We are having a couple for a weekend visit and I need some ideas for some really good meals and snacks-?

that are quick to make but delicious. We don't want to have to be in the kitchen very much as we have lots of visiting and catching up to do. We will do a big country breakfast, but need ideas for lunches and dinners and some luscious snacks. Even the kind I can make ahead would be good. Salads too. Thanks!We are having a couple for a weekend visit and I need some ideas for some really good meals and snacks-?
there are lots of meals you could make ahead.


homemade soups, stews, once they are made you can throw them in the fridge or freezer, bring them out when needed, serve them with a loaf of french bread and everyone is happy.





this is an easy dish that my family enjoys! i use dark meat just because i prefer it, but you can use white, dark, or mix white and dark!


cut your chicken into small pieces. brown in a small amount of olive oil.


remove chicken from pan,drain any excess oil off, but don't wipe pan.


mix a can of cream of chicken soup with a half cup of sour cream. whisk this into the pan, once smooth, add chicken, making sure chicken is covered with sauce.


put into oven at 350' and cook til chicken is done. in the meantime make up a pack of stove top stuffing, top the chicken and sauce mixture with stuffing and pop back in oven til stuffing is hot.


serve with rice, and a loaf of sourdough bread!


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at a party last year and had this pasta salad, it was really very good.


Little ';O'; Salad


1 box of small o-shaped pasta


1 cucumber


2 large sticks celery


real mayonaisse [not miracle whip]


hy's seasoning salt





cook pasta til tender - only takes a few minutes as pasta is very tiny. drain and cool.





peel cucumber, split into quarters length-wise and remove seeds.


remove strings on the celery sticks.


dice the celery and cucumber into pieces about the same size as the pasta.


mix all together and add real mayo. add seasoning salt to taste and you've got a great salad!


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also you can take a small box of strawberry jello, a half pint of fresh whipping cream. a small tub of frozen strawberries in juice, and a store bought angel food cake and make





strawberry delight


take the angel food cake and rip into small pieces.


mix the jello with one cup of boiling water, make sure you mix til its all dissolved, add the thawed tub of berries and juice, mix well.


whip the whipping cream 'til its ready to form soft peaks, and mix in. now fold in the pieces of angel food cake and put in a pretty glass bowl. into the fridge, let it set, and its ready to go!


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also go to the safeway website and get the recipe for the 2 hour turkey! its fast, its easy and its so tasty!


if you can't find it, email me and i'll send it to you!


hope you have a really great time with your guests!


good luck!We are having a couple for a weekend visit and I need some ideas for some really good meals and snacks-?
Boy -you are getting some great ideas! I hope where you live, the weather is not as scorching as it has been here in the south. For starters, you can enjoy your guests even more if you decide to GRILL!! Grab your meats and peppers and onions and have a great cookout with shish kabob, (chicken, burgers, shrimp, or brauwurst is also great to add) corn and other grilled veggies. Have plenty of pasta salad on hand and some great Heiniken Beer or Channti Ruffino. Another night you might include your guests - have trays of cold cuts with a variety of meats, cheeses, fruit, salads and breads. Order some New York Cheese cake (make your own strawberry or blueberry toppings (start with the frozen and add the real fruit) for choices and enjoy!





Now, being the southerner at heart that I am - my guests could not get away without some of my real down home cooking! You might not want to get ';this deep';, but I am sure your guests would appreciate your hard work - at least give them one night of your heart and soul and kitchen sweat.





Southerners just love dumplings! Make some (there are lots of good recipes on websites) and add your chicken. Let that simmer slowly. Check this out - Southern fried chicken with (gravy!) mac and cheese (the real kind - not boxed), collard and turnip greens mixed (gotta have those knuckles in there for flavor, or salt pork. You can always toss it after the greens have cooked). Sweet potato pone (sweet potato casserole with marshmellows on top), sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions and beets - yeah, boy! (together - drop some vinegar on top and put it in the fridge!) Add some hot water corn bread (recipe on website), some good old sweet lemon-ice tea or kool ade (yes - that's southern style- red preferably) and for dessert - Georgia Pecan Pie, or Peach Cobbler topped with Vanilla Ice Cream! Your guests will not hesitate to return. OR - you can grill again - some real big bones beef and pork - barbeque style - where you make your sauce and use a 'bbq mop' and splash the sauce on and let it 'bake'. That's real barbeque.





I wish I was there - I would be so happy to do all this cooking for you so you could enjoy your guests - but then - they'd want to visit me next time instead of you.....smile





Enjoy your friends- life is so short and true friends are few - you're doing the right thing by wanting to spend time with them. Have fun!
Steam or broil asparagus for about ten minutes, after drizzling with olive oil and salt and pepper. Let cool. Wrap a piece of prociutto around it and dip it in a mayo curry sauce.





Skewer some pre-cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp (tail on variety), place on a bed of lettuce surrounding a bowl of cocktail sauce and each person has their own shrimp cocktail kabob.





Slice up some mozzerella, some fresh tomatos and some artichoke hearts and stick them on a plate lined with fresh basil, drizzle with olive oil or italian dressing and some pepper and salt.





Melon. Ball up any kinds of melon and salt them lightly. Put them in a glass bowl and put that bowl into a larger one filled with ice. Give everyone their own fork and you have a communal (always fun) snack.





There isn't anything faster or tastier than rack of lamb. Smear with garlic butter and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes (no longer, more than 35 minutes and the lamb will be well done and it will be ruined). Serve with mint jelly and par boiled potatos and fresh veggies.
Basa filets with Mango pasta





1 ripe mango


filets of basa or choice of fish


1 Onion (sweet)


Pasta of choice


1 pt. Heavy cream


butter/or Olive oil


Bread crumbs for fish





Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, Sautee Onion in butter/ olive oil till tender. Add chopped mango, and Heavy cream. Mash and stir at same time, (mango will break down) and sasuce will slightly thicken. About 15- 20 minutes.





Wash and pat filets dry, place in bread crumbs and lay in pan with Olive oil (just enough to pan fry). Fry till done. Serve with sauce over top of pasta, and filets!





Quick easy dinner and Oh so yummy and healthy!





Salad fixings:


Lettuce of choice (I prefer the spring mix in bag)


Chopped onion


Diced peppers (red, yellow, orange bells)


Sliced tomatoes


Chopped Gala apple


Raisens


Mandarin Oranges (drained)


Nuts (pecans or walnuts Optional)


Sesame Oil- -a dash


Prepare all ahead of time and keep in baggies in fridge till your ready! Then take a bit from each bag and toss together!





**except the apples- chop fresh as you use so they don't turn brown!


Raspberry vinnagrette dressing
In most grocery stores they have this prepared puff pastry in the freezer section and you can use it to make snacks or wrap around sausages with cheese sliced into the middle of them... or you can buy a can of those cherry pie filling and cut the pastry into sqaures and dab some cherry onto em and cook em and then when they are done squirt some whipped cream onto them and they are yummy......or even apple pie filling in the bottom of a cake pan and mix some walnuts into it with chocolate chips and caramals cut into half and then lay the pastry in a diamond pattern and put in the oven until the pastry is done and people will eat it and rave (at least my family did) i've done it with fresh apples but cooked the apple cobbler first until almost done and then added the pastry..... buy a package of lil cocktail wieners w cheese and put in a miniture crockpot and put ur favorite bbq sauce and have a plate of cheese and crackers on the side with plenty of napkins of course.........email me if you have any ? have fun!
JALAPENO GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICHES


1/4 cup jalapeno jelly


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts


1/4 cup apple cider vinegar


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce


4 hamburger buns


Melt jelly in microwave-safe bowl, stir; add apple cider vinegar, salt and Tabasco sauce. Heat one minute on high; stir well. Grill or broil chicken breasts 5 to 6 minutes per side, basting often with jelly and vinegar mixture.


Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato garnish.


Makes 4 sandwiches.





Anyone can make this. Its simple, easy, and delishes
Make up a lasagna, some burritos, anything that you can freeze and stick in the oven. Go to allrecipes.com. They have great recipes for just about anything you need.