Dinner Party on a Budget

alisong_2

Chicken liver pate is also really tasty, cheap and is prepped in advance or, if you can get cheap advocados (lidl had them for 29p) then advocado and prawns with vinagerette (sp?) is good. Trifle or pavlova is also surprisingly economical, quite straightforward and is done ahead. And I second (third, fourth?!) the casserole idea, coq ou vin is nice.

Jem8472

Just incase you want it:

This is the recipie I have. I use silcone muffin cases, which came in a big sheet but I cut up into seperate cases.

This can be done the day before they are needed and kept in the fridge.

serves 6

150g Dark choc at least 70% coco
125g Butter
4 Eggs
2 egg yolks
130g caster sugar
60g sieved plain flour
10g coco powder
And a little butter to grease the moulds

Melt the choc and butter over a pan of water.
Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time.

Fold in the sugar flour and coco powder.

Rest the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours or over night is best.
The moulds should be about 3/4s full.

I actually grease the moulds and put the mixture strait in then let them rest in the fridge. Much easier as the mixture gets very hard and gloopy when left in the fridge.

put the oven on 180c
Put the moulds on a try and put into the oven.

Cook for about 10 mins. they pudding should rise and the surface starts to break. The middle will feel very liquid when tapped but as long as it is sponge on the top it should not break open when turned out.

When done turn out carfully into dishes and serve with good quality ice cream. This is when the silcone really helps, it makes them easy to pop out of the case.

As for the cooking part keep an eye on them as it is a very fine line between being perfect. *Sponge on the outside and liquid in the middle.* And being over cooked *sponge all the way through.*

YUM YUM YUM YUM:D

jexygirl

hun dont try and be posh they are friends and like you for you
try a simple soup or cold starter and an old fave like lasagne or shepherds pie for main, your goal being able to pre cook so spend time with your freinds rather than spending time being posh and not talking to them or hosting.
Its about how it tastes not what it costs, and also the company
Let us know how it goes
Jex

angelavdavis

Not a cheap cheap menu - total cost I estimate at £1.50-2.00 per person.

Stuffed mushrooms starter

One large cap mushroom per person
Pack of garlic and herb boursin cheese
HM breadcrumbs - dried in the oven and crushed
drizzle of olive oil
2 red peppers

Remove the stalk from the mushroom, put into small processor and chop up. Add boursin cheese and fill mushroom.
Dip mushroom cheese side down into breadcrumbs to cover.
Place on baking sheet.
cut peppers into four pieces and roast in oven, drizzled with oil
allow to cool and peel, then liquidise peppers to create a sauce.
Drizzle mushrooms with olive oil and bake in oven until brown,
Put a little sauce in centre of plate with place the mushroom on top.

The sauce and mushrooms can be made in advance, just pop mushrooms in oven for 10-15 minutes to cook and heat through sauce in the meantime.

Main course - Seafood paella
one chicken drumstick or thigh per person
one pack of frozen mixed seafood
Onion
garlic
mixed herbs
pinch of turmeric (saffron too pricey)
risotto rice
frozen peas
olive oil
Chicken stock

Fry off onion and garlic in olive oil with herbs.
Add the chicken and brown the skin.
Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
Add risotto rice and stir through.
Add chicken stock one ladle at a time
Mix well, allowing the rice to gradually soak up the chicken stock
With the last ladle of stock, add the seafood, peas and chicken
Cook until seafood is warmed through.

The paella can be made in advance up to adding the seafood, peas and chicken. Put it all together at the end, ensuring the chicken and seafood are piping hot.

Dessert - Chocolate mousse

My favourite chocolate mousse recipe which can be made in advance is here

mlz1413

Goulash is a good alternative to casserole can be done in a slow cooker too, remember to serve with sour cream.

If you like baking then a cake or cheese cake can be made the day before and then served up with a dusting of icing sugar and/or cream make it special.

tandraig

soup is always a good starter - so is smoked salmon served with brown bread and butter (and smoked salmon can be bought quite cheaply now try aldis or lidls or both asda and tesco do smoked salmon in value packs ....just means its not evenly sliced but once you plate up no-one will notice).
for mains well you cant beat lamb shanks done in a red wine and rosemary sauce. just serve with mash and carrots.
dessert? either good old fashioned apple pie and ice cream or a sorbet.

Peartree

Personally, I'd feel completely overfaced by both soup/hot starter and a casserole or pasta dish. As previous posters have said, you can get good smoked salmon at a good price now. I often do a smoked salmon or smoked mackeral pate starter - just whizzing up the fish with cream cheese and seasoning (personally I add horseradish, capers and some tinned anchovies but there's no need if they're not in the larder). Chill in the fridge, bit of salad and some nice bread and you're away. A casserole of any type aways goes down a treat. If you're limited on time for a pudding, buy some nice looking chocolates (Aldi and Lidl do some good quality ones) and some fruit people can pick at like grapes or berries or do cheese and biscuits. Present them nicely on a platter and serve with coffee and everyone will probably be deeply relieved they don't have to stuff in a stodgy pudding. A good quality ice cream always goes down well. All of the above can be sorted out easily and in advance. Remember, they're coming to spend time with you and not to score you on your cooking technique.

Glamazon

I can make a nice chilli to feed 11 people at 67p a portion. Make it the day before as it's always better reheated!

shazziere

i would recommend the lamb shanks....my dinner guests were so late once i think it must have been in the oven for about 6 hours....but still tasted fab.I just threw the shanks in a big meat dish,bottle of £2.49 tesco red wine,rosemary ,shallots and mushrooms chucked in half way through.Easy peasy....

I would also go for a prepared cold starter so again no timing worries.And a good quality ice cream or cheese cake for after....doesnt get wasted if no one wants pudding.

hanb

Hello all,

I'm not sure this is the right place to post but I’m after some help..

My lovely OH has nominated me to cook for our friends on Saturday night as we're trying to save money so couldn't go out for dinner. That's great, he realised we couldn't afford it so suggested I cooked but now I don't know what to cook!

I'm going to be out all day on Saturday with only an hour or so when I get back before our friends come. There will be four of us and OH hates casserole so that's out! Our friends eat out quite a lot so I want to make sure they enjoy it and preferably without them realising it's cheap.

The storecupboard does have some basics but not a huge amount which doesn't help me much either..

Any suggestions would be really helpful.

Thanks

Hannah