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Planning a dinner party soon? What's on your menu?

zoebartlett

zoebartlett

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
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I was just browsing a few different recipe sites to get ideas for a very small dinner party we're having on Saturday. Are you planning a dinner party soon or have you had one recently? We won't have many people over, but we're going to make enough for leftovers the following day.

Here's what's on our menu:

Appetizer:
Veggies, pita chips, and hummus

For the main course:
It will probably be chicken and shrimp scampi with some type of pasta (angel hair, penne, or linguine)
Salad

Dessert:
Not sure yet. I know a few PSers have recently tried a specific brownie recipe and they've raved about it, but I can't find it here.

What is/was on your menu?
 
I'm planning APPLE FEST! It's less of a dinner party and more of a fall harvest FEAST! I know I've talked about it too much here on PS, but I'm so excited. I got some awesome recipes when I posted a thread on here last year. My menu is all over the place because we have between 30 and 40 people coming, so we just put out a ton of food and everyone eats up. We go apple picking in the early afternoon and then everyone comes back to the house and we make all the desserts together. I just bought fall colored ramekins today to hold all the toppings for our caramel apples!

This year I'm thinking of making:

Mains: Storm's Apple Cider Stew, Baked Mac n' Cheese, Vegetarian Chili. My mom is trying out a new turkey recipe and using Apple Fest as a test drive, so we'll have turkey, too.

Sides: IceQueen's Apple Basil Chicken Salad, meatballs, corn bread, three bean salad, apple cole slaw, apple sauce

Desserts: DiamanteBlu's Apple Cider Tart, SomethingShiny's Fried Apple Rinkgs, HopeDream's Apple Spice Cake, baked apples, apple butter, caramel apples

Drinks: Apple Orchard Punch, Hot Apple Cider, Party Punch

Your menu looks delicious. I love shrimp scampi! I want to know about this mysterious brownie recipe . . .
 
Haven said:
I'm planning APPLE FEST! It's less of a dinner party and more of a fall harvest FEAST! I know I've talked about it too much here on PS, but I'm so excited. I got some awesome recipes when I posted a thread on here last year. My menu is all over the place because we have between 30 and 40 people coming, so we just put out a ton of food and everyone eats up. We go apple picking in the early afternoon and then everyone comes back to the house and we make all the desserts together. I just bought fall colored ramekins today to hold all the toppings for our caramel apples!

This year I'm thinking of making:

Mains: Storm's Apple Cider Stew, Baked Mac n' Cheese, Vegetarian Chili. My mom is trying out a new turkey recipe and using Apple Fest as a test drive, so we'll have turkey, too.

Sides: IceQueen's Apple Basil Chicken Salad, meatballs, corn bread, three bean salad, apple cole slaw, apple sauce

Desserts: DiamanteBlu's Apple Cider Tart, SomethingShiny's Fried Apple Rinkgs, HopeDream's Apple Spice Cake, baked apples, apple butter, caramel apples

Drinks: Apple Orchard Punch, Hot Apple Cider, Party Punch

Your menu looks delicious. I love shrimp scampi! I want to know about this mysterious brownie recipe . . .
Click to expand...



I reeeeeeeeealllly wish you lived in PA. :lickout: :lickout: :lickout: :lickout: :lickout:


Zoe, I think your menu sounds great :love:
 
At our last dinner party we served:

Bruschetta
Prosciutto-wrapped melon
Steak
Grilled asparagus
White corn
Chocolate cake with fudge frosting
 
Just a suggestion for dessert, we went to a wine tasting last weekend and they served a rasberry wine with chocolates and I can't get the taste out of my mind, I have been craving it, I think a nice rich chocolate mousse with a rasberry or strawberry wine, nummmy.
 
DH and I are having 2 couples over Saturday evening. Very simple menu.

Appetizers: Smoked Salmon hubby caught in Alaska. Very thinly sliced and the perfect size for a cracker!
Irish White Cheddar Cheese, olives and nuts

Peach Martinis for us girls
Beer and whatever the guys want

Grilled steaks

large garden salad

DH's dressed up chunky potatoes

Dessert is being brought by one of the guests

simple and easy.........
 
We get together with several different couples we know on a rotating basis about 2-3 times a month. Last time, SO cooked (ok, I made the salad) and came up with:

Mixed baby greens salad with marinated artichokes and black olives, croutons and grated asiago cheese options

Roasted tomato soup (his own recipe which fed us for days after)
*included roasted heirloom tomatoes, roasted red peppers, shoepeg corn, white northern beans*

Stuffed peppers--wild rice, mushrooms, provolone cheese, homemade red sauce (yellow, red, orange sweet peppers were the base)

Sharp cheddar cubes and Granny Smith apple slices

Medium-body Cabernet and medium Merlot provided by our guests

We never do desserts--our oven does NOT function (we live in a rental) and we get by using a convection oven for everything else. Plus, the wine we drink on the whole usually provides us all with the sugar we crave instead of dessert. Maybe people go home and eat sweets but we don't miss them...and anyone is welcome to bring something sweet!

Next time we are doing a "Taco Night"--not super creative, but for our group, it's budget-friendly and all of us are very interested in saving money by having these group dinners anyway.

Everyone else's dinners sound fabulous!
 
Haven, I'm trying to throw together a pumpkin-carving party in the next few weeks and am getting inspiration from your Apple-Fest menu. I've seen it in years past and have always found it exciting, but I think this year I'll be borrowing from it a bit--thanks for posting again!
 
We are making:

Appetizers: Home Madua Guacamole, Chips, 3 salsas (Tomatillo salsa, Salsa Roja, Salsa de Aguacate)

Mains: Home made Tamales de Chicken Mole, Tamales de Chicken Salsa Verde, Tamales Cheese and Jalapeno.

Dessert: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Yum :twirl:
 
Ooooh, we just did a fairly large dinner party!

Apps:
bacon and cheese deviled eggs, jalapeno deviled eggs
Mini homemade spanakopita and jalapeno poppers in puff pastry
Sausage stuffed mushrooms
Veg and dip

Main
BBQ chicken
Asian pork, pineapple, red onion on skewers
Sirloin, red peppers, mushroom on skewers
lime shrimp on skewers
salad

Dessert:
Chocolate mousse torte
Pineapple, strawberries, mango on skewers

yes we did a lot of skewers!
 
thread jack********

Haven~ Can you link your thread with all the recipes. I can't find it. And, I'm honored that you've included my apple rings!
 
I have never hosted a dinner party in my life (outside of having the in-laws over for dinner and the occasional family bbq) but suddenly I find myself seriously considering hosting an apple fest for the family. I am in love with this idea.
 
I think you're referring to the Baked Brownie! Here's the recipe: (copied from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking) eta: I just saw that you posted a link, but I figure the copied recipe can't hurt.

The Baked Brownie is a beautiful thing. It has won the hearts and minds of many people, it's been featured on the pages of a magazine as a favorite thing, and it was awarded best brownie honors by the folks at America's Test Kitchen and the Today show. Our brownie owes a lot to our friend and superstar pastry chef Lesli Heffler-Flick. She created the original ultimate brownie for us. It is dense, chocolatey, and slightly fudgy, and we are forever grateful to her for letting us adapt her recipe.

Baked Note
A great brownie is easy to make, but here are a few pointers: (1) Use a dark unsweetened cocoa powder like Valrhona. A pale, lightcolored cocoa does not have enough depth. (2) Make sure your eggs are at room temperature, and do not overbeat them into the batter. (3) Check your brownies often as they bake. An even slightly overbaked brownie is not a Baked Brownie.

* 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
* 11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
* 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
* 5 large eggs, at room temperature
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares and serve.

Tightly covered with plastic wrap, the brownies keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
 
Another idea for the brownies if you want to make them really special (and you own a candy thermometer) - make some salted caramel to pour on top of your ice cream and brownies! This recipe is also from the Baked cookbook (it's actually a component of one of their cakes, but makes a perfect dessert topping). It's not hard at all, but you do need a thermometer which you can buy for about $8. You can even make it in advance, which is a bonus.

Salted Caramel
Makes enough for two to three 8-inch 3-layer cake

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/4 cup sour cream

Salted Caramel Directions:

1. Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook until salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in sour cream. Cool, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
 
To answer your actual question, I haven't had a dinner party in a while - we usually do just finger foods - but here's what I made for my last party (other people brought things too):
onion tart with fennel and dijon
bruschetta
chicken meatballs
cheese plate
salted brown butter krispie treats


For my next dinner party, a friend suggested we have a bring-your-own-sauce pasta party. I have a pasta maker that I love to use (one of the old fashioned hand crank ones) and some of my friends have been dying for fresh pasta. I said I would make a few pounds of different kinds (spinach, plain, cracked pepper, etc) if everybody brought a different sauce. We have so much stuff happening the rest of this year that I'll probably put this off until 2011 though.
 
Oh, I looooove salted caramel. Thanks the recipe elrohwen!
 
We are hosting a small fall cocktail party tonight and we're having:

baked zucchini fries with marinara sauce
fresh tomato mozzerela and basil
hummus with pita
pumpkin dip with sliced apples
avocado quesidillas

for dessert:
pumpkin bread pudding
pumpkin cheesecake
zucchini bread

to drink:
gin and tonics
spiced cider
pumpkintinis
orange you glad it's falltinis
gingerbreadtinis
 
I'm drooling.
 
I've been reading but I haven't had time today to comment until now. Everyone's menus sound super!

Purselover -- Would you mnd sharing your recipe for pumpkin dip and sliced apples? Well, I think I get the sliced apple part. ;)) Ooh, and the pumpkin bread pudding? I've never made bread pudding before but I love it, and pumpkin's one of my favorites. :lickout:

Haven -- I always love reading about Apple Fest! It sounds like you and your hsuband sure know how to throw a party. It sounds like such a fun time!

Elwrohwen -- I JUST pulled the brownies out of the oven. If I had seen your psot earlier, I would have tried adding caramel. Thanks for the tip! I'll try it next time because I'm pretty sure I'll be making the Baked brownies again. They smell so good!

Rhbgirl -- I love spanikopita! I haven't had it in a while but it's really good. Your menu sounds yummy!

Monnie -- I love stuffed peppers. I'll have to try your recipe soon.
 
Autumnovember said:
I'm drooling.
Click to expand...

Same here "Apple Cider Tart" oh drooling for sure......
 
Elrohwen- Your onion tart sounds awesome! Would you mind sharing the recipe?
 
So we had our small dnner party last night and it was a success. The only thing I forgot to do was add chicken broth to the chicken and garlic while the chicken was cooking. So the sauce was a little less than I had wanted, but overall, it was really yummy.

I also made the Baked brownie, and while it was okay, I was a little underwhelmed. I thought the brownies were way too dry. My husband thought they were a little "powdery." I'm pretty sure I mixed the ingredients well enough, and I was sure not to overdo it either. So I don't know why they weren't as moist as boxed brownies, but that's what I was hoping for. I was surprised that there was no liqud called for in the recipe -- maybe that would have made a difference.
 
When you make brownies, it's super important to make sure you don't overcook them or they will be dry. When you stick a knife or skewer into a brownie straight from the over, it should still be WET! If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, it's already too far gone. Keep checking it before the time is up and you will get a perfect brownie!! Good luck!
 
Zoe, that's odd - when I made the brownies, they were so fudgey that I actually wished they were drier and cakier. Is it possible they were overbaked?

Bunny, here's the tart recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/onion-tart-with-mustard-and-fennel/
It's similar to making a pizza dough, then laying it out on a cookie sheet and adding the toppings. I would recommend adding a little more mustard than in the recipe - I thought it could use more. Also, if I make it again I would pre-bake the crust for a few minutes to get it crispy. It didn't crisp up as nicely as I wanted, but pre-baking would do the trick.
 
Zoe said:
So we had our small dnner party last night and it was a success. The only thing I forgot to do was add chicken broth to the chicken and garlic while the chicken was cooking. So the sauce was a little less than I had wanted, but overall, it was really yummy.

I also made the Baked brownie, and while it was okay, I was a little underwhelmed. I thought the brownies were way too dry. My husband thought they were a little "powdery." I'm pretty sure I mixed the ingredients well enough, and I was sure not to overdo it either. So I don't know why they weren't as moist as boxed brownies, but that's what I was hoping for. I was surprised that there was no liqud called for in the recipe -- maybe that would have made a difference.
Click to expand...
Yay for a successful party!

I've never been very good at making brownies, myself. I think I always overdo them. I'm definitely more comfortable with cooking than baking.

Zoe--Would you mind sharing your shrimp scampi recipe? I've been using a recipe I found on allrecipes, but I bet yours is tastier!
 
Also, I forgot to add - for the caramel, you don't need to make it before the brownies - you can throw it together after and pour it over the top of the ice cream + brownie sunday combination. Mmm, I might have to make some tonight just to pour on ice cream!
 
Elrohwen said:
Zoe, that's odd - when I made the brownies, they were so fudgey that I actually wished they were drier and cakier. Is it possible they were overbaked?

Bunny, here's the tart recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/onion-tart-with-mustard-and-fennel/
It's similar to making a pizza dough, then laying it out on a cookie sheet and adding the toppings. I would recommend adding a little more mustard than in the recipe - I thought it could use more. Also, if I make it again I would pre-bake the crust for a few minutes to get it crispy. It didn't crisp up as nicely as I wanted, but pre-baking would do the trick.
Click to expand...

I've been wanting to try this recipe, I'll have to do it this week. I love her blog--I've been reading it since before she was even engaged, back when it was just "Smitten".

Zoe, I'm glad the dinner party was a success!!
 
NewEnglandLady said:
Elrohwen said:
Zoe, that's odd - when I made the brownies, they were so fudgey that I actually wished they were drier and cakier. Is it possible they were overbaked?

Bunny, here's the tart recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/onion-tart-with-mustard-and-fennel/
It's similar to making a pizza dough, then laying it out on a cookie sheet and adding the toppings. I would recommend adding a little more mustard than in the recipe - I thought it could use more. Also, if I make it again I would pre-bake the crust for a few minutes to get it crispy. It didn't crisp up as nicely as I wanted, but pre-baking would do the trick.
Click to expand...

I've been wanting to try this recipe, I'll have to do it this week. I love her blog--I've been reading it since before she was even engaged, back when it was just "Smitten".

Zoe, I'm glad the dinner party was a success!!
Click to expand...


Me too! I didn't read her religiously, but I did enjoy her blog. I was pleasantly surprised to find it had morphed into Smitten Kitchen and I've been reading ever since. Her recipes are almost always spot on.
 
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