ksm

Hubby and I will be cooking and serving dinner for 5 to 6 prom couples in our dining room. Does anyone have any tasty and elegant menu suggestions for this event?

molliebatmit

I get Rachael Ray's magazine every month, and I really like some of her recipes for entertaining, even though I find her a little annoying in a personal sense.

My husband and I really liked her walnut-crusted chicken with spinach stuffing with a side of garlic mashed potato croquettes. It all looks very fancy, but is very tasty and not difficult to make.

We also really liked her spiced pork tenderloins with ancho peanut sauce.

ksm

Molliebatmit: You are the BEST! The walnut-crusted chicken looks very elegant - exactly what I was looking for!
The kids found out today that they can have the only limo available within 400 miles (or so they say) and needed to economize with a home cooked dinner. We are so thrilled to do this, but I was at a loss for ideas. Thank you!

zoosermom

"My husband and I really liked her walnut-crusted chicken with spinach stuffing with a side of garlic mashed potato croquettes. It all looks very fancy, but is very tasty and not difficult to make."

Domestic goddess are you? Sounds like married life is agreeing with you. How wonderful!

I get the Rachael Ray magazine, too. The soup issue was excellent.

KSM, are you going to get sparkling cider or anything similar? Make it really fancy with menu cards? Having a dinner is such a lovely idea.

thisoldman

nothing that can slide off the plate
no red or dark sauces
no finger foods that permit boyz to wipe their hands on trousers
no coffee or colas or color drinks
no shell fish
no in bone chicken
girlz eat less than boyz
no beans
no raw vegetables

bleu cheese is OK

irishforever

We are hosting the Pre-Prom party for S2 and his friends. There will be dinner at the Prom, so this will be appetizers. We have planned some menu items, but would love more suggestions!

molliebatmit

We try. We like to cook together, but it can get tough when we both get home late. That's when 30-minute meals are a lifesaver!

mom60

I think it is great you are doing this. The prom is always so expensive and eating out is expensive. Plus prom night all the places are packed and loud and you can't really enjoy it.
One year my oldest went to one home where the parents had set the table with all their china and crystal. It set the tone for the behavior. The kids loved it. The cider looks great in wine glasses. In this case the parents had picked up food from a local italian place, chicken piccata, salad, pasta with alfredo sauce. No red food. Lemon bars for dessert. They tried hard to make the menu attire friendly.
I think chicken is the safest bet. No salmon (my friend did a prom dinner with a beautiful grilled salmon and 3/4 of the kids didn't eat salmon).
A couple of good salad suggestions, mixed greens with carmelized walnuts and blue cheese with a sweet vinegarette dressing. Or a Caesar salad. What my kids and their friends love is a ceasar style salad but instead of caesar dressing I use homemade Ranch dressing from the packet made with Buttermilk with fresh grated parmesan and croutons. It looks pretty and some kids don't like the anchovy paste in caesar dressing.
Appetizer ideas- some sort of chicken on a stick- satay or teriyaki. Bruchetta. Wontons. Lettuce wraps. hummus on pita squares. Depending on your crowd- mini quiches. Also a simple but really pretty appetizer is you roll out puff pastry and cut it into squares- top with a sprig of thyme, goat cheese and then with thin slices of pear. Bake till brown. It is simple, easy and pretty and yummy.
If you have any of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks glance through them. Her recipes are good and the photos of ways of decorating the table are beautiful.

PackMom

S1 attended at pre-prom dinner with a group of twelve. One of the girl's parents hosted and cooked. The parents dressed up like waiters and used candles and nice dishes. The food... grilled steaks, nice salads, some sort of great potatoes and a nice dessert. S1 and friends thought it was great because it was something everyone likes instead of something too fancy that they would be embarassed to admit they didn't care for.

I have heard several people complain about their kids thinking they needed to go to a high end restaurant in their prom limo only to get there and be completely intimidated by the atmosphere, food selection and prices. The whole thing can end up being a complete waste of money and a disappointment for the kids.

I definitely think somethig more relaxed in a home is better.

kristin5792

Great plan!

Elegant and tasty--always a great combination. If you know the kids, you could ask them what they want, or maybe give them a choice of entree. The country club where I work usually goes with something lighter (like chicken) as well as something more substantial (prime rib, tenderloin, etc) which goes over quite well. If you have a group of 12, doing 2 main courses wouldn't be too hard.

Appetizers and salad are relatively easy. Something teenager oriented but not messy for starters, then I'd go with just a mixed salad with lots of veggies and a few popular dressings. They can pick around what they don't like pretty easily!

As for dessert, I'm sure you have a specialty. Cookies? Brownies? Bars? Cakes? Home made ice cream? Pick that!

Get some input from the kiddos and make sure you find out of you have any vegetarians in the mix! (You'd be surprised at how common this is).

I don't know where you're from, but one of St. Louis' regional specialties is toasted ravioli (the best appetizer on the planet), and they're relatively easy to make.

Just flip on food network for an afternoon--you'll have tons of great ideas!

jmmom

Boy, a hundred years ago (give or take), my parents did this for me and several friends. Our menu was Roast Prime Rib (easy, though not cheap), baked stuffed potatoes and, of course, the then-new GreenBean-mushroom soup-fried onion casserole. I don't remember the dessert, but I do remember my dress - pink bodice, white organza skirt with pink daisy appliques.

My father, may he RIP, made an unscheduled entree into the rec room (which had been set up as a private dining room) wearing his tux jacket, shirt, cumberbund and bow tie, with bermuda shorts and black socks and I don't remember what all else (need there have been anything else?). He was a stitch.

:kay, back to your regularly scheduled thread; reminisence over::

mathmom

Don't ruin the salad with blue cheese! Make sure that no one is allergic to nuts. The chicken recipe looks great, but my kids don't eat spinach. I'd be inclined to go even plainer, unless I knew the kids. I do think thisoldman has a point, stay away from food that would stain if spilled.

thisoldman

^Nothing wrong with blue cheese , especially, if made in NY and better than head cheese.

No garlic or onions unless cooked.

Bay

We hosted 32 kids for the prom dinner, in order to save money after the expensive party bus and prom ticket expense. Pasta (3 kinds) and salad with bread is cheap and everyone likes it (take-out from an local Italian restaurant). I added mini Perrier waters and Martinelli's carbonated apple juice with plastic champagne glasses to make it elegant, and rented matching place settings. Also, I darkened the room and lit it with about 70 candles. The total came to $14 per couple. At these events, the girls eat next to nothing, I guess because they are self-conscious and trying to look "feminine" (??? Maybe their dresses are already too tight??? ) I did this too, way back when, but I don't remember exactly why.

PrimetimeMom

I'd have two choices for entrees in case there are vegetarians. Maybe chicken courdon bleu and a vegetarian greek pasta. How about a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit :-P Very festive.