New Thread Please - Your Favorite Prep Ahead Entree Recipe - Looking for Ideas! ....>

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gayr

Well-known member
Having a Dinner Party for 4 and am looking for some ideas. I would like an entree that I can totally prep ahead and then bake off. Thanks for any suggestions.

 
Chicken with Sherry and Mushrooms (Even better done day ahead.)

Chicken with Sherry and Mushrooms Makes 4 - 6 servings.

A Homemaker’s Magazine Recipe

Cooking time: about 1 hour; reheating 45 minutes

This version of coq au Vin uses dry sherry for a very smooth flavour. Ideal for a buffet dinner. It’s best made a day ahead. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the delicious juices.

2 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan over medium high heat, cook bacon about 1 minute. Stir in garlic, onions and carrots. Cook, covered, about 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Remove vegetables and set aside. Add oil to pan.

Dust chicken lightly with flour and brown on all sides. Return vegetables to pan. Add stock, sherry, mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer stirring occasionally, for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cook; cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.

Skim any fat from surface. Transfer to baking dish and bake in 350˚F oven for about 45 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Per serving (for 4) 454 calories

 
Do Ahead Dinner

This was the menu that I served Saturday nite. "Pecan Stuffed Chicken Breasts" - prepared ahead, frozen, thawed and baked when ready to serve. Ina Garten'e "Baked Potato Wedges" - potatoes sliced and soaking in cold water. Oil and seasonings mixed and ready to use. Pressed the potatoes dry. Poured on oil and baked. "Green Vegetable Medley" - Par-boiled string beans (could also use Snap Beans), and peas. Peeled, seeded and cut cucumbers in chunks. Put them in a plastic containter lined with paper towels. When ready to serve, saute very briefly with butter, salt & pepper. Blueberry cake, baked ahead. Topped with confectioner's sugar and served.

There you have it - an elegant "Do Ahead Menu". If anyone would like any of the recipes, just ask. I usually tell my friends, that if I can't do it ahead, I don't serve it. Hope you enjoy.

 
One of my favorites: Rec: Wild mushroom and three cheese lasagne

I have made this numerous times...Very good, wonderful combinations of flavors.

Will put my thinking cap on for a T&T Meat dish...

Regards,
Barb

=


Wild mushroom and 3 cheese lasagne

The combination of ricotta, Parmesan and goat cheese and porcini and shiitake mushrooms makes this classic dish new again. Offer red wine throughout dinner and Italian ice cream and cookies-gelato and biscotti-for dessert.

Sauce
1 7/8-to 1-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
6 to 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
1/8 teaspoon dried crush red pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree


Filling
2 15-ounce containers ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup purchased pesto sauce
2 eggs
1 egg yolk


12 (about) lasagne noodles


20 ounces soft mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled


1 tomato, seeded, chopped
Fresh basil or rosemary

For sauce:
Rinse porcini mushrooms briefly under cold water. Place in small bowl. Pour 1 cup hot water over and let soak 30 minutes to soften. Remove mushrooms from soaking liquid, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl; reserve soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms, discarding any hard stems.

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add porcini, button and shiitake mushrooms and garlic. Sauté until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rosemary and crushed red pepper and sauté 30 seconds. Add wine. Pour in reserved mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add canned tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thick, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

For filling:
Combine ricotta, Parmesan and pesto in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs and yolk. (Sauce and filling can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Cook noodles in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool; drain.

Oil 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Spread 1/4 of sauce over bottom of dish. Arrange 3 or 4 noodles over, trimming to fit as necessary. Spread half of filling over. Spoon 1/4 of sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/3 of goat cheese. Top with 3 or 4 noodles, trimming to fit. Spread remaining filling over noodles. Spoon 1/4 of sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/3 of goat cheese. Top with 3 or 4 noodles, trimming to fit. Press gently to compact. Spread with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining goat cheese. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let lasagne stand 1 hour at room temperature before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover lasagne with foil and set on baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until sauce bubbles and cheese melts, about 35 minutes. Garnish with tomato and let stand 15 minutes. Garnish with herbs and serve.

Serves 8.

Bon Appétit
March 1994


Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

 
rvb pointed me towards: Rec: Autumn Stew in Pumpkin Tureen (m)

I have made it for the last few years around this time of year. It was originally posted by Barbara in CA. I always use 1.5 xs the vegies and add parsnip. Very good, great presenatation and can be made ahead. I have made it with and w/o the pumpkin; if w/o I sub other squash. I do not add the snap peas; just kind of what ever I have on hand or looks good at the market....Also, my own preference, I remove the casings on the sausage.

Very tasty!

Regards,
Barb

Autumn Stew in Pumpkin Tureen
adapted from a S.F. chronicle recipe by

1 tureen-shaped 5-7lb.Pumpkin
2 tbs. Olive oil
1 lb. Sweet Italian Sausages
1 Onion, chopped
24 Pearl onions, peeled
2 Carrots, chopped
1 Rib celery, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
12 Tiny new potatoes
1 Yam, peeled and chopped
1 c. Snow peas
Salt & Pepper
2 tbs. Dijon mustard
3 c. Chicken stock
1/2 c. White wine
2 tsp. chopped rosemary
2 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
2 - 4 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbs. Butter combined with 2 tbs.
flour (beurre manie)
1/4 lb. Fresh Chanterelles or button
mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs. butter
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley, for
garnish
Cut open pumpkin around the stem 3 -4
inches down (just where it begins to curve
down) and make a lid.

Clean out seeds and
membrane, and discard. Bake pumpkin with
lid on at 350 degrees for 20 min.

While pumpkin bakes, heat olive oil in
heavy pot and brown sausages. While they
brown, chop the onions, carrots and celery.

Remove sausages from pot and cut into 1"
slices. Reserve. In same pot saute onions,
carrots, pearl onions and celery until
browned. Stir in garlic. Pour off fat and
sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add
potatoes, Stir in sausage and mustard.

Add stock, wine and herbs. Bring to a boil and
simmer, uncovered for 15 min. then add the
chopped yam and snow peas and simmer 15
more minutes or until the potatoes are
tender.

While vegetables simmer, saute
mushrooms in 2 tbs. butter. Stir into stew.

Bring to a boil and beat in beurre manie.
Transfer stew to pumpkin. Place on a baking
sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 - 10 min.

Remove from oven, stir in parsley and
serve, scraping bits of pumpkin with each
spoonful.

Serves 4 - 6.

Add any other winter veggies that suit your
fancy. Parsnips and celery root are also
good.

 
Rec: Escalopes in Mushroom Sauce. This is one of my favorite do ahead recipes because>>>

they must marinate for 24 hours. The recipe calls for Veal but I usually use pork. I usually season and bread them myself but it is sometimes nice to get them already breaded at the butcher. I usually like to control the seasoning and that they are pounded thin.

Escalopes in Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

4 Escalopes, breaded and seasoned
1 Large can sliced mushrooms, drained
2/3 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream

Fry Escalopes in hot olive oil until browned on both sides. Lay in a large baking dish.

Saute onions with a little olive oil until just tender. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute 2 minutes. Add white wine and reduce over high heat until liquid is almost gone. Add cream and warm gently. Pour over Escalopes, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Bake covered at 350F. for 60 minutes.

These go really nice with this Goat Cheese Mashed Potato Gratin which I also do the day before.

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Gratin

Serves 6

2# potatoes
6 whole garlic cloves
3/8 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
3/8 cup goat cheese or French feta
1/2 cup scallions, minced

In a large saucepan, combine potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" pieces and the garlic with enough salted water to cover the potatoes by 1/2 inch and simmer, covered, for 15 to 25 minutes or until they are tender but not falling apart.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the butter, goat cheese and salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until the butter and cheese are just melted and smooth and keep warm.

Drain the potatoes and garlic and force the garlic through a mill. Beat potatoes and garlic with the butter mixture, until fluffy, and add the scallions and salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to quart baking dish. (The potatoes may be prepared up to this point 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat the potatoes in a preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes.) Broil under broiler about 4" from the heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the top is golden.
I just put the potatoes in the same oven as the Escalopes for about 25 minutes.

OK, so you might have to go off that diet for all this...but it is gooood!

 
Here's is my favorite company recipe

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Breasts Lombardy


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

6 chicken breasts -- skinned and boned
1/4 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter
salt
pepper
1 cup mushrooms -- sliced
1/2 cup vermouth
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup mozzarella or monterey jack cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese -- grated

Place each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper, and flatten with mallet. Dredge lightly with flour. Saute in butter until golden brown. Place in greased 13 x 9 in. baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Saute mushrooms in 2 tbsp. butter. Sprinkle over chicken.

Stir wine and chicken stock into drippings in skillet. Simmer 10 min. Spoon over chicken.

Combine cheeses and sprinkle over chicken. (Can be prepared ahead to this point. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.)

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 min. Place under broiler l to 2 mi. until lightly browned. Serve with rice.



Source:
"Southern Living 1982"
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Swiss Chicken Cutlets (family and company favorite)

SWISS CHICKEN CUTLETS

12 large chicken breasts, (halves) boned and skinned
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
21/2 cups milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Cut each breast into 4 pieces. Sprinkle the pieces with salt
and pepper. Dip them in beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the cutlets for 3 minutes on
each side.
To make the sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the
butter. Add the flour, with salt and pepper to taste. Add milk all at
once, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add
the wine. Pour half of the sauce into a large baking pan, put in the
cutlets, then pour the rest of the sauce all over them. Cover and
chill overnight.

Bake, covered, at 360̊F for 60 minutes, or until the chicken
is tender. Sprinkle with cheese, then return to the oven for 2 more
minutes.

Notes: After cutting up the breasts, I very slightly pound them with
a saucepan so that they are all about the same size. Just slightly
brown the breasts so that they are undercooked. I also stir the Swiss
cheese into the sauce instead of sprinkling on top. Make sure the
sauce is not too thick. My niece has frozen it beforehand, defrosted
overnight in frig, then continued with the baking. Said it came out
very well.

Source: Unknown. I got the recipe from a chef at an Octoberfest
banquet years ago.

 
Antipasti platter, Barefoot Contessa's Lasagna, caesar salad, tiramisu...

My favorite make ahead when having people over during the week. EVERYTHING is even better made the night before, even dessert, - then I just pop the lasagna in the oven and toss the salad with dressing... and voila! Dinner!

For antipasti, I usually just get thinly sliced proscuitto and salami from the deli and put it on the platter with marinated olives and peppers. bread sticks and a wedge of some sort of italian cheese like provolone.

For convenience's sake, I have been using Girard's light caesar dressing.

Turkey Lasagna
Barefoot Contessa Family Style,

(I use a lb of hot and a lb of sweet reg. italian sausage instead of the turkey, and I've always pre-boiled my noodles.)

Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

(Add hot sausage, 1 T dried red peppers and 1 T brown sugar.)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes
over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add
the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes,
or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the
basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over
medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to
sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the
remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce
over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella,
half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and
finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.


Episode#: IG0511
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved


Tiramisu

Barefoot Contessa Family Style,
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Yield: 8 servings

6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup good dark rum, divided
1 1/2 cups brewed espresso, divided
16 to 17 ounces mascarpone cheese
30 Italian ladyfingers, or savoiardi
Bittersweet chocolate, shaved or grated
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very thick and light yellow.
Lower the speed to medium and add 1/4 cup rum, 1/4 cup espresso, and the mascarpone.
Whisk until smooth. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup rum and 1 1/4 cups espresso in a
shallow bowl. Dip 1 side of each ladyfinger in the espresso/rum mixture and line the
bottom of a 9 by 12 by 2-inch dish. Pour half the espresso cream mixture evenly on top.
Dip 1 side of the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso/rum mixture and place them in a
second layer in the dish. Pour the rest of the espresso cream over the top. Smooth the top
and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle the top with shaved chocolate and dust lightly with confectioners'
sugar, if desired.

Notes: To make espresso for this recipe in your electric drip coffee maker, use enough
water for 4 cups of coffee plus 1/3 cup of ground espresso.

You can find savoiardi and mascarpone in an Italian specialty store.

Episode#: IG1B17
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

 
Hallie, where I live, there's not much choice...I used plain old Miller Beer (not lite). But a ...

Beer Meister friend of mine suggested I Google "Cooking with Beer" to learn more about the differences when using beer in cooking. Apparently there are two basic kinds of beer...ale and lager. I used lager in a cheese soup recipe, and it was bitter. Beer Meister said I should have used an ale instead. There wasn't an ale within 50 miles of me! That soup could get expensive.

Here's a link to an NPR story about cooking with beer...perhaps it will give you some more info.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5259877

 
Re: I'd like the recipe for the Pecan Stuffed Chicken Breasts please!

Sorry to be slow in replying. With Yom Kippur on Monday, I am just catching up with myself. I have been using this recipe for more years than I can remember. It makes an easy, but elegant looking serving.


Pecan Stuffed Chicken Breast

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

4 Chicken Breast Halves
3/4 Stick Butter
3 Cups Toast -- CRUMBLED
1/3 Cup Chopped Onion
2 Teaspoons Parsley
3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans
Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper

Alternate Method

1 Box Good Stuffing Mix

1. MIX TOGETHER TOAST CRUMBS, 1/2 OF MELTED BUTTER, ONION, PARSLEY, AND PECANS WITH ENOUGH WATER OR CHICKEN BROTH TO MOISTEN

2. CUT 4 SQUARES OF HEAVY DUTY ALUMINUM FOIL AND SPRAY WITH PAM

3. MAKE 4 MOUNDS OF STUFFING AND ARRANGE ON FOIL

4. BRUSH BOTH SIDES OF CHICKEN BREAST WITH LEMON JUICE AND REMAINING BUTTER

5.SPRINKLE BREAST WITH SALT AND PEPPER

6.PLACE AN OPEN BREAST OVER EACH MOUND OF STUFFING

7.SPRINKLE CHICKEN WITH PAPRIKA

8.FOLD THE FOIL UP AROUND THE CHICKEN BREASTS TO MAKE INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES

9.BAKE AT 350° FOR 40 MINUTES

10.FOLD BACK FOIL AND BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES MORE AT 400°


***** IF YOU ARE MAKING A LOT OF THESE FOR A DINNER PARTY, YOU CAN LINE A PAN WITH ALUMINUM FOIL, PUT STUFFING AND CHICKEN BREASTS ON FOIL LINED PAN. COVER PAN AND SEAL TIGHTLY, THEN FOLLOW ABOVE DIRECTIONS. *****

THESE CAN BE FROZEN. THAW BEFORE COOKING.

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NOTES : CAN USE 2 LARGE CHICKEN BREASTS THAT ARE SPLIT INSTEAD OF 4 SMALL BREASTS (THAT IS WHAT I ALWAYS DO)

CAN USE 1 BOX OF GOOD "STUFFING MIX" AND ADD 1 CUP OR SO OF CHOPPED PECANS

 
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