Dinner party for 8 guests.Need ideas for a three course meal. Don't mind doing prep before hand

Question

but would like to spend time with guests and not to be in kitchen while entertaining. Any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Do you like curry?

If so consider using some curry kits (see source) These allow you to deliver restaurant standard meals from your own kitchen.

Basically the kits are all the spices you need to deliver great meals. Because some spices need to be fried before starting and some need to be cooked for a long time, and others need to be added at the end  they put them in little sachets so you do it all in the right order.

They also give you an exact shopping list for the other ingredients and a really easy recipe card to follow. Each kit serves 4 people so you could have two different starters and mains eg to accommodate any veggies. Kits are mainly £1.99 each and there are about 20 to choose from.

Then make sure you have all the accompaniments, some salad and bread (all of which can be made ready before) and you are done.

Something creamy for dessert is a must to cool everyone's palate. Oh go on then, poached pears with posh ice-cream and home-made flat biccy's.

We have tried lots of curry kits - its become a bit of a Sunday tradition for our family - instead of roast tonight we girls are having Coriander Chicken and the boys are going all out for Lamb Madras (which is too hot for me).

Answer 2

Try the BBC's food website...very good

Answer 3

you can do soup, a steak and a choclate foundue or fountain. you can find recipes in many websites in the net. you just have to look for hte things you want to eat. also pick a theme for your dinner. if you want italian, mexican or whatever so that it will be easier for you to create a menu.

Answer 4

well you need things that are effectively cooked/prepared during the day, only needing to be plated up and heated during the dinner party or you'll be in the kitchen too much.

i know they're pretty boring but the old staples of things like lasanges, pies, fish pie, bakes, casseroles, soups, salads etc etc, are handy for dinner parties because you do most of the cooking beforehand and then just dish up. also things where you dish the whole pot up on the table and people help themselves on to their own plates, saves you having to do it and it smore sociable. a cheese course is nice, people again helping themselves.

all these suggestions may not sound way out and experimental or original, but you need to have a nice, relaxing time and not too much hassle