My go-to is usually stuffed chicken breasts. They seem to always go over really well. I pound them to thin them out, then fill with something. Usually a spinach/feta/breadcrumb mix, or mushroom/gruyere/breadcrumb mix. Roll them up, secure with a toothpick, brown on all sides on the stove top, and deglaze with some stock or, white wine, or cognac, then put them in the oven till their done. Remove the breasts, and whisk in a little heavy cream to the drippings.

I also like this potato-parmesan cake as a side. It looks and tastes like a lot of effort, but it's very easy. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-and-Parmesan-Cake-108690

Thanks susy, stuffed chicken breasts are a good idea. The potato-parmesan cake sounds really good too. I've never heard of a Japanese Benriner, learn something new every day. :)

I have four or five go-to meals that I'll make when we have guests.

Fish:
Broiled Salmon w/ Ginger Teriyaki Glaze
or
Broiled Mahi Mahi w/ Remoulade Sauce
(usually with Rice Pilaf and Steamed Broccoli)

Roast Pork Tenderloin
(w/ some sort of potato and often Cauliflower Au Gratin)

Pasta:
Usually Tortellini w/ Shrimp and Vegs in a Pesto Cream sauce.

International:
Indian (curried chicken, spinich w/ cheese, basmati rice)
or recently:
Brazilian (Feijoada (black bean stew), Moqueca (fish stew w/ coconut milk) and rice)

I'd love to have your Schnitzel recipe.

I just use my handheld mandoline. I really couldn't tell you the difference between a mandoline and a benriner.

Hand slicing would work too. :-)

I don't have a mandoline either, so hand-slicing for me. :o)

Bob, here's the recipe. I usually double or triple everything, depending on how many I need. Traditionally veal is used, but we don't eat that so I usually use chicken breast or sometimes pork loin.

2 schnitzel
Salt
Pepper
4 rounded tablespoons flour (I use white whole wheat)
4 rounded tablespoons very fine bread crumbs
1 large egg
a little bit of milk
Approx. 3 tablespoons of oil and a pat of butter to fry

1/2 organic lemon

Prep:

Rinse schnitzel and pat dry. Pound thin and cut into edges to keep from curling when fried.

Put flour and bread crumbs on individual flat plates.

Mix egg with a little bit of milk and a dash of salt.

Season schnitzels with salt and pepper.You can also rub them down with crushed garlic.

Coat schnitzels with flour, then with eggwash, and then thoroughly with the breadcrumbs. I sometimes add herbs or spices to the breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil, then add butter, then fry the schnitzels until golden brown, turn, fry on the other side til golden. Because they are pounded thin, they are done pretty quickly. Remove from pan and quickly drain on paper towel, serve with lemon slices and sides such as potato salad or mashed potatoes and cabbage, or spaezle.

Mmmm, I love the sound of that potato recipe, thanks for sharing!
It all depends upon how much time I have to prepare and who my guests are. We rarely have more than 7 or 8 guests, but more likely 2 or 3. I have a Hungarian Goulash recipe that DH loves and I make it for he and other friends who are into hearty stews. For others who are into plain food, it's a steak on the grill with Pioneer Lady's Crashed Potatoes. Or I can grill, broil or bake a filet of salmon and top it with pesto or a fruity sauce. I have also made a Mediterranean white fish (halibut perhaps) baked and topped with chopped tomatoes, Greek olives and parsley. I roasted a turkey breast from T.J.'s (if it's available, their Empire Kosher brand is moist & juicy) when I had a couple of hours notice for last minute guests. That was a big hit. Another easy favorite with the family is pork tenderloin and if I'm really rushed I top it with a sauce made from fig vinegar and a little honey.

Bob, forgot to thank you for the recipe suggestions, they all look very tasty. I've never made cauliflower au gratin, it sounds good.

Compumom, I've been meaning to try the Pioneer Lady crashed potatoes, are they really good?

My go to company meal is usually Herb Crusted Roast of Pork by now I've served it at least once to everyone I know including folk on this forum!

My other go to meal is Beef Stroganoff.

Here are both recipes.

Herb Crusted Rack of Pork

NOTES : Serve with Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes and green beans

2 (3- to 4-pound) racks of pork
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Tsp salt
7 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 Cup fresh basil, Chopped
1/3 Cup fresh thyme, Chopped
1/3 Cup fresh parsley, Chopped
2 Tbl pepper, Coarsely Ground
1 1/4 Cup butter (or margarine), cut up
-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Can chicken broth
1 Tbl tomato paste
2 Tbl fresh sage, Chopped
1/4 Tsp pepper

Rub pork with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Stir together garlic and next 4 ingredients; press onto pork.

Place pork on a rack in a lightly greased broiler pan; cover bone tips with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150 max, I prefer 140-145 !

Transfer pork to a serving tray.Cover and let rest while making sauce (even if you don't make the sauce let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes to redistribute juices and let the internal temp climb a bit more) Pour pan drippings
into a skillet.

Add butter to drippings; cook over medium heat until butter melts.

Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until caramel colored. Gradually whisk
in broth and next 3 ingredients; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Serve with 'pork. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Beef Stroganoff (Silver Palate)

3 Cup Creme Fraiche (can use sour cream but fraiche is better)
1 1/2 Tbl Dijon mustard
3 Tbl tomato paste
3 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
2 Tsp paprika
1/2 Cup demiglace (or good beef broth)
3/4 Tsp salt
fresh black pepper To Taste
1 Lb firm small sized, white button mushrooms
10 Tbl butter (or a combo of butter)and EVOO
24 pearl onions
3 Lb of beef filet
Italian parsley Chopped

Combine creme fraiche, tomato paste, mustard Worcestershire, paprika, demiglace (or beef broth if you don't have demi glace), salt and pepper in a medium size sauce pan.

Simmer slowly for 20 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let sit covered. Cut a small x in the bottom of each onion. Bring a pot of water to the boil and drop the onions in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain the onions and run under cold water. Peel the onions.

Melt 3TBSP of butter in saute pan. Saute Mushrooms until tender. Remove mushrooms and add 3 TBSP more butter, saute onions just until lightly golden. Remove the onions from the pan and add to mushrooms.

Cut the meat into thin slices on the diagonal. Heat the remaining butter in the same pan. Cook on high heat just until lightly browned,do not over cook.This dish can be prepared to this point several hours before serving.
To complete, set sauce over medium low heat and bring to a bare simmer. Add mushrooms, onions and any accumulated juices. Simmer 5 minutes. Add beef and juices, heat just until meat is heated through.

Serve immediately over hot noodles , garnish with the parsley.

Note: To make creme fraiche mix equal parts sour cream and heavy cream and let sit out on the counter overnight. Refrigerate for 4 hours before using. It will be very thick and beautifully tart.

Baked ziti. No particular recipe. Either biscotti or some other type of cake or pie for dessert. Sometimes lasagne instead.

Stuffed cabbage made in the crockpot, if I know they are not cabbage-averse.

Something chicken in the crockpot, usually chicken cacciatore or Moroccan chicken. Cacciatore served with thin spaghetti, Moroccan chicken with rice or cous cous.

In summer it is falafel, baba ganoush, tabouli, tsatsiki, stuffed grape leaves, etc. with baklava or melon for dessert. In winter, same deal but with baked greek spaghetti instead of falafel. That's like mac & cheese only with spaghetti and feta. I have been known to make spanikopita for this theme.

Chase and lpink, thanks much for the recipes, and the suggestions. Chase, that herb-crusted roast looks like it would be really flavorful. Re. the Strogranoff, do you fry the meat in the butter until lightly browned?

Lpink, we're in TX and everyone we know are BIG meat eaters. I am already pushing it by making chicken schnitzels, ha. But I am keeping your suggestions for our meals, they sound perfect for light summer meals.

I almost never make the same thing twice, and I often try out new recipes on guests--they all know in advance that I'm going to do that. However, lately I've had a lot of requests for my grilled chicken soft tacos, especially in summer, and in winter, for pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes on the side.

I also like really casual entertaining with various panini and other hot sandwiches and lots of "DIY" or group-effort dishes: the sandwiches, for one, wonton or egg rolls, pizza, etc.

We like playing with various cooking methods, too, depending on who's coming to dinner. We might set up the burner to the crawfish cooker and do our version of Mongolian bbq. All the meat, vegetables, sauce options, etc. are set up on a long table. Everyone wanders down the row choosing what he wants, and at the end of the line, the food is quickly cooked and plated. Lots of fun :)

"Cut the meat into thin slices on the diagonal. Heat the remaining butter in the same pan. Cook on high heat just until lightly browned,do not over cook"

That's right Petra, just be sure to not overcook. It takes a minute or so. It cooks more in the sauce.

I should have added that I do most everything hours in advance, the sauce , the onions , the mushrooms but not the beef. Then assemble and heat. I've even done the onions and mushrooms a day before.

My most requested and most often served dinner is fresh lake perch. Pan fried with coleslaw, green vegetable and homemade French fries. Recently we did that and added a second fresh fish, walleye.

There's an long established fresh fish market here and I can usually get the perch all year. I know it's hard to find in other areas.

Beef tenderloin is my second go to.

Nancy

You could always add lamb or beef kebabs to the falafel meal, and the others can all be made with meat. Mixing meat with pasta or veggies is a way for me to stretch my pennies when cooking for a crowd.

Petra,

Here's my Cauliflower Au Gratin recipe:

CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN

Serves 4-6 people
One head of cauliflower
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup dry white wine (or 1/2 cup white wine & 1/4 cup Madiera)
Dash white pepper
8 oz of finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Cut cauliflower into separate flowerets. Place in steamer pan for 6 minutes. In separate pan, melt butter, stir flour into butter. Add milk and pepper, heating and stirring until it begins to thicken. Add wine and slowly add the cheese a handful at a time.
Remove cauliflower from steamer pan, and place in oven safe pan, pour sauce over the cauliflower, sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
Place in 350 deg F oven for about 15 minutes, until top is lightly browned and cheese is bubbly.

I'm a little intrigued by the question, but suppose this is probably what most people do...have company recipes.

I make anything I would cook for myself, from kosher beef hotdogs to petite filets or barbecue ribs. One night I tried a Spanish style sauce to turn the hotdogs into chili dogs. Sometimes it's French Onion Soup, or home-made burritos, enchiladas, tacos and guacamole. Steak salads with Blue Cheese Dressing (Lindac's!) is always a hit. It could be twice baked potatoes, hash browns and eggs or pot roast. I seem to cook for others more than anyone I know, and don't actually save certain recipes made to impress. The last time I had company, I tried a Mexican style hot chocolate made with masa harina. I just figure if I like it enough to make it again, someone else will too (since most people don't seem to cook any more, and I do.) The only thing I usually do is try the recipe first so I know what to expect from it, and lay out the ingredients for everything before people arrive. If the meal is kind of simple or light, I go a little more decadent on dessert.

Claire, I tend to worry about cooking the right thing for people and making everything perfect. I am NOT a relaxed hostess. I wish I would feel comfortable making every-day stuff. I may get there eventually. :o)
Slowlane, I've never heard of Mongolian BBQ, it sounds intriguing. Gonna google it. :o)
Chase, thanks for clarifying. The recipe looks really delicious, and somewhat easier than Boeuf Bourgignon.
Wizard, we don't have a great selection of fresh fish, but I wish we did after reading about your meals. We do get wild salmon a couple times a year and I always stock up and freeze.
LPink, we don't eat lamb but adding beef kabobs sounds great. Most people love those.
Bob, thanks for the recipe. I love cauliflower, hubby on the other hand, not so much. It does seem like the type of recipe even cauliflower haters would like. :o)

In my case its not so much saving a recipe made to impress. Its more that its a recipe that is T&T and I've made it often enough that I can make it with my eyes closed and be sure that it will turn out well, even if I'm distracted.

I guess it depends on how one defines a "company" dinner. When I hear that I think dinner party, linen, crystal, silverware, etc. To me that means at least three courses plus dessert.

However you are quite right, when I have guests I serve everything from pulled pork, ribs, lasagna, burgers, kebabs, chile, Chinese food, pizza, order in ....you name it.

Only rule...must be lots!

I just depends on who the company is and what I have served them in the past. I usually try to serve something different than I served them the last time. If it is something I know that they really liked than I will repeat it.

Like Claire, what I cook for company isn't much different than what I cook for ourselves: Boned out and stuffed whole chicken, Chicken with mushroom duxelles, Chicken in puff pastry, Julia Child's Beef Burgundy/Bourginon, Sharon's Rack of Pork, Rack of Lamb, Whole Beef tenderloin, Roasted Pork Tenderloin......

When entertaining though I usually start with appetizers in the living room and then three courses at the table.

You can also stuff individual chicken breasts

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chicken - Deboned Stuffed Chicken (Pictorial)
==================================
Source: Pat Davis Cooking School, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Note: A Boned out Three pound chicken will feed 6 nicely.

1 3 pound chicken
Or 4 Whole Chicken Breasts (not
Singles

3 cups Fresh Bread - Crumbled
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 pound of Sausage (I usually use one Italian Sausage)
1/4 pound of mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried thyme or
2 teaspoons of fresh
1 egg
Butter
Chicken Broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

1/2 cup White Wine
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 onion
2 small tomatoes
1 garlic clove
. Bone out whole chicken or if using just the breasts bone the breasts
but leave them whole. DO NOT REMOVE SKIN Save bones.

Saute onion, and garlic in butter. Add sausage, (if using link take
meat out of casing), add sliced mushrooms and saute. Season with
thyme,salt and pepper and mix in coarsely crumbled bread. Add chicken
broth to moisten. Add egg.

Stuff chicken,(or breasts) and sew up with unwaxed dental floss.

Preheat oven to 375�.

Place bones in shallow roasting pan and place chicken on bones. Roast
for 30 minutes and then add one coarsely chopped onion, and two
coarsely chopped tomatoes,and the garlic clove to the pan. Pour in
1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Chicken should
sit above liquid resting on the bones. Continue roasting for another
30 to 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked. (note: Breasts take the
less time)

When cooked remove chicken to board to rest and remove bones from pan.
Skim excess fat from pan juices add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken
broth and pour contents into blender. Puree to make sauce.

To serve,

Remove dental floss (comes out easy with one little pull).

Slice breasts into nice rounds and place 3 or 4 slices on each plate.
If using the whole chicken, also slice in to 1/2 inch slices and place
one to two on each plate. Drizzle with sauce.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Beef Burgundy/Bourginon.
========================

2 to 3 pound beef tenderloin

Make a sauce using:
1-1/2 cups red wine 1 1/2 cups beef
Broth 1 clove of garlic minced 1
Cups tomato paste pinch of thyme
Bring to a boil and simmer slowly
Until reduced by half
Braise about 15 to 20 pearl onions
Saute 1/2 pound of sliced mushrooms

Slice a beef tenderloin into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick slices. Dry
well and brown on both sides in butter and oil. Add the onion and
mushrooms to the reduced wine sauce and thicken with 1 tablespoon of
flour blended with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the beef to thicken
sauce. May be prepared up to this point and reheated later. Meat should
be rare to medium rare so be careful when you reheat. This is adjusted
from a Julia Child recipe.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chicken Breasts With Mushroon Duxelles
======================================

Source: Lucy Waverman

This flavorful and elegant chicken is stuffed with a combination of fresh and dried mushrooms. Because the breasts are stuffed under the skin, the stuffing moistens the chicken meat and keeps it juicy. use either dried porcini or dried Chinese mushrooms; they have the most flavor. The sauce can be made ahead of time and the breasts stuffed a few hours before baking.

6 Dried mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
4 shallots
8 ounces fresh mushrooms finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or basil
3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 single boned chicken breasts, with skin on.

Sauce

1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup mushroom-soaking liquid
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons port or Madeira
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
. 1.
Soak the mushrooms in boiling chicken broth for 20 minutes. Drain the
mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid and the mushrooms
separately.Chop the mushrooms.

2.
Preheat the oven to 375�F

3.
Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the
shallots and dried and fresh mushrooms. Saute until all the liquid has
evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Stir in the basil
or tarragon, bread crumbs, cream and parsley. cook until the cream has
reduced and the filling is thick. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Divide the filling in six portions. with your fingertips, make a
pocket between the skin and the flesh of each chicken breast. Stuff
the filling under the skin of the chicken breasts. Season the breasts
with salt and pepper and place in a buttered baking dish large enough
to hold the breasts in one layer.

5.
Bake for 30 or 40 minutes, basting occasionally, until the juices run
clear.

6.
To make the sauce, in a frying pan, combine the onions and wine. On
high heat, bring to a boil and reduce until you have 1 tablespoon of
liquid.

7.
Pour in the mushroom liquid, reduce to 2 tablespoons and then add the
chicken stock and continue to boil until the stock is reduced by half.
Add the port and simmer for another 2 minutes, or until the sauce is
smooth and strongly flavored.

8.
Combine the cornstarch and cold water and stir into the sauce,
simmering until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper and add any juices from the chicken. To serve,
pour the sauce over the chicken breasts.

Wow, thanks, Ann T. I am printing this thread. :)

Company usually means a big piece of meat to me, because I wouldn't cook something like that for the three of us very often (almost never) so I welcome the opportunity to cook something different and inviting.

So, some typical meats would be:
Grilled 2" thick sirloin and sliced on the bias. I usually have to ask the butcher to cut this for me. It looks like a London Broil cut but is so much better.

Fresh Ham. I adore this when it's cold outside.

Whole pork loin. This can be common but sometimes I stuff it and have gravy so it's more untypical.

Whole stuffed salmon.

Brisket. I have a good recipe for making ahead with a German flair and is usually very well received. Another cold month meat.

Ok, so the meats are the big guns in my house when entertaining but I make good sides too coordinating with the meat.
Dh eats very little meat so he likes it when I cook these kinds of meals....he likes all the sides!

Bumblebeez, would you be kind enough to post your brisket recipe? I have a largish brisket in the freezer and have been wondering what to do with it. Maybe it'll be the next company meal. :o)

Some great ideas here for sure. I like to do a prime rib dinner or maybe a surf and turf thing too. Another one that most of my family and friends love is Joe's Killer Lasagna. I've been making it for several years now and it is one of my groups favorite.

Joe's Killer Lasagna

Makes eight big portions.
1 medium onion -- chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage -- casings removed and broken up
1/2 pound ground veal
2 cloves garlic -- minced
4 ounces mushrooms -- chopped
15 ounces tomato sauce
12 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon oregano -- leaves
1 teaspoon basil -- crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces mozzarella cheese -- thinly sliced
1 pound Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
12 ounces lasagna noodles

Saute the chopped onion in the olive oil. Add and cook the ground meats, starting with the sausage, then the beef, then the veal.

Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook. Drain.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine, water, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer covered for 1-1/2 hours.

Cook the lasagna noodles while sauce is simmering. Use 10 to 16 pieces depending on the width of the noodles. Drain, rinse, drain again. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of the sauce. Layer: 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the Ricotta cheese (in dollops), 1/3 of the Mozzarella. Repeat twice more. Cover with the Parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until bubbly.

David

I agree that it depends who your guests are, how well you know their tastes, time of year, etc., I tend to go with chicken or pork if I don't know the people well and always have enough sides, rolls and dessert, so if someone doesn't care for what is served, they won't leave hungry.
I love to cook fish and shellfish and usually feature one or both in at least one course. Two recent additions to my go-to's are recipes that I brought home from New Orleans; "BBQ" Shrimp (not at all what this westcoast girl thinks of as BBQ) and Drago's Charbroiled Oysters, but with oysters, you have to know your guests. One of my sisters literally gags at the sight of them and she is otherwise a very adventurous eater! I have posted both recipes in the past, but can post again if anyone wants them. I must have made the BBQ shrimp 12 times in the year since I got the recipe, so it definitely qualifies as "go-to."
Oh and David is right - everyone always raves about Joe's Killer Lasagna. I haven't made any other since trying Joe's.
Jane

Mmm, your lasagna recipe looks delicious, thanks for posting it. Nice to see it has wine too. We don't eat veal, is it critical for the flavor, or could half sausage/half ground beef be substituted?

Someone emailed me about Sandra Lee (I am not familiar with her, but I was told she has a cooking show on TV) making a lasagna with canned tomato soup, apple cider vinegar and cottage cheese. :O

tobyt, I'd love your bbq shrimp recipe if you're willing to share. Hubby could probably eat his weight in shrimp. :o)

I'll try to tomorrow, petra.

Ann_t, spectacular dishes!

dcarch

Like some others, I don't have a "go to" dish, it depends on the guest, on the season, and on what's available. If Sharon/Chase ever comes for dinner, I'm buying a LOT of walleye and she can eat until she's full and have leftovers for fish sandwiches.

Like Nancy, I have access to walleye and lake perch year round, as well as wild caught Lake Michigan salmon. Sometimes I've even caught it myself! If I do buy it I have to make a longer drive than she does for it, though. I have my own grass fed beef, so company meals often involve that too.

My "company" cooking more often involves a dessert which I wouldn't make otherwise, like Ann T's white chocolate and raspberry tart and we always have homemade bread.

So, I guess homemade bread and dessert is my "go to", LOL.

Annie

I try to suit the meal to the type of company. If children are coming I stick to stuff I figure they would eat like mac and cheese or stuffed shells or some type of pasta dish. I also sometimes make a roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies of some type for a company meal and sometimes a roasted chicken. I always try to have as much as possible made in advance and I try to avoid stuff that needs to be prepared at the last minute!
Joann

Petra - I am at work right now and my recipes are at home, but I will post for you later this evening.
Jane (who is now at 7:30 a.m., seriously jonesing for BBQ shrimp!)

Thanks Jane, the recipe must be really good if you want shrimp at 7:30 am. :o)
Annie, a lot of the people we know can't/don't want to eat cakes or other baked goods, so dessert is frustrating. I usually make fruit salad for them.
Ghoghunter, everything you listed sounds good too, comfort food!!

Like so many others my company meals are suited to the company and the circumstances. I have one friend who is silly crazy over my mushroom soup, and another who's wife doesn't do gravy, so a roast something with gravy is a treat. Another couple I entertain, she is gluten intolerant and he suffers from lack of....so I try to have treats like home made bread, for him and stuff in the meal and dessert that she can eat.
If I am having people over for dinner before an "event" then my dinner menu is different than if we are going to spend all evening eating. If there are lots of "kids" and by kids I mean everything from 6 to 26, I will cook kid friendly things, like perhaps baked chicken rolled in some sort of flavorful crumbs and baked, or lasagna or the full burger on the grill meal with baked beans, potato salad, slaw, watermelon and corn in season.
For a ladies luncheon it's one sort of meal, for my children and all those teen boy kids, it's copious amounts of meat...beef, pork , lamb or chicken.
But I pride myself to be able at all times to toss together a meal fit for company in about 40 minutes.....and that's all about frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts!!
My "go to" seems to be desserts....and I go in spurts and waves. For about a year now it's been that summer fruit tort, before that it was flan, then a cheese cake....2 years ago it was apple cake with cake gravy....
I need a new "go-to" dessert!
Linda C

LindaC, my "go to" dessert is usually Grandma's Blueberry Crisp. No sugar in the berry part, not much in the topping, and all those lovely blueberries that I spend all summer picking and freezing. Even the diabetics in my family can have a little without harming their carb levels. The rest of us have ice cream with it, just because it's so darned healthy without it, LOL.

Annie

Generally, when we have company, we cook outside, and therefore much of it is grilled. In the summer, it would be Alaskan wild-caught salmon with grilled vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc) and grilled garlic bread and possibly a Caesar salad. If salmon is not in season, we will grill a whole chicken, Algerian style, along with some Italian sausages. A lot of times I parboil potatoes and then put those on the grill as well. We are much more set up for entertaining outdoors than indoors, and we have an outdoor teak bar with barstools, a patio table inside a gazebo, and three barbeques - two charcoal and one gas. Once we got our concrete stained (so that it is no longer a blinding white), we spend more time outside than in. On the few days that we have rain, we postpone entertaining. I want to get more outdoor lights so that we can entertain after dark outside. I have a nice kitchen and dining room now, but I prefer to be outside with the flowers. A lot of the succulents are blooming right now, along with some orchids, bromeliads, and kangaroo paws.

Lars

Lars, that sounds like the perfect set-up. I am jealous! We could never do that here, we are inundated with mosquitoes in spring and summer and would be eaten alive. The skeeters here don't even seem to mind repellent, it's just an appetizer to them.

Lindac, for occasions when we have people who do eat dessert, I usually make marzipan crescents, little tartlets filled with a mixture of lemon curd and whipped cream, and little individual apple tarts. We never have any leftovers. ;o)

Annie, do you add sugar substitute instead of sugar, or are the blueberries sweet enough on their own?

I haven't forgotten Petra, will get the brisket recipe typed up soon.

Petra, my recipe has no sugar in the berries, the ones I pick are plenty sweet enough. There is some brown sugar in the topping, which I've successfully used the brown sugar splenda in place of, but Dad's nutritionist told me that the sugar was not enough to be a huge issue. The topping is brown sugar, oatmeal and some butter.

I'd gladly post it, but I'm at Elery's using his computer. He has Firefox as a browser, which I don't like and I can't figure out how to open two windows at a time. Sigh. I'll post it when I get back home, if you'd like.

Annie

I absolutely love Annie's blueberry crisp. I make it often. Even now, the blueberries from Chile are OK, so I'll do that sometime this next week. I'm having a root canal next Wed. so don't know how much I'll want. Never had one.

Hi Petra:
Here is the recipe for BBQ shrimp - my original was written on a cocktail napkin by Bernard the bartender at Drago's in New Orleans. This is not Drago's recipe, but that of the bartender. He told us that after Christmas dinner, the men go outside and set up the grill and a burner and make Charbroiled Oysters and BBQ shrimp - "for later on."

Barbecue Shrimp (from bartender at Drago's - New Orleans)
Ingredients:
12 raw (largest you can find) shrimp, (here in the Pacific Northwest, we call them prawns and I use 16-20 count for dinner servings or the 21-30 count when I'm serving it as an appetizer)unpeeled with heads* and tails left on
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 rounded tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
healthy pinch of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (2 cloves)
1 tablespoon of water
half of 1 lemon, seeded
1/4 pound (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices

Method:
1. Place the unpeeled shrimp, Worcestershire, spices, garlic and 1 tablespoon of water in a heavy 10-inch sautee pan. Squeeze juice from the lemon over the shrimp and add rind to the pan.
2. Cook over high heat, stirring and occasionally turning the shrimp.
After a couple of minutes the shrimp should start to turn pink on both sides.
3. If pan looks dry, add 1-2 tablespoons more water to the pan. Otherwise, don�t add water.
4. Reduce to medium-high and cook while gradually add the cold pieces of butter to the pan. Swirl the butter pieces until they are blended, the sauce turns light brown and creamy as it simmers, and the shrimp are just cooked through. This will take about two minutes total if the shrimp are extra-large and about three minutes if they are huge.
5. Serve immediately with crusty bread for sopping up the sauce and lots of napkins for cleaning your hands. Makes two servings.
Note: If you can�t find shrimp with the heads on, still be sure and use unpeeled shrimp.
Janes Notes
*I�ve never used shrimp with the head on � but I do use unpeeled shrimp (prawns) and slit the backs This serves 2 for dinner or 4 -6 for appetizer type servings.
J

Jane, thanks so much for taking the time to post the recipe. It looks downright sinful, I can imagine how good the sauce is.
Annie, I would love your recipe if you wouldn't mind posting. It sounds pretty healthy too.
Bumblebeez, thanks. The brisket is safely tucked in the freezer, it'll wait til you have time. :o)
Beachlily, I've had one root canal and there was no pain after, I could eat what I wanted. Hopefully, it'll be the same for you.

It depends on the company!

Stir-fry chicken is one that my daughter and parents request. Lasagna is another one requested by people. But often times we are having baked turkey or baked ham if I have a number of people.

Donna

Oh, I hope you are right Petra! Thanks for the thought!

For years I've made a shrimp dish called Butterflied Bayou Shrimp that is so very close to Tobyt's recipe. Mine is really good and really easy. I'll try the New Orleans one the next time. Expect it's really good too!

Here is Annie's blueberry Crisp recipe--it's good and easy!

BLUEBERRY CRISP

This is the only blueberry crisp recipe I've ever used, the one my grandmother used. It's not very sweet, which I like because I like the flavor of the berries better than the flavor of the sugar, LOL. It's really good warm with vanilla ice cream, but it's also good cold for breakfast (it's a FRUIT, Mom).

3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, unsweetened
1/2 cup quick oats
2 tbls lemon juice
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange berries in ungreased 8" square baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine remaining ingredients until crumbly. (I use a pastry blender). Crumble topping over berries and bake until topping is lightly browned and berries are hot, about 30 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

I double this and it still comes out good. Plus blueberries are low in calories, have lots of fiber and no fat, contain antioxidants C, E and beta carotene and have been found to be as helpful in urinary tract health as cranberries. That's why I need ice cream with them, they are just too darned healthy. LOL
Annie

Mmm, that sounds tasty, I'd like some for breakfast about now. :o) Thanks for posting, beachlily. I wonder if blackberries would work too, we expect to have a bumper crop this spring.
Donna, I've been getting pretty good at stir fries and have also tried several Thai dishes which turned out pretty tasty. I bet those would work for guests too.

All this is making me VERY hungry! Annie, I knew you had access to walleye and perch, but didn't know about the salmon. You are so lucky! The last dish I made for company was individual Beef Wellingtons (got the filets from Wegmans) and baked salmon with cilantro sauce (for my veg DD). I love wild salmon that's been grilled on a cedar plank, too. Chicken Marbella (from the Silver Palate cookbook) is so easy and so good. Also Coq Au Vin. Not many people I know bake their own pies, so that's my go-to for dessert.

Speaking of cranberries, I made pretty much that recipe using a mix of blueberries and cranberries this Fall...so good!

Virginia, the last really fresh salmon I had Elery and I caught ourselves, a friend with a boat took us out fishing on Lake Michigan. It was a bit stormy and when the waves started coming over the sides of the boat we cut the trip short, LOL, but we still came home with half a dozen smaller salmon, about 6 or 7 pounds each. I can't tell you how good those were, caught in early May when the water was nearly freezing.

That blueberry crisp recipe was Grandma's and we all love it. Not too sweet and not too heavy, and relatively healthy as desserts go.

Annie

Just as I wouldnt wear the same dress to consecutive soirees - really - I try not to serve the same thing to the same guest more often than yearly. Since I can never keep track of who was last here and what we had, I try to make a different main course for each dinner party of the year. I will, however, repeat hors d'oeuvre, salad, side and veg dishes, since they're not really my focus - risotto finds it's way on the table a lot, for example.

No such compuction for traditional holiday meals, of course. I believe we've had cracked crab for Christmas Day most years of the past couple decades, it is our tradition, and of course there is the ritual turkey and sweet potato every Turkey Day. Most years we have a hot pot for Chinese New Year, that's sort of traditional here too.

Being experimental for company is a bit risky, but that's solved with volume - if you make enough dishes, something is likely to be edible. Or, at least, you can get heavy on the liquor so that no-one notices.

There are some things I don't often make. Pasta - I'm bad at it, need to read my Marcella - and I've gotten out of the habit of roasting big slabs of beast - kind of expensive, and I've sort of gotten tired of it. I was getting into a boeuf bourguignon rut for awhile, so that's off the list for a year at least.