Crockpot dinner party

For our school silent auction the big push is hosting an event. So I am hosting a crockpot dinner and prep night. The idea is that some adults will join me for an evening. I will provide dinner (from the crock pots) and supplies we will do prep so they also go home with bagged meals that can be frozen, when needed pull out, put into a crock pot and have a meal or such. That is the big concept. Menu ideas :

Appetizers

Creamy Spinach Dip

Bridget's caramelized onion pizza

Soup

Mom's clam chowder

Bridget's corn chowder

Main dish

Fejoida (Brazilian Black Beans)

Healthy Mama BBQ chicken

Dessert

Chocolate fountain (caramel or marshmallow creme in the crockpot to go with.)
Crockpot Carmel 

To keep it simple and easy, the prep meals to go will be the corn chowder and Fejoida. I will also probably send them home with a jar of caramelized onions. I will include all recipes. I am trying to come up with a non meat option along the lines of Fejoida. We will also have bread and salad with the meal. 

Any help or suggestions would be great, I'm a little worried about being overwhelmed.

New Year, New Recipe

I like Katie's idea of a food related goal for the new year. Fish is not so much a problem for us. It is beans. I really like beans but my family does not. I want to work on adding more beans to our diet. I got a pressure cooker for christmas with this in mind. So I told my family once a week we are going to have meatless meals. I'm thinking beans. but we need to start slow. I cooked curried lentils as a side dish with a meal they all like. Then I froze the lentils in small batches and have been adding it to soups and stew. I also made a Minestrone with great white northern beans. Brad seems to like that, so I'm sticking with the great white northern and going to try Bridget's Brazilian Black Beans w/o black beans and meat. 

1 med onion, chopped

2-3 Cans black beans, drained

1-2 T olive oil

1 lb Cut up Chorizo, Linguica, kielbasa, pork, or ham (any combination of 2-3 meats work well)

2 cloves garlic chopped

8oz can crushed tomatoes

Topping: 1 med tomato, 1 med onion, fresh cilantro, chopped olive oil and vinegar to taste.

In a large sauce pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add meat to brown add tomatoes and black beans. Simmer 20 -30 minutes, if time permits flavor is enhanced with additional simmering.

Serve beans over rive, garnish w/tomato, onion and cilantro.