Entertaining Ideas
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dinner party menu ideas needed
We are having 4 people over for dinner on Saturday night. I am not sure what to make. I am a novice cook at best but I really want to make something instead of getting take out.
Any suggestions???
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Re: dinner party menu ideas needed
Is there anything you've made before that you could work a meal around? Also, keep in mind it's all about the presentation. So, if you're worried about your skill, stick to something simple, but lay it out beautifully. It's sort of the Barefoot Contessa principle I guess. Something as simple as tacos, if presented well, can be a great meal for company.
Here are a few simple, but good looking ideas.
Pasta with shrimp or chicken, salad, breadsticks, and a nice dessert.
Baked cornish hens, roasted sweet potatoes with onions, sauteed zucchini, and wild rice. You could do a purchased dessert.
Store bought chicken cordon bleu, twice baked potatoes, salad or green veggie and dessert.
Pork tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, and some kind of veggie.
Steaks, baked potatoes, and salad.
What's your budget and do you have any dietary restrictions? Are you trying for a certain level of ambiance/theme/etc? I would start there and, once you have that established, figure out what you can make. For dinner parties, things that can be at least partially made ahead tend to work best. I have a few ideas of things that might work for you buzzing around my head, but having more information would help.
Don't let your skill level hold you back. Just think through your recipe and think about the techniques involved and how to do them. 95% of cooking is knowing what comes next and what you need to do to get there.
I agree with the prepared ahead of time comment from pp. I'd consider myself a pretty novice chef as well... and the things that come to mind that I could do for a dinner party is anything that goes in the oven for 30-40 minutes before it is ready. That way you'll have time to do things like get ready. Here are some main course suggestions off the top of my head that I've made before: stuffed shells with chicken, chicken enchiladas, meatloaf, chicken parmesan... or what about a crock pot meal? pulled pork/chicken or chili?
Good luck!
We recently had 4 people over for dinner and I made a filet roast, twice-baked potatoes and green beans. I had everything ready ahead of time.
The filet was marinated overnight in balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, worchestshire, evoo, chopped garlic, and salt/pepper. Before I expected guests to arrive I seared it on both sides and let it rest at room temp for about 10-15 minutes after they got here, then I popped it in the oven while we snacked on apps.
The green beans we completely done ahead of time, I just reheated in the oven with the filet was in there.
I did all the prep for twice-baked potatoes in the afternoon, stuffed them and popped them in the oven about 15 minutes before I was expecting guests to arrive.
Basically everything was in the oven while we snacked on apps, but all my prep work and cleaning was done ahead of time - so no one saw the evidence of what a disaster I am in the kitchen! I am definitely a novice chef, but this was an easy meal for me - planning ahead and mapping out your timeline is definitely a must!
Some one dish meals are good too - lasagna, stuffed shells, any type of roast with potatoes and veggies, etc. Just whip up a salad and some bread and you're good!