When you become a parent, you become a playdate host. Congratulations. Welcome to my world. Playdates are fun. As an attendee at probably hundreds of playdates (note that I organize a 700-member playgroup), I think they are a fabulous way to get in some adult-time for me and some socialization and romping for my toddler. (And an excuse to eat Tater Tot casserole, which was not a dish I valued pre-children.)
As you progress from baby playdates (where let’s be honest, it’s all about us, and by us I mean moms), to the toddler playdate, the hosting of the playdate becomes more of a task. Whereas, the baby playdate entails a little house cleaning and dog-hair removal for little crawlers/rollers and some light snacks, the toddler playdate entails cooking for lots of eaters and embracing the concept of total-home destruction.
As a toddler-playdate hostess, I refuse to clean a week prior to the invasion. I clean after the tornado/toddlers have blitzed my home. I also have adopted a new theory about food. Rather than cook an 8-serving meal for my mom-friends and another 10-serving meal for the kids, everyone gets the same thing. Sure it may be a little “dumbed” down for the adults, and a little bit “fancy” for the kids (and by fancy I mean a vegetable may be involved), but it sure takes the load off.
So for those of you that land in the hostess boat for a toddler playdate, let me introduce a meal that went over swimmingly with my playdate guests and was a breeze to prepare. I can’t come over to your house to help you clean up afterward, but can offer this tip: paper plates, paper cups, and disposable utensils. You can be “green” tomorrow.
The Menu:
I prepped 2 Tater Nugget Hot Dish Casseroles (we generally have 8 moms and 10 kids at our playdates). We did have a several leftover servings, but I was glad to have made a double batch.
Tater Tot Casserole, recipe adapted from the Pillsbury One-Dish Cookbook
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped celery (1 medium stalk)
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
- Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef, onions and celery over medium heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
- Stir in both soups, the green beans, garlic powder and pepper and thyme; spoon into 9×13 casserole coated with cooking spray. Top (liberally!) with potato nuggets.
- Bake uncovered 40 to 50 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and potato nuggets are golden brown.
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To make ahead, cover with foil and freeze. Bake (no need to thaw) covered at 375°F for 1 hour 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer.
For sides:
The kids got a side dish of fruit. From a can. The adults were supposed to get a side salad. My lettuce was mushy. So instead, they got lemony hummus with veggies. I think it went well, so I’m recommending it. The kids liked it too. But, if you’re more into the salad idea, go for it!
For dessert: Moms and kids both liked the Cinnamon Cornflake Treats (think Rice Crispie Treats). Once again, I made a double batch, because I wanted leftovers! You can make these up to a day ahead of time and store in an air-tight container.
To make a single batch: Melt one 10 oz. package of marshmallows and 2 tb. butter over medium heat in a LARGE heavy saucepan. Stir frequently. Once melted, stir in 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 6 cups of corn flakes. Mix well, then pour into a greased 8×8 (or 9×9) pan, lined with parchment paper with 2 inches overhang on each side. Once completely cooled, lift out of the pan and cut into squares.
Happy Hosting!
Nice meeting you. I am a new follower of your blog.
Dawn @ Mom-a-Logues
http://www.mom-a-logues.blogspot.com