoron. I'm sure their are recipes, but if I was doing a vegan pie, I wouldn't call it quiche. And for the record, I am hopelessly "pie challenged" so making lots of empanadas is my personal version of purgatory! But that is JUST ME! When I made all those quiches I had already made pie crust for them. I would LOVE eating empanadas that someone else made though! :) Or if I was doing it with someone lovely like Pllog it might be a teeny bit fun!

As far as using hot water in a cooler, also JUST ME, would surely find a way to burn herself!

Do you have a pizza stone? I've used mine and a giant bread/biscuit warmer by heating it well in the oven. When it's time to transport, I take it out and put it on a folded beach towel and put one layer over the top -- so no one gets scalded fingers (my giant potholder -- LOL) and put the food to be kept warm on top. I then put another towel over the top and tuck it over. My large pizza stone will hold two casseroles.

I can't think of any pizza crust I have made that isn't vegan -- unless you put cheese in the crust, which I rarely do. I agree that seeing if you could get breadsticks donated might be a good idea. If not a pizza place, perhaps Olive Garden? I think I remember seeing breadsticks similar to theirs at Sam's or Costco -- worth checking. And they might donate for a fundraiser. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase the bread (or get something made donated). Even if you are a gifted baker, that's time and effort for a large group that I don't think will make a difference for your purpose. Home dinner party? Yes. Fundraiser away from home? Not unless this is a very discerning group that will reward your efforts with larger donations. Most folks rely on the alcohol for that. LOL

Sorry to be so long in responding. A combination of electronic and real life challenges (no biggies) have kept me away. My friend and I spoke briefly on the phone about our party menu and are hoping to hash it all out in person later today.

She's pushing for the Keep It Simple, Stupid method with the hotdogs and chips being the staple and the indoor food as a supplement. This is how we usually do it but I wanted to fancy it up a bit this year due to the opera theme.

She's suggesting a hot dip, a cold dip, crudites. Her mom will bring her famous potato casserole. (The pan always goes home empty.) And then maybe two vegetarian (not vegan) pasta casseroles in crock pots, with another crockpot of meatballs.

That will give the vegetarians (of which there are several) many options, same with the meat eaters. The lone vegan will still have soy dogs, the cold dip (Texas caviar), tortilla chips, the veggie tray and desserts.

She argues that we can tart up the presentation easier than we can fancy up the menu, lol. We both have a lot going on this week and not much time for trying out new dishes.

I SO appreciate all of your help. I learned a lot and will be trying out many of your suggestions -- but I'll be doing them at home parties.

Now, if you're not soured on it -- does anyone have a good vegetarian crockpot pasta recipe or two?

Thank you again for your kind and gracious assistance.

This is not a crockpot pasta -- more a salad that could easily be served cold or room temp, which could make things even easier for you. I found the recipe on another website and I think it came from a blog where the person recommending it had found it. My apologies to the author for only getting the first name -- no site to go check for more. Anyway, the recipe is very good. We used Olive Garden's Italian Dressing because we had some open but I don't remember what I used for the seasoning (never heard of Spike). Might have just been a seasoned pepper and maybe not a tsp. I had this on the brain this weekend, wanting to make it again, so thought I'd share since it is something a little different.

Whole Wheat Orecchiette Pasta Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper, and Mushrooms
(Makes at least 6 servings; recipe created by Kalyn.)

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
12 oz. brown Crimini mushrooms, cut into thick half in slices
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thick strips about 1 inch long
2 T olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (for seasoning roasted vegetables)
1/2 lb. whole wheat Orecchiette pasta (or use any smallish whole wheat pasta shape)
salt, for pasta cooking water
1/2 cup thickly sliced green onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly ground Parmesan
Dressing Ingredients:
6 T purchased Italian Dressing (for South Beach Diet use a dressing with less than 2 grams of sugar per serving, I used Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing)
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or use any all-purpose seasoning blend)
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Break a piece of asparagus to see where the woody part starts, then trim all the asparagus to that size and cut into 1 inch pieces. Seed pepper and cut into strips about 1 inch long. Wash mushrooms if needed and cut into thick slices (or half-slices if the mushrooms are large.) Put the prepared vegetables into a bowl and toss with 2 T olive oil; season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Spray or brush baking sheet with olive oil or nonstick spray and arrange vegetables in a single layer. (Next time I'd use 2 pans if the vegetables look crowded.) Roast vegetables 15-20 minutes, or until they're starting to shrivel but not completely soft. While vegetables are roasting, fill a medium-sized pot with water, add about 1 tsp. of salt, and bring to a boil.

Remove vegetables from the oven and cool on the baking sheet 4-5 minutes. While vegetables cool, whisk together the salad dressing, Spike Seasoning and coarse ground pepper. Chop the parsley and slice the green onions. When the roasted vegetables are partly cooled, put them in a colander placed in the sink and let them drain until any excess liquid runs off. (Don't skip this step or the salad will be watery.) After vegetables drain, return to bowl and toss with 3-4 T of the dressing mixture and let vegetables marinate.

Cook pasta to barely al dente (check package cooking time.) Drain pasta into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with COLD water, and then let drain well, stirring a few times so it won't stick together.

When the pasta is well-drained, add it to the marinated vegetables, mix in the rest of the dressing, chopped parsley, and sliced green onions, and gently stir to combine. Add the freshly-grated Parmesan, stir again, and serve salad slightly chilled or at room temperature.

This was still quite good after it had been in the fridge overnight, although pasta salad like this is best freshly made.

Ohmigosh, lascatz, that sounds so good! Where the recipe calls for cooking the pasta "to barely al dente" am I to shoot for the crunchy side or the fully cooked side?

Edeevee, I think your decision sounds excellent. The hotdogs and sides takes a lot less prep, and it's what your guests expect. And pasta on the side doesn't have to be as substantial and perfect as it would for a main. Orecchiette is a perfect pasta for this. It's a little thicker and doesn't have a tube to trap water. It would serve like a warm pasta salad. That sounds better to me than a mooshy pasta casserole.

Why can't the pasta be vegan? Is cheese an essential component? It sounds like Lascatx's pasta without the parmesan, would be vegan, depending on what's in the dressing and mix, which can be chosen for no eggs or dairy as well. I don't know about converting it to the crockpot, but served normally, you could just leave the parm to the side. It wouldn't be as well incorporated, but would be inclusive of your vegan.

With pasta, one wishes to serve firm rather than mushy. Undercooking a little (i.e., "barely" al dente) allows it to absorb the dressing or sauce. For service in a crock pot, I'd drain it really well after cooking to a little farther under than that, bring the veg cooked and ready, and combine all on site. That gives the pasta a chance to finish in the warmth of the crockpot with the moisture of the dressing and vegetables, while you're busy putting out everything else.

What she said -- almost to just barely al dente so that it won't be too soft when it absorbs some liquid from the dressing. You could put the parmesan on the side or do a vegan sub (I'm assuming there is one since that would be a popular cheese flavor).

I think your veggie/vegan folks might like the fact that this uses a whole grain pasta -- and it looks substantial.

Have you ever made pasta with sausage and a pumpkin/sage sauce? I have made that and served from a crockpot to keep warm. This one could be adapted to veggie easily enough and possibly to vegan. It's a great fall pasta dish.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals Episode: Fall Favorites
Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked just to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce (not too thick).

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Sorry again. Busy time of year.

Friend/fellow hostess threw me a curve ball. She wants to serve cheeseburger soup. At first I was frustrated but, ya know what? It's her party too. Plus, she's been a darling about letting me run with this crazy opera theme for the rest of the event, and it looks like it's going to be soup weather anyway. So.

Our new, updated menu:
RING OF FIRE roasted hot dogs and veggie dogs with COSIney sauce, PUCCheeseNI sauce, WAGNER'S a SAUER KRAUT, plus all the usual fixins.

Accompanying the dogs will be:
PAGLIACheeseburger soup
CARMEN Get It Vegetarian Chili
PoTOSCAto Casserole

Desserts feature:
FIGARO Newtons
CIO CIO SAN'S Cherry Delight
MRS. LOVETT'S Pies (guaranteed no kittens/priests)
and Gimme S'mores of That There Opry Stuff

Thank you so much for all of your help. It was both fun and fruitful discussing this with you guys. I'll be trying out many of your recipes/methods in the coming months.

Have fun and good luck with the fundraiser. Let us know how it goes.

LOVE IT! (Get it?) Sorry. :)

Edeevee, it sounds good! Warming and Autumny and fun names for everything while keeping it in a manageable and known menu.

Have a marvelous time and make lots of money!