What do y'all fix for dinner when you have family/company in town?

ccc'swife

My in-laws are coming in town this weekend for Charlotte's birthday party, and I always have trouble deciding what to do for dinners when they're in town.  Usually on Friday nights when they come we order pizza so no one has to do anything (everyone's tired from working and doing stuff all week), so that's easy.

Saturday nights, I always feel like we're in a rut/stuck.  Usually it's fajitas or burgers, and I'm not opposed to fixing those b/c they're quick and easy and everyone likes them, but I sometimes feel like that's ALL we do when they come in.  

Help!   

rayskit10

what about something in the crock pot, like pot roast, pulled pork or these short ribs? that way you put it in that morning and spend the day doing other things

 http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/ale-braised-short-ribs.html

i've made these for a couple of different dinner parties and they are really awesome.  

Pork tenderloin is also easy and yummy. I often make a variation of this one, which the whole family loves:

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/dinner-recipes/roasted-pork-tenderloin 

Nanner

Roasted pork/chicken/beef with potatoes, carrots, onions/leeks

Lasagna with salad and garlic bread

Soup or stew (chicken and dumplings, beef stew, chicken corn chowder, etc.) with cornbread or biscuits

Grill--steaks, brisket, sausages, chicken...maybe pizzas on the grill? Or kabobs w/ couscous, hummus, tzatziki, pita.  (I've got a great lamb souvlaki recipe if you want)

Crockpot stuff--carnitas, italian beef, pulled pork, etc

LisaK2b

What about spagetti or lasagna with garlic bread and salad?  You can always buy the lasagna frozen to save you even more time!

To me, steak is also easy to do with some bake potatoes and salad or something.

TexasHarmony

Lasagna

Gumbo

Meatloaf

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Pulled Pork

Soup/Salad/Sandwiches

Shrimp Pasta

Crawfish Boil

Shrimp Creole

 

CareBear01

DH always does somehting on the grill.  In fact, the other day, we had friends over and we had BBQ chicken and they commented that it seems that's what we always fix when they are over!  (but in a good way). lol. 

txbootsy

burgers

go out to eat

casseroles

hot dogs

nachos

tacos

pizza (homemade or delivery)

basically fun foods

KNJepp

Nanner:

I've got a great lamb souvlaki recipe if you want

I'd like to have it!

Houstonmom

I don't make anything when we have OOT guests bc I feel like I'm cleaning up after them constantly anyway...so we either go out to eat or I pick up Pecan Chicken breasts from HEB/Chicken Scallopini from Whole Foods and make a yummy salad with it (lettuce, pears, walnuts, Gorgonzola, Panera dressing).

I take that back, I cooked once for my dad and stepmom--super easy Asian Lettuce Wraps.

But yeah, we usually go to Skeet's, BJ's or Pei Wei and then have a salad at home one night. 

almostjones

I try to do something in the crockpot so I am not spending a ton of time in the kitchen.  Here are a couple I've made for family and they've loved:

Beef Stroganoff (I recommend halving the cream cheese) - http://sureisgood.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/beef-stroganoff/

Sweet Jalapeno Ribs -
http://sureisgood.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/sweet-jalapeno-ribs/

Crockpot Lasagna -
http://sureisgood.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/so-long-stouffers/

 

AggieDee

All of our family already lives in town so they are never "out of town" guests.  But when we do have family gatherings, we usually make dirty rice (I have a recipe that is easy to double, triple, etc) or chili.  Or burgers in the summertime.

starlettedir

The only out of town is my family(mom/dad or sister/BIL)

We always go out to eat...dad takes us