Dinner theme ?!
But I've run out of ideas. Does anybody has a good idea for a theme ? ( it doesn't have to be a country ) and knows a nice recipy to go with it ?
Answers: Sometimes I give a dinner-party for 2 friends. Mostly with a theme like a country and food from that country ( like Mexican ).
But I've run out of ideas. Does anybody has a good idea for a theme ? ( it doesn't have to be a country ) and knows a nice recipy to go with it ?
How about a 1950's theme?
1950's-style Meatloaf Recipe
This meatloaf version became a family favorite in many households in the 1950's. The key is in the onion soup mix and the mixture of ground beef with pork sausage for added flavor and moisture.
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 pounds ground beef (chuck is best)
1/2 pound ground pork sausage (seasoned or not)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 large clove of garlic, pressed
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 package dry Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1/2 cup milk
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste, divided use
2 to 4 strips bacon, cut in half (optional)
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine ground beef, pork sausage, eggs, bread crumbs, garlic, sweet onion, bell pepper, oregano, kosher salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, milk, and half of the tomato paste.
Gently mix only until combined. Do not overwork the meat or it will become tough. Form into a loaf. Cover with the remaining half can of tomato paste. Weave the bacon strips over the top.
Bake 1 hour. Let meatloaf rest 15 minutes before cutting to serve.
Yield: 6 servings
Mashed potatoes with canned gravy
JELLO PUDDING CAKE
White cake mix
1 large box of strawberry jello
2 cups water
vanilla pudding
milk
cool whip
Make white cake according to directions on the box.
While cake is still hot poke it with holes using the bottom of a wooden spoon. Dissolve Jello in 2 cups of boiling water. Pour over cake. Make sure to get over the entire cake.
Let cool. Make vanilla pudding according to the box directions.
Cover cake with pudding. Cover the pudding layer with a layer of Cool Whip.
This can be made lighter by using apple sauce instead of oil in the cake. Use sugar free Jello and Pudding. Light Cool Whip.
Or
How about a "Murder Mystery Dinner"?
Mystery Soup
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 Onion,large,chopped
1? lb Mushrooms,sliced
1 Butter stick
1/3 c Flour
2 qt Chicken broth
2 c Canned pumpkin* (not pie filling)
2 c Light cream
3T Honey
2? t Nutmeg
In a large soup pot, saute onion and mushrooms in butter for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in flour. Add chicken broth and pumpkin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in cream, honey, nutmeg and serve.
OPTIONAL GARNISH: Sprinkle with croutons or crispy chinese noodles and Parmesan cheese.
Death By Chocolate Cake
Makes 1 punch bowl (16 servings)
1 (19.8 oz) package browni mix
2 (3.9 oz) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 oz) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 (1.4 oz) bars chocolate covered english toffee
Prepare browines according to package directions. Let cool.
Mix pudding according to package directions
In a glass punch bowl, layer in the following order:
1/2 of the brownies, crumbled; 1/2 of the pudding; 1 toffee bar, crushed; 1/2 of the whipped topping.
Repeat layers in the same order. Save the last toffee bar to crumble and sprinkle on top before serving
Murderous Meatballs
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 pound chop meat
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
Season to taste (garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, etc.)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon of sugar or 1 teaspoon of Equal (if you want the sauce to have a sweet flavor)
Instructions:
Pour half the spaghetti sauce in the crockpot
Mix together the chop meat, bread crumbs, egg, seasonings and cheese.
Make the meatballs (whatever size you want) and put in crock pot.
Pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the meatballs
Depending on what time you will be eating and when you do this:
Low: 6-8 hours
High: 4-6 hours
Meatballs come out very moist. Since the sauce and meatballs are cooking together...they each absorb the flavor of the other...and taste as though you've slaved over the stove and oven all day.
A Hot Spicy Party Chesse Dip known to make women faint, strong men cry and small children fun for their mommies.
Makes 18 oz of dip
11 oz Cheese Soup (one can of condensed cheese soup)
4 oz Chopped Green Chilies (I use Old El Paso canned chillies)
1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
1 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Cumin
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1/4 tsp Hot Sauce (Tabasco sauce or hot pepper sauce)
8 oz Sour Cream
Mix together all ingredients except the sour cream; heat to boiling at low heat.
When blended, correct seasoning (usually needs more cumin and garlic)
Add sour cream and heat until it bubbles slightly. Serve with Tostitos or any natural Mexican-style corn chip.
This recipe may be doubled, quadruped or even sextupled without problem. Go easy on the red pepper if your guests don't like hot food. The effect if done correctly should be an initial impression of cheese, cumin, sour cream and garlic followed a second later by a sinus-clening heat.
As one partaked has put it "You have to keep eating because if you don't, you'll die." This is guaranteed to increase beer consumption at parties.
polish, piergoies- stuffed cabbage and sausage
english, fish and chips(fries)
french, quiche
german, sausages and sauerkraut
thai- look for the new at home stuff they have in the ethnic aisle in the grocery store now a days
I have used this one... A five-course international theme... Each course is from a different country.
cant go wrong with italian.
do some stuffed jumbo shells, half with meat and half with cheese, then 2 sauces
have a tomato cucumber roasted peppers salad with olive oil and viniger and herb dressing
everyone likes italian
go exotic with a Nigerian meal (from Africa)
look up cocnut rice or Moi-Moi or chin-chin also try fried plantains
I know this sounds weird but I have done breakfast dinner parties. They always go over well. Stuffed French toast, gourmet sausages, thick sliced grilled applewood bacon, fruit salad topped with a lime vinegarette and mimosas. YUM!
Also we forget that we have a lot of great Americana. You could do a lobster bake from Maine, Kansas City bbq, Alaskan salmon, California cuisine pizza, something from the bayou (I can't stand any of this, but a lot of people like gumbo), the trans Atlantic cuban from Florida, Chowda and bread from Boston. We have a ton of good stuff that is regional in the US.
Why not have a pot-luck and let your friends contribute food to a theme.? I never ever do all the cooking for a dinner myself. Recently I had a chuckwagon barbecue and friends brought salads and desserts. I cooked the steak and some veggies on the barbecue.
How about a fondue party? You can pick up a fondue pot for next to nothing at a thrift store or for cheap at a department store. If you've got two, you can use one for hot oil or broth and the other for a cheese sauce (with a third, you could do chocolate for dessert. Yum!)
Cut up beef, chicken, shrimp and vegetables to cook in the oil/broth; bread and vegetables to dip in the cheese; and fruit and pound cake to dip in the chocolate.
There are all kinds of recipes here, along with info about pots and how to's: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/fondue.htm
We've had fondue parties and they're a lot of fun for a small group. Bon appetite!