Whenever I have had parties people always love the sloppy joes. Since you can put them in a crock pot they are a lot less work. I am sure hubby will have more fun spending time with friends then standing over a hot grill making 50 burgers for people. As for the mess, I always eat my sloppy joe with a knife and fork so there isn't a mess. A burger can be messy what with katchup and mayo sliding out of the bun. Most people eat burgers with their fingers but here we eat sloppy joes with forks and knives. Either way you will have fun. If you want an intesting salad look up cabbage crunch on the internet. Very easy to make and everyone loved it.