Alright, so last weekend, decided to have a few folks over. You know how it is, casual get-together. But you gotta feed people, right? So, I thought, let’s do some easy party food. Nothing too crazy, just stuff everyone likes.
Getting Started – The Plan
First thing, I sat down and made a list. Didn’t want to be running around like a headless chicken. Decided on pulled pork because you can just let the slow cooker do the work. Plus, who doesn’t like pulled pork?
Here was the rough menu:
- Slow cooker pulled pork
- Coleslaw (gotta have slaw with pork)
- Some kind of easy appetizer – ended up doing mini quiches
- And maybe pigs in blankets, always a winner
- Brownies for something sweet, baked the day before
Looked manageable. Key was doing as much as possible ahead of time.
Prep Day – The Day Before
Went to the supermarket. Got the pork shoulder, buns, all the slaw ingredients, stuff for the quiches, little sausages, pastry, brownie mix (yeah, I used a mix, fight me). Of course, I forgot the darn paprika for the pork rub. Had to make a quick second trip. Always happens.
Back home, I tackled the brownies first. Mixed it up, poured it in the pan, baked it. House smelled good already. Let them cool completely, then covered them up tight. Done.
Then, got the pork shoulder ready. Made a simple rub – salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and that paprika I nearly forgot. Rubbed it all over the pork. Put it in the slow cooker liner, ready to just pop in the cooker the next morning.
Shredded the cabbage and carrots for the slaw. Made the dressing in a separate jar – mayo, vinegar, sugar, bit of mustard. Kept them separate so the slaw wouldn’t get soggy overnight.
Party Day – Go Time!
First thing in the morning, like 8 AM, I plopped the pork into the slow cooker, set it to low. Knew it needed a good 8-10 hours. Checked it occasionally, mostly just let it do its thing. The smell started filling the house after a few hours, seriously good.
Around 3 PM, few hours before people were due, I got busy again.
Whipped up the mini quiches. Used ready-made tart shells, saved a ton of hassle. Just mixed eggs, cream, cheese, some pre-cooked bacon bits I chopped up. Filled the shells, baked them until they were golden. Let them cool a bit.
Then, the pigs in blankets. Rolled the little sausages in strips of puff pastry. Lined them up on a baking sheet, covered it, and stuck it in the fridge. Planned to bake these right as guests started arriving so they’d be hot.
Mixed the coleslaw dressing into the shredded cabbage mix. Gave it a good stir and put it back in the fridge. It needs a little time for the flavors to get friendly.
Serving It Up
About 20 minutes before the first guests were supposed to show, I put the pigs in blankets in the oven.
Checked the pork – it was falling apart beautifully. Took two forks and shredded the whole thing right in the slow cooker pot. Stirred in some BBQ sauce, not too much, let people add more if they wanted. Turned the slow cooker to the ‘keep warm’ setting.
Pulled out the brownies, cut them into squares. Arranged the mini quiches on a platter. Got the bowl of coleslaw out. Put out the buns next to the slow cooker.
As the pigs in blankets came out of the oven, hot and puffy, the doorbell rang. Perfect timing for once.
People just helped themselves. It wasn’t fancy, but it was hot, tasty, and pretty easy on me. Everyone seemed happy, plenty of food, lots of chat. That’s what it’s all about, really. Pulled pork was gone, always a good sign. Clean up wasn’t even that bad. Success, I’d say.