Recipe ideas for lunch for 10 this Sunday!!

[eeyore]

We are having my husbands family over for lunch this Sunday to celebrate Christmas (belated) -- It's at 1:30 so I don't know if I can really do "brunch"items like egg casseroles etc?
I was thinking a big salad and something else for the guys too. any good ideas? thanks in advance

[JJeannette]

are you going to be able to cook during the morning, or do you need "do-ahead" dishes? How about quiches and a pot of hearty soup with rolls or quick breads to go with both? Or do you want something more impressive? Or soups and pulled meat done in a crockpot for warm sandwiches? A salad would go nicely with either type of meal--.

[eeyore]

I can make it that morning without a problem.
I suggested quiche and my husband made a face - but he may not have a choice :)

[beccac]

Something very easy and very pretty would be stuffed chickens.

All that I do is take chicken breasts and put them b/t two sheets of saran wrap and flatten them with a mullet.

In a bowl, I'll have mixed cream cheese, spinach, red pepper, garlic and shallots. Then, I will place a few spoonfuls into the middle of each flattened chicken breatsts. Then you kind of smooth it out.

After that, you roll them up, throw them in a casserole pan. Season them with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake at 350 until done.

They're really easy and everyone is always impressed!

[eeyore]

Beccac - that sounds very good two questions:
1) do you need to place a toothpick to keep them rolled up or do they stay ok?
2) how long do you usually cook them for ?

thanks!

[beccac]

I have not used a toothpick. If you needed to, you could. My rolls usually stay together. I lay them in the dish with the seam side down. If you needed to, you could also use cooking twine. The secret would be to not stuff them too much so that they are able to stay rolled together.

For 10 breasts, I would probably bake them for maybe 40 or 45 minutes because the stuffing would have to heat through.

Hope you enjoy yourself!

[Judy/AZ]

I made this a few nights ago and this would easily serve 12 people - it makes enough for an army and very good. I'd serve some kind of cranberry salad with it.

Source Cookbook:Barefoot Contessa Family
Style, by Chef Ina Garten

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone
in, skin on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably
homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted
butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots),
blanched for 2 minutes
1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

For the biscuits:

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter,
diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for
egg wash


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and
rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously
with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40
minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside
until cool enough to handle, then remove the
meat from the bones and discard the skin.
Cut the chicken into large dice. You will
have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock
and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the
stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt
the butter and saute the onions over medium-
low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until
translucent. Add the flour and cook over low
heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce.
Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute,
stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt,
1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream.
Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas,
onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the
stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or
rectangular baking dish. Place the baking
dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or
wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the
flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the
bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on
low speed until the butter is the size of
peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on
low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the
dough out on a well-floured board and, with
a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick.
Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2-inch
round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange
the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush
them with egg wash, and return the dish to
the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes,
until the biscuits are brown and the stew is
bubbly.

Note: To make in advance, refrigerate the
chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake
the stew for 25 minutes, then place the
biscuits on top, and bake for another 30
minutes, until done.

[JJeannette]

beccac, your stuffed chicken rolls sound great. What do you serve with them? Do you make a sauce to go with?

[beccac]

I usually just serve them with no sauce, but vegetables or fresh tomatoes.

[MISSINDI]

What about BC's Smoked Salmon Frittata? Very easy to make, and perfect for lunch/brunch and without that "quiche" term, maybe the dh will be ok with it? I served it at a brunch in November, and it was a big hit. Hope this helps!

[littlelion1961]

Judy/AZ: The Chicken and Biscuits looks like a crowd pleaser. Thanks for posting. ~Pauletta