Throw a 21st Century Stag Party

According to Betty Crocker's Guide to Easy Entertaining, first published in 1959, the fundamental idea of a stag party is “no women!” A party where “feminine” hospitality is evident, thanks to advance preparations of “simple, hearty and easy-to-serve” refreshments that are “waiting for the men to find for themselves when they are ready.” Antiquated as that sounds, this kind of get-together is actually a common kind of occurrence at my household. It usually involves a game (either on TV or around a card table), a fridge stocked with cold beer, meat (heaps of it) and some other easy finger foods. And, most importantly, you better believe I'm not held solely responsible for all of the party preparations! 

To bring Betty's stag party into modern times, I relied on my slow cooker to handle the preparation of the main dish: a juicy, beef brisket, served with a pot of smoky, sweet Old Fashioned Baked Beans on the side.

My hubby Josh, our resident barkeep, mixed a pitcher of fizzy, citrus-y Bourbon Spiked Lemonade. (So refreshing during the summer especially!) He also took on the task of fry-master, whipping up batches of his irresistible Zucchini Fritters, frying them up fresh as guests arrived and appetites increased.

Some other tips we took from Betty’s guidebook:

• As with any party, having your dishes, silverware, glasses and serving utensils out and at the ready will save you time (and fumbling) once guests arrive.  
• Forgo fussy beverages that require individual mixing, and go with pitcher drinks that you can prep ahead of time. 
• Choose foods that can stay warm all evening. Slow cookers set to warm and heavy Dutch ovens are wonderful for this!

Do you have any go-to recipes or tips for all-guy gatherings? If so, I’d love to hear!