Entertaining

I love to Entertain! (blog post)

The Joy of the Slow Cooker 

I have only owned a Slow Cooker for the past two years and now I can't imagine my life without it.  I used to think Slow Cookers were only useful for people who made soup all the time.  To my surprise you can make almost anything in a slow cooker.  It is great for me during the week because I'll load it up before I go to work and I have a hot, home cooked meal waiting for me when I get back in the evening.  Since I live alone I also have left overs for a few brown bag lunches too.  

Slow Cookers are great for entertaining too.  You can do the prep work in the morning and just let it go while you are focusing on other dishes.  The last dinner party I had in my apartment was around the holidays and I made my pot roast in the Slow Cooker so the oven and stove were free for making side dishes.  This spring I hosted a Passover Seder and made Brisket in the Slow Cooker so the oven was free to making Salmon.  In both cases I ended up with some of the most tender meat dishes I've ever served.  

I highly recommend a Slow Cooker for entertaining an general use.  You can get a decent one for a little as $30 and the investment is well worth it.  Below is my most recent Slow Cooker creation, Tempeh and Figs in a Balsamic and Port Wine Sauce.  I served it over rice.  It made four servings and if you do the math it cost me about $2.63 per serving.  Talk about a great and unique meal for a bargain! 

Adapted from Blog-itarian's recipe

One Pot Wonders 

I associated the world casserole with Tuna Helper for the longest time and had no interest in ever serving something like that to friends for dinner.  In recent years though I've learned that when you are on a time crunch the casserole is your best friend and it doesn't have to be processed food either.  

My favorite sources for casserole recipes are The Casserole Queens.  I have their first cookbook and it is my go to for buffets and informal dinners.  I'm also a Pinterest addict.  I have several cooking and entertaining boards with great recipes I find.  

My last party was a game night I co-hosted with my sister last week.  I made Huevos Rancheros based off of this recipe.  

I used flour instead of corn tortillas in my casserole