Holiday Dinner Idea: Comfort Food Bar {+ Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PotPiePlease #CollectiveBias

With the holiday season in full swing, there are sure to be a few parties on your list, right? I love having friends and family over for dinner, and have fun creating a menu, but I do not always love the stress that can go along with it. Have you ever tried to keep your house clean before people come over with 3 kids running around? Uggggh. Pure torture!

With that said, we are lucky to have some amazing neighbors, so I let my house go with kid clutter for the sake of having them over for dinner. With 9 kids between us, I loved planning this comfort food bar that even the kids could enjoy, too!

It took me a few years, but I have learned to not over do it with food so I am stuck in the kitchen and not with my glass of wine 😉 I usually have a three item rule when cooking for others: A meat, a starch/carb and something green.

For this meal, my meat item was a few different Marie Callender’s Pot Pies. I love that these are super easy to bake, and taste good too. An occasional pot pie was always in the mix of my mom’s dinner rotations, and Marie Callender’s was always the brand choice because of the flaky crust. {Seriously, it’s the BEST store-bought crust for fruit pies too.} Tastes like homemade!

We found them at our local Walmart. My husband loves the beef pot pies, while I like the traditional chicken or turkey. For our gathering, we had one of each. We popped them in an hour and a half before the party and they stayed hot while sitting out for quite some time.

TIP: To ensure the crust doesn’t burn, cover the edges with aluminum foil!

For my green item, I chose a simple salad, with dressings and toppings as a choice.

For the starch/carb, I chose mashed potatoes. I love these because they are cheap to buy, pretty much everyone loves them, and they’re a great comfort food during cooler weather.

I typically make my potatoes from scratch, but they involve a lot of extra dishes, which isn’t always conducive to entertaining. Instead, a crock pot works great!

Here’s how to make them in the crock pot for a group of 10-12 people:

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Ideas for toppings:

• Cheese
• Sour cream {or plain Greek yogurt}
• Bacon
• Mini broccoli pieces {Walmart has a small bag in the produce area that makes steaming a cinch!}
• Green onions
• Chopped ham
• Gravy
• Salsa
• Horseradish
• Fried onion straws
• Diced tomatoes

I love how easy mashed potatoes are to customize! Makes it super easy when entertaining a group with kids who tend to be picky.

Paired with a Marie Callender pot pie, this meal is sure to be a hit. I mean, who doesn’t love comfort foods during the holidays? And bonus: It all tastes amazing reheated, too!

Save money on Marie Callender’s pot pies by visiting here for a printable coupon! Or join Ibotta for a rebate on the 10 oz size or the family size portion. Yum!

Learn more about Marie Callender’s meal ideas by following the brand on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram and Pinterest.

What are your favorite foods for winter and holiday entertaining?