What is a really fancy looking meal that does not require chef skills to make?

Question

I want to make an impressive meal that looks like I know how to cook well (but I actually don't.) Any suggestions?

Answer 1

This is a really great and fancy-looking recipe, good luck

STUFFED SHELLS

1/2 to 3/4 lb. ground beef
4-6 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 to 1 c. cooked, chopped broccoli
Italian seasoning
Minced garlic or garlic powder
Minced onion
1 pkg. lg. stuffing size shells pasta
1 lg. jar Prego, Ragu, or Goya spaghetti sauce

Preheat shells according to package directions. This recipe will stuff a little more than half the package. Drain and cover with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
Brown meat with amount of spices to suit your taste. Drain liquid. Add cream cheese, broccoli and soup. If you like, you can add chopped fresh mushrooms for a bit more flavor. Cook and stir occasionally until cream cheese is thoroughly melted. Lightly grease or spray a large casserole dish. Gently fill each cooked shell with stuffing mixture and place open side up in casserole with edges just touching.

Pour spaghetti sauce over the shells. If desired, cover with shredded Mozzarella cheese or a mixture of 2 parts shredded Mozzarella and 1 part shredded Provolone cheese. Bake in 325 degree oven about 30-45 minutes or until heated through and cheeses are melted.

A variation of this recipe for seafood lovers: Melt cream cheese with about 3 tablespoons of butter. Add soup, broccoli, and precooked frozen salad size shrimp or shredded shrimp or crabmeat (imitation crab is great).

Answer 2

Well, here I go again making something up. But my son is the owner two restaurants and I have watched the chefs prepare meals.
I assume this is for someone special. So I am thinking special.
I would suggest a rack of lamb. Mashed potato's, baby carrots and asparagus. You want only the head of the small asparagus. Search around for tiny carrots that have the top leaves on them. You will cut off all but an inch of the tops.
Roast the lamb with a recipe you find that sounds good.
I would boil some red potato's with the skin on, 30 to 45 minutes.
Do not really mash the potato's. You don't want then mushy or creamy. Use a knife to cut them into really small cubes in the pot. Sort of chunky mashed.
Saute the carrots and asparagus in a little olive for a little while. You want them heated but still crunchy. Put them over low heat to keep them warm.
To serve cut the lamb down between the bones. Put the potato's in the center of the plate. Place the lamb chops propped up along one side of the potato's. Prop the carrots and asparagus around the other side. Put some sour cream and chives on top of the potato's. Add a sprig of parsley on top.

Answer 3

There are many recipes that look fancy and do not require chef skills, you just have to be patient. Read the directions and make it one or two times before you plan to share it with others so you can test the out come and think of ideas to make it better or easier the next time.

Search foods that you like and practice making them. Don't be afraid to try new things, you can always throw the meal away if you don't like it.

When I find new recipes I try it out the way they suggest, then write next to the original recipe things I want to add or subtract next time.

hope this helps....good luck and don't get frustrated!

Answer 4

"Cordon Bleu" Manicotti
1 pkg (12) string cheese snacks
12 slices each deli sliced ham and chicken breast
12 manicotti shells
1 jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup water
shredded parmesan cheese

Roll ham and chicken slices around each string cheese snack and slide into mannicotti shells. Mix water with pasta sauce. Pour a little sauce into bottom of baking dish. Place Manicotti in baking dish and pour remaining sauce over shells. Bake covered with aluminum foil (or if baking with covered dish, cover with lid) bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until pasta is tender. Top with parmesan and serve.


CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD
3-4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
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.



"RED LOBSTER" BISCUITS

2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. butter
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mix Bisquick and cheese; add milk. Spoon on an ungreased cookie sheet (makes about 12). Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Brush with melted butter and garlic powder.

Answer 5

Chicken & Rice.... Get some breasts of chicken & slice 'em up into strips. Get some Italian dressing,pepper and oregeno. Marinate the Chicken and ingredients in a glass bowl in fridge for about 15min..( Don't forget when mixing ingredients stab the chicken so it will absorb the dressing and will be much jucier) Grab a bag of chicken rice that u just boil in the bag or on the stove(easy). Fry the chicken strips in a pan while using the marinade while cooking. When your done u can either mix them on the plate or keep them separate so it looks the way Rachael Ray would do it!

Answer 6

Here's something delicious, easy and pretty.
Salmon, you can grill it or bake it oven. It only takes about 20 minutes or so. If you want you can squeeze on some lemon juice, salt & pepper.
Asperagus...Either steamed or I often fill a pan with water and cook it on the stove.
Wild Rice, just follow the directions on the package!
That's it! A nice wine and you're good to go.

Answer 7

Go for something simple, steak is often very good.
Get a nice cut of steak and then just pan fry to your liking. Use either Mash potato or sweet potatoes and serve the steak on that. Remember dont over cook the steak. You can then use a red wine sauce or pepper sauce warmed to garnish the plate.

Serve some steamed green veges on the side.

Answer 8

You can make a simple yet delicious macaroni casserole with bread crumbs on the top. Sounds unfancy? Try this! Cook everyones casserole in a seperate ramikans, they look really great when you make the bread crumbs golden brown. Then on the side grill chicken in a vinagrette marinade.

Answer 9

Roast Beef,roasted potatoes,asparagus, yorkshire pudding and gravy and a semi-homemade mock truffle

In a 12 cup muffin tin,place a small amount of vegetable oil, just enough to evenly coat the bottom of each cup.
Place in bottom shelf of hot oven,approx. 45 minutes before dinner.(Will be used for yorkshire pudding)

Roast Beef and Gravy
2 1/2 lb. eye round roast
1/2 pkg. onion soup mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 heaping tbl.spoon corn starch
Place roast in cast iron fry pan,fat side up and bake in a 350 oven for 25 minutes per pound for medium done.Remove meat from pan.Put pan on top of stove ,high heat,deglazing the drippings with water.Add remaining water mixed with corn starch and onion soup mix.Cook until thick and bubbly.

Roast potatoes
4 med.-lg.potatoes
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 pkg. Lipton Onion soup mix
Mix onion soup mix with oil.Cut potatoes into bite size pieces in an oven proof pan, coat with onion/oil mixture.Place in oven.Cooking until tender and golden,approx.1 hour

Asparagus
1 med. bunch asparagas
2 tbl. spoons butter
2 tbl. spoons lemon juice
4 slices of lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Wash and cut off about an inch of the asparagus ends.Place in oven proof dish and top with butter lemon juice and lemon slices.Cover with foil and bake about 20 minutes or until fork tender.Removing foil the last few minutes to give a little color.

Yorkshire Pudding
3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups liquid, half water -half milk
one egg
pinch of salt.
In bowl, make a well with flour and beat in egg. Add liquid and salt and beat well.Half hour before meat is done,place a spoonful of batter into each muffin cup of hot oil,Do not over fill, bake until golden brown and drain on paper towel. Fill each yorshire with a spoon of gravy when serving.

Mock Truffle
1 store bought pound cake,cut into cubes
1 pkg.vanilla pudding,made according to pkg. directions
1 cool whip topping
sliced fruit of your choice,may use more then one
(My family likes strawberries and blueberries)
In parfait glass alternate cubes of cake with pudding,fruit and coolwhip,chill and serve

It may sound like a lot but you really are just sticking everything in the oven,and with good timing, it will all be done at once and look quite impressive and be delicious!

Helpful Hint. Try and time everything to be done when your meat is done.Eye roast is not a cut of meat you want to let rest.I usually prepare the potatoes first and put them and the meat in the oven at the same time.Prepare the asparagus and set aside.Next I put the muffin tin in the oven to be heating the oil.By the time you make the yorshire batter,the oil should be hot enough to fill.The asparagus cooks fastest so its the last thing I put in the oven.Good Luck!

Answer 10

fish with bacon-wrapped asparagus and roasted vegetables

1. any kind of portioned fish fillets will do. washed and pat dry. seasoned with abit of oil and herbs.

2. get some veggies. cut into cubes, 1/3size of your pinky, mix together with herbs and butter or olive oil. put in a roasting pan and pop in the oven @ 350f for 30mins.

3. to make the meal even fancier, use a peeler, make strands of potatoes, carrots, zuchinni, or any other tuber vegetables. and roast like above.

4. get some nice thin asparagus, (if not get the bigger ones but you need to peel it below the spears onwards) cut of the tough ends. wrap 4pcs of asparagus with a piece of bacon and pan fry it.

5. take the fish, pat with some flour and pan fry in some butter.

6. now the best part, plating. spoon the roasted veges in the centre of plate, topped with your fish and a piece of the bacon asparagus. it'll be like a stack of roasted veges, fish followed by asparagus.

7. if need a sauce, make lemongrass cream sauce. a tbsp of flour and a tbsp of butter in a hot saucepan till bubbling, add 1/2 cup of cream, and sliced lemongrass(one piece). simmer till it thickens and sieve the sauce. ladle over your fish and you're good to go! simple fancy meal in 30mins.