Easy entertaining: creating a 5-course meal

So you finally found a place. After moving in, one of the best ways to show off your new pad is to have a dinner party. Don’t know how to cook or need ideas? Just follow these recipes to create a perfect five-course meal that will impress your mom, your friends or a even a date. Not only are the recipes easy, but they will also not put a lot of strain on your wallet.

The appetizer: Stuffed mushrooms
There are an abundance of great appetizer recipes. However, a lot of them are either time-consuming or too heavy to be followed by a meal. Stuffed mushrooms are great because they are easy to prepare. This recipe calls for several ingredients that most people already have in their kitchens.

You’ll need 12 whole fresh mushrooms, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder and a little pepper.

Clean the mushrooms and break off the stems. Chop up the stems into small pieces, discarding the tough ends. Heat the oil in a pan on the stove. Add garlic and chopped stems. Sautee until no longer moist, and then set aside and cool. When the stems have cooled, mix in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with the mixture and place them onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

The salad: Olive Garden salad dressing
Salads are tasty, healthy and can be inexpensive. They range from simple (lettuce and tomato) to more elaborate (apple pecan chicken salad). Prepare a salad any way you choose, and then add this Olive Garden salad dressing for the perfect salad.

You’ll need 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons Romano cheese, 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes, 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor. If it’s too tart, add a little sugar. When seasoned to your taste, pour it over the salad. Store extra dressing in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
*Recipe adapted from CopyKat.com

The soup: French onion soup
When serving several courses, sometimes one just needs to be light. French onion soup is perfect for this role.
Prepare a packet of French onion soup mix or buy it condensed in a can. Adding a little crusty Italian bread and some mozzarella cheese (or any cheese of your liking) brings the soup to life.

The entree: Bacon-wrapped whiting
This recipe can be adapted to any white fish, but whiting is cheap and tastes great. Cooking fish can seem a little scary to any chef, but this recipe is easy to follow and hard to mess up.

You’ll need 4 skinned and boned fish fillets, 16 slices of bacon, fresh rosemary and lemon juice.

Wrap the thawed fish fillets in the slices of bacon. Put these in a pan on the stove and brown the bacon. When the bacon is nearly done, put the fish fillets in a baking dish. Pour the bacon grease from the pan over the fish. Sprinkle the fish with freshly chopped rosemary and splash some lemon juice over it.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

The Dessert: Chocolate Eclair Cake

This recipe is the easiest dessert recipe and requires no “cooking.” It is best if it is made the day before so the graham crackers get a little soggy, which will make them seem more pastry like.

You’ll need 1 box graham crackers, 1 box of chocolate instant pudding, 1 box of vanilla instant pudding and 1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

Prepare each box of pudding separately according to package directions. In a large container, lay some whole graham crackers in the bottom. Pour some of the vanilla pudding over the graham crackers, covering them. Put more graham crackers on top and cover with the chocolate pudding. Alternate layers until the container is full or until the pudding is gone. Finish with a layer of graham crackers on top. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl and pour the chocolate coating over the top.