We’ve covered day-to-day menu planning and party menu planning, but what about when you have house guests? It’s quite possible to play things by ear when you’re having guests, but a plan can help save your sanity and checkbook!
Here’s an example of a several-day menu plan for when I had houseguests last summer.
I may be able to have an exhibition of Very Bad Menu Pictures after this! 🙂
The plan above was from last summer, when we had six members of JP’s family staying with or near us for his mom’s memorial service, plus some others joining us from time to time. We were also hosting the open house repast after the service at our house, so there was a lot to plan, but having everything organized helped immensely!
When you’re having people stay at your house, the first thing to think about is where are they coming from and what would they like to eat they don’t get at home? For the former New Yorkers visiting us, it was very important that they get pizza and bagels, and everyone wanted a traditional Irish breakfast at some point. Think about where you live – are there local or regional specialties you would want to share with your guests? Is there any place they’d like to go out to for a meal while they’re in your area? These don’t have to be fancy meals – personally, if I visit any town with a Waffle House, I’m thrilled with a trip there, because we don’t have them on Long Island!
Now, a lot of times when people come over, they’re coming for an event. If that’s the case, those are a few meals which either you don’t have to plan or which need a menu of their own. In the example above, we had a big event after the service Saturday afternoon, which got its own menu, and a few people stayed through dinner Sunday night and we went out for dinner, so I didn’t have to write anything down for that.
The next thing, of course, is to plan meals everyone will like. If you aren’t sure of your guests’ tastes or dietary needs, I’d ask, and if for some reason you don’t feel comfortable asking, my best advice is to make sure there’s something for everyone (i.e., a meat dish for the gluten-free along with pasta for any vegetarians), and avoid common allergens such as peanuts, especially if kids are coming.
The other thing to think about is what’s easy and what can be made in advance. Looking at this menu, we bought the bagels, the deli meat and bread for lunch Thursday, and the pastries for Saturday morning. The ginger beef roast was made in the crockpot, and I made the quiche for Saturday morning, the salads for Friday’s dinner, and prepared the potatoes for Sunday’s breakfast during the day Friday while everyone was hanging out visiting. Saturday morning, we put the quiche out at room temperature (along with the pastries) and everyone helped themselves as we got ready for the service.
Outside of that, most of this followed the standard meal template – I planned menus that could hold for a while if people got in late (some folks were driving and didn’t have an exact ETA), bought as much as possible on sale, checked what I had on hand (I believe I had a roast beef in my freezer), and considered the fact that it was mid-August in New York and I didn’t want to have the oven on all day!
Hopefully the next time you’re having house guests it’s for a happy reason, but no matter the reason, planning in advance will let you have time to enjoy your company!
And now, a recipe. Here’s the “quiche” recipe, which is really a Bisquick Impossible Pie recipe going way back…someone (I think either my mom or a friend from work) gave me a booklet of Bisquick recipes simply because I liked this so much. I made some changes to the original recipe in that book and here it is, as I usually make it. This can be served hot or at room temperature and it’s always a hit in our house and anywhere I bring it. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Zucchini Quiche (Impossible Pie) – courtesy of Bisquick with a few Ally changes
2 cups sliced zucchini
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup Bisquick
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper (it won’t make the food spicy, it just brings out the cheesiness)
Heat oven to 400. Spray or grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Steam zucchini slices for 5 minutes or until tender. Arrange zucchini, onion, and cheese in casserole dish – you should be able to basically cover most of the bottom of the dish with those ingredients. Combine milk, Bisquick, eggs, salt and pepper in blender or mix well with a hand mixer. Pour over veggies and cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and “set”.
This can be served at room temperature or reheated in the oven whole or in individual pieces in the microwave.
😛 wish I had been at every meal!!!