I am thinking about having a small intimate dinner party nothing fancy?

Question

I have a very small 1 bedroom apartment and I am on a very tight budget. Any suggestions on how to give a small dinner party on a limited budget. Thanks I have been watching for the Food Network for some ideas

Answer 1

I do it all of the time.I have a large home but can not afford to feed my friends lobster here is one of my favorite and simple menus.

Romaine Lettuce Salad with red onion, cherry tomatoes, homemade garlic croutons and a homemade cranberry salad dressing

Coconut Crusted Chicken Brest's
Orange Marmalade sauce
Sweet potato bake
Fresh green beans with garlic
and Flan with fresh berries for desert

It will cost you about 4.00 a person less if you can catch the boneless chicken breast on sale.

Total kitchen time is about 1 1/2 hours.
If you would like the recipes email me (my screen name @ yahoo.com) I will be happy to give them to you.

Answer 2

Try cooking a rump roast - served medium rare, mashed potatos, and a crisp salad. Everyone loves this meal.

This is a wonderful roast beef recipe

3 to 3 1/2 lbs of Boneless Rump Roast (pick a end cut with a lot of fat marbling)
Olive oil
8 slivers of garlic
Salt and pepper

You will need a meat thermometer

For the gravy:
Red wine, water, and or beef stock
corn starch

Start with the roast at room temperature (remove from refrigerator 1-2 hours before cooking - keep it wrapped). Preheat the oven to 375°F.

With a sharp knife make 8 small incisions around the roast. Place a sliver of garlic into each incision. Take a tablespoon or so of olive oil and spread all around the roast. Sprinkle around the roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast directly on an oven rack, fatty side up, with a drip pan on a rack beneath the roasting rack. This arrangement creates convection in the oven so that you do not need to turn the roast. The roast is placed fat side up so that as the fat melts it will bathe the entire roast in its juices.

Brown the roast at 375°F for half an hour. Lower the heat to 225°F. The roast should take somewhere from 2 to 3 hours additionally to cook. When the roast just starts to drip its juices and it is brown on the outside, check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Pull the roast from the oven when the inside temperature of the roast is 135° to 140°F. Let the roast sit for at least 15 minutes before carving to serve.

To make the gravy:
Remove the dripping pan from the oven and place on the stove top at medium heat. Note that if you are pulling the roast out early, for rare or a medium rare level of doneness, you may not have a lot of drippings. Hopefully you will have some. If not, you may want to leave the roast in a little longer at even lower heat, 175°F, to ease some more drippings out of it. Add some water, red wine, or beef stock to the drippings to deglaze (loosen the drippings from the pan). Dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in a little water and add to the drip pan. Stir quickly while the gravy thickens to avoid lumping. You can add a little butter if there is not a lot of fat in the drippings. Add salt and pepper to taste.

from:http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000457roast_beef.php

Answer 3

I like the fondue thing. If your coffee table is sturdy, serve it there, have drinks available, and have a dessert fondue.
I used to serve a buffet from my kitchen, in my poorer, small no dining room apartment. Everyone loaded up, grabed a drink, and sat down wherever the table was. I kept it simple, pasta [usually lasagna], garlic bread, a salad, and a dessert that I could make and cut before hand. Bar cookies work great for this. The lasagna, the salad, and drinks [sangria or wine are easy] and dessert could all be prepared in advance, I even fixed the garlic bread. I just popped it in the oven when I took the lasagna out..
Good luck, and enjoy yourself.

Answer 4

a pot of cheese fondue with bread, apples and veggies for dipping. Wine if you drink. No need for setting a dining table just set it up buffet style.

Here's how I make the fondue: 2 cups beer heated to a boil, 4 or 5 minced garlic cloves tossed into the simmering beer. Grate about 8 cups of whatever cheese or cheeses you like (cheddar, swiss, etc) toss about 1/4 cup flour with the cheese. Sprinkle the grated cheese into the simmer beer and stir constantly until all is incorporated and it is melted and beautiful. Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and add some freshly ground black pepper.

This is sooo easy and soo good! Chop some granny smith apples into bite size pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Cut up some nice sourdough or ruged brown bread into cubes and gently toast in the oven. Celery, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower bits complete this easy, light dish.

Answer 5

I agree that ethinic foods prepared by yourself will be cheaper as well as provide a theme for you to work with. Consider, Italian... you can go with pasta and 2 kinds of sauce(meat and non-meat or red vs. whitesauce), salad, white & red wine and garlic bread. Don't forget soft drinks,juice and water for people that don't drink. You can go with a store bought cheescake for dessert. You can set up a little buffet in your kitchen or on your table if there isn't enough room for people to sit at your table and they can mingle and walk around the public spaces of your apartment (ie the kitchen and front living space). If you don't have enough place settings for the number of people you plan to invite go the disposable plate route. Don't forget to have a little background music playing to set the mood (not too loud because you want people to be able to talk). Go to evite to send out free invites. Light a small votive candle in your bathroom and lay out a roll of paper towels for your guest. Don't forget a cheap appetizer... like chips and salsa (I know it's not italian.... but hey maybe it could be a color theme.) Good Luck!!!!!

Answer 6

Well u could give snacks and also ham and cheese wine beer and other alcoholic drinks put music u can show photos or other things and then everything will start coming in the party:)
Good luck :) :) :)

Answer 7

How about make it yourself tacos? You put all the ingredients out & guests help themselves. Or casserole, tossed salad, buns & dessert. Costco has a wonderful lasagna & it also comes in vegetarian style. Good luck!

Answer 8

Cook the food yourself, and have them bring the drinks over. Make sure you have the basics- a meat, a veggie, a desert, and coffee

Answer 9

It would depend on what you and your guest like. I would say Go Mexican and make Grilled Chicken Fajitas with all the fixins. Have Margaritas and Sangria for drinks. Have Fun!

Answer 10

why not have a pot-luck.....ok seriously, have everyone bring one dish and viola, instant dinner party