Dinner party advice for an incompetent host (me)

[Anonymous]

Forces beyond my control have conspired to force me to host a dinner party this weekend. It's only 8 or 10 people, but I'm a very basic cook and have sworn off most entertaining since my second child was born last year (I know, this is pathetic, but I work FT and the cooking/cleaning/decorating sucks up more time than I feel like I have to give right now.) Any advice on recipes or menus? It doesn't have to be super fancy, and anything that I can do prior to guests' arrival would be a huge plus. The added hitch is that we have a sort of ugly patio and very buggy yard, so I'd prefer not to do a good old cookout. I usually try to find something via Epicurious but can't seem to come up with anything that doesn't involve grilling on the spot.

Alternatively if posters have suggestions on where I can get credible prepared food beyond the sort of Whole Foods / Balduccis options, I'd be all ears. Thanks in advance, and please don't flame me for being so ridiculous, I know I should be able to do this and wish it came more easily for me!

[Anonymous]

you could always get food catered from a favorite restaurant... if you wanted good old cookout food without the cookout grilling, you could order urban bbq or famous dave's. or just order from a thai restaurant or chinese restaurant... you don't have to go the route of grocery store.

[Anonymous]

Try epicurious.com

they have entire menus that you can look up, including ones where you can probably substitute some portions of it with purchased foods from places (like the side disheds). That should go a long way towards making it easier.

[Anonymous]

This is my favorite easy recipe-- you can make the marinade a day ahead of time and just stick in the oven, add some rice and a vegetable, maybe serve some mojitos to start...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Oven-Roasted-Mojito-Chicken-105575

I've also served chicken out (with sides etc) to guests before...

[Anonymous]

We recently had a very casual dinner party and I had everything done in advance: chicken souvlaki (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Souvlaki-Gyro-Style/Detail.aspx), greek orzo pasta (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Greek-Orzo-Salad/Detail.aspx) and some hummus and pita. Dessert was a chocolate mousse pie I made the night before (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Mousse-Pie-2687). Everyone made their own pitas and the chicken was grilled before the guests arrived. Keeps the house cool since the oven is on for a long time. You could even marinade some shrimp in the same marinade as the chicken (but for a shorter time) and grill that too.

[Anonymous]

OP.
Do you have any standards? I would be nervous to try a new recipe for the first time for a dinner party. That's me.

[Anonymous]

Oh my gosh are you guys ambitious. My old stand by is baked spaghetti (basically you mix all of the filling stuff that you use for lasagna or stuffed shells with cooked penne pasta and bake it for 45 minutes), garlic bread, salad and brownies for dessert. All of it is make ahead food. If I am motivated, I will make cupcakes and decorate them instead of brownies. But, I do serve it on my best dishes and I always pull out my pretty wine glasses. I've come to the conclusion that no one really cares much about the food. The whole point of getting together is the company and if you are stressed you won't get to visit with your friends.

[Anonymous]

8 to 10 people is a lot of people. How about a meat lasagna (assuming no vegetarians) as that should feed everyone. Make it ahead of time, and then put it in the oven 45 minutes before dinner. Serve with Italian bread, a salad, and a vegetable. If it were 6 to 8 people, I might do Chicken Parmiagiana, which also can be prepared ahead.

[Anonymous]

I love to cook and entertain but for 10 I would make a pasta with tons of veggies and meat or red sauce, a big salad a garlic bread.
Or I would cater from Maggiano's (portions are big and reasonable price).
Another option is fajitas - marinate them in zip lock bags the day before or morning of in lime, garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper - and slice up some green, red peppers and onions in a separate bag - and just grill it on a stove top grill pan - serve with corn and tortillas.

[Anonymous]

I've heard great things about Wegmans for this type of party - even if it is just for the apps.

[Anonymous]

Someone on this board just recommended a taco bar for me when I was entertaining relatives. It worked out great.

You can cook chicken, pork or beef in the crockpot (with appropriate spices, salsa, etc.) and shred them for taco filling. Make rice and heat up some black beans, cut up a lot of toppings like onions, avocado, plus cheese and sour cream. Make a big green salad.

Heat up the taco shells and you're done! Ice cream for dessert.

This was extremely popular with everyone -- it was delicious and quite easy.

[Anonymous]

Yum on Maggiano's.

[Anonymous]

I recommend serving empanadas as appetizers, you can order them, many people make them to sell, or you can try a restaurant, they can be meat or veggie- to serve as appetizers, along with grapes and cheese trays.
For main, linguine with shrimp or clams feeds many people, or a jambalya - which also is an easy way to feed alot of people.
And don't forget a good dessert - maybe buy a sheetcake? Add some nice fresh seasonal fruits.
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

You can also do pulled pork sandwiches. Cook a pork roast in a crock pot (start in the morning) with bbq sauce, before serving shred and add more sauce. Put out buns, baked beans, chips, and/or other easy sides.

[Anonymous]

Or, if all else fails, you can go with a reasonable caterer. Some of them will even drop the food off ahead of time with warming instructions so no one will even know you "cheated." I like Provisions out of Silver Spring for stealth catering and non-stealth catering. They are reasonable and the food is good.