So, I’m hosting a dinner party this coming Friday. I’ve got a salad planned, and I have people covering the starters, hors d’oeuvres, and some drinks.
My boyfriend and I are somewhat stumped for ideas for the main course. We will be serving 6-8 people and may need a veggie alternative as well.
What I’d like:
Something that takes no more than 3 hours to prepare
Relatively inexpensive
Relatively few ‘special’/irreplaceable ingredients
Not a pasta dish
I’ve had good success with brisket in the past, but I’m saving that for another gathering in a month or so which will have some overlap of attendees.
I realise this is a very broad request, but anything will be of help!
We’ve had good luck making Chicken Marsala medallions. Find some cheap sale chicken breasts, cut them up into medallions, and make up a big batch the day before. You can reheat in the oven and put out for a buffet, or serve individually.
Mini hot dogs wrapped in Pillsbury crescent-roll dough and baked (with or without cheese inside) also make a great app…TRM
Alton Brown’s 40 Cloves and a Chicken is easy and one of my staples. I’ve also done stuffed squash (include or omit sausage per your guests), and boneless leg of lamb, which was more of a “throw it in the oven on low all day” kind of dish.
A stir fry might be the easiest way to go. It’s easy to turn into a vegetarian alternative, the vegetables are a majority of the dish so it’s relatively inexpensive, no special ingredients are needed and including prep time you will be under an hour.
That’s similar to what I was going to suggest. My dad did sort of an at-home Mongolian grill, once; different raw meats (sliced thin), vegetables and oils set up buffet style, let everyone put together their own dish, and him and me manning the woks. Let the vegetarians go first so there isn’t any meat residue in the woks. Put a bowl of rice on the table and you’re good to go.
The only snag is to have the logistics to pull it off. You need enough stove space to have at least two woks going at once (and two cooks is probably a good idea, too), or else the first ones are almost finished eating before the last ones are served.