Dinner suggestions please - Help!

[luvnit]

I am spending the night this Friday at my dad's house, with my kids for the first time. I don't want to be a burden to my stepmother and make her cook. She doesn't really like it anyway. I thought it would be nice if I cooked a meal for them. I was hoping to find a recipe I can make that is not too complicated (I don't know what they have for equipment in their kitchen), and that is usually a hit with everyone.

All I know so far about her is that she doesn't like garlic. (Who doesn't like garlic??)

I would really like something I can just put in the oven for an hour or so. I can prepare a salad. I was going to make some 18 hour bread and bring it up with me.

Oh and the stores aren't very fancy Up North. I would probably have to bring any special ingredients with me.

Any suggestions would be helpful. I want to make an appetizer, dinner, salad, (I'll buy dessert).

[bbally]

Antipasta...... lasagna.......gorgonzola, spinach with cranberry salad. Finished with a lemon poppy seed dressing.

Could make all but the salad in advance.

[cjs]

What a nice idea for you to do, Laura - here's a couple ideas to think on -
and to make dinner even easier, instead of mashed potatoes, you might just stick some potatoes in the oven to serve with. This is so simple, so delicious!

BRISKET with CRANBERRY GRAVY

1 2 1/2 lb. Beef Brisket -- not corned
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces Cranberry Sauce -- Whole Berry
15 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion

Rub the brisket with salt and pepper and place in a 10" skillet.

In a bowl, mix the Cranberry and tomato sauces together; add the onion and combine.

Pour over the brisket, put over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Stir, reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours or until fork tender.

Remove to a platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes. To carve, slice against the grain and serve with the sauce on the side.

Description:
"Slices of the brisket are so tastey served with scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes and drizzled with the cranberry/tomato 'gravy'."


How about a green salad with Roquefort dressing made ahead of time?

And with your 18 hour bread, what a nice dinner.

and maybe for an appetizer -

RASPBERRY-BRIE TARTLETS

20 slice white bread (I used "Hippy" bread - nuts, grain, twigs, etc.)
melted butter
8 ozs wedge of Brie, cut up (i had a wedge w/sundried tom. or somethihng in it)
13 ozs jar raspberry jam (I had Plum jelly)

Remove crusts from bread; roll & flatten each bread slice w/a rolling pin.
Cut 3 circles out of each slice with a 1 3/4" fluted or round cookie cutter.

Brush mini muffin pans w/melted butter.
Press circles on bottom and up sides of muffin cups; brush bread cups with melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 7 min., or till lightly toasted.

Remove bread cups from pans, and [lace on ungreased baking sheets.
Fill cups evenly with cheese pcs.; top each with 1/4 tsp. jam.
Bake at 300 for 10 min. or till cheese is just melting.

NOTE: To make ahead, freeze toasted bread shells up to 1 month in advance.
Thaw at room temp. about 30 min. Assemble tartlets, and bake as directed.

Yield:
"5 dz"

NOTES : These are ao easy and tasty!!


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You're going to get a lot ideas, I'm sure - your only problem will be choosing. Your stepmom is in for a real treat, I'm thinkin'

[Harborwitch]

Oh my Jean those sound really good. The tartlets are really grabbing me!

I was going to suggest a meatloaf - but without garlic there's no point. Hmmmmm, will have to think.

[DFen911]

Yankee Pot Roast. It has your meat and veggies all in one pot

[Roxanne 21]

LASAGNA--get my vote---done in advance--pop in the oven!!

Serve with a nice salad and that 18 hour bread---good to go!!!

Dessert---how about the fixings for ice cream sundaes---who doesn't like that!!!

[Lorraine]

Ooops, I think I'm a day late and dinner's done!!! but, how about frying some chicken, finishing it in the oven, mashed taters, veg? I love that kind of meal!

[labradors]

How can you make antipasto or lasagne without garlic???

I'd go with the pot roast.

[esgunn]

These are always easy and get great compliments...


* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dish Main Dish Chicken

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pound lasagna noodles
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces ham -- shredded
parsley
1 1/8 cup butter
11 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 1/4 cups half and half
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt

Cook chicken in pan or Dutch oven with 1/2 cup broth and small amount of
water. Cool and cut into bite size pieces. Save broth. Cook lasagna
noodles with salt and oil. Drain and spread on waxed paper. Melt butter,
add flour, cook and stir slowly; add milk, half and half, and broth.
Cook until boiling, stirring constantly. Add cheese and parsley.

Grease Pans. Spread a little sauce on bottom of pan and layer noodles
(about 6), sauce, chicken, and ham. Repeat 3 times ending with sauce.
Bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes uncovered.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : Makes a 9x13 and an 8x8 pan. One to eat, one for the
freezer.

Use Barilla ready to cook/no boil lasagna noodles to make
it easier.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Sun Dried Tomato and Apricot Chicken

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dish Main Dish Chicken

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
3 pounds chicken -- cut up
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup orange marmalade
8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed -- drained
6 ounces dried apricot halves
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Heat oven to 375. Mix orange juice and vinegar in ungreased 13x9 inch
pan. Arrange chicken pieces skin side up in pan. Spoon orange juice
mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread marmalade
over chicken.

Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Spoon orange juice mix over chicken

Sprinkle tomatoes and apricots around chicken. Toss with juice mix, and
sprinkle brown sugar over tomatoes and aprictos.

Bake uncovered 35 to 50 minutes more, spooning juice mix frezuently over
chicken, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of the
thickest pieces are cut.

Cover pan with foil if chicken begins to brown too much.

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NOTES : Also works well with boneless, skinless ckicken breasts.
Reduce cooking time to 30 or 40 mintues.
Combine apricots and tomatoes and brown sugar at the
begining. Baste as needed.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Pork Roast with Mushroom-Madeira Cream Sauce

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 pounds boneless pork loin roast
salt and pepper
1 cup madeira
1/4 cup shallots -- minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme -- minced
3/4 pound mushroom -- sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350. season roast generously with salt and pepper.

Set on rack in roasting pan. Roast 1 hour. Remove and drain and
reserve fat from pan. Pour Madeira over roast.

Return to oven and continue cooking until thermometer in center of roast
reads 150. Basting frequently, about 45 minutes.

Transfer roast to cutting board and tent with foil. Transfer pan juices
to cup and degrease.

Return 3 tbsp. reserved fat (or olive oil) to same pan and heat over
medium-low heat. Add shallots and thyme. Cook 5 minutes, stirring and
scraping up any browned bits.

Increase heat to medium. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
Cook until mushrooms are very tender, stirring frequently, about 7
minutes.

Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and stir 3 minutes. Mix in reserved pan
juices, stock and cream.

Boil until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes.

Carve roast and serve with sauce.

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[esgunn]

Or how about one of those stuffed flank steaks. I have not tried them yet - but they are on my list. Seems to me they might not be too difficult. I know some on this forum have tried them and said they were a hit.