Saturday, 16 January 2010
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Daily Q: What Do You Serve at Dinner Parties?
My girlfriend and I are planning a dinner party to christen our new jointly shared apartment. Problem is, neither of us has ever done this before, and we're at a loss for what to make. We want something that can serve a large number of people but that can be prepared by just two people in a pretty small kitchen.
Any ideas? Advice?
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Comments (10)
For Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner, I make strawberry trifle.
It can be tedious cutting up the strawberries, but other than that, it's really simple, and if you have a large enough dish, it will serve a lot.
The bottom layer of the pan, or whatever you plan to use, needs to be covered with a thin layer of cubed or crushed angel food cake. I'm lazy, so I don't bake my own. I just buy one from Wal-Mart's bakery.
Next, I pour vanilla pudding over the layer of angel food cake. I usually buy instant, so I don't have to cook it. Add water and mix. Done.
I usually put another layer of angel food cake on top of the pudding, and then some more pudding on top of the 2nd layer of cake. You can put as many layers as you like, though.
After the vanilla, I put a layer of banana slices. This is optional of course, because not everyone likes bananas, some are even allergic. Plus, cutting up bananas can be really messy. They get kind of slimy.
Next, I put a layer of cut up strawberries. I like to put a lot of strawberries, because I love them! Who doesn't?
Sometimes the strawberries are quite sour. There's an easy fix to this, however. Just pour some strawberry syrup over them after layering them into the dish. It's still quite delicious.
Next, I spread a layer of whipped topping, and then decorate the top with some left over strawberry slices.
If this doesn't quite appeal to you, or if this is the wrong occasion, then you can always make sausage balls. That's a lot more simple.
I make espinaca. It's about the most fattening thing you could ever eat, but DELICIOUS and it's fine to have once in awhile!. Velveeta, cream cheese, spinach, milk, cream, chicken bouillon, and Rotel. Put it all together in a crock pot. Mmmm.
I can't find the recipe right now, but if you Google espinaca dip, you should be able to find something similar. So easy, doesn't take up a lot of space, serve with chips!
For a dinner party, I would make appetizers that are easy to put together and serve, like 1) precooked meatballs in a favorite barbecue sauce touched with just a bit of maple syrup. Just warm them in a microwave and poke with toothpicks as you lay them out - or set out in a bowl, and let guests dig them out of a warm bowl of them. 2) Take some dried apricots, and layer some bleu cheese crumbles, bacon bits crushed nuts (cashew? pistachio?) and a bit of onion greens with a thick raspberry vinaigrette syrup (just boil a raspberry vinaigrette dressing down a bit) that doesn't overflow the apricot cup too much.
Make up the menu ahead of time and cook what you can ahead of time to near doneness. Like bread can be cooked just as its browning the day before and finished just as guests arrive for that just baked smell.
Decide on two beverages: one hot, the other chilled. Like, chilled wine and hot chai or coffee (depends on what you or your guests like). Have filtered water on stand bye just in case.
Make appetizers ahead of time, too. Or, just buy some from the deli!
Cook a roast in a crock pot to get all the goodness of it done while you assemble the other sides or spruce up your home before guests arrive.
Make one green veggie, and one yellow veggie. Or, mix them! Many recipes are all over the internet, but the choices are easier to make once you decide on the main entree.
If you want to go vegetarian, you could have a simply wonderful veggie stew and bread meal after appetizers!
Finally, keep dessert simple. Just two things, and be sure you know if anyone is allergic to nuts or chocolate before you decide to serve brownies with nuts. The most important thing is not the meal so much, but your home and the time you spend with your guests.
PS: you can borrow matching flatware (aka eating utensils) and stemware along with table cloths or napkins from someone else that evening, and it shouldn't matter to your guests, since at least you made the effort to set things up pleasingly. Some of them might admire your thrift!
appez, soups, salads, main course x;
Make sure you have a theme. Did you want an actual dinner party, or just appetizers?
If you wanted an actual dinner party, you could have fun with it and make it a "five course meal" You don't have to actually have five courses. But, you could make five separate dishes and basically sample it to your friends. Look up recipe sites like allrecipes.com , cooks.com , foodnetwork.com , recipezaar.com
I love hosting dinner parties!!! If you want any more ideas let me know. This was just something to throw out there.... I didn't want to mention food ideas because you could look them up online and find things you may be interested in
make it a pot luck if you don't have a lot of time to plan and cook. if you want to cook yourself, pasta becomes really quick and easy for a main course. vegetable salads can be good side dishes. You could also do a cheese and bread platter. different kinds of breads, spreads (like hummus), cheeses, with wine could be fun for the appetizers. If you want something simpler for appetizers you could make a layered taco salad with ground beef nachos sour cream tomatoes onions cheese salsa (you get the point) For the main course you could do quesadillas and for dessert you could do ice cream with hot oven brownies.
i think some dishes that are easy and inexpensive would to be some type of soup as an appetizer (canned is an option). for an entree anything pasta related or a chicken pasta salad (pasta served cold with dressings available to choose from, chicken grilled out) always works well with my family. for dessert, the possibilities are endless.
i don't know if this is fancy enough for you, but these are just ideas :)
Hi! How many are you cooking for and what is your budget (excluding booze). I used to occasionally cook for the entire circus and its guests (ooh especially in Vegas with stars coming in after the show!). Same day for service at the end of the day. Crock pot with pork roast with lots of garlic and onions--nothing else was always just devoured. Cook 2 if needed. Bake or buy two chickens. I often prepare Coq au Vin. Salad was served tossed and dressed, with lots of fresh veggies, including artichoke hearts, baby corn, black olives, baby pickles, cherry tomatoes, etc. It will always be eaten no matter what the dressing. Also do one with mozarella, basil leaves, pepper, and fresh tomato slices. Pasta can be served cold with bleu cheese chunks (lots) and walnuts--bleu cheese dressing. Do a platter of cold cheeses. I like brie best. Lots of interesting crackers. Garnish it/them with green and red grapes which are dipped and coated in uncooked purple Jello. Always serve just champagne--very icy! Do you need more food than this? I loved the hostess above who prepared that wonderful trifle for dessert! Have a grrrreatt party!
Congrats on the new apartment and hosting a dinner party. Here's a couple ideas:
1) Green salad, pasta and dessert. Simple, basic menu. A delicious and easy to make appetizer or substitute for the salad is sliced tomato topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, basil with a splash of balsamic vinegar. YUM!!
2) You can have themed dinner party where you provide the ingredients and your guests actually prepare their dish. A Mexican food theme works well for this. Menu could be chips & salsas (traditional salsa, mango salsa, salsa verde, etc.), green salad, taco "bar" (ingredients, guest make their own tacos) and mango sherbet for dessert.
3) A potluck type dinner - ask your guest to bring a dessert, wine or salad.
This article might be helpful about dinner party basics: Dinner Party Planning. It has info about how to set a dinner table, appetizer recipes, as well as dinner party basis.
Have fun and good luck!
chicken!!