Maybe kind of weird for the Northeast, but I love making tortilla soup for guests. There are tons of recipes online - it's basically a Mexican chicken soup.

I like to set up a tortilla soup bar with all the extra stuff you can add to your individual bowl: lime wedges, cilantro, red onion, Monterey jack cheese, diced avocado, fried tortilla strips, and sour cream.

Warm spicy chicken soup is perfect for a cold weekend.

Funny because I was first planning on a taco bar, with homemade salsa and guacamole, and black bean mango salad, but wasn't into it. So I came here for new ideas!

IMO, tortilla soup and tacos aren't even in the same ballpark.

Mardi Gras is over, however gumbo would still be apropo. You could have King cake for dessert. But don't forget the baby!

Only in that they are the same cuisine and same fixin's. I'm not sure if soup would feel like enough...

Doesn't gumbo have seafood in it?

My Yankee is showing now ...

You can make gumbo with just sausage or chicken or seafood. Pretty much whatever you want. My gumbo has andouille sausage, oysters, shrimp, crab and scallops. Paula Deen's Gumbo Recipe is a good one. Be warned, making a proper roux takes a lot of patience.

Okay, this is what I'm making on Sunday.

I can do a roux! Hmm, gumbo sans seafood. i have to think about that!

Sausage and chicken gumbo is pretty popular. Southern Living Gumbo Recipes

Lately I have been loving warm stew with yams and butternut squash with a nice fresh salad and warm crusty artisan bread by the fire. Or maybe a good old fashion fondue meal. Start with breads and raw veggies and nice melted cheeses then onto meats and nice oils followed by marshmallows and fruits with melted chocolate. The kids will love this lunch the most!

I would serve a winter vegetable soup and then warm sandwiches on homemade baguettes.

Could also do a Moroccan lamb stew - yummy. Maybe heavy for lunch?

A selection of homemade pizzas ?

mtn…"formal"?, casual? fun? …age range of the guests?

More formal, maybe thinly sliced roast beef au jus with green salad and whole small roasted potatoes; less formal: the classic winter lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. and the best tomato soup is Imagine, which can be bought at Whole Foods. Maybe do a bunch of more sophisticate grilled cheese sandwiches with different fillings and cut them up in squares and people can have a variety.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is one of my favorite things in the world. Sometimes, we cut the sandwiches into tiny squares and drop them into the soup.

I've been eating a lot of tortilla soup lately. It is hearty, tasty and filling. I cheat and buy the deli containers of it from Costco, then add my own toppings...yum!

Another favorite winter meal for us is chicken or vegetable lasagna and a fresh green salad.

Is it too early for spring stew made with lamb and fresh green vegetables?

It will be casual but I want it to be nice and when I entertain I like to make i special and do it from scratch,

Yes, those sound nice and wintry and things I have experience with. I have a panini press and I make a yummy one with sharp cheddar, apple, and fig preserves on multigrain. Maybe I will make a few different kinds, and add in a meat one and a more traditional one.

I make a great butternut squash soup, but I think the acidity of tomato soup is a nice counterpoint to the richness of cheese. Or I could do that with a salad ...

Fondue is a fun idea too, If I trusted my kids manners more! I can just see them trying to fish out their bread or rescue a marshmallow from the chocolate!

Thanks, I will go look at some recipes now.

Ugh, yum. That sandwich sounds delicious. Yes, all different kinds, including the classic on white bread, I think is a great idea. Maybe one with baby spinach; ham, onion…I'd check out alrlecipes.com and food network.com for a variety. Tomato soup is so easy if you want to make it from scratch as you can make it ahead of time and freeze it. If not, that Imagine soup is really good, just simple tomato soup w/o the salt and/or sugar.

I make a hearty mexican soup that has always been a hit here-- it's a tomato-chicken broth with chickpeas, chicken, roasted poblanos, red pepper and onions-- finished with a whole lot of cilantro. You can garnish with sour cream, tortillas, avocado or even cabbage and radishes as you would a posole. I can provide a more detailed recipe if you are into it. (note: I often make it without the chicken if you want something veggie or less hearty)

I love spinach stuffed shells for an informal gathering-- just that and a great salad, maybe bread sticks or rolls.

Giada DeLaurentis has a great recipe for Rosemary chicken burgers. I usually serve with lemon-oregano green beans but for lunch, I'd serve with salad and maybe some kind of fancy pance fries... maybe garlic parmesan (with rosemary!)

Final suggestion is a dish I haven't actually made but i love: thai pineapple fried rice with cashews and lots of veggies. I'd serve with satay and dips.. pineapple dipping sauce, peanut sauce, etc.

May I please have half of a sharp cheddar, apple and fig preserves panini to go?

(Half the fun of fondue is spear fishin'!)

Oh, the panini sounds absolutely lovely! I have a few recipes on pinterest I want to pull for you.

I would absolutely make the tomato soup from scratch (as you planned). Another option is a tomato bisque with mushrooms, zucchini and onion.

These are two sandwiches I'd saved on pinterest. I think they'd make great paninis:

Grilled cheese with compte shallots and thyme

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/09/11/the-best-grilled-cheese/

Wine and Cheese grilled cheese
http://bsinthekitchen.com/wine-cheese-grilled-cheese/

Funky, I would like that soup recipe, sounds yummy. But I don't think I will make it for this,

I think panini, soup, probably a salad too is the direction I am headed. I think I realized that even though I would like many of the other suggestions, the reason they aren't thrilling me is that they don't say "snowy saturday afternoon", the way "fancy" grilled cheese and soup do!

Allrecipes has a grilled cheese and pesto sandwich recipe. Yum.

I need to get some friends like this who will cook me a nice Saturday lunch! (I loathe grocery shopping and cooking.) Sounds delish!

This is my twisted version of Tlalpeno Soup. Traditionally it has chipotle peppers in adobo but I don't like them. I tend not to use recipes so this is a "loose" recipe intended for those comfortable with seasoning to taste. It is very adaptable to your own preferences and what you have on hand. Like I said previously, I've dropped the chicken and upped the chickpeas.. I have also added brown rice. The one thing I wouldn't eliminate is the cilantro. I know many people don't care for cilantro but it really makes this particular soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion diced
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 1-2 jalapeno, diced
• 1 roasted poblano pepper, skin removed
• 1 chicken breast (1 large breast)
• 6 cups chicken broth (I sometimes swap a cup of tomato juice for a cup of broth)
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes with chilies (or use fresh italian tomatoes)
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1 c fresh cilantro chopped
• Add seasonings to taste:
• oregano
• chile powder
• cumin
• cayenne pepper
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder (if you prefer minced, add at the very end of the vegetable saute)

Directions:1. Shred or dice the cooked chicken.

2. Saute onion, celery, jalapenos in a small amount of olive oil until soft
   (about 3-5 min).
3. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, chicken and broth. (it
   should be a fairly brothy soup at this point).
4. Add 1/4 cup or so of the
   chopped cilantro and seasoning to taste. Be cautious with seasonings at
   this point-- the spiciness will intensify as it simmers.
   5. Let simmer for
   30-40 min. Taste again and add seasonings as required.
   6. Add remaining
   cilantro and let simmer 5 min.
   7. Serve in bowls and top with some, none or all of the following optional toppings: avocado, shredded cabbage, chopped radish, sour cream. Me? I like just a squeeze of lime.

Thank you so much. I will definitely make that. And I love cilantro.

My roomate's current fave book is Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton, and I found a nice brunch menu excerpt from it at serious eats.

The menu doesn't look healthy in any way...but it does look pretty delicious!

Robo, the Monte Cristo looks so lovely, but tricky. Directions like "soak in the batter just long enough to absorb it but not so long the sandwich becomes manageable" and "make sure it is warm in the middle' it can be perfect on the outside and still cold in the middle". Pretty tricky! But oh yum! Maybe for family only!

thanks for posting

To me, there's nothing better for a Winter meal than homemade soup. How about a fun spin on the classic combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? Homemade tomato soup and a do-it-yourself Panini grilled cheese sandwich bar? You could have various cheeses, breads and other ingredients such as marinated artichoke hearts (my favorite at a local bistro here), roasted bell peppers, sliced tomatoes, fresh spinach, kale or arugula, fresh basil, sliced deli meats, etc.

You best me to it, Mtn, I was going to suggest paninis--- my panini press sees a lot of action in the winter :-)

I absolutely adore homemade cream of mushroom soup with caramelized onions, and homemade garlic croutons on top. For a panini sandwich with that i would use very thinly sliced roast beef, arugula, swiss cheese and either horseradish sauce or pesto mayo on rye or sourdough. Homemade Toll house (with walnuts) cookie / vanilla ice cream "sandwiches" for dessert.