Belle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,309 
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Post by Belle on Feb 21, 2017 22:48:13 GMT
DH's bday is Friday and MIL's bday is Saturday so we are going to celebrate both birthdays over lunch Saturday at our house. 4 adults and 2 kids. I thought an Italian theme sounded good but need ideas. We could do pizza or spaghetti & meatballs or lasagna.....or??? Pizza doesn't seem special enough but we do all like pizza. Spaghetti isn't my favorite but everyone else would enjoy it. Lasagna is always a lot of work and time consuming to make  . One idea I had was minestrone soup (never made it before but sounds good) and serve with Cesar salad. Maybe a Stromboli to go with? For dessert, I would love tiramisu but my inlaws probably wouldn't so I need to think of something else. Other than biscotti and amaretti cookies I can't think of anything that I could make or buy. Cannoli are out because they are not sold around here. I would love some additional ideas or recipe suggestions. If there is good Italian stuff to be found at Costco or Trader Joe's please let me know! |
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Post by christine58 on Feb 21, 2017 23:06:47 GMT
baked ziti with garlic bread and a salad. Cake for dessert OR cannolis!!!
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Post by littlemama on Feb 21, 2017 23:08:24 GMT
Lol, based on your OP, it doesn't sound like you really want Italian!
I would probably do pizza with an antipasto salad and breadsticks, but I don't like spaghetti and lasagna is expensive and time consuming.
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Post by Giraffe on Feb 21, 2017 23:21:16 GMT
Costco has wonderful frozen lasagne.
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Post by leannec on Feb 21, 2017 23:42:31 GMT
Costco has wonderful frozen lasagne.  I'd serve deli bought bruschetta and sliced baguettes as an appetizer ... it is a hit at my Book Club  |
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naby64
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,954
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Post by naby64 on Feb 22, 2017 0:34:21 GMT
Some good cheeses, olives, salami, pepperoncini and crispy bread as an antipasto. Some good olive oil with herbs to dip bread in. A green salad. Baked ziti with sausage. Now I'm hungry
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Post by AussieMeg on Feb 22, 2017 0:53:47 GMT
An Italian meal within my group of friends is not complete without suppli / arancini! I used to learn Italian many years ago, and I still catch up with a few of the people that I did classes with. Every time we have a dinner party, one of the girls makes suppli as an entree. They are delicious but can be a bit fiddly. The go-to dessert of course is tiramisu, but another suggestion would be the individual ice-creams such as cassata or tartufo if you can find them in the shops. That would be so easy because you wouldn't have to make them yourself. Costco have lots of great options for meals like lasagne etc. The last time my step-mum hosted a birthday party she bought pretty much every dish from Costco and it was a hit (for us eating and for her not having to cook!). ETA: I agree with naby64 , a good selection of cheeses and salami and other antipasto items is a great idea and very easy. |
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rickmer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,125
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Post by rickmer on Feb 22, 2017 0:58:27 GMT
i love chicken parmesan. i do make it with pasta or on crusty buns. with a yummy salad and bruschetta.
(i am all about the carbs)
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Post by mcscrapper on Feb 22, 2017 2:09:32 GMT
Italian Beef Sandwiches!!!!
Rigatoni is my go-to for a large crowd. I make it very similarly to lasagne but it take half the time!! Caesar salad, breadsticks, cold pasta salad (bowties with jarred pesto, grape tomatoes, feta, etc)
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Post by Darcy Collins on Feb 22, 2017 2:15:06 GMT
Chicken piccata is easy and seems "fancy".
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Belle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,309
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Post by Belle on Feb 22, 2017 3:41:02 GMT
So many great suggestions! Thank you!
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Post by Basket1lady on Feb 22, 2017 5:30:48 GMT
I'll let you in on my secret recipe for lasagne. I buy a party sized Stouffer's lasagne. It fits perfectly into my Longaberger 9x13" pan, so if I'm serving company I transfer it while it's still frozen to the baking dish. I think they are really good, the ingredients are "real" ingredients, and I can't make it for what one costs. It's one of my quick meals--we have it about once a month in the winter.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 4:24:46 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2017 6:03:44 GMT
Pork loin cooked in tomatoes and mushrooms with fresh basil and a touch of fennel seed. Served over pappardelle or bucatini.
Served with roasted fennel, onions and zucchini.
Loaves of warm crusty breads, olives, and olive oil.
Make zabaglione. Serve with macerated strawberries.
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Post by KiwiJo on Feb 22, 2017 6:05:09 GMT
Wine. Lots of wine.
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chendra
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,861
Location: The 33rd State
Jun 27, 2014 16:58:50 GMT
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Post by chendra on Feb 22, 2017 6:21:20 GMT
Trader Joe's sells frozen arancini bites, but they are an appetizer, not a meal.
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oaksong
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,164
Location: LA Suburbia
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
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Post by oaksong on Feb 22, 2017 6:30:25 GMT
My mom used to make spumoni for a fancy dessert. It's easy but a little time-consuming. You basically soften ice cream, spread a layer in a round bowl, and freeze one flavor at a time. Turn it out of the bowl, and when you slice it, the pretty layers are revealed. Everybody likes ice cream!
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