Inexpensive dinners for invited guests?

[Usehername]

Any tips on healthy, filling meals to prepare for when you're cooking for guests?

I think the BF and I are going to invite two grad school friends and their husbands over for dinner once we can figure out what to do.

Obviously, things like salad, mashed potatoes, etc. are easy sides, but what's an inexpensive, or at least not budget-busting, main dish?

 

[Anew Leaf]

I make homemade spaghetti sauce for dinners with friends. Instead of pasta, I cook quinoa. Depending on the taste levels of my guests, I sometimes substitute mushrooms and bell peppers for the meat.

Does this help at all? You can find my recipe posted here.

 

[PeaceBaby]

Are we talking a classy dinner or something moderately formal? Or do you want to keep it informal/fun?

 

[prplchknz]

chicken is the cheapest meat and can be prepared a billion and one ways

 

[Usehername]

I make homemade spaghetti sauce for dinners with friends. Instead of pasta, I cook quinoa. Depending on the taste levels of my guests, I sometimes substitute mushrooms and bell peppers for the meat.

Does this help at all? You can find my recipe posted here.

Spaghetti! I never even thought of that.

Are we talking a classy dinner or something moderately formal? Or do you want to keep it informal/fun?

Hmmm. Not really sure. He suggested it, saying that the couples look like they have their lives together in a way he respects, and he wants to get to know them better. So socialization is the goal, and informal seems probably more accurate?

chicken is the cheapest meat and can be prepared a billion and one ways

Good thinking. And preparing chicken is not as scary as other things.

 

[Anew Leaf]

Yay!

I make a healthy version of "parmesan chicken". I fry it in a skillet with a little bit of grapeseed oil and spice it simply with salt and pepper. Once it's been seared on both sides, then I put some roasted roma tomatoes on top and some parm/mozzerella cheese.

 

[ceecee]

Baked pasta dishes - lasagna, mostacholi
Mexican - enchiladas, tacos, taco salad
Chili with cornbread
Chicken - roasted whole, chicken and vegetable skewers
Sandwiches like pulled pork, bbq beef or sloppy joes, cheese steaks or Italian beef with au jus
Casseroles like baked mac and cheese or beef stroganoff. You can make it with cube steaks or even ground beef.

 

[Usehername]

Baked pasta dishes - lasagna, mostacholi
Mexican - enchiladas, tacos, taco salad
Chili with cornbread
Chicken - roasted whole, chicken and vegetable skewers
Sandwiches like pulled pork, bbq beef or sloppy joes, cheese steaks or Italian beef with au jus
Casseroles like baked mac and cheese or beef stroganoff. You can make it with cube steaks or even ground beef.

All good tips. All doable or clearly learnable for a weaker cook. I like it.

 

[prplchknz]

not really helpful, but i keep reading the title as inexpensive guests invited for dinner

 

[rav3n]

Turkey's really inexpensive now. Even turkey parts.

 

[miss fortune]

bake a chicken! it only costs about 6 dollars all in all and feeds several people and looks quite impressive (and goes well with potatoes!)

... at least that's my usual approach to things of the sort

 

[The Ü™]

Pizza Hut usually has good deals.

 

[Southern Kross]

1 (or 2) pan dinners without too much meat are usually the way.

- Spaghetti bolognaise or some other easy pasta dish
- Stir Fry of some kind
- A curry (you can usually buy the spice mix and then add a few basic ingredients)

My personal favourite is chicken risotto. It's not too difficult to make, tastes amazing and looks semi-fancy.