Well, it’s the day before our annual party and our oven died. Now, it has been our tradition to make gourmet pizzas during the party and now that’s not going to happen! I have today to figure out a plan B - I’m not normally flustered by things like this but it is the 11th hour. Any suggestions for a “star entree” now that pizzas are out? I might do turkey and ham sliders that I can bake in my neighbor’s oven.
I was going to serve gourmet pizza, green salad and vegetable soup (most of our guests are light/health conscious eaters). Appetizers - veggie platter, variety of cheeses and crackers, vegetable and chicken meatballs (I will use my neighbor’s oven).
Whole wheat, vegetable lasagna? Use your cheese and some veggies from the gourmet pizzas. Use the dough to make small calzones and fill with the pizza toppings? Sorry about your oven! Could you get a floor model delivery today from one of the big box or appliance stores?
How many guests? The oven is shot, but do you have burners?
Most of the things I can think of that are star entrees that can be cooked quickly on burners involve fish and shellfish, but most are NOT health conscious, lol.
Paul Prudhomme’s crawfish etouffee made with shrimp is fabulous. He has a recipe called “Barbecued Shrimp” which involves unpeeled shrimp cooked in a skillet with a pan sauce including spices, beer, butter, garlic, Worcestershire…served with crusty French bread. It is truly delicious. Everyone can sit around the communal dish and dive in, or spoon some into individual bowls, peeling their shrimp, dipping it in the pan sauce, sopping it up with the bread. It’s messy but fun, and delicious. If you have room for people to sit at a table or tables in groups, this would work.
Whole filet half of poached salmon with a sauce. Usually served cold, so no last minute work. Chinese whole steamed or crispy fish. I have a Thai recipe that is a quite simple sautee of scallops and shrimp with basil that I’ve made for Christmas dinner on occasion, another one where fish is poached in a tamarind sauce. Both of those are delicious and “healthy.” I have several Indian recipes involving shrimp or fish in a delicious sauce.
I could go on, but let me know if anything like this appeals to you.
Are the burners dead too? I am guessing because you mention meatballs potentially cooked elsewhere. I cook meatballs on the stove top. Pasta, meatballs, chicken fingers can be cooked on top of stove if it works. Wok dishes if you have a burner or plug in wok also can work.
I used to have an electric frypan (I wonder if these are still made). I inherited it from my mom. You could cook for an army (at least mom could) from that. I never cook for so many people, too risky if you have my kitchen skills.
I have no idea how difficult it is to grill pizzas. If you want grilled finger foods, sate is always good. BTW, I just saw this recipe for a baguette stuffed with spinach, artichoke hearts, and cheese that looked amazing and could sub for pizza on the grill. You’d cook it wrapped in foil with the top closed, so perhaps less vulnerable to bad weather.:
Shrimp cocktail is easy to make in advance. Other things I’d consider in your shoes would be risotto, again easy to make a big pot in advance (stop cooking about 2/3rds of the way through the day before, then finish up just before the party). Warm smoked (kippered) salmon if your grill is set up for smoking or low-temp cooking; you can do a bunch of fillets early in the day.
Squash and pumpkin are in season, so a butternut squash soup would be awesome. I like to do a thai spin on it with some curry, lime, and cilantro then make a little lime/sour cream/cilantro mix for guests to throw on top. You can put out little cups for people to sip the soup from if you want to stick with the mobile/finger-food theme.
For another protein you could do grilled chicken breast the day before, then right before the party you can slice it up and do a saute or stiry-fry. I like to take my grilled chicken breast, slice it and wok it with a soy-ginger-jalepeno mix for some kick. You can toss some cold or warm ramen noodles in the same sauce to eat with the chicken, and hit the mix with a little chopped scalion for color.
If you’re borrowing your neighbor’s oven, something that’s not fussy is roasted veggies. I’d take carrots and beets, maybe broccoli or brussel sprouts. Toss lightly in oil, salt, black pepper. Put in a 425F oven for 30-40 mins. Toss in a balsamic reduction and finish with some truffle oil. Or if you like the asian-theme soup and chicken breast above, I can give you a caramel fish-sauce mix to use instead. You could also just grill aspargus; come to think of it that would be a lot faster and easier.
Can you BBQ dinner? Or make a few different pasta dishes? I know it is upsetting/disappointing, but remember that everyone at the party probably just wants to be together and celebrate the holiday season. If you order in deli, pizzas or anything else and laugh your oven’s untimely demise, it won’t make or break the party as long as the company is good.
That said, in all honesty every year the night before Thanksgiving I can’t sleep at night because I’m worried that my oven won’t turn on in the morning and I’ll have a 20 pound raw turkey to serve. Crazy, right?
You can prepare the chicken however you want on the grill. I slice into smaller pieces than she shows in her photo. The satay can be made days in advance and keeps well in the fridge.
Slice and skewer the chicken in advance of the party. I arrange on a large, round platter with satay dip in small bowl in center, and a cut lemon on the side for disposal of used skewers.
Thanks for your input. I’m in between appointments and have quickly scanned the suggestions. I see salmon and I like that idea. The Danish sandwich sounds good, too. Some friends are bringing some appetizers and desserts so I am not as panicked as I was last night.
Consolation, grilling pizzasthe way we do it is easy.DH is popular for his gourmet pizzas and guests gather around him to watch him assemble them and wait for them to come out of the oven. (He eats up the attention, ha) I pre-grill the pizza crust on the stove top using a cast iron grill (my stove top works). I brush it with herb infused olive oil and the oven really just toasts the toppings and melt the cheese. The outdoor grill should work as long as the weather cooperates.
So, I’m giving myself one hour to figure out the menu and then I’m sticking to it!
Your pizza sounds lovely and the evening a lot of fun. . Maybe H needs an attention gathering dessert to show off for the crowd? Bananas foster, or cherries jubilee?
I love jambalaya, but I know a lot of people who can’t or won’t eat shrimp so I always hesitate to make a dish that includes it. Shrimp on their own, though are fine and yummy.
I was just thinking about this and realized that I’ve had my stove bite the dust immediately before Thanksgiving AND another time on Thanksgiving morning! I’ve also run out of gas in the middle of cooking Christmas dinner! Three different stoves.
If you want grilled finger foods, sate is always good. BTW, I just saw this recipe for a baguette stuffed with spinach, artichoke hearts, and cheese that looked amazing and could sub for pizza on the grill. You’d cook it wrapped in foil with the top closed, so perhaps less vulnerable to bad weather.: