The holidays are upon us! This is the time of year that is filled with parties, potlucks, gatherings, food, and fun. As a foodie, the food part is one of my favorites.

I realize, though, that not everyone loves spending hours in the kitchen to prepare for a party. Though I love creating in the kitchen, when the party time arrives, I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen, I want to enjoy my time with my guests.

With prep-ahead foods, your holiday party will be enjoyable for both you and your guests!

This post is written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. #LoveThisHolidayTwist #CollectiveBias

Give your holiday party a twist this year. Let Walmart help you spend more time around the table with your family and guests instead of at the stove.

With just one hour of prep time in the morning, you can have your party foods ready to bake and serve at mealtime with no fuss or muss. You’ll find all of the printable recipes at the bottom of this post. Use disposable pans to bake and serve your main dishes to save on clean up after your party!

Begin with No Churn Apple Pie Ice Cream:

Now, I’ve made homemade ice cream many times and it’s never been this simple! There are only 3 ingredients to make the ice cream base. Add your desired flavorings to it, freeze, and it’s ice cream!

Place a large mixing bowl and the mixer beaters in the freezer before beginning to get them very cold. I like to freeze this ice cream in a large casserole dish. You can use any 2-quart container that you desire. Place the container into the freezer and leave it there until this evening.

To make No Churn Apple Pie Ice cream, in a small bowl, combine a can of sweetened, condensed milk with 3/4 cup apple cider, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Pour 2 cups of heavy whipping cream into the cold bowl and begin whipping. Gradually add 4 teaspoons of confectioner’s sugar. Whip until soft peaks form.

Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you begin baking the foods this evening.

Since you’ll be combining the ice cream mix with an actual apple pie, you’ll need to bake and cool this pie ahead of time. Now is the time to bake it for this evening.

Now, a Sara Lee® Apple Pie is pretty perfect just the way it comes. But, to dress it up just a bit, I coat it with an egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.

It just adds a little something extra to the already tasty pie. And, it makes it look like you’ve done more work than you’ve really done to serve your guests. 😉

Allow the pie to cool completely and try to hold off on cutting into it until tonight.

Next, prepare the Sausage Potato Casserole.

To make this casserole, crumble a package of Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage in a large cast iron skillet. While it is cooking, thinly slice the potatoes. When it’s cooked and a bit crispy, add the onion to saute.

Then add the butter, melt, and stir into the sausage. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook this for a bit to soften the flour taste.

Turn the heat down to low. Add a can of evaporated milk, stirring to combine. This will thicken quickly. Add a can of water, stir to combine.

Turn the heat off and mix in the cheese.

Spray the pan with non-stick spray, spread a layer of sausage cheese gravy on the bottom. Add a single layer of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with a layer of gravy.

Repeat layers two more times, finishing with a final layer of sausage cheese gravy. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese on top. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.

The third food you’ll create for this party is Cheesy Smoky Dogs:

This one is super simple! The addition of cheese takes these classic party treats to a whole new level. You can change the flavor of these tasty treats by changing the cheese. Here, I’ve chosen sharp cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses. Use your favorites!

Spray a pan with non-stick spray.
Cut your favorite cheese into small pieces.
Unroll packaged crescent rolls, slice in half, length-wise.
Place a chunk of cheese and a Hillshire Farm® Lit’l Smokies® on the long end of the crescent roll dough, then roll up tightly. 

Place in the prepared pan. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

Cover pan with foil. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

With all of the prep-ahead work that you completed this morning, this part is a breeze! You’ll be serving a tasty meal to your guests in no time!

About an hour before you’re ready to serve your guests, pre-heat the oven to 375*F. While the oven is preheating, pull out the cooled apple pie and ice cream.

For this amount of ice cream, I find that 1/3 to 1/2 of the pie is perfect. 

Chop the pie into small pieces. 

Gently stir the pie pieces into the ice cream. 

Pull the ice cream pan out of the freezer. Spread the No Churn Apple Pie Ice Cream into the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Return the pan to the freezer. It will be ready to serve in about 90 minutes. 

With the oven pre-heated, it’s time to bake the Sausage Potato Casserole. Leave the foil covering the pan for the first 30 minutes of baking. When 30 minutes have passed, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Add the Cheesy Smoky Dogs to the oven, uncovered, for these last 15 minutes, baking them at the same time.

Serve these two dishes with the tossed salad that you picked up at Walmart and you have a well-rounded and filling meal to serve your guests!

When dessert time arrives, scoop that No Churn Apple Pie Ice Cream that you “slaved” over earlier. (Ha! Your guests will never know how easy it was to create!)

I like to add a bit of caramel sauce the ice cream. 

Or serve the ice cream over the remaining slices of pie!

Stop in the produce section before you head to the checkout to pick up a bag of tossed salad. You’re now ready to wow your guests and still enjoy the party!

Other than placing pans in the oven, you’ve had little work to do this evening. You’re fully present with your guest, not checking foods on the stove- no work, no fuss. 

Who is on the guest list for your next party? Let me know how your next Easy Party with Prep-Ahead Foods goes for you!

Need more party ideas? Here you go!

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