Company's Coming, So Whatcha Making?

Doritos and dip (a can Hormel chili with out beans and one package of cream cheese -melt together).

Mexican dip: layer in a 9x13 pan: cream cheese, retried beans, salsa, cheese. Bake in oven till melty and bubbly. Serve with tostitos. For dinner I would make tacos or fajitas.

You can do some slow cooked bbq beef in the crockpot and then get some fresh hamburger buns to put it on for sandwiches. You can make or get some coleslaw, corn on the cob or baked beans and a green salad and you're set. Make iced tea and or lemonade and you have a good Summer meal.

We grill chicken, pork chops or steaks (whatever is on sale) with grilled corn big giant salad.

Or we do brats on the grill.

Shish kabobs. with chicken and veggies

Really good Fried chicken, can even be purchased.. we have some great local places that make good friend Chicken, Example Bill Miller BBQ, makes excellent fried chicken.

We cook outside a lot in the summer and really try to go beyond hamburgers and hot dogs. Some of my go to foods are:

- Hot and sweet chicken (I use drumsticks and thighs). These can be oven baked or grilled: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/hot-sweet-dr...

- Pulled pork sandwiches using either a crockpot pork shoulder or one that my husband has smoked on the grill all day

- Beer can chicken

- Steak tips: marinate in equal parts balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and sherry (or a red wine with some additional brown sugar or honey thrown in for sweetness) with a bit of grated or dried ginger, a few cloves of garlic and some black pepper. Marinate a few hours or overnight, then grill.

- Clambake in a turkey fryer: If you have a turkey fryer, you can do a clam bake in it. We threw in a couple of bottles of beer, some water, things like garlic and onion into the pot to make a nice flavorful broth. Then threw in a few lobsters, baby potatoes, steamers, mussels, shrimp and corn on the cob, covered it and let it steam for about 30 minutes. I don't eat shellfish so I also made some salmon and chicken but this was a very big hit with out guests. It fed 12 people (7 adults and 5 kids)

Chicken or beef enchiladas with Spanish rice and guacamole is always a big hit and kids like it.
Manicotti with Caesar salad and breadsticks
Burgers on the grill
Lemon chicken
Fajita and/or taco bar
Bubble pizza - use biscuits for crust

Sometimes we've even done a variety of appetizers and people just snack all night! Have fun and let us know if you try something new!

I usually make a meatless pasta sauce, as many of my friends prefer vegetarian. But, I add a side meat - my fav is broiled chicken wings like my grandfather used to make. Chicken wings marinated in olive oil, oregano, a touch of basil, and lemon. Simply broil on both sides, brushing with the marinade, until browned and cooked through. You can also bake larger pieces of chicken like and finish off with a few minutes under the broiler.

Read beans and rice - I use turkey smoked sausage, or for a meatless version I use a few drops of liquid smoke, then cook the sausage on the side.

Gumbos, jambalaya, and hearty soups - think potato - make good company meals also.

We mostly do take-out when friends come over. Super easy! We host Friday night happy hours at our house pretty frequently and it would be a real hassle to have to cook. Fruit and vegetable trays go with anything. We also usually have cheese and crackers. Bruschetta and toasted crackers. If we do cook, my husband either grills (chicken, hot dogs/burgers) or smokes ribs and a brisket.

I like to do a pot roast bc it is so delicious and so easy :) I like to do a rump roast bc they are juicier. I heat some oil in a dutch oven usually and brown it on all sides and then toss it in the crock pot with two packs of store brand brown gravy mix on low for 8 hrs or high for 4-5 hrs, I usually put in enough water to just cover it. It comes out awesome. Sometimes I do mashed potatoes, but quite often I do rice in the rice cooker and some steamable veggie that I can throw in the microwave :) The juice from the roast can be the gravy as is, or you can use one cup of the juice and one cup water and two more packs of gravy and whip up a really fast gravy that is thick and delicious.( If I am going to do this I only use one pack of gravy in the crock pot with the roast). Have a great time whatever you cook :)

I like this website and it is cheap!

We tried this:

http://www.5dollardinners.com/2012/04/sweet-potato-black-...

I also added, 1 can of corn rinsed
I used (1) 8x8 pan and (1) 9x13
I wish I could say mine looked as nice as the picture but they broke all apart, I just covered with more cheese!

Pasta salad! I cheat and take a box of pasta salad and make it according to the box instructions. Then I chop broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic, zucchini, and carrots. I toss them in a pan and bring to a boil same parts water, vinegar, and oil. I prefer olive oil and red wine vinegar, but even plain white vinegar will work.

My sister In law did Enceladus one night and another night did sloppy joes. Yummy!!

I have an amazing chicken parmigiana recipe that I serve with a side of salad and thin spaghetti. That's my go-to recipe. But I have a lot of recipes that I enjoy making for company. Sometimes it depends on dietary restrictions. I really enjoy cooking and baking and I know that I'm good at it.

When I have guests over, I always go for a good dessert. Compensates for any possible misses in the dinner :))
My favorite - pecan pie minies - http://www.joyofbaking.com/PecanTassies.html
And since am Indian, I always have my famous Paneer masala curry on the menu, which can be had with any simple rice dish, or any of the Indian flat bread varieties.