Dinner Party ideas?!

ashbart

I would go with Mexican, too. Very easy and everyone can make their own, to their liking. I would do tacos/burittos and chicken fajitas. Onions, cheese, tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, salsa, the fajita chicken, and the taco/buritto all in seperate pots. Warm the tortilla shells and let everyone make their own. Very easy and very yummy!!! You could always do a big plate of nachos as well for everyone to dip into with guacamole, etc. Mmmm - making me hungry just thinking about it all!

skintchick

Beef bourguignon? You make it in advance in the slow cooker or casserole in oven and it's easy and tasty. Do lots of veg and potatoes with it and it will go a long way.

I'd do something simple like chocolate mousse for dessert.

skintchick

ashbart wrote: »

I would go with Mexican, too. Very easy and everyone can make their own, to their liking. I would do tacos/burittos and chicken fajitas. Onions, cheese, tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, salsa, the fajita chicken, and the taco/buritto all in seperate pots. Warm the tortilla shells and let everyone make their own. Very easy and very yummy!!! You could always do a big plate of nachos as well for everyone to dip into with guacamole, etc. Mmmm - making me hungry just thinking about it all!

But not for a dinner party surely? There's a difference in my head between having mates round and having a dinner party.

Boodle

skintchick wrote: »

But not for a dinner party surely? There's a difference in my head between having mates round and having a dinner party.

Not in my house!

thriftmonster

My best dinner party recipe is a version of a Robert Carrier - chicken portions with lots of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and butter - bake in the oven and baste a few times - serve with green salad and new potatoes - add a few drumsticks for the kids if you want.

Pudding - HM meringues (made the day before), fresh fruit (frozen raspberries are good) and creme fraiche.

Starter - bruschetta made from slices of ciabatta, rubbed with garlic when toasted, topped with (Lidl) parma/ black forest ham and chopped fresh tomatoes - plus a few nice crisps.

HTH (and you've ever eaten at my house you probably know who I am now!!!)

Edited to say: Put the chicken to marinate earlier, make the meringues the day before and toast and rub the ciabatta in advance and chop the tomatoes earlier - pretty hassle free.

sarahf191979

I would just say keep it nice and simple, make something you are used to so you know it can't go wrong you don't want to be paniking all day and rushing about all night. (Like I did first time...ARRRRRRRRGGG!!!)

Something in the slowcooker is always good, nice simple dessert.

The more extravagant you make it the more work and less enjoyment for you.

Starters: Garlic Mushrooms and Dips

Loaded Potato Skins (Cheese and Bacon/ Just Cheese etc...)

Loaded Mushrooms (Cheese and Cherry Tom's/ Cheese and Bacon etc...)

or HM Soup / or shop bought with warm crusty bread

Main course:

Roast Dinner with all the trimming

Chicken Chauser (one Pot)

Curry (Done in the slow cooker) With all the trimming (Which can be shop bought)

Spanish Chicken (one pot) Chicken, toms, onions, chorizo, peppers, garlic

HTH

Stephen_Leak

chocolatepennyfarthing wrote: »

Looking for some dinner party inspiration. Will be 4 adults and 4 children. No fish please, would ideally like something that can make day before or maybe something that is a one pot recipee. Have already done chilli, curry, moussaka before so running out of ideas. Need starter and main but will buy desserts.

Before you buy anything for dessert, can I tempt you with a bowl of this ...

ETON MESS

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

450g of fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
250g of meringue
250ml of cream

METHOD

Wash the strawberries, remove any stalks and chop them into quarters. Break or chop the meringue into rough 2cm (1 inch) pieces.

Put the strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar. Mix together.

Pour the cream into another bowl. Lightly whip the cream. Don’t over-do it: it should still be pourable.

Add the strawberries to the cream, or vice versa. Add the meringue pieces. Mix together and serve.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use ready-made meringue nests, especially if they are already broken and reduced in price.

If you make your own meringue, this is the dish to practice with. If they weep, crack or even collapse, you can still use them in this. However, you do have to make it a day in advance.

For the romantic version, top with a large strawberry and offer this to your partner.

An authentic Eton mess uses strawberries, but other summer fruits work well.

However, even Heston Blumenthal has had to concede that Eton mess is "quite simply impossible to improve upon".

HISTORICAL NOTES

Eton mess originated at Eton College in the 1930’s, when a mixture of either strawberries or bananas with cream or ice cream, all stirred together (hence the name "mess"), was served in the school’s "sock shop" (tuck shop). One anecdotal story is that the dessert was ‘invented’ by a Labrador dog, when it sat on a picnic basket in the back of a car. With the later addition of the meringue, it has evolved into the unashamedly wicked, yet still quintessentially English, summer dessert. It is traditionally served at Eton College's annual prize-giving celebration picnic on what is still called the "Fourth of June", despite actually taking place on the last Wednesday in May.

sarahf191979

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

Before you buy anything for dessert, can I tempt you with a bowl of this ...

ETON MESS

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

450g of fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
250g of meringue
250ml of cream

METHOD

Wash the strawberries, remove any stalks and chop them into quarters. Break or chop the meringue into rough 2cm (1 inch) pieces.

Put the strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar. Mix together.

Pour the cream into another bowl. Lightly whip the cream. Don’t over-do it: it should still be pourable.

Add the strawberries to the cream, or vice versa. Add the meringue pieces. Mix together and serve.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use ready-made meringue nests, especially if they are already broken and reduced in price.

If you make your own meringue, this is the dish to practice with. If they weep, crack or even collapse, you can still use them in this. However, you do have to make it a day in advance.

For the romantic version, top with a large strawberry and offer this to your partner.

An authentic Eton mess uses strawberries, but other summer fruits work well.

However, even Heston Blumenthal has had to concede that Eton mess is "quite simply impossible to improve upon".

HISTORICAL NOTES

Eton mess originated at Eton College in the 1930’s, when a mixture of either strawberries or bananas with cream or ice cream, all stirred together (hence the name "mess"), was served in the school’s "sock shop" (tuck shop). One anecdotal story is that the dessert was ‘invented’ by a Labrador dog, when it sat on a picnic basket in the back of a car. With the later addition of the meringue, it has evolved into the unashamedly wicked, yet still quintessentially English, summer dessert. It is traditionally served at Eton College's annual prize-giving celebration picnic on what is still called the "Fourth of June", despite actually taking place on the last Wednesday in May.

That sounds lovely Stephen....I will be giving that a try, Thanks for Sharing

rubylips_2

just go to the chippy!!!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Penelope_Penguin

Hi there :beer: I'll add this to the existing Dinner Party ideas thread to keep ideas together

Penny. x