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Need help from the accomplished women on this board
I am not a cook nor a baker. However, I can follow instructions. I am having a dinner party in October with people that I have not seen in a long time that DH and I went to HS with. There will be 15 people. Do you have any ideas for menus where I won't be out of my league, and also will not be in the kitchen the whole time so that I miss re-connecting with my HS friends? All advice is appreciated.
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For 15 people? Hmmm....
Well, depends on how fancy you want to be. My new favorite thing to make is Poulet en Papier. Chicken in Paper (Parchment paper, it's in the grocery aisle with plastic wrap).
Anyway, you just need a breast of chicken for each person, boneless and skinless is best.
Tear off a piece of parchment that is about the same size long as it is wide.
Salt and pepper the chicken, and place a slice of lemon on it.
Wrap each piece of chicken in a piece of paper, kind of like a burrito, leaving one end open.
Squeeze a little lemon juice down the "tube" formed by the paper, and then a splash of white wine. Fold up the last side. (there are videos on YouTube and directions on Foodnetwork on how to do this - it's really easier than it sounds). Place on a cookie sheet, at least 1/2 inch apart.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 35 minutes.
You can also place slices of pepper and onion on the chicken, and there are recipes for cooking veggies with the chicken.
You could get the chicken ready early, and then cook them right before you need them. Serve the entire piece, in paper, and let your guests unwrap their own meal!
Some steamed Green beans with almonds, baked sweet potatoes, a salad, and you're done.
Or, you could just make a pot of goulash and some rolls.
I also like to make peppered beef. Get as big a piece of CHEAP roast your crock-pot can handle, cut off all of the fat you can. Place in crockpot, and sprinkle with some lemon pepper or just pepper. Pour a jar of Peppercinis over the whole thing, set on low and cook for 8 hours. Take out the peppers and set aside. Use two forks to shred the meat, and mix with the juices. Serve with hawaiin rolls as sandwiches. I always just make some salad to go with this, and usually some green beans or peas. Broccoli is always good - it just gets too over-cooked too quickly for a dinner party for my taste.
There are great crock pot recipes in crock pot magazines available in grocery stores and walmart - but my favorite and most of my guests favorite is chicken piccatta. Again, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, dredge in flour with salt and pepper, fry in veg. oil til 160 degrees then set aside chicken, use about a stick of butter for every 7 breasts and deglaze the pan, add about 2 tbsp. of flour, 1/2 cup of sprite, 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of white wine. It should make a glaze that you will pour over the chicken season to taste and slice some lemon wedges just before you serve. I would do in two batches and then put into large casserole or foil lasagne pans together with glaze and keep in oven at 200 til time to serve. Each batch takes about 1/2 hr. I would buy nice snowflake rolls, bags of steam in bag rice with veggies and do a salad. All but the rice can be done ahead as much as 2 hours and makes a nice comforting but not too calorie heavy meal. Good luck - Of course your other option would be to find a nice pizza/pasta place and get their cater meals or have everyone bring something to share. Good luck Bon Apetit
If it's a casual get-together, how about a big pot of chili with corn bread or chips?
If you want something a bit fancier, you could try what I call "lasagne rolls." It's a bit labor-intensive, but can be prepped way ahead of time and just tossed in the oven when you're ready. You cook the lasagne noodles but leave them just a bit underdone. Mix up some ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and shredded parmesan w/ an egg (I don't measure anything. One egg works with 16 oz. of ricotta and as much mozz & parm as I can get in there. This works for one box of noddles.) Lay out the cooked noodles, spread the cheese mixture down the length of each noodle, then roll them up - like a little hay bale. Put the rolls in a baking dish, cover them with whatever kind of sauce you like (I use tomato/meat sauce), and throw some mozzarella and parm over the top. you can keep these in the fridge til you're ready to bake. I bake them at 350 for maybe 30-40 mins. The sauce finishes cooking the noodles. I'd do 2-3 rolls per person. That's a lot of rolling, but it's really good.
You can also do a tossed salad with this. Cut every thing up ahead of time and keep each item in separate ziploc bags. When you're ready to serve, throw it all in a bowl and toss. You can put out different types of dressing and let everyone choose their own. Oh, and garlic bread with this, too.
Here are my quick cheats - buy the pre-made garlic bread and the bagged lettuce. It's a bit more $ but saves enough time to make it worth it to me.
Those chicken dishes sound yummy! Have to try them one of these days.
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Pat (a.k.a., PFlamingo) "We are the people our parents warned us about."
If it's nothing formal, that's what I would go for. It's even better when you make it ahead and let it simmer, so you wouldn't hardly have to be in the kitchen at all when your guests were there. The cornbread could be easily made ahead too. Chili's also an easy one for 15 people, because it's so filling, you don't have to make ten batches or anything. You could toss up a salad to go first, and you'd be all set! Good luck!
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
With 15 people, I would recommend a buffet of several items.
You'd want to have different offerings so that you can appeal to the tastes of the large group - beef, chicken, vegetarian, etc.
Make sure to have some crudite (raw veggies), a fruit platter, and a cheese platter to help those with food allergies have something. Just don't put crackers directly onto the cheese platter in case you have any celiacs who can't consume gluten.
Personally, I think I'd do something like pulled pork, a creamy cashmere chicken, and a veggie lasagna. All of those are make-ahead things that you just get hot before putting on the buffet -- then YOU get to mingle with your friends!
I'll have to look up the recipe but I love to make a beef brisket that you cook the day before, then slice and reheat to serve. I first had it at a dinner party and we all asked for the recipe.
On second thought, brisket for 15 could get spendy.
If it's nothing formal, that's what I would go for. It's even better when you make it ahead and let it simmer, so you wouldn't hardly have to be in the kitchen at all when your guests were there. The cornbread could be easily made ahead too. Chili's also an easy one for 15 people, because it's so filling, you don't have to make ten batches or anything. You could toss up a salad to go first, and you'd be all set! Good luck!
Yeah, I forgot to mention the "make it ahead and let it simmer" idea. It's always sooo much better that way! Playing on Eileen's idea, you could also make a chicken chili and/or a vegetarian chili if you need some variety.
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Pat (a.k.a., PFlamingo) "We are the people our parents warned us about."
You know I have been thinking about this since last night because I love to entertain and cook. Not sure how big your yard is or anything but you could have it outside with a fire pit and do a traditional clam bake with the corn and potatos clams and shrimp. Then maybe bread pudding for dessert or since it is October you could do Carmel Apples or an Apple Crisp...I may take my own idea and do this.
Or a low-country boil! Shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes - boiled all together in a big old pot, served on newspaper spread over the picnic table. Bread and salad, and you've got a meal and a party.
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Pat (a.k.a., PFlamingo) "We are the people our parents warned us about."
What about something like a taco bar/baked potato bar/salad bar where people can put things together the way they like (and avoid food allergies)? We once did a Mexican Fiesta dinner where I made a couple of meat based fillings, refried beans, tortillas, chips for nachos, every topping I could think of cheese, sour cream, guacamole, shredded lettuce(as a topping or base for a salad), etc.
I did that meal that Teresa suggested and now it is my "go to" meal. I love it and sooo easy!!! You can have the guests decide what veggies they want to put on it too before you wrap it up.
I have a super great tasting pulled beef that you can make ahead and freeze and then just reheat in your microwave or even make it up in the morning. It takes 4 hrs to cook but about 15 min (minus cooking time on the stove for the sauce) to make. I have it in the oven right now. If you or anyone else wants the recipe, let me know.
Make ahead some desserts or better yet, go to Costco and get one of those big cakes and have something printed on it. Yummy!!!! Fruit on the side if you want.
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