recipe for company

[slhanna]

I'm having neighbors over (with kids) and am looking for an idea for dinner. I'd like to make something either easy or that can be prepared ahead of time...Thanks!

[NMG]

How old are the kids??? Maybe you could make homemade mac-n-cheese with chunks of grilled chicken, peas and corn - maybe even some red pepper chunks. My kids (27 mo and 11 mo) love this! You could also use broccoli in it as the veggie - some kids are more picky about broccoli though. You could make this ahead of time even the night before and then just bake it with a mixture of italian bread crumbs and parm cheese for about 1/2 hr before you serve it. Serve it up with a mixture of fruit slices or salad and garlic bread and you're good to go! BTW - I usually make a cheese sauce starting with a rue, then add the milk and some pepper. Once it thickens up I add a mixture of american cheese, sharp chedder and a few handfuls of either parm or asiago cheese. Then add a few shakes of Franks red hot sauce. Add your noodles, chicken and veggies and put in glass casserole dish and top with a mix of breadcrumbs and parm cheese - bake at 350 for 20-30 mins or until top is golden. If you make this the night before, don't add the breadcrumb mixture until you're ready to bake it the following day.

[Rosalie]

Maybe a pit pot of thick Chili or Soup with a big salad or maybe a lasagna/baked ziti for the adults (and it kids will eat, then even better)!. Depends on how old the kids are. If they are younger, you could always do some fresh chicken tenders and baked potatoes for them. (I know the 12 yo boys we have over (my son included) could care less and would rather have a hot dog and fries...eat quick and then run off to play some more!

[Rae]

How about this one? Maybe add a green salad, some garlic bread and build-your-own sundaes for dessert?

Easy Meatless Manicotti
From Cooking Light

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free cottage cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package manicotti (14 shells)
1 (26-ounce) jar fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
Cooking spray
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, cottage cheese, and the next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a medium bowl. Spoon about 3 tablespoons cheese mixture into each uncooked manicotti. Pour half of tomato-basil pasta sauce into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer over sauce, and top with the remaining sauce. Pour 1 cup water into dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella evenly over sauce. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until shells are tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 2 manicotti)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 328(25% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 4.8g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 23.8g; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 451mg; SODIUM 891mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.3g


I don't know how picky the kids are, but you could always have a bowl of plain pasta with sauce on the table, just in case.

[alisajean]

Baked Ziti is something I found kids and adults like. You can make it ahead of time and just throw it in the oven.

[alisajean]

Didn't realize that was you until after I posted!

[Kathy B]

Mexican is always popular. You could make a pan of enchiladas ahead, then have tacos to go with (soft and/or hard). That ought to cover any picky kids and still be a fairly nice casual dinner for the rest of you.