Casserole for a Crowd

I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends. Nancie J. Carmody

Last year at this time, there were four girls all living in a row. Since then, two have moved on, and I was worried that some strange person would move next door. To my surprise, my cute friend Nicole said she was looking at buying one of the two houses. Yea. Luckily she chose the one next to me because I'm now sandwiched by two precious girls.

At the end of July, Nicole was finally settled into her new home. It's now almost the end of August, and I thought it was high time to officially welcome her to our little neighborhood. So, last night, I invited a few girls over for a little dinner party to celebrate Nicole's arrival. It was a gathering of old friends and new over a few hors d'oeuvres, a healthy dinner and a lot of wine and Margaritas.

Throwing a party is easy. I don't say this to anger anyone who has been unsuccessful in the entertaining category of life. I say it because I've come up with a system that is almost fool-proof. Keep the menu simple, delegate duties, clean your house the night before, and don't stress out. If you work a nine to five job, you can't possibly expect to shower your guests with stunning hors d'oeuvres, an elaborate dinner and signature cocktails. Unless you're Superwoman or Ina Garten, it's just not possible. If you can accomplish all of this, call me, we need to talk.

Step 1: Keep the menu simple
I haven't found very many people in this world who don't like Mexican food. For that reason, I thought a Mexican themed dinner would please the crowd. Instead of the tired old "build your own taco" bar, I took a wonderful dish, calabacitas, from my travels to New Mexico and turned it into a one dish wonder to feed a crowd. The whole purpose of a one dish meal is to have your food groups covered at one fell swoop. I decided upon creating a casserole and a side salad. Casseroles have gotten a bad rap over the years, but I'm determined to rescue them from the depths of the 1970s potluck dinners and church covered suppers and bring them back into the lives of new millennium families everywhere! Ok, that was a bit dramatic, but I do love a good casserole. It was easy, quick and vegetarian (sorry carnivores, there'll be meat next time, I promise).

Step 2: Delegate Duties
When you are hosting a dinner party at your house, more often than not, it's for friends, family or people close to you. If this is the case, dont be affraid to ask for help. Again, I am not Superwoman or Ina, and I've found that I'm more relaxed and have a better time if I focus my energy on what I do best, dinner. Don't be affraid to ask for help because frankly, your friends don't want to watch you slave away in the kitchen while they're milling around munching on chips and dip.

Most of the time, your guests will offer to help. As in the case of last night, when I sent out the email (I know, I know, an email is so impersonal, but it was a last minute invitation and for goodness sake, they're my friends, they'll get over it) everyone replied with a form of, "Can't wait. Let me know what I can do to help." I took them all up on it. I wanted to make the meal, but I didn't have time to make hors d'oeuvres or dessert. Let me correct that statment, I didn't feel like making hors d'oeuvres and I loathe making desserts. So I asked my sweet freinds, Carson, Nicole and Janna to bring some dips. Then, I asked Janna to bring dessert, since she is, hands down, the best baker in the bunch. For the rest of the folks, I asked them to bring wine, beer or cocktails since a few libations get every party going. Delegate, delegate, delegate.

Step 3: Clean Your House the Night Before
For a lot of people, especially in the South, guests are not allowed in your home until you feel comfortable enough to let them eat off your floor. With that in mind, I took a few hours the night before to tidy up a bit. There is nothing worse than people showing up and you're wearing workout clothes and reeking of Clorox.

Step 4: Don't Stress Out
If you follow steps 1 through 3 then stress should never be an issue. Kidding, sort of. I know there are always elements that are out of your control, but handle them and don't panic. No one will notice, I promise. And if they do, kick them out because you could never please them anyway.

Hosting a party is just an excuse for me to show off my culinary skills while gathering a bunch of friends who don't spend enough time together over a home cooked meal. It's an ingenious concept, really. Hmm, maybe I'll throw a dinner party next week. How about a Greek supper?

Calabacitas Casserole with Polenta and Cheese
Adapted from Rachel Ray

1 green chile (pablano) pepper
3 tbs. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 small zucchini, chopped
2 small yellow squash, chopped
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt & pepper
1 15 oz. can petit diced tomoatoes, drained
1 24 oz. tube prepared polenta
3 cups Mozzarealla cheese, shredded

Preheat broiler. Slit the chile lenghtwise and scrape out the seeds. Put the chile on a foil covered baking sheet and place in the oven. Broil for 5-7 minutes per side until the skin is blistered. Remove from oven and place the chile in a mixing bowl and cover with platic wrap. After several minutes, the pepper will be cool enough to handle and peel the skin away. Chop pepper into a small dice.

Turn oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 2 tbs. olive oil in a large skillet with sides on medium heat. Add corn, green chile and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add other tbs. oil to pan. Add the squash, zucchini, onion, chili powder, salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 8-9 minutes until vegetables are tender. In the meantime, slice polenta lenghtwise into 1/2" slices. Set aside. Add tomatoes and warm through. Taste for seasonings. Transfer to a casserole dish sprayed with Pam.

Place polenta slices on top of veggies. Cover with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve with tortillia chips and Margaritas.