I would love to know what other people's "go-to" dinners are for when you have company over. We usually just have another couple, without their kids, etc. thanks for any good ideas!
If we don't grill steaks, I make one of my classic dishes.
Homemade marinara, stuffed pasta shells, manacotti, etc. Salmon baked in foil from Everyday Italian, rack of lamb or prime rib.
We usually grill deer steaks, veggies, and I make cheesy potatoes. (Thin sliced potatoes covered in half and half and cheese) Quick, easy and delicious! We also will have Mexican nights and make tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, etc. I also make an Onion and Goat Cheese pasta with grilled chicken. PM me if you are interested!
I normally make a dish called Taco's in a Pasta Shell. It is really easy and yummy...and even my husband likes it!! haha.
Brown 1 lb of hambuer and add taco seasoning according to the package.
Once cooked, add in one block of cream cheese.
Once the cheese is melted, add in one bunch of chopped scallions and one can of black beans (drained and rinsed well).
This makes the filling.
Boil one box of jumbo shells. When they are cooked, fill the shells with the taco mixture. Top with salsa, shredded cheddar cheese, and if you like, crushe Dorito chips. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. I normally serve with salad. Occassionally I'll made some garlic bread to go with it too.
It's not your every day meal but it's SO good!! I also make this as a lasagna because it saves me time :o).
Manicotti. I stuff the pasta the night before so all I have to do is bake it the next day. Add a tossed salad and garlic bread and you're set.
I put a pork tenderloin in the crockpot with 2 cups of beef broth. Put it on high for 4 hours. Pull out the pork, shred it, pour BBQ sauce on top (Montgomery Inn is yummy and has no high fructose corn syrup) and put it in a cast iron skillet (anything would work, though) for 30 mins at 350 degrees. YUM!
I also put 1.5 lbs of chicken in the crockpot along with a can of diced tomatoes with chilis and a packet of taco sauce. 3-4 hours on low usually does it if the chicken isn't frozen. Take it out shred it and serve it with tacos or tortillas and fixins.
Depends on my goal...do I want to impress them? Do I want to sit around and visit? Do I want to have no clean up because we are going to be doing activities? etc....I fix nice meals when I want to make an impression.
I usually fix something more "show-off" like, a special dish I make from scratch, like homemade spaghetti sauce and pasta, garlic green beans, salad, dessert, and maybe a soup, like 5 onion or French Onion, for an appetizer. I usually am up and down serving the different courses and have little time to just visit. This is usually a meal where they come just to eat and children are not present.
If I want to sit at the table with everyone and visit I usually fix something similar to Hamburger Helper. A casserole type dish that takes little space and is able to go pretty far in a meal. Maybe a chili or hefty stew if it's cold out. Kids usually don't go for this too much and I fix them something separate. All the food goes on the table and it's family style dining. This is my favorite because I can tell someone to go get their own milk refill.
Another dinner I enjoy making is a simple cook out or pot luck with all my friends. It is simple, made to throw the dishes away so there is very little cleanup, we have lots of time to play with the kids or play games like cards, or board games, or watch movies, etc...these are usually my most favorite friends whom I expect to clean up their own messes and spend as much time in my kitchen as I do.
Chicken cutlets with pasta. I bread up the cutlets before hand so all I have to do is fry it up when they get there.
Or in the summer...we grill - steak and/or chicken and a veggie on the grill too.
I'm all about easy!
I make ribs often. I also have a great chicken and couscous recipe I love in the summer.
Lasagna. I make it up the night before, and pop it in the oven the next day.
Or, use the crockpot. I made chicken & dumplings for company the other week, in the crockpot, and it was great ("down home food"). I've also made Coq Au Vin in the crockpot -- this one is excellent if you need something fancier.
I love checking out the highly-reviewed recipes on www.allrecipes.com.
I usually go for Spaghetti and Garlic Bread. It's easy and feeds a lot. Chicken Parm is also a good one.
We always grill. Steaks, chicken, fish...Great big salad and baked potatoes (twice baked potatoes). Beer, margaritas, iced tea..
Fun dessert. and cappuccinos with dessert..
We have friends that we dine with a lot during the summer and our fall back is hobos. Hobos are a meat (we use ground beef or chicken) and whatever vegetables you want and seasonings (salt, pepper, A-1, etc) you want, and a tsp of butter, if you want. Wrap them in foil (double wrap) and throw them on the grill. Everyone gets to make their own (we write initials on each of them). The larger the portion the longer it takes to cook but generally anywhere from 10 - 15 minutes each side. We grill cut up potatoes on the side (they take longer to cook) and usually make beef or chicken flavored rice. You can also cook them in the oven. Depending on what veges you use it can take some prep time, but there is really no after dinner clean up. The kids think it is fun to "make their own."
