Which of these choices would you prefer as side dishes to a simple dinner?!
Answers: im having company over wednesday night, just a few friends and there wives. anyway it is kind of a blind date thing because they are bringing a lady friend along. i plan on making a simple meal. just a few baked chickens on the grill, but i dont want to go too far out and have alot of side dishes. im going to make some of the really simple croissant rolls in a package. but what would be a few good side dishes. im thinking maybe corn on the cob and potato salad. but stuffing is always great with chicken. or baked potatoes. im really lost. i have so many ideas of what i should serve but it would be ignorant to have 15 side dishes with just a simple meal. and for dessert im thinking just an apple or cherry pie with ice cream. but would it be better to serve something homemade like blackberry cobbler? again this will just be served with grilled chicken as the main course. should i serve a salad first? any suggestions? i was also thinking of maybe a small ham as the main course.
I like the grilled chicken idea. Serve things with it that wouldn't require a lot of attention from you when your company is there. Stuff you can prepare ahead of time.
I think I'd serve potato salad with it, and grilled mixed veggies, since you'll be using your grill. A pie with ice cream would be lovely for dessert! You can make the potato salad, and buy or make the pie ahead of time, too. And, you could have the chicken and veggies all prepped and ready for the grill.
That way, all you'd have to do when your company gets there is the chicken and veggies on the grill, and wouldn't have to be fussing a lot in the kitchen.
Now, relax and have fun!
I liked the idea of the chicken rather than ham. Not everyone likes ham. Most people like chicken although it tends to be a bit more messy.
As for a side dish, I think rice and a green salad should be plenty. Rice is easy to make, nearly fool-proof and easy to keep warm. It is also easy to make a large quantity. Make it with chicken broth instead of water.
As for dessert, do what French housewives do. Buy something terrific from the best bakery in town. If you prefer to make something yourself, the apple or cherry pie sounds great. Blackberry seeds can be difficult for some people to take.
sorry i stopped reading at corn on the cob
i love it
but DONT DO IT
a blind date type thing is NOT where you want to be seen gnawing on corn on the cob
grilled chicken
what about lamb steak? i think it's really a good choice.
I think the grilled chicken is a much better idea unless you know all of the guests well. Ham is one of those things that you either love or you hate. Most people will eat chicken.
I think rice pilaf would be a good side choice. Uncle Ben's has a very nice white & brown rice combination. Follow the package directions, except use chicken broth instead of water. After you have added the broth, add a few veggies to cook with the rice. Don't add many, as it is meant to add color and interest to the dish. I often add a handful of frozen peas and carrots and a couple of chopped mushrooms. Green onion tops and/or shaved almonds also make nice colorful additions.
You will still need another side on the plate with some color. Maybe green beans, asparagus or broccoli. I think I would probably do a stir fry of vegetables. I like the look of zucchini, squash and onion spears. Add a few halved cherry tomatoes at the very end of cooking. All the veggies (except the tomatoes) can be prepped the day before and stored in the fridge in a baggie. Stir fry takes only a few minutes to sautee in a little olive oil. I like to add a few sesame seeds at the very end. You could also cook this on the grill in foil packets. Make sure you turn them occasionally.
For dessert, I would probably make brownies the night before, heat in microwave just before serving with an ice cream topper. Or, if you wanted it a little more fancy, break the brownies up into pieces and layer in a parfait glass with ice cream, add a little whipped cream on top and add a cherry.
Good luck with your dinner party.
for a simple dinner i would serve the grilled chicken , a green salad,, baked potatoes and for dessert a apple pie with ice cream would be nice...
Depending on where you live I would suggest not having a salad. Most of the veggies now are not as fresh and sweet as they should be, especially if you are trying to impress. If you want a starter try a soup or some seafood. But you don't need to do that at all.
For sides keep it as light as your chicken. Sautee some fresh green beans in equal parts olive oil and butter for about 3 minutes with a little salt and pepper. Just until they turn bright green, they should still be slightly crunchy. Then top with toasted sliced or slivered almonds. So good. This would work well with ham too.
For a starch what about a sweet potato? Or sweet potato fries. A little different from your average potato and looks great on the plate so bright orange. You can serve it with butter and a cinnamon sugar butter. Both taste great. Make sure the butter is salted. I don't generally buy salted butter, but this is one place it's necessary. This would be great with the chicken or the ham as well.
As for dessert both your ideas sound good and would work will with ham or chicken.