I have my boss coming over...?!
I have my boss coming over...?
I need ideas for a dinner party..nothing too fancy or high maitinence, cause he's a laid back kinda guy..any suggestions?
Answers:
The standard
Salad & Steak & Baked Potatoes.. if you have time you could make them twice baked
Good Luck
sew
srimp and vegetables
Ah, time to impress the boss. Remember, KISS (Keep it strictly simple). To wit:
1. Use the "second-best" china instead of your best - keeps things informal and you don't have to worry about breakage.
2. Use candles and a simple centerpiece on the table.
3. Rather than a sit-down meal, do a buffet - more relaxed and casual.
4. Soft instrumental music will relax guests and invite conversation. (I use Lifescapes music from Target.)
5. Follow Peter's menu advice as shown below for a successful dinner party!
Dinner Buffet Menu:
Cocktails or wines (optional)
Veggie tray with dip (do-it-yourself or store-bought)
Fresh dinner rolls
Tossed green salad (dressings on the side for variety)
Chicken Mediterraneo (recipe below)
Plain or flavored rice
Steamed green vegetable (maybe one your boss likes?)
For dessert, nothing beats coffee and cheesecake. Serve strawberries and cream on the side for any dieters.
And here's your main course - a guaranteed crowd pleaser:
CHICKEN MEDITERRANEO
Serves 4
6 to 8 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
Garlic powder (to taste)
Oregano (to taste)
? cup red wine vinegar
? cup olive oil
Juice of one small lemon
3 tbsp capers with a bit of juice
1 cup pitted prunes
? cup green Spanish olives
? cup black Greek olives
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
? cup brown sugar (packed)
? cup white wine (very dry)
? cup cilantro, finely chopped
NOTE: Start preparations the night before your party.
Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Place in a large bowl and squeeze lemon over all. Add oil, vinegar, capers and juice, prunes, olives and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight (this is essential).
Next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a shallow, long baking pan and spoon marinade over it evenly, scraping the bowl to get every bit. Sprinkle cilantro and brown sugar evenly over chicken and pour white wine around them.
Bake for 60 minutes or so, basting frequently with pan juices. (It will also keep well in the oven at 200 degrees for at least a half-hour in case you wish to prepare other items in the meantime.)
Serve with noodles or rice (plain or flavored). Have lots of bread handy for sopping up the juices.
NOTE: You can successfully double this recipe for 8-10 guests. Good luck on your dinner party!
The last time my hubby's boss was over (and the first time!) I only had about 8 hours lead time! I made linguini and chile/pine nut meatballs and a homemade red sauce. For the salad I made a lemon-orzo-spinach salad with feta.
The recipe for those meatballs are on epicurious.com. It was a hit! And this wasn't fancy and they were picky eaters, but they wanted seconds!
BBQ. Steak and caesar.
Get lager beer. It's a safe bet. And two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon or one Cab and one Shiraz (both reds).
Brush olive oil on the steak before putting it onto the bbq. A lot of people don't do this for some reason. It'll make the steak taste a lot better.
Don't overwhelm the caesar with garlic. Keep it light. I would use panchetta as a substitute for bacon. It has a better flavour and looks better.
If you want to go the next step, get some pre-marinated large garlic shrimp. And toss them on the bbq (2 mins on each side).
For apps try something like bruschetta or warm brie (with blueberry sauce and brown sugar glaze).
Best of luck!
beef stroganoff with green salad and light dessert. maybe lemon bars or coconut macaroons with after dinner coffee.
Roast beef beget
heat the oven at 350
Ingredients:
Sour dough beget
Olive Oil
Salt
Roast beef
First you cut the bread about a half an inch each cut.
Then put a little bit of oil and salt on each piece of bread.
Put it in the oven until golden. Then put the cold cuts on the pieces of bread and now its time to eat!
Roast dinners are by far the easiest and most impressive meal a person can make.
Other than that, an easy Italian Pasta might be good too. Like Spaghetti Bolognaise or Chicken Carbonara.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: Be generous with your servings, as the last thing you want to be remembered for is going home with a half empty stomach. Don't worry if you have a lot of left over, it is better that your guest are satisfied.