How should I plan a 3 course menu?

Question

What things should I avoid, and what things go well together?

Answer 1

It depends on your guests and where you are at. Are your guests vegans or do they eat meat, any specific diet restrictions (diabetic, low salt). I would start with a nice appetizer like a spinich dip and french bread (Knorr makes a nice dip that you can throw together). Then move on to a salad. You can easily dress up the bagged salad in the grocery stores with some green onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a bit of shreaded cheese. Then on to the main course roast possibly (just get a seasoning packet from your grocery store and marinade the roast in it, then bake in the oven on a broiling pan at 375-400 for a few hours untill it is to your liking (medium-rare, medium, well done). You could add some baby red potatoes in a butter and chive sauce to this, just get a bag of small baby red potatoes and clean them well. Then boil them until they are tender. In a separate pan melt a few sticks of butter, add some salt and pepper, garlic salt or powder, and chives (fresh or dried), melt together. Drain potatoes and pour sauce over the top and coat evenly. You may want to serve a nice bread with this meal too. Lastly, add in a nice desert like a mint icecream or even a cheese cake (check your local deli).
Hope this helps. Oh, a nice red wine would go great with this too.

Answer 2

By all means ask your guests if they have any food preferences but they should have already told you when you invited them!

Try not to make your menu hard work.
Never cook something for the first time when you have guests.
Plan in such a way that at least 2 of the courses can be largely prepared in advance.
Keep it simple - you may have invited people for a meal but they want to spend time with you as well.
Don't cook steak - everyone likes it done differently

Plan your menu around the main course.
If it is something filling then have a light starter - for instance if you are planning a roast with all the trimmings have a light small prawn salad as starter.
Always make the dessert relatively light - in my example of a roast, for example, a dessert of a home made fruit salad will always go down well.

Answer 3

When planning a 3 cource meal the first thing tou should do is check if any of your guests have alergies. You should find out your guests likes and dislikes and plan accordingly. You should also remember nutrients and take guidence from the food pyramid. Make sure to set the table properly and have a centerpiece - flowers for example! Oh and obviously try not to burn anything!!!! Lol!!!! for the main course make sure you have a sauce that compliments the meat or fish or a salad dressing! G'luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

Always best to keep it simple !!!
Why don't you serve canapes which you can buy from the supermarkets with drinks when they first arrive ; then you only have the main course and dessert to take care of. Have a look on the web and get a chicken recipe that you can do all
in one pan.
Then do a cheese board with celery as well and make a fresh fruit salad; then you can do most of it in advance leaving you time to spend with your guests. Things don't have to be complicated and if you give them plenty of wine they'll have a fabulous time.

Answer 5

Find out if any of your guests have allergies or dislike certain foods first of all. Then I would go for soup with warm bread rolls to start, then you want something simple to cook for main course but nice, you don't want to be spending your whole night in kitchen. Maybe something like Spaghetti Bolognase, you can prefer it all (except the spaghetti) before anyone arrives and just reheat the bolognase while cooking the spaghetti.
Then for dessert maybe a sticky toffee pudding or similar, you could cheat on this and buy one of those premade ones that you cook in a pan of boiling water and serve with custard.
Make sure you have plently of wine as well.
Good luck

Answer 6

try and choose a starter and dessert that can be made the day before, eg soup to start and chocolate mousse for dessert.

then you can concentrate on your main course on the day.

you don't really want to be cooking when your gest arrive so something like a cassorole will look after itself leaving youto look after your guests!

when planning your courses think about the season and whats fresh , most foods that are in season at the same time will complement each other,

check out some recipe books to give you some ideas ,

Answer 7

1. pasta or soup
2. meat or fish
3. salad
4. fruit
5 desert

Make sure you have the enough plates and the correct ones too (deep dish for the soup or pasta, plate for the meat or fish, salad plate, desert plate and one for the fruit). The cutlery - a fork for each course (fish fork for the fish); Knife: there is a fish knife and a meat knife - make sure you use the right ones. You'll need frut and deeset knives and forks. Coffee spoons... When you plan what to cook then ensure you all you need to lay it out in fine fashion.
Please enjoy - there is noth better than going from course to course with the conversation between and the change of wine if need be.

Answer 8

just a tip when you are selecting your drink of choice for this meal make sure it goes with the meal. don't get a heavy wine for a very heavy flavored meal. it will just overwhelm the pallet and if this is your first 3 course meal do something simple. salad or soup, meat with a veggie and small startch and than a desert all things you should know how to make. green veggies go great with beef and dont over cook it. will make it tough and thats not a good thing.

Answer 9

Maybe A salad first, Then the entree' Like steak or whatever you want to make and then for the third part a dessert..That's a good 3 course meal..

Answer 10

is this for a date?

3 courses could be 2 too many for a home cooked meal.
the timing is awkward.

try wine. Then a nice piece of beef, with aspaugus.
or wine and cheese. add some fire your alright.

"if" you do a salad, nix the lettuce and get some fresh baby spinach