• Kringler on November 04, 2010

  I agree with debrakp. I tend to spend a lot of time searching for perfect recipes, thereby reducing the time available for actually pulling off the party, i.e., shopping, cooking, cleaning, and adding nifty finishing touches. Pam Anderson's recipes really are perfect for having people over because they 1) are reliable and delicious, 2) preserve the integrity of the dishes whilst keeping preparation manageable, 3) appeal to a broad spectrum of appetites and sensibilities , 4) take a supporting role and allow fellowship to be the star of the show.

• debrakp on October 26, 2010

  I go to this book first, whenever I entertain. It has recipes for a variety of types of gatherings. A really nice feature is that it makes multiple suggestions for side dishes, beverages, etc. and then tells you the page number to find them.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Classic chicken noodle soup

  • PennyG on October 05, 2014

    Like all of Pam's recipes, this is solid with many variations. I added a squirt of fresh lemon to serve.

• Oven-barbecued pork for sandwiches or carnitas

  • Jadonatelli on December 01, 2021

    I followed this recipe as written and cooked the pork to an internal temp of 170. It was cooked through, but wasn’t tender enough to be pulled. I did some more research and found that most sources recommend cooking to 195 degrees. Otherwise, the flavor was good. I will try again one day and see if it works better to cook it longer.

• Really good lasagna

  • PennyG on July 26, 2020

    I just love Pam Anderson. I have all of her books and have gone to every one of her cooking classes when she comes to HEB Central Market in San Antonio. Anyhoooo, this is of course a keeper. I really like her details such as exactly how much sauce to use in each layer so you don’t have a lot leftover at the end. This was a 3-4 hour project (I doubled it), but oh so worth it!

  • PennyG on February 08, 2025

    Me again! This is such a good recipe. Takes a while but so worth it. I pretty much follow all the directions exactly. Today, however, I used regular lasagna noodles, didn’t boil, didn’t even soak per the recipe directions and it came out absolutely perfect!

• My big fat Greek frittata

  • Kringler on May 08, 2011

    Very good method for cooking the frittata---more tender than other methods I have tried. I am going to increase seasoning next time---lots of fresh oregano, a little parsley, double garlic, and some red pepper flakes.

• Easy savory strata

  • Kringler on May 08, 2011

    Seriously good. The definitive strata recipe, in my opinion. I took it to a brunch potluck, and it was the first dish to go. Many compliments.

  • MKinLA on January 21, 2013

    Really delicious and fit for a crowd. I used chicken and apple sausage as the pound of meat, red, yellow, and orange peppers and red onions (sauteed until soft) as the (not quite) pound of vegetables, and Cabot extra sharp cheddar cheese. Served as the savory dish alongside a Creme Brulee French Toast (find at epicurious.com) as the sweet dish at a brunch for 12, and they paired beautifully.

• Sun-dried tomato spread with fresh basil

  • Christinalego on July 30, 2022

    7/22 Great and easy, Becky and Judd here

• Creamy sweet potato soup with ginger and nutmeg

  • Swiz58 on February 19, 2013

    Absolutely delicious. It is worth buying the cookbook just for this recipe

• Creamy cauliflower soup with saffron and ginger

  • PennyG on November 03, 2013

    This is so delicious as well as the many variations to the master recipe. I make this often!

• Green bean-cherry tomato salad with basil-buttermilk dressing

  • Christinalego on March 19, 2021

    Great dressing

• S'more bars

  • esjro on June 21, 2014

    I made this for a potluck at work. It is embarrassingly easy to prepare, yet people went nuts about it. Kids love these too.