The Novice's First Dinner Party Menu - There is a Solution

Eventually everyone comes to that special day in their lives. It is not the day you ask your crush to the prom, the day you say "I Do", or even the day you bring home baby for the first time. While those days are indeed life changing and very special, there is this one certain day that initially strikes terror in the heart of the first timer. I am talking about the day you throw your first real dinner party. I am talking about the one that really, really matters a great deal to you!

It starts out innocently enough. Your mom or another living family member asks you to host the Holiday dinner this year or you want to impress your girlfriend with a romantic home cooked meal. You are even excited about the event and cannot wait to get started. Then it hits you as you stare at your pantry. Your signature dish is Kraft Mac N' Cheese or Ravioli from a can and you consider boiling water a culinary feat. What are you going to make for dinner?

Well, first timer, planning a formal dinner is nothing to be feared, even for the culinary novice. All you need is a kitchen and a little creativity. A basic formal meal consists of four courses:

• Soup
• Salad
• Main
• Dessert

For a menu that is easy to prepare but suitable for a formal meal, consider:

• Broth
• Salad
• Chicken / Lentil Roast / Roasted Red Baby Potatoes / Acorn Squash/ Green Peas
• Ice Cream with Berries

So, like your special guests will soon be doing, let's start with the soup!

Broth is a great soup because you can buy it in a can or box that is easily hidden from your guests. Hey, chef's secret! Now do not ruin the illusion by serving it in mugs! Everything, even store bought broth, tastes better on fine China, or at the least, a pretty soup bowl. Ladle out the bowls in the kitchen and serve it to your guests restaurant style.

Skip the standard square saltines and splurge on a package of specialty soup crackers or bread sticks to accompany it. A personal favorite of mine is McCormick's Gourmet All-Vegetable Bouillon. This MSG free product yields two cups of broth per cube and honestly tastes like you spent all day simmering vegetables to create a fragrant, rich, broth.

Thanks to the invention of the salad bag, your second course has already been made for you. Even though most salad bags contain pre-washed produce, a secondary wash is mandatory to remove processing contaminants. This is another course that is best served restaurant style. Use a cookie cutter (diamonds, hearts, circles, etc, not gingerbread people!) to cut out slices of tomato or pepper. Use these shapes to decorate your salad plates and serve with a choice of vinaigrette or creamy dressing on the side.

For the main course, a roasted chicken is easy prepare and attractive to serve. Check the labels carefully. If you are buying a "utility grade" bird, parts of it like a wing or leg may be missing. Your bird(s) need to be presentation quality. Chicken is easy to flavor and whether you want to have a light citrus or a bold smoky taste is up to you.

Explore your options at your local grocery store or in the expanded resources section of first dinner party made simple. Bottled marinades, dry spice rubs, seasoning blends, even single-use bag roasters await for your personal convenience!

No kitchen is complete without a meat thermometer and they are especially important when cooking poultry. Serve the roasted chicken on a bed of lettuce to add color. Try surrounding the chicken with your cooked carrots, asparagus or any other vegetables for accent as well as guest dining options.

Lentil roast is a hearty side dish that can double as a main dish for vegetarians and vegans.

Lentil Roast
• Mash two cans of lentils in a bowl.
• Stir in enough breadcrumbs to make the bean mixture stiff.
• Add two eggs (for vegans stir 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 6 tablespoons of cold water).
• Season to taste with savory seasonings or a pre-mixed seasoning blend.
• Pack the mixture into a greased bread pan and bake for an hour.
• Unmold onto a serving plate. If the roast falls apart or breaks as you unmold it, simply reshape it into a smooth round mound on the plate and continue with the garnishes.
• Pour a little pour mushroom gravy over it.
• Sliced mushrooms and a spring parsley on the top give this lentil roast a finishing touch.
• Serve it with additional gravy on the side.

Side dishes that go nicely with chicken and/or lentils are roasted red baby potatoes, acorn squash, and green peas. Slice the potatoes in half and toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. These can be baked in the roaster with the chicken or on a flat baking sheet. Slice the acorn squash in half with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds.

Place them on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and cover them with foil. Bake for an hour and serve hot with butter. Use frozen or fresh green peas and cook them in boiling water. Do not overcook them or they will become mushy.

If you have long, clear glasses, you have the perfect dishes to serve a quick but elegant dessert. Layer vanilla ice cream and fresh or frozen mixed berries in the glass making sure the ice cream is the last layer. Top off the ice cream with a chocolate covered strawberry and a mint leaf.

As you can see, you do not have to be an Iron Chef contender to create an impressive formal dinner party. Never let your lack of kitchen experience stand in the way of creating a memorable meal. So, what are you waiting for? Happy cooking and Bon Appetite!

The below link is connecting you to an extraordinary holiday package of "how to" resources on hosting a perfect dinner party. This generous package has been fully endorsed by two prominent chefs and a well know cookbook author.


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