<p>What is your go to dish for a casual dinner? I’m having a mental block but I have two weeks so I have plenty of time. It’s a small family gathering and the suggestion was to just order pizza. I’d like to do make something, but may end up just dialing the phone. I’m good with snacks and appetizers, but for some reason I can’t think past meatballs in the crockpot and I don’t want to do that.</p>
<p>I’m sure others are planning menus now, what’s on yours? I’m not talking full blown holiday dinner, just a gathering on a Friday night.</p>
<p>Everyone loves pizza! Maybe you could buy from a more gourmet pizza restaurant…ala Pucinnis instead of Pizza Hut. Buy some prewashed lettuce and then buy a box of fixings from the salad bar at the grocery store. Make a couple of appetizers and one dessert and you’re home free.</p>
<p>I like @conmama’s idea of things to go with the pizza. An appetizer, salad, and dessert would be great, especially for people who don’t like to live on pizza alone.</p>
<p>Chili, soup, or my fave baked potato bar with fun toppings (cheese, chili, bacon, etc), or heavy appetizers like kabobs, bruschetta, queso dip/chips, shrimp with cocktail sauce, deviled eggs, etc. Add in a yummy dessert and I think it sounds perfect.</p>
<p>One year…we did an huge appetizer buffet. It was such a hit, that it is what we do on Christmas Eve every year now. Lots more fun that a big meal. </p>
<p>We had a foodie buffet table, and a dessert buffet table.</p>
<p>I have to say I’ll be the oddball and say “no” to pizza. Maybe this is not true in your circle of family/friends, but I feel pizza gets SO overused! It’s fine, but really think if it’s right for your occasion or if this will be “just another round of pizza” in your circle.</p>
<p>My go to for a casual meal would be a large pan of homemade chicken enchiladas, guacamole/salsa and chips, and fruit. Maybe a side of bean dip. </p>
<p>This is not fancy but friends of our had a group of us over for cards and served this. It is a pizza noodle casserole. Everyone liked it. I plan on serving it over Christmas to a crowd at a cabin we are going to. </p>
<p>Pizza Pasta Casserole</p>
<p>2# ground beef
1 each onion & green pepper– chopped
10-16oz fresh mushrooms – sliced
1t each salt & pepper
1/2T each oregano & garlic granules
4c spaghetti sauce
16oz pkg spiral pasta - cooked & drained
4c shredded mozzarella cheese – divided
1/2c Parmesan - shredded
6-8oz pepperoni - chopped</p>
<p>In a Dutch oven, cook meat, onion, green pepper & mushrooms
until meat is done; drain. Stir in spices, spaghetti sauce, pasta,
1/2 of the pepperoni, Parmesan & 1c mozzarella cheese. Transfer
to (2) baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese & pepperoni.
Bake uncovered at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
Yield: 2 casseroles</p>
<p>This is a huge hit on Christmas Eve: <a href=“Easy Paella Recipe”>http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-paella/</a> The title is “Easy Paella,” but I don’t consider it easy - there are more ingredients and more prepping than I really like. The recipe says 30 minutes of prep, but IME that only applies when there are 2 people prepping. Still, it’s delicious and festive and usually there’s enough goodwill around that I can recruit someone to help in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Or how about doing the appetizers that you enjoy making, and buying a honey baked ham! Make a homemade macaroni casserole to go with it. I’m just trying to make it easy on you!</p>
<p>Decide now what kind of evening YOU want to have with this circle of friends. If the focus is on the fellowship, then plan a menu that allows for either cooking ahead and freezing a casserole or doing a crockpot chili/stew/hearty soup. Buy nicer quality paper products (if that doesn’t offend your hostess sensibilities) and you can have a more relaxing time with your friends.</p>
<p>Cook ahead cornbread muffins (Jiffy mix is fine!) and freeze, buy bags of salad, bring out your casserole or crockpot of main dish, and bake a couple box mix brownies (or cookies or anything you can make ahead of time) and call it dinner.</p>
<p>It is easy to get caught up in the idea of a “perfect” meal, and we feel defeated before we even begin and end up phoning in for pizza. You can do this, just allow yourself to work towards a realistic meal plan that doesn’t require a lot of last minute effort in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Lasagna. Make ahead and just have to put it in the oven, so you can concentrate on socializing. Some garlic bread and a green salad and you’re done. </p>
<p>I like to serve quiche is such situations. I used to make them myself but I have a local place five minutes from my house that makes great quiches. I order ahead. 1 always vegetarian and the other with bacon or ham. Everybody loves it. For those not doing carbs they scoop out the filling.
In winter I also like butternut squash soup but some men don’t consider soup and salad dinner unless it is a hearty chili.
In my area you can sometimes find tamales at Christmas. A pan of enchiladas is always good. </p>
<p>Tacos! I like them because we have a huge family and I can cater to lots of different tastes. You can make beef, chicken, vegan, and all the fixings. Everybody’s happy since they’re serving themselves. And all of it can be prepared way in advance. Super easy to put it all out at party time. </p>
<p>I will second the Chili/Soup idea! So easy to prep the morning of/day before and throw in a crockpot to cook most of the day. We do this for Christmas eve with my in-laws. Our family also does cinnamon rolls for dessert - it has become a fun tradition. </p>
<p>Lasagna is always a go to entree. I make 4 of them: traditional, 2 vegetarian (one with spinach, another with mushroom medley, another with chicken sausage…I will put bechamal sauce on the non meat sauce and the mushroom one. Caesar salad, fruit and pick up dessert. Done.</p>