Snacks to Banquets – Recipes for every occasion

Welcome to Snacks to Banquets

We’ve all been there! You’re invited to a potluck and have no idea what to make, or you invite that special someone to your home for dinner and don’t know what to serve. Snacks to Banquets will hopefully have the answers for you! Many of these recipes can be adapted to serve 1-2 people or the entire crowd at a family reunion. Most of the recipes can be served as either an appetizer, an entrée or somewhere in between. Each blog has a preparation and serving tips section, and when applicable, a Snacks to Banquets section with ideas for adapting the recipe for various occasions and the number of diners being served.

Scroll down to learn about our culinary journey and meet a few of our favorite dishes, or select from the menu above to go straight to the blogs or recipes.

Disclaimer: This is not a professional site. We are just two people (as you can see, Parrot Heads), who love to share our recipes and entertainment ideas. Most of the photos are taken from the web-host’s media library, but as we continue our recipe writing adventures, we hope to add more of our original photography and videos.

We welcome kind, constructive feedback. Email us at snackstobanquets@gmail.com.

Randy and Roberta Jackson

Original Idea: The Real Man’s Cookbook

Don’t let the name fool you! It took a real woman to help get this cookbook published.

Cooking for himself and others has been a lifelong joy for Randy. Wanting to share his culinary skills and recipes with other guys sparked the idea to write a cookbook based on life’s stages. It would have looked something like:

Chapter 1-Cooking for One, or “Do I Want Leftovers or Not?“
Chapter 2–Cooking for Roommates, or “It’s My Turn to Fix Dinner Again?“
Chapter 3–Cooking to Impress a Date, or “He Had Me at ‘More meatloaf?‘”
Chapter 4–Cooking for Your Family, or “Honey, What’s for Dinner?“
Chapter 5–Cooking for Parties/Banquets, or “I Think We’ll Need More Tables!“

The concept was a hit with friends and family. Even the ladies knew they’d be interested in the cookbook and said they’d want a copy.

The “cookbook” started taking shape in a 4 inch, D-Ring binder where it was organized not by life’s stages as originally planned, but by the course type. It’s been a few years, but we’re finally able to share our favorite recipes on this webpage. Many of these recipes can be modified to fit any number of occasions- whether you’re preparing a snack for yourself, an intimate dinner for a significant other, a brunch spread for your poker group or a banquet for a class reunion! Although originally developed to help his gentlemen friends and family, we invite everyone to enjoy these recipes. Please share the website with others if you find it useful.

I’m learning how to be a webmaster, so if something doesn’t make sense on our webpage, don’t worry. I’ll figure it out soon. We are going to be “Under Construction” for a long time.

Enjoy!

Here are some of our favorites. Click on the caption to read about the recipe.

Tasty homemade Italian lasagna served on a rustic setting with rosemary garnish.

2X4 Lasagna

Close-up of spicy prawns in sauce with chopsticks on a dark plate

Grilled Shrimp

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Glazed Meatloaf

The name for this lasagna was created when Randy was asked to contribute to a PTA cookbook fundraiser when working as a high school woodshop teacher. The recipe will make enough sauce for a large, 9X13 lasagna.

This appetizer is a popular crowd pleaser at potlucks, but easily becomes a dinner entrée served over rice or accompanied by fries and coleslaw!

This is one of our first “Snacks to Banquets” recipes. The meat mixture for this meatloaf can be transformed into yummy meatballs to serve as an appetizer or snack, a few mini loaves for 1-2 diners, or larger loaves to serve family and friends. All forms can be frozen and simply warmed up in the microwave, on the stove or in a crockpot.

Printable Recipes