What's an inexpensive and easy but at least moderately sophisticated meal I can make for a small dinner party?

Question

I'm having two or three friends over for my husband's birthday tomorrow, and I have no idea what to make! Time and money are tight, but I don't want to serve them spaghetti. LOL.

Answer 1

Depending on how adventurous your diners are, you could try a curry. Use a pre-made canned sauce (good brand) if you don't want to make it from scratch. It needed be overly spicy. All you need is the curry (basically meat ... usually chicken ... in sauce with rice) and lots of timbales. These are little bowls of things to sprinkle on the curry, like chopped onions, tomatoes, bananas, coconut, peanuts, etc.

Oh, and don't forget the yogurt and sliced cucumbers.

Answer 2

I always serve Mock Filet Mignon I like to call it

2 lbs of hamburger meat made into thick round patties
2 tbs Worchestershire sauce
2 tbs Liquid smoke
2 tbs A-1 Steak Sauce
1 lb bacon slices

Wrap hamburgers in bacon using toothpicks to hold the bacon on. It usually takes 2 slices. In a small dish combine worchestershire, A-1 and Liquid Smoke. Spoon or baste hamburgers and let set for at least 1 to 2 hours in the frig. Broil in oven or grill until hamburger is done! It taste just like a grilled steak. Broil or grill slowly so that the tops of the hamburgers don't burn. Inexpensive, fast and tasty. I serve it with baked potatoes and a salad.

Salad:

1 Bag of Romaine Lettuce
1 pkg of Wishbone Italian Dressing (the kind you have to mix up)
Mushrooms (optional)
Croutons
Small Black Olives (optional)
Feta Cheese (optional)
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil or Reg. Oil

Follow the instructions on the package to mix the dressing up. Mix the salad up with mushrooms, black olives and pour the dressing right over the mixture. Toss and serve.

The guys can grill while the women can gab. What better dinner party is that. Fast!!

Answer 3

This is exactly what I would do. I would go to the grocery store and buy one of the whole roasted chickens. Buy some nice dinner rolls. Make some baked potatoes (serve with all the fixin's - butter, sour cream, chives, cheese, bacon bits). Serve a small salad. Fix one other side dish to go with the chicken and potatoes.

Serve the salad first in pretty salad bowls. Then arrange your chicken on a pretty platter, surrounded by the potatoes. Add your side dishes and rolls.

Hope that helps!

Answer 4

EASY, sophisticated and inexpensive...

Get 5 skinless, boneless breasts of chicken
1 Can of cream of mushroom sauce
4 mushrooms (from the bulk mushroom bin)
1 bag frozen baby peas
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
loaf of bread (Panera's Baguette is great, but any crusty bread will do)
2 boxes of Barilla Orzo
Pasley for garnish
Sautee your diced onions in 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil till golden. Add the chicken breasts and cook until done on both sides (season with salt)
Add the canned soup UNDILUTED with just enough milk to make a thickish sauce. Add the chopped garlic and thinly sliced mushrooms.
Boil orzo as directed. add peas to the boling water the last two remaining minutes. Drain pasta and mix all together with other ingredients. Top with chopped parsley for a splash of color and a fresh taste.
Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
Happy B-day to your dh. ;o)

Answer 5

CHICKEN WITH CUCUMBERS
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breasts
1 large cucumber
1/2 an onion, sliced thin
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock ( 1/2 cup water and 1 chicken boullion cube works too)
3 tbsp. sour cream

Heat oil and butter in skillet. Cube chicken and add to pan, cook thoroughly. Take cucumber and peel, slice in half, seed with a spoon and dice small. When chicken is cooked golden brown, remove from pan. Add onion and cucumber. Cover and cook 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock, garlic, cumin and mustard. Cook 5-7 minutes more until onion and cucumber are tender. Return chicken to skillet. Stir in sour cream. Serve over rice.


CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD
3-4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1-2 Tomatoes, diced
1 ½ cups Ranch or Cucumber Ranch dressing

In large bowl, combine all ingredients, tossing to coat the vegetables. Place in refrigerator and chill before serving.


Serve with Garlic bread

Answer 6

If you start now you could make Coq au vin... basically browned chicken marinated and fricasseed in veggies and wine. It has the benefit of being a classic French dish and also ridiculously easy to cook... the only requirement is at least eight hours of soak time. There are hundreds of recipes on-line but I use Alton Brown's and it's come out great every time. Hope it helps!

Answer 7

Hmmmm.. Here, try this.

1 or 2 chicken breast (boneless) per person
3 bags of baby spinach
1 red onion
1 bottle kraft balsamic vinagraitte
dijon or honey mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 bags of baby carrots
dried, flakes parsely


Brown chicken breasts in a frying pan with a little bit of veg. oil. Take out and leave separate. Sautee CHOPPED (circles) red onion, lots of balsamic vinagraitte, and 1 teaspoon of the mustard in the pan until the onions are done. On each person's plate, rip up enough baby spinach for a healthy portion each. Add chicken back to pan until chicken's done and allow to simmer in sauce. Pour warm dressing over spinach and put chicken on each person's plate.


Boil baby carrots until done. Drain, add 2 tblspns butter or margerine, the brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of parsely, stir, and serve as a side to the salad.

Looks elegent, costs extremely little, and its delicious.

Answer 8

Go on to the Food Network and check out Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals.

Answer 9

what are your husband's favorite foods? You could start there.
Other suggestions:
Tomato soup with basil and real tomatos chopped in (very cheap and good first course)
Chicken tossed with pasta (or shirmp and pasta)
Brownies with ice cream

Other suggestions:
chicken and veggie stirfry
bacon wrapped pineapple shrimp (very yummy and easy)
clam chowder or corn chowder in bread bowls or just with a side of bread

I'd suggest checking out the food network for recipes and suggestions as well

Answer 10

Put a pork butt in the crockpot with a good rub on it. Shred it when done and add a little bbq sauce. Serve on buns with cole slaw and chips.