Dinner For Six

[Jade Emperor]

You have chosen to be the host for a dinner, six people.
What are you making?

 

[Aunt Bea]

I haven’t cooked for company in years but when I did it was always something that could wait, while we had another cocktail or two!

These days I would prefer to pick up the tab at a local restaurant or hand my guests a fistful of takeout menus and let them decide what we should order.

 

[dragnlaw]

How many courses?
What is the budget?

 

[Jade Emperor]

You decide . It’s your party, cry if you want to.

 

[Marlingardener]

I'd keep it simple since "fancy food" scares the pants off most of our acquaintances. A simple cold appetizer followed by lasagna, and for dessert a flan or poached pear (I know, poached pears are a bit "fancy" but the guests would recognize pears.)
Jade, you do come up with the best questions that start good conversations!

 

[GinnyPNW]

We had folks over, just last week. Since some were travelling from a distance, I wanted something that could sit for a while without issue. I made Turkey Pot Pie Soup, with pie crusts crackers and that was followed by homemade ice cream over angel food cake, covered in strawberries, whipped cream and a cherry on top. Yummy.

That said, I usually will make something that most folks enjoy but do not make themselves.

 

[Chef Munky]

You have chosen to be the host for a dinner, six people.
What are you making?

I'd be making up a Lawyer. Say nothing of the crime or crimes just committed against the person or persons who volunteered me without asking first.
Make excuses. Sorry.... Not sorry.

 

[medtran49]

I'd be making up a Lawyer. Say nothing of the crime or crimes just committed against the person or persons who volunteered me without asking first.
Make excuses. Sorry.... Not sorry.

The OP says you choose to do this, so there was no "volunteering" involved.

I'd have a cold appy like pickled or cocktail shrimp, then a caprese type salad with roasted red bells instead of tomatoes, a prime rib with mushroom bread pudding, and a green vegetable of some kind OR boeuf bourguignon with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms over noodles, and then a cheesecake or an Italian wedding cake since both can be made the day before and taste better the next day anyway.

All things that can be made the day before or put together much earlier in the day or really easy and quick to cook like noodles or a green vegetable.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

When I fist moved back to California I stayed with my son, his wife and their 3 kids, so dinner for 6 was pretty much the norm. I've done it for Thanksgiving more than once. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, my world famous Sufferin' Succotash, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. No green bean casserole, EVER!

If it wasn't a holiday I'd probably go with some maccheroni shape with grandma's Sunday sauce, meatballs and Italian sausage, crusty bread, soda pop, beer, wine and liquor.

This is why I now have trouble making meals for just myself.

 

[Chef Munky]

The OP says you choose to do this, so there was no "volunteering" involved.

I'd have a cold appy like pickled or cocktail shrimp, then a caprese type salad with roasted red bells instead of tomatoes, a prime rib with mushroom bread pudding, and a green vegetable of some kind OR boeuf bourguignon with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms over noodles, and then a cheesecake or an Italian wedding cake since both can be made the day before and taste better the next day anyway.

All things that can be made the day before or put together much earlier in the day or really easy and quick to cook like noodles or a green vegetable.

I misread that. Sorry OP.

 

[GinnyPNW]

The OP says you choose to do this, so there was no "volunteering" involved.

I'd have a cold appy like pickled or cocktail shrimp, then a caprese type salad with roasted red bells instead of tomatoes, a prime rib with mushroom bread pudding, and a green vegetable of some kind OR boeuf bourguignon with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms over noodles, and then a cheesecake or an Italian wedding cake since both can be made the day before and taste better the next day anyway.

All things that can be made the day before or put together much earlier in the day or really easy and quick to cook like noodles or a green vegetable.

Just send me your address and I'm on my way!!!

 

[medtran49]

No green bean casserole, EVER!

Hey, green beans casserole made from scratch is pretty darn good!

I and most of my family don't like the frozen or canned beans, canned mushrooms soup with those canned fried onions either, but someone we used to have at Thanksgiving LOVED it. So, I made it from scratch using fresh green beans, homemade mushroom sauce/thick soup and fried my own string onions. Everybody liked it.

 

[Silversage]

I love to do dinner parties for 6 or more! I usually do something over the top. Since I don't really cook much for the 2 of us any more, I get creative for company.

 

[dragnlaw]

I'd have a cold appy like pickled or cocktail shrimp, then a caprese type salad with roasted red bells instead of tomatoes, a prime rib with mushroom bread pudding, and a green vegetable of some kind OR boeuf bourguignon with pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms over noodles, and then a cheesecake or an Italian wedding cake since both can be made the day before and taste better the next day anyway.

All things that can be made the day before or put together much earlier in the day or really easy and quick to cook like noodles or a green vegetable.

I love to do dinner parties for 6 or more! I usually do something over the top. Since I don't really cook much for the 2 of us any more, I get creative for company.

medtran, that's very much like I would do. I like a finger food appetizer to have with your glass of wine, then maybe a (carrot) soup "shooter" to head to the table. I like my salads with my meal but on side plates, never the dinner plate.

Silversage, my gal pals and I would get together maybe once a month or 6 weeks, plan a gourmet meal (think I've mentioned this on another thread). Sometimes I would make everything, other times someone would do the salad, another dessert, a vegie and so forth. We would keep our bills and divvy it all up at the end. We ate fantastic meals, for usually less than $10 each.
But these would be meals that we would never prepare just for ourselves. Well, OK, I lied, I sometimes just HAD to make something and the only way to justify was to invite someone.

But ... of course.... I digress. Still working on the menu - takes me ages - not only here but in real life too!

 

[taxlady]

It would depend on the occasion, who the guests are and their food allergies, food sensitivities, and food hates are. It would also depend on how much help I will be getting. I like serving Danish food. I have a number of Danish dishes that are good for serving guests.

 

[dragnlaw]

I had one friend, when she would accept the invitation, would remind me she was sensitive to certain foods.
I think it should be up the the guest to inform the hosts of any sensitivities. It's not rude or impolite.

Actually in July, gal pal and I have rented a little house for a week. The rent is to cook a meal for the owner, husband, daughter and granddaughter. LOL we can handle that!

As to what we will serve, it will (for these particular folks) be basic and hardy. She's running a Children's Horse Camp during the summer and will be hungry and sustenance.

 

[GimmeAnother1]

I just cooked for 10 this past weekend. Went simple. Did a charcuterie board for appetizer along with some chips and salsa option. For main course made a pot of spaghetti and did meatballs and sausage. For side I did double semolina bread warmed in oven with room temp butter slathered on right before serving. Didn’t have time to do dessert although everyone was pretty full after that. If I did I probably would have made a panna cotta or raspberry creme brûlée. I was also almost tempted to make some rasberry or Nutella poffertjes.

I gotta say making a spaghetti sauce and about 30 meatballs takes longer than most dishes for me. Sausage I cheat and buy store bought so just a matter of frying to brown up a little before throwing in the pot. I also hand crush the peeled tomatoes. I’ve seen some people use immersion blender but I like larger pieces and prefer to remove the stems by hand.

 

[dragnlaw]

So tell us what some of those dishes are taxy. Always interested in your recipes/menus!

Good for you 'Gimme' that's a lot of work.

 

[taxlady]

So tell us what some of those dishes are taxy. Always interested in your recipes/menus!

<snip>

The ones that come to mind are (recipes in the links):
Danish meatloaf
Linda's pot o' pig
And various kinds of rolled pork roast. I have made one with dried fruit, another with sun dried tomato and garlic, one with rosemary and pesto. For just the two of us, I usually butterfly a pork loin and flatten it with the heel of my hand. When I make a larger amount, I cut a chunk of pork loin into a rectangle. Here's a different Danish recipe, but it shows the way I cut and and tie up the rolled pork, same as for the roast. https://www.discusscooking.com/threads/rullepølse-danish-spiced-meat-roll.69389/

If you want the recipe for the rolled roast with dried fruit or the one with rosemary and pesto, I'll be happy to translate them for you. I can't seem to find the recipe for the one with sun dried tomato and garlic.

 

[dragnlaw]

Too funny! I was actually thinking of a stuffed and rolled pork. Summer is coming on here so I keep trying to think of something on a lighter side. Pressing and slicing super thin would be great for a cold meat.

Jade you're going into fall/winter now. taxy, is a rullepolse ever served hot? (and therefore I would guess without the pressing)?