People don’t want to come empty-handed. They’re very grateful to be invited and glad they don’t have to host a Purim seudah themselves! I’ll normally make a fleishig main dish and my friends bring salads desserts side dishes rolls. Everyone arrives at a different time so we don’t do soup. There’s either a salad or a fruit cup at everyone’s seat. The kids are eating candy all day but by four o’clock they’re hungry since no one’s eaten a proper meal. We make sure to have kid-friendly food — potato kugel chicken those kinds of dishes. —Alexandra  

Everyone gets rolls and there are dips and salads on the table. For the appetizer we serve filling finger foods like franks-in-blankets and chicken nuggets. This way we know the kids have eaten something and the men have eaten before they get drunk (or drunker). I’m scared to serve soup with so many people so the franks-in-blankets are in lieu of kreplach. We always make sure to put pickles on the table — drunk men like salty foods. We also make sure there’s a lot of water available. —Raizy 

I have a loose-leaf where I keep notes from different years — what worked what didn’t. It’s hard to predict how much food will go since sometimes all the bochurim get drunk and sometimes none of them do. I make soup with kreplach and everything else is very simple — corned beef rice potato kugel green beans. I ask a bochur to buy rolls — it’s one thing off my head and this way they come fresh. —Chana 

I always serve foods that are easy to make ahead of time and easy to serve buffet-style. I’ll make a lot of food and a lot of variety so everyone will like something. Usually there’s some kind of chicken cutlet meatballs lots of salads. I always make more than I think I’ll need because I’d rather be left with leftovers than run out and there are always more people than we expected. —Sara