Foolproof recipes for a dinner party?

Question

Am hosting a dinner party for 6-8 people and need suggestions for a menu, including recipes of how to make. Want something not too formal (ie Beef Wellington) but not too casual (ie. Lasagna).

Thanks!

First poster posts a non-answer. Why bother to answer if you have nothing to say to pertain to the question?

Party platters are not "recipes".

Answer 1

Good Luck with your dinner party, here are some recipes that are not too formal, but not too casual. : )

SPICY STUFFED MUSHROOMS WITH BACON
4 slices bacon
24 medium mushrooms (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 tbs butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1-2 Jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tbs dried

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet, chop, and drain fat from skillet.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Reserve and finely chop 2/3 of stems. Discard remaining stems.
3. Cook mushroom caps in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain on paper towel.
4. Heat butter and add mushroom stems, onion, and garlic. Cook five minutes. Add peppers and cook three minutes longer. Cool and then stir in bacon, cheese and parsley.
5. Spoon into caps. Bake on baking sheet at 350o for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Apricot Pork Medallions

Recipe By :Terry Henderson
Serving Size : 4
Amount Measure Ingredient
------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound Pork Tenderloin -- sliced into 1-inch slices
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup apricot nectar
2 sliced green onions
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Flatten tenderloin pieces by cutting them into slices, then pounding them flat between layers of saran wrap.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet; sauté pork about 2 minutes on each side; remove pork from pan. Add 1 teaspoon butter, nectar, onion, mustard
and vinegar to pan. Cover and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add pork and finish cooking through.

Serving Ideas : serve with fresh vegetables and a plain simple rice, also goes really nicely with Rosemary herb roasted potatoes.
NOTES : A very simple dish to make

A 20-Minute Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

(4 servings)

4 Boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c Seasoned bread crumbs
2 tb Butter or margarine
1 3/4 c Spaghetti sauce
1/2 c Shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tb Grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c Chopped fresh parsley


Instructions

Using palm of hand flatten chicken to even thickness. Dip chicken into egg then into crumbs to coat. In skillet over medium heat, in hot margarine, brown chicken on both sides. Add sauce. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses and parsley. Cover; simmer 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Makes 4 servings.

Sesame Chicken 2

Ingredients

(2 servings)

3/4 lb Chicken Breasts,
Skinless and
Boneless
3 tb Flour
2 tb Sesame Seeds
1 tb Soy Sauce
1/2 ts Peanut Oil
1 tb Maple Syrup
Red Lettuce Leaves
1 tb Dry Sherry
1 lg Tomato, ripe
1 ts Fresh Ginger, chopped
Pepper to taste
1/2 ts Chinese Five spice powder


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken into pieces about 1 by 2 inches.
Mix soy sauce, maple syrup, sherry, ginger and Chinese Five Spice together. Add chicken and marinate 20 minutes, turning once.
Meanwhile, place sesame seeds on a baking tray and toast in oven for 10 minutes or until slightly brown.
Drain chicken, reserving marinade.
Dredge chicken in flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Shake off any excess.
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. Add chicken and brown, about 1 minute per side. Spoon marinade over chicken. j Reduce heat and saute another minute, or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove from heat and roll chicken in sesame seeds.
Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Line a serving plate with leaves, and spoon chicken on top. Cut tomato into wedges and use to garnish plate.

Pesto Chicken Florentine
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 (4.5 ounce) package dry Alfredo sauce mix
2 tablespoons pesto
1 (8 ounce) package dry penne pasta
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

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DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute; then add chicken and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on each side. When chicken is close to being cooked through (no longer pink inside), add spinach and saute all together for 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Alfredo sauce according to package directions. When finished, stir in 2 tablespoons pesto; set aside.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
Add chicken/spinach mixture to pasta, then stir in pesto/Alfredo sauce. Mix well, top with cheese and serve.

Black Cat Steaks

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15-18 minutes
Servings: Serves 4
4 beef top blade or flat iron steaks, approximately 3/4-inch thick
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, salt and ground red pepper. Measure 2 tsp. of the mixture and reserve.
Press remaining spice mixture onto surface of steaks. Grill over medium coals for 15-18 minutes for medium rare. Remove steaks when meat thermometer registers 140°F for medium rare to 150°F for medium.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the beans, tomato, onion, bell pepper and reserved spice mix.
Serve the salsa with the grilled steaks.


Crumb-Crusted Dijon Sirloin
Makes your steak look like a fancy treat.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Servings: Serves 6
2 lb. boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1-1/2 inches thick
1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 350°F. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add steak to skillet; brown on both sides.
Place steak on rack in shallow roasting pan.
In a small bowl, combine mustard, garlic and pepper; spread on top of steak. In another bowl, toss bread crumbs with parsley; pat evenly over mustard mixture.
Place steak in oven and bake 35-40 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness. Transfer steak to carving board. Let stand 5 minutes.
Carve steak into thin slices.

Neptune's Delight
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream, divided
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 cups cooked crabmeat
1 cup peeled cooked shrimp
1 1/2 cups garlic-flavored croutons
1/4 cup fresh parsley
4 tablespoons melted butter

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DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Remove from heat and whisk in flour. Pour in 1/2 cup of heavy cream and whisk well, return to heat.
Add cheese and stir until creamy. Remove from heat and pour in remaining cream. Stir in sherry, paprika, crabmeat, and shrimp. Spoon mixture into 6 large individual ramekins.
In a food processor or blender, blend together croutons and parsley. Top each filled ramekin with crouton mixture. Drizzle melted butter over the top.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until top is browned and bubbly.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Stay away from the oven and use a slow cooker!

SALAD, YANKEE POT ROAST AND JELLO!

SPINACH SALAD
3 bunch fresh spinach washed and dried, or cheat and get the prewashed ones at the market
1 c dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts or both.
1/4 c sunflower seeds
feta cheese
a viniagrette dressing

Mix ingredients together and add dressing before serving.


YANKEE POT ROAST
Pot roast using the slow cooker is the only way to go!
5 lb chuck roast
2 pkg lipton onion soup mix, dry
2 cans cream mushroom soup, campbells
1 whole celery bunch, diced
2 onions, diced
4 whole carrots, peeled and cut
5 potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2
1 crushed garlic cloves
5 tbsp flour
1 Reynold's slow cooker liner, optional

The slow cooker liner makes cleaning up a snap!
In the crock pot, add cream mushroom soups, 2 cans of water, the lipton dry soups, flour and mix the ingredients well.

Add the roast and the garlic. Mix around til covered with soup mix. Add the onions and veggies. Add water to barely cover the veggies (remember the water level may go up during cooking!).

If potatoes won't fit, then cook them separately (ie: roast, mashed, etc.) Cover and turn crock pot to medium.
Cook 6-8 hours and it will be so tender!


JELLO DESSERT
3 pkgs large jello, same flavor
2 coolwhip
fresh fruits

Make the jello as on the package but use 1/2 cup less water per package. In a non metalic bowl, add jello and Add fresh fruit like fresh strawberries, grapes, chopped apples. Let it chill for 4-6 hours. Mix up the jello and add 1/2 tub of cool whip. Add more if desired. Mix well, and its like an ambrosia.

Serve in glass cups and top with more fresh fruit.

Answer 4

I recently made this for a party. It was the only item that I have never had leftovers! I served it with Ritz Chips and Wheat Thin Chips. I have also used it as a spread for sandwiches. The first time I made it, I used "pickle" cucumbers (the small ones that are not waxed, also called salad cucumbers, four will make 2 cups grated cucumber). The next time I made it I used a greenhouse cucumber (the long ones wrapped in plastic). The "pickle" cucumbers have less water and make a better spread. The green house cucumber worked well for a dip.

COOL CUCUMBER SPREAD/DIP

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups cucumber, grated
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1.Mix all ingredients together. Chill.

2.Serve as a spread on crackers or bread or as a dip with chips.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Chicken & Rice Casserole..... mmmmmmm.....

2 (14 1/2-ounce) can green beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 medium onion diced and sauteed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) can pimentos
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
(6-ounce) box long-grain and wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Answer 7

Beef Burgundy

* 2 pounds sirloin tips, cubed
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 12 ounces mushrooms, chopped
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
* 1/2 cup Burgundy wine

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear beef on all sides. Stir in onion, and saute until golden brown. Add mushrooms, butter, mushroom soup and wine. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

Serve over fetticini noodles, with a salad and french rolls.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

for starter i would make some brushetta (sp). get a nice ciabatta loaf and cut some nice thick slices on the diagonal, rub a garlic clove over it and sprinkle a few drops of olive oil. griddle or grill, whatever u have available, then chop some fresh tomatoes with salt pepper and basil and serve on top of the breads. simple but yummy!!! id go italian for main aswell. my hubby makes linguine with crab meat. its just red onion chopped, coriander chopped, basil chopped and a few cloves of garlic and loads of chopped fresh chilli. fry it all till soft, add juice of 2 lemons, 2 tins of white crab meat (or fresh if u have it) and toss through linguine. serve with parmesan and a fresh green salad.Yummy!! xx

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Answer 10

hmmm... my mom makes this wonderful cheese dip!!

a block of velveta cheese
2 cans of rotel tomatoes(however u like them: hot, mild, original)
1 pound of hamburger meat
nacho chips

~fry the hamburger meat first
~when that gets done, put the cheese, tomatoes, and hamburger meat in a crockpot (on high) and let it sit until the cheese is melted (it is best to cut the cheese into smaller pieces so it melts faster)
~stir occastionally
~when all the cheese is melted let your guests serve themselves as they please
~serve with the nacho chips!!

(u can make bigger portions; just double or triple your ingrediants)

hope it helps

Answer 11

Fool proof justr go to the store and buy party platers