Bridezilla is coming home!

[elaine l]

My daughter's wedding is Oct. 11th. She will be arriving Sunday from England. I will be hosting many incoming family members from next Wed. until the wedding day. One of the nights will be at a restaurant but the rest are up to me.

So need help with meal plans. 15 for one dinner and 30 guests for the other.

Weather could be iffy here so I guess I wouldn't plan on grilled anything. The restaurant dinner is Italian so I don't want to repeat that.

Thanks.

 

[babetoo]

are these dinners meant to be formal . if not and especially for smaller group, chili, spag. or things of that nature that can be made in crockpot. i have done the chili on christmas for family. with may condiments it goes over very well.

little more info and maybe i can come up with something else.

 

[jabbur]

You could always do a small ham and small beef roast with hashbrown potato casserole and a veggie. Are there any dietary restrictions among the guests like vegans or allergies you need to take into account?

 

[elaine l]

Only one, no shellfish.

I was thinking along the lines of a ham or roast or both. What is a hashbrown potato casserole? Sounds interesting. One thought was tenderloin roast, rolls, horseradish sauce, sliced tomatoes with mozz and basil. But something seems to be lacking.

Not formal but nice and somewhat simple since I won't have a lot of time to prep with guests underfoot.

 

[jabbur]

Here's the recipe I use. It tastes like the potatoes from Cracker Barrel if you've ever had them.

2 lbs frozen shredded hashbrowns
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c. melted butter
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup (can sub celery)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 pt. sour cream
Sour cream and onion potato chips

Parially thaw potatoes. Mix potatoes, salt, pepper. Stir in butter, soup and sour cream. Mix well. Blend in onions and cheese. Pour into 9x13 greased baking dish. Cover with crushed chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins.

I usually add more cheese than this calls for since my family loves cheese and it really doesn't matter what order you mis things in. I like to mix the butter, soup and sour cream together in a seperate bowl before adding it to the potatoes just because it is easier to get it well mixed that way. It can be made the day before and kept in the fridge until time to bake as well. Good luck!

 

[elaine l]

That sounds good. Thanks jabbur!

 

[Yakuta]

A mexican style casserole (tastes like enchilada's but simpler) that can be assembled quickly and baked. You can serve it with a side of corn bread and some rice cooked with a bottle of salsa. It is quick and easy and elegant at the same time.

I also think if you have a few large skillets it would be good to make frittata's and serve that with a side of a simple fruit salad and some nice crusty bread from a bakery. Elegant and satisfying.

A meat loaf is always great. You can once again serve it with some roasted potatoes and other veggies you like on the side.

A few roasted chickens would be easy to do and you can again serve them in a hash (look at Ina's recipe) or in sandwiches or arrange them in large platters and serve them with sides of your choice .

Being Indian I have to always suggest a chicken curry dish (you can adjust the spices to suit the taste of your guest) made with coconut milk and rice that is cooked with some cilantro and lime. The beauty of a curry is that you can make it ahead of time and freeze it.

 

[elaine l]

I was considering something curried since I know they love Indian food. How far into making the dish would I freeze it?

 

[jpmcgrew]

To save yourself some grief, energy and time gratins can be great sides Such as potato and a vegetable gratin the beauty of these is you can make them 1-2 days ahead and just reheat to go with roasts of any kind I'm thinking roasted cornish game hens and beef roast the next night with pop overs. You can make popovers ahead and reheat and crisp up that night.Then have the roasts with a great salad, great bread maybe another vegetable and a made ahead dessert. There are also many appetizers that can be made ahead and heated when you are ready or cold appetizers. I think curries are great but they already can get great ones in England so I would go local where you live and use ingredients that are in season in your area. You want to prep ahead as much as possible such as decide your menu and chop all the onions and other vegetables you need for each dish ahead of time that way you just go to container and get what you need.
Once you decide your menu PM me the menu and and I would be more than happy to give you a prep list and how to use it to save you loads of time. I'm quite expert in this area. I say this with conviction lots of experience in that area. Plan on prepping these dinners at least three days before. Thats if you want my input.

 

[Yakuta]

I would cook the entire thing and freeze it. I am lucky to have a huge refrigerator style freezer so I cook the curry in a large pot and boom the entire pot goes into the freezer. I remove it and put it directly on the stove on low. You would never know it was frozen.

If you don't have a large freezer I would suggest you freeze it in large containers. Then get them the day before and put it in the refrigerator so it thaws. Put it all in a pot and cook in on low.

Garnish with freshly chopped herbs at the end and it's good to go.

 

[elaine l]

jpmcgrew,

You made a good point that they have great curries in England so it may be wise for me to stick to things I know.

I would like to pm you when I get the final menu down or at least part of it.

 

[jpmcgrew]

jpmcgrew,

You made a good point that they have great curries in England so it may be wise for me to stick to things I know.

I would like to pm you when I get the final menu down or at least part of it.

Great!I'm more than happy to help.

 

[elaine l]

jpmcgrew, You've got mail!

 

[Barbara L]

You could do a salad bar, baked potato bar (with some kind of meat and salad to go along with it), or taco bar.

Barbara

 

[elaine l]

Good ideas Barbara. Maybe the baked potato bar would go well with the roast.

 

[Jeff G.]

How about a "breakfast for dinner"..
I big batch of sausage gravy, pancakes, egg/potato/cheese casserole, and a big batch of biscuits..

Pretty simple, inexpensive and I find people enjoy having breakfast for dinner.