Help Me Plan a Menu - 2 couples, 2 Kids

[Anonymous]

DH and I are having friends over tomorrow night. It will be casual, let our kids play together, have a drink and share a meal.

I am stumped on what to serve. Like the idea of doing fall/octoberfest themed but want to serve good red wine.

Need ideas for a main, side and salad. Apps and Dessert are covered. Bonus points for easy things that I don't have to babysit in the kitchen once the guests arrive!

No food allergies and we eat everything....GO!

[Anonymous]

Beef stew. Crusty bread with good butter. Roasted "new" potatoes.

Salad ideas:

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/10/autumn-arugula-salad/
http://therecipecritic.com/2013/11/apple-pomegranate-salad-honey-balsamic-dressing/
http://www.laurenslatest.com/pomegranate-hazelnut-holiday-salad-with-maple-bacon-dressing/

[Anonymous]

1455 here. I make this a lot: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/2012/03/beef-bourguignon-ina-garten-39-on-gourmets-list-of-women-game-changers.html

This soup is also really good: http://www.fivehearthome.com/2014/09/21/easy-white-bean-kale-sausage-soup

[Anonymous]

Lasagna with salad and bread.
Baked chicken with salad and bread

[Anonymous]

chicken parmesan & spaghetti noodles
big salad
easy vegetable for the kids, like corn
garlic bread

[Anonymous]

We just did this - we made a pot of soup, brats, and had apple slices with a lot of different dips as a dessert.

[Anonymous]

Ideas for mains (that you can prep mostly ahead and just bake/heat before the meal)
-Stuffed peppers with tomato sauce
-Chicken marsala
-BBQ beef short ribs (expensive but easy)
-Baked mac and cheese
-Brisket

Ideas for sides (depends on your main, obviously...)
-Roasted acorn squash, or baked sweet potatoes
-Roasted tomatoes
-Roasted cauliflower
-Grilled mushrooms
-Rice/quinoa/pasta/couscous/bread

Salad - I'd decide what dressing you want, and base the salad around that. My new favorite is a Greek yogurt one I found in the refrigerated section, Opa is the brand I think. It's a feta dill dressing and it's tangy and delicious. You could do that with just green leaf lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and red onion. There's also an Asian sesame vinaigrette I like to make (super simple - literally sugar dissolved in warmed vinegar with salt and a healthy amount of pepper, then sesame oil added at the end) that would be good with romaine, green onions, shredded carrots and slivered almonds. And I always love a good balsamc vinaigrette on a spinach salad with goat cheese, fruit (apples, pears or strawberries), and some kind of nut.