My partner and I have one night we’re assigned to cook dinner on vacation with his family. What would you make? I like dinner party vibes that are pretty approachable but still let me show off a little (lol).
It would be important to know how many folks, budget, dietary restrictions, etc before we answer. Assuming this is maybe a dozen people, I’d think lasagna, a couple of quiches, enchiladas, a baked ham, or maybe if you’re go8ng for the full gusto, a prime rib roast.
9 people. No dietary restrictions or really any budget either. I like the prime rib idea!
He said cohesive menu. Your selection is the most random-ass mix of foods.
steak
Flank steak with chimichuri is perfect for a crowd! Quick sear on the grill and served medium rare. A salad and potato side completes things.
Where are you vacationing?
Prime Rib, Baked Potato Bar, Fresh Green Beans and rolls
What have the other meals have been so that our suggestions aren't duplicating things?
The only thing that has been claimed is taco night!
Pasta Bolognese Steaks on the grill Teriyaki style pork tenderloin
Seafood boil, it has the beach vibe and you don't have to spend all day in the kitchen. You are on vacation.
I second this!
This is absolutely the best recommendation! It's festive but also casual. So good with seafood fresh from the docks.
Chicken souvlaki, fresh pita, greek salad, roasted potatoes, and homemade tzatziki. Marinade the chicken, prep the tzatziki and make salad dressing morning of, and then when dinner comes there won't be as much to do!
You could actually do most of this in advance including the Greek salad and potatoes. Olive oil, herbs, lemon for the potatoes. Have them ready to go. Pop in the oven and roast.
My mil always does a spaghetti night on vacations. We have been to various places, even the beach, and homemade spaghetti (and meat sauce) tastes ironically delicious on vacation to me. I look forward to it now. For the record, I mean very literally *home*made, nothing more or less, she uses jarred sauce!
Sometimes simple is best! Nothing better!
I was going to say this! It’s delicious, easy and easily feeds a crowd. I made some a few nights ago with Rao’s roasted garlic sauce and it was very good.
Pork tenderloin, butterflied and grilled. Pineapple also grilled. Sweet peppers, same. Corn on cob, garlic bread - grilled! And Caesar salad?
Love this!
One of my favorites is to get a pork loin and marinate it in a homemade French dressing. Then grill it and slice it super thin after letting it rest. It is important to not overcook it but sometimes I will just slightly undercook, then slice and throw in the oven to finish it. Just pour some reserved marinade over the slices to keep them from drying out. It allows me to get it done and out of the way while I do the sides. I did this for my daughter's wedding and it was super popular. A bed of thinly sliced cabbage makes a killer presentation. Serve with a nice salad, rolls and some type of potato (baked, small roasted, au gratin) For dessert, I would go with something apple. Pie or cobbler, with ice cream.
Definitely do a shrimp boil. Corn on the cob, sausage, potatoes, shrimp. For nine people, you'd probably need a couple of big pots. If you've never done it before you can experiment at home to get it just right. It's really very easy, it scales well, and it's really tasty. You just need a lot of butter and some cocktail sauce for people who enjoy that, some spices, lemons, and beer. It's always a big hit at the beach
https://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/afghan-braised-chicken-with-creamy-yogurt-sauce-lawang/
https://www.pickuplimes.com/recipe/gulpea-afghan-tomato-cauliflower-curry-296
https://afghancooks.com/borani-banjan/
Basmati rice
For dessert a break from the ethnic, do your favorite ice cream and fresh seasonal fruit compote.
u/ColleenCook asked the magic question and you answered. Since you like the prime rib roast idea, I suggest twice baked Jewish brisket. Steamed broccoli with homemade horseradish sauce. Caesar salad with homemade dressing and homemade croutons. I like shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce (from scratch - no ketchup) as an appetizer. Vanilla ice cream with Hershey chocolate syrup or Grand Marnier drizzle as people prefer. You can make the brisket ahead and the second bake/reheat is trivial on site. Steaming broccoli is easy and the horseradish sauce is everything mixed together and stuck in a bowl to heat over the broccoli as an impromptu double boiler. Caesar dressing is just another mix of things that looks impressive but is simple. Making croutons is simple. The hardest part of of shrimp is peeling them and that isn't hard. The cocktail sauce is again just mixing stuff up. It all sounds very impressive with all the "homemade" but even in the most sparsely appointed vacation house you can do it. I always bring my own knife and my own veg peeler (not needed here, but I bring it). Otherwise you can make all of this anywhere. I have recipes for everything if you like.
Grilled whole salmon with garlic shrimp, green salad with lemon and dill vinegarette, baked potatoes with rosemary so easy, elegant and crowd pleaser.
Make your own tacos with grilled meat. Or kebabs on the grill with roasted veggies, hummus and rice.
If you are home all day… Baby back ribs… Marinated overnight, wrapped up and slowly cooked on the grill. Corn on the cob, cooked on the grill. You can always make it into street corn with a little mayo and some queso fresco.
Grilled corn (can do Mexican or Japanese version), grilled peaches, grilled watermelon, grilled portobello mushrooms, grilled zukes, grilled pineapples… so much summer bounty to enjoy!
Taco salad? Buffalo wings or buffalo dip? Pizza dip?
Shrimp ceviche
I love tamale pie.
Key Lime pie.
A huge creative nachos platter
Lemonade with a splash of rosewater.
Rosemary skewers with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls.
Asada: The Art of Mexican Style Cooking A cookbook by Bricia Lopez has yummy recipes for a party.
Ina Garten’s summer garden pasta(add grilled chicken if you want), crunchy bread, and salad. https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/summer-garden-pasta
When I was young.... Big fire. Foil wrapped potatoes, carrots.corn on the cob unpealed Mod price steak w chopped onion, garlic bit,tenderizer, Montreal steak spice blend. Butter. Sour cream.catsup.salt.black pepper. Maybe home dressed iceberg lettuce salad.Tomatoes.radishes. celery. Pickles Pop,beer,wine, Ice cream Guitar, banjo. Maudling uncle
A seafood boil - potatoes, corn, snow crab legs, raw shrimp (colossal or jumbo), mussels or clams, and flaky white fish like cod. Lemons, onions, and bay leaves add brightness and depth. Spices: A bold combination of allspice, crushed red pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, and herbs like thyme and rosemary give the broth its signature kick.
My family does this on summer vacation at the beach. Throw it all in a pot. Sides are sliced tomatoes, Lima beans (not my favorite, but everyone else seems to love them), potato salad & coleslaw.
Served at two picnic tables, pushed together, and covered in newspaper for easily discarding the shellfish shells & corncobs. When done, roll up the newspapers, enveloping all the waste & throw it away.
Keep it simple. Also make sure it's something that can be reheated since ppl will be coming off the beach, probably at various times. Are kids involved? Lots of kids do not like seafood. Does the family like seafood??? Tacos are always a hit. Baked potato bar with all the toppings. Burgers with sides of bacon, cheese and fries. I would avoid something like prime rib or steak as they need to be served at a proper temperature. You may have family popping in to eat 30 mintues after serving dinner. If the family likes seafood and you don't mind paying for it, go with steamed shrimp, grilled salmon, rice, and roasted veggies or corn.
Breakfast for Dinner! Make an egg casserole, biscuits & gravy, pancakes, bacon, and little danishes for dessert. If you want a cocktail, Mimosas all around!