Holiday party food

[mbcdefg]

Our annual holiday party is coming up. Usually I make a ton of homemade apps but I'm not up to that this year. Last year I got frozen apps from Costco but I don't even want to do that because I don't want to be using the oven all night because it heats up the house and I'm on my feet all night. We should have around 30-40 people coming. 

Which would you rather have as the main:

barbecued meat (pulled pork and/or BBQ brisket) with rolls to make your own sandwiches; I can make crockpot pulled pork myself or order the meat from a good local bbq place
or
cold cut sandwiches (either a big party sub cut into smaller pieces, or a tray of small sub pieces/wraps from Costco or Jersey Mike's)

With a homemade pan of mac and cheese alongside either option (only one vegetarian attending)

ETA: Or should I just order pizza

I will supplement with:

veggie tray
chips, pretzels, dip
crockpot meatballs on toothpicks
pigs in a blanket
someone always brings a cheese tray; people bring other apps too

Any other app ideas that I can just buy and put out with no/minimal prep or heating?

Sweets:
brownies
cheesecake-stuffed strawberries
people always bring more desserts

beer, wine (guests bring a lot), soda, juice for the kids

[MrsDarcy]

I would go with BBQ. But wouldn't complain with any of those options.

[UnderProtest]

Definitely BBQ. I'm not a fan of deli meats and you can keep the BBQ warm in the crockpot instead of cold pizza.

[Roc A Bee]

BBQ!!

[Wanderista]

I'd probably eat any of these but BBQ seems simpler than the cold cuts. People have different preferences for different types of sandwich fillings. Macaroni and cheese is a great complement. 

[compassrose]

BBQ and mac and cheese. Yum!

[bostonmichelle]

BBQ with mac and cheese!

[cajunmom]

Definitely the BBQ. Sounds good!

[Deleted]

BBQ with a carb+cheese dish is always the way to go. They compliment each other so well.

[mbcdefg]

Thanks! Sounds like barbecue is the way to go. 

The restaurant's catering menu says 10 lbs of chop pork/brisket will feed about 40 people (4 oz portions).

So should I get 5 lbs of each meat, or would 3 or 4 lbs. each be better?

[tacokick]

Dec 1, 2016 9:08:32 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Thanks! Sounds like barbecue is the way to go. 

The restaurant's catering menu says 10 lbs of chop pork/brisket will feed about 40 people (4 oz portions).

So should I get 5 lbs of each meat, or would 3 or 4 lbs. each be better?

I'd get 5 each to be safe, some people might really go to town and it is good to have choices.

[mbcdefg]

Dec 1, 2016 9:11:42 GMT -5 tacokick said:

Dec 1, 2016 9:08:32 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Thanks! Sounds like barbecue is the way to go. 

The restaurant's catering menu says 10 lbs of chop pork/brisket will feed about 40 people (4 oz portions).

So should I get 5 lbs of each meat, or would 3 or 4 lbs. each be better?

I'd get 5 each to be safe, some people might really go to town and it is good to have choices.

Plus, leftovers for meeeeeeeeee.

[spinnaker5]

BBQ sounds great - you might want to consider making one of the two choices chicken. As a non- red meat eater I am always happy to prepare and bring a dish to friends' parties so I know I'll be able to eat something other than the raw veggie tray, so delegating a couple of alternatives out could be another option. If all your guests are cool with meat, nvm obviously.