I would think 7 men who are heavy eaters will plow through that tenderloin easily. Can you add a side of crashed/smashed little tiny roasting potatoes? That may give them something else to focus on. The potatoes can be made ahead of time and reheated...

Alexa

Crashed potatoes

Ingredients
â¾12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
â¾3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
â¾ Kosher Salt To Taste
â¾ Black Pepper To Taste
â¾ Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crashed Potatoes

Under those conditions, I would get about a pound and a half of thinly sliced smoked turkey from a deli and arrange it cold on a platter next to the rolls. That should be enough protection from any tenderloin piggies.

OMG, love Crashed Potatoes and hadn't thought about them. Will see if my hostess has enough oven space for me to cook them. Do you think I could boil the potatoes here, haul them an hour and a half away, then smash and bake? What about boiling the day before, then letting them come to room temp as we drive? When we leave home Christmas Eve Day, we will be loading the car to be gone for 2 days. Would like to have as much done ahead as possible.

Ruthanna, good idea, except with all of the turkey around at this time of the year, I may do ham instead. One group will have already had turkey for lunch, and we will be having it the next day for lunch.

Any opinions on cocktail weinies or meatballs? I have a recipe for cocktail weinies: wrap each weinie in 1/3 slice of thin bacon, secure with toothpick, put in slow cooker, cover with 1/2 lb brown sugar. Cook on high for 3 hours. Bacon fat and sugar. What more could you ask for!

I was going to say meatballs or little smokies as they are always beloved, but I would probably do a smoked salmon side with appropriate garnishes.

However, with heavy meat eaters, meatballs and or smokies would probably be devoured in addition to the tenderloin.
And yes to the potatoes as you do need a substantial starch other than crackers. Even a good sliced artisan bread would be fine/good if the potatoes are difficult.

II was going to say sliced ham for the rolls but that would really be just an alternative rather than an addition to the beef.

I think the smokies or the meatballs make a nice addition to the beef but I think you also need something tangy and tart like a pickle tray.

Of the 7 men, I don't think you could describe any of them as having sophisticated palates. 4 of them are still in college and will eat nearly anything, so the little smokies and/or meatballs are probably right up their alley.

How many Crash Hot Potatoes per person would you suggest? 3 per male and 2 per female? (I will restrain myself, but if I went hog wild, I could probably eat 6 by myself!)

I might plan on 4 - 5 per person. If the guys have never had Crashed Potatoes, they may indeed go hog wild! LOL!

Alexa

Good advice, Alexa. Those things are addictive!

Let's discuss the logistics of Crashed Potatoes. What do y'all think about my boiling the potatoes on Monday, refrigerating, and then letting them come to room temp during our hour and a half ride? OR, would it be better to boil the potatoes on Monday, immediately crash and oil them, then refrigerate until Tuesday, do our little "over the river and through the woods" shtick, and bake off when I get to my hostess' house?

Oh, I need alternatives to a potato masher. We are living in a condo while our new house is being built. I have the bare minimums here. I've used a glass before but preferred the potato masher. A glass doesn't leave the little craggy pieces, and I really like that part! Can you think of any simple tool that leaves the craggy bits that I might have on hand? Hit Wal-mart and buy a potato masher? Wait until I get to my hostess' house and use hers?

I would boil and crash them while hot then refrigerate. I don't think you will get the little craggy bits if they are cold. I would then let them come to room temp on the drive and plan on the baking when you get there.

And yea, potato mashers are not a big ticket item, go splurge on a new one! LOL!

Alexa

Love the smashers. I had some left over from a mixed veg roasting. Had them with eggs the next morning. Roasting actually gets them a bit dryer. A different style than the boiled. But i've done them all the ways since an article in a magazine a few years ago. Seems many hopped onto the idea. I just smash then with a folded clean kitchen towel with my palm. The wide potato masher gives all the lifted crusties and i do that if served alongside, say, a steak.
For little potato cakes seared in a cast iron, skin-on new potatoes, i like them to get over crisp, so i attempt to keep them in a pancake shape.
Some use the bottom of a heavy pan to smash.
Yes, addicting. Crispy like a potato chip outside and creamy in the middle.
They could be roasted and even smashed ahead, even pan roasted ahead of time and re-heated, but the boiled method with the potato smasher will be too moist and fall apart most likely.

Here is a link that might be useful: crispy smashed potatoes

I love smashed potatoes. I usually use some garlic powder and olive oil. S and p too, of course.