Help with Dinner Party Menu?!
Answers: I am having a couples dinner party this friday and need some help. I'd like some recipe ideas for snacks, starters, main course and a dessert. Please when you respond to leave all 4 course ideas. I am looking to feed about 10 people and don't want anything that is too fancy/hard or really expensive. Thanks!
I have found that when going with a group like this, go Mexican style:
Snacks: Guacamole and salsa w/ hot chips;
Starters: Tortilla soup (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Tor...
Main Course: Tequila shrimp (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Across-the-... served with Mexican rice.
Dessert: Mexican Chocolate cake (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexican-Cho...
have fun and what I would do is this ultimately:
Find ONE thing you really want to focus on. Like the dessert for a grand topper, or an awesome main course and then make the rest simpler.
:)
Snacks....assortment of veggies & ranch dip. Starter...a caesar salad or greek salad...main course for 10 people I would have a lasagne and garlic bread (easy and serves a crowd) and for dessert something like frozen yogurt and fruit since the meal would be filling so you don't want a heavy dessert.
Snacks: Hot Spinach or Cream Corn Cob loaf dip with crackers
Starter: Salmon Caesar Salad or Soup (Potato and Leek or Pumpkin)
Main: Roast with veges always goes down well
Dessert: Baked Cheesecake or Chocolate Souffles.
Snacks - assorted cheese and crackers
Starter - boiled shrimp
Intermezzo - lemon sorbet or Lemoncella liquere -- the intermezzo will set your party apart from others. It provides a break, "mid" courses and offers something to cleanse the palate before the entree.
Main course - Steak and Stilton pie *
Dessert - Trifle
* google up steak and guiness pie. before you top it with puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm), crumble some Stilton cheese on top of the meat mixture. Absolutely sublime!!!
Snacks-
salsa dip(cream cheese and salsa) serve w/ tortilla chips
ranch dip(sour cream and dry ranch pack) serve w/ veggies
cheese and crackers
Starters-
Veggie pizza
salad and/or soup
Swedish meatballs
Main Dish-
Casserole(chicken and rice, tuna noodle,shepherds pie)
Chicken(whole roasted, lemon pepper, grilled)
Pasta(mac and cheese,lasagna,Alfredo)
Dessert-
assortment of cookies
Apple pie
1/4 sheet cake from your local bakery
ok. don't worry.
try these sites:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/et_parti...
http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipe_sear... --->select dinner party at occasional section
http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/
http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2007/01/rasa...
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/advanced...
http://www.myrecipes.com
http://www.kuali.com/recipes/advresults....
How about something a bit different?
A Fondue Party
Course 1: Green Salad
Course 2:
Chunks of Chicken, Beef, Pork, Shrimp (precooked)
for dipping in sauces BBQ Sauce or Creamy Fondue Sauce such as (Cream of Mushroom Soup)
Course 3:
Veggies, cauliflower, Broccolli, potatoes, carrots to dip in cheese fondue sauce
Course 4:
Fresh fruits, pineapple, apples, pears, strawberries for dipping in chocolate or marshmellow crea
With this type of Fondue Party ... a little goes a long way!
Have fun!
You would be a hit of a hostess!
Good Luck!
I like Tracy's idea! I would substitute spaghetti with meat sauce (since I know of a YUMMY recipe. And since, I think, spaghetti is easier to make and, perhaps, less expensive.) For dessert I would serve sorbet or sherbet - something very light after the heavy meal.
Italian Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 c onion, sliced
2 T olive oil
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs canned tomatos
16 oz tomato sauce
4 ounce can of mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or 4 t parsley flakes)
1 1/2 t oregano
1 t salt
1/2 t msg (optional)
1/4 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup water
Cook onion in hot oil until golden. Add meat and garlic. Brown. Drain if needed.
Combine all ingredients in a large cooking pot. Simmer 2 - 2 1/2 hours, uncovered. (or until thick)
Remove bay leaf. Serve on hot, cooked spaghetti. Pass bowl of grated parmesan cheese.
Makes 6 servings.
P.S. This sauce really tastes better on the 2nd day (after it has "aged" in the refrigerator). So it is best to make it ahead of time. (And it can even be frozen). Very yummy.
.
Callie beat me to it but I'll post my answer anyhows
MEXICAN
* Snacks - corn chips with guacamole and frijole (bean dip)
* Entree - Salads and mini burittos (vege/beans, chicken, beef)
* Main - Fajitas. Hot plate of marinated grilled beef strips or chicken, grilled onion, red peppers, green peppers and corn. Served with a cold plate of flour tortillas, guacamole, tomato, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa
* Dessert - Sticky date pudding, rice pudding
* Drinks - Margheritas, Coronas, Tequila shots
ITALIAN
* Snacks - mixed salad, herb foccacia with cheese and bruschetta OR cured meat plate with anti-pasto
* Entree - assorted gourmet pizza slices (My fave is 4 cheese pizza!)
* Main - Chicken with pasta, white wine, mushrooms and cream served with vegies
* Dessert - Tiramisu and coffee
* Drinks - white wine and coffee
I think...and this is me, I may be wrong...that the best 2 choices for a budget-friendly meal for friends are Italian and Asian.
If you do Italian, then you start with a white-bean dip and crostini (fancy word for lightly-toasted bread slices) and possibly antipasto (a selection of cold cuts and cheese, along with jarred goodies like Pepperoncini and Giardinella.(sp?))
Follow that up with minestrone or another Italian style soup (see websites below), then a pasta dish...anything from spaghetti to fettucine to lasagne, and a fruit and cheese plate for dessert with some sweet wine.
For an Asian flair...make some egg rolls or pot stickers; follow it up with Mongolian Barbecue. This is a little more work, but very inexpensive. You buy some inexpensive proteins and slice them very thinly (or add whatever shellfish is on sale that week!), and put them out in bowls with lots of chopped (inexpensive) fresh veggies and then add soy sauce and seasonsings and cook to order.
You can add a side of rice or noodles, too!
Finish with freshly-sliced seasonal fruit and maybe a little chocolate on the side.
Snacks: Spinach artichoke dip
Starters: Garlic bread and salad
Main course: Lasagna or chicken alfredo
Dessert: Assortment of cheese cakes
Yummmmmy and easy to prepare ahead of time and pop in the oven before the crowd arrives,giving you time to mingle when they do arrive. Serve with nice wines and cheeses. Couples dinners are a BLAST!
If you have to ask for ideas, then you are already in trouble.
For this many people it is best to have catered foods.
OR you can go to your grocery store's deli and order all of this, pick it up just before the big night. Most stores have a catalogue you can choose from.
If you do decide to do it all yourself, hire someone to help you.