Menu Plans and Party Food

This week's menu plan is:
Monday: BBQ pork ribs, steamed carrots, green salad
Tuesday: crab and avacado salad
Wednesday: Greek-style chicken with feta, sesame green beans, salad
Thursday: Grilled salmon, steamed sugar peas, salad
Friday: DATE NIGHT (girls will have pasta or pizza)
Saturday: Party with Friends: subway sandwiches, spinach dip, veggie tray, lemon meringue cake and whatever the other guests bring
Sunday: Split Pea and Ham Soup

I promised some of my favorite party food recipes. So here are a few:

Ham rollups

Take thin sliced ham (sandwich slices). Spread with Cream Cheese & Herb or Cream Cheese & Garlic spread. Gently roll. Place tooth pick through each end. Cut in half. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Spinach Dip

1 package frozen spinach (thawed, drained and squeezed with kitchen towels to remove the liquid)
1 large tub creme fresche or sour cream
1 cup mayonaise
1 package vegetable soup mix (I use Knorr Golden vegetable)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Chill for at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve with bread cubes or bread sticks. I like to take a large round loaf of bread. Hollow out center (saving to make cubes) and place dip in bread bowl center.

Cheese Dip

1 package cream cheese
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
1 small can Mexi-corn

Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 1-2 minutes at a time, stirring thoroughly in between until melted. Serve with chips or tortillas. To make this a meal, add 1/2 pound ground hamburger or turkey that you have browned.


***If the party includes dinner, I almost always use my slow cooker, here are my two standards.***

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Cook a large pork roast on low for 8-10 hours (I usually do this all night, the night before the party). Remove the roast and shred it into bit size pieces. Put meat back into crock pot and cover with your favorite bottled BBQ sauce. Cook on low another 5-6 hours. Serve over buns with cheese, onion, and pickles. Also good served over baked potatoes or wrapped in flour tortillas.

Cola Chicken

Place skinned, boneless chicken breasts in slow cooker. Salt and pepper. Cover with equal amounts of Coca-Cola and tomato ketchup. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables.

"Roasted" Potatoes

Peel and dice potatoes into small bite-size pieces. Mix together 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 packet french onion soup mix. Pour over the potatoes. Cook at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes until tender. Stir occassionally.

***No party is complete without something sweet.***

Cheesecake

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1.5 cups sugar
1 stick (8Tablespoons) butter, melted
4 eggs
1 pint sour cream or creme fresche
3 Tablespoons Flour
3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add other ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Smooth top. Bake at 325F/180C for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn oven off and leave cake in the oven for at least 1 more hour. (I usually bake just before going to bed, turn oven off, leave door slightly ajar and leave it in the oven overnight).

Turn cake out onto cake plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with whatever berries are in season or topped with canned fruit pie filling.

Variation: For chocolate cheesecake, add 1 cup chocolate chips to the butter and melt together. Follow recipe as above.