<p>I’m hosting dinner for 25 - 30 people on Dec 23 and need ideas for what to serve. Although this IS the Christmas dinner for my dad’s side of family, I can’t serve ham or turkey because we’ll see lots of that on the next few nights. </p>
<p>So, I’m thinking jambalaya. Simple. Crock pot. But, what goes with it? </p>
<p>The guests will be half kids (ages 7 - 21) and half parents/grandparents. Hors d’oevres and dessert are pot luck from the guests.</p>
<p>Thanks for ideas.</p>
<p>Crawfish pie and file gumbo, of course. (Thank you, Hank Williams.)</p>
<p>More constructively – I don’t actually know what file gumbo is – I would suggest rice and green salad, and maybe some other green vegetable (beans, asparagus).</p>
<p>Fil</p>
<p>Beer, tabasco sauce, pecan pie. Mountain Dews for kids.</p>
<p>Jambalaya IS a rice dish. I’d serve it with a green salad and french bread. I also like the suggestion of jalapeno corn bread.</p>
<p>would serve caesar salad and french bread. bread pudding for dessert.</p>
<p>OK. Thanks. Salad and bread. That’s what I thought.</p>
<p>Agree. And If you’re making the Jambalaya spicy, I’d make a cooling salad–maybe a citrus based dressing. And maybe make the bread garlic.</p>
<p>Don’t forget the iced tea!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Oops, I got confused and was thinking of gumbo. I often think of both. :)</p>
<p>My (huge) family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. Everyone has a traditional dish to bring and they include jambalaya, beef bourgignon, coq au vin, a ham, potato and onion salad and a green salad. To start, we have a huge Italian antipasto and one of my sisters makes a homemade buche de Noel for dessert. Strange but true and we ALL love it. This menu has not changed since my mother started serving it in the mid-1960s all those chafing dishes were put to work.</p>
<p>Agree with hmom, a salad with some citrus. An easy, easy one that won’t wilt is lettuce, mandarin oranges, almond slices serve with Catalina dressing. Or use chunks of pears or some other fruit. I like crusty bread or spoon drop cheddar/garlic biscuits when I make jambalaya.</p>
<p>Hushpuppies! with a tabasco dip.</p>
<p>[Bacon</a> Scallion Hush Puppies Recipe at Epicurious.com](<a href=“http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bacon-Scallion-Hush-Puppies-108353]Bacon”>http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bacon-Scallion-Hush-Puppies-108353)</p>
<p>I do jumbalaya often, and always serve it with corn bread or corn muffins. Often make homemade applesauce on the side as well…</p>
<p>I went to a catered lunch in Baton Rouge today that had jambalaya, caesar salad, green beans, rolls and cookies. It was yummy. If children will be present, I find many of them love green beans but hate caesar salad. I also think good hot biscuits made from Bisquick or some such go a lot better with jambalaya than plain old rolls (down here Copeland’s and Popeye’s biscuits are perfect, but don’t know if you have those chains where you are). The corn bread everyone is suggesting sounds good, although now that I think of it I have been to jambalaya events where corn souffle was served with the jambalaya and that was good too…</p>