Dinner for Ten Menu #1

One of my favorite casual meals over the past year follows. I'll lay out the timeline in my next post, but be assured it came together easily and satisfied the meat-and-potato types as well as the food nerds.

A special shout out to the New York Strip. I do not like you as a steak, friend, but roasted and thinly sliced, you are as delicious as you are a bargain ($2.99 a pound on sale).

New York Strip Roast with Garlic Herb Crust

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes with Grainy Mustard 

(double the recipe)

2.5 pounds fresh green beans 

(rinsed, trimmed, and lightly steamed)

Your favorite bread

 (I used my bread machine, and a great recipe from

The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook)

Your favorite green salad 

(use 16-20 oz. of greens to serve 10 guests)

Frozen Almond-Raspberry Cake

Chocolate Torte

Posted at Eat at Home, November 17th

Game Day Oktoberfest Menu

I had a great weekend. Two days of football in person, complimented by perfect weather and victories for both of my teams. Woo-hoo!

Saturday's lunch featured bratwurst at the Big House. I know, it's not the most girly frou-frou party dish, but it's exactly the meat I want in this gameday-friendly menu. Simmer in beer, butter, and onions, then finish on the grill. Serve with sauerkraut and mustard, and you've got an easy fall foodie party entrée that even the football people can love. Click the links for recipes and suggestions.

Game Day Oktoberfest

Beer-Bath Brats with a Grill Finish

accompanied by Sautéed Onions, Sauerkraut and Mustard
Vegetarian Baked Beans or No-Pork and Beans

Pretzel Rolls or Hoagie Buns

Homemade or Deli Potato Salad

Fresh Veggies and Dip

Rote Grütze or Black Forest Sundaes

Tips:

1) If pressed for time, pick one thing to make it from scratch and purchase the rest. If you're not sure what to choose, may I suggest the pretzel rolls? We sliced some of the bratwurst and stuffed it inside the roll with condiments to taste. Lesson learned: make extra rolls.

2) Allow 1-2 bratwurst per person. Consider buying some Koegel Viennas and hot dog buns as a backup plan. 

3) Black Forest Sundaes: for a fun and easy dessert with German flavors, buy a pack of Swiss Rolls, a can of cherry pie filling, and the ice cream flavor(s) of your choice.