Menu Idea: Spicy Roasted Chicken, Bacon Wrapped Green Beans, Caprese Salad
I was feeling in a mood to really cook a few weekends ago and came up with this menu. It takes a bit of planning and a lot of this can be done early so you can enjoy your company and not be in the kitchen the whole time! This menu works really well if you have two ovens since you need to cook 3 dishes simultaneously!
Menu:
Cheese and Crackers
Blue Ridge Grill’s Corn Souffle
Grilled Green Tomato Caprese Salad
Total Cook Time:
Appetizer: 15 minutes
Dinner: About an hour
Shopping List:
cheese
green beans
bacon
spread butter
chicken
eggs
heavy cream
corn
butter
green and yellow tomatoes
sliced mozzarella cheese
basil
lemons
frozen spinach
prosciutto
ricotta
Do you have this in your pantry, if not, add to shopping list:
green olives
black olives
garlic
crackers (not saltines)
light brown sugar
olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
oregano
basil
paprika
cayenne pepper
sugar
all purpose flour
salt
baking powder
white balsamic vinegar
garlic
crushed red pepper
bay leaf
Process:
Two days before, you need to make the olives since they marinate for 2 days. If you want, you can make the bacon wrapped green beans the day before to save time. Just make sure you cover it well with plastic wrap. You can also prepare the prosciutto cups early.
Marinate the tomatoes up to 3 or 4 hours before you plan to eat.
Two hours before your guests arrive:
* Take the olives out of the refrigerator and place the desired amount you want to serve in a colander over the sink so the excess oil can drain.
* If you need a refresher on how to carve a chicken, watch our video.
An hour before your guests arrive:
* Take out the prosciutto cups and bring up to room temperature. Preheat the oven.
* Clean and season the chicken. Set aside.
* Get your serving pieces and utensils ready.
Thirty minutes before your guests arrive:
* Set out cheese and crackers (did you know that cheese tastes completely different at room temperature and that is the temperature it should always be served)
* Set out your appetizer plates and napkins
* Put olives in serving bowl
* Take green beans out to bring up to room temperature
Fifteen minutes before your guests arrive:
* Put prosciutto cups in the oven
* Prepare the corn and put in casserole dish
Final preparation before guests arrive:
* The prosciutto cups should be ready around the time your guests arrive. Take them out and plate them. It’s ok if they sit for a bit. They are perfectly fine at room temperature.
* Take a look around for any last minute clean up. I prefer to clean as I go since the kitchen is where most people spend their time.
* Pour yourself a drink if you haven’t already done so!
An hour and a half before you want to eat:
* Put the chicken in the oven
An hour before you want to eat:
* Put the corn in the oven
A half hour before you want to eat:
* Preheat the grill
* Put the green beans in the oven
Final preparation before eating:
* Take the chicken out when it’s done cooking and let rest
* Grill the tomatoes
* Take corn and green beans out. Place beans on serving platter
* Carve chicken
* Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella on serving platter and garnish.
ENJOY
You make it sound so easy!
Denise is just that good! If it sounds intimidating, do the following: add more prep time to everything when planning out your timeline; write down your plan and stick with it; be sure to read all the way through all the recipes before you start cooking anything so there are not any gotchas – Melissa