October Dinner Party! Easy Make-Ahead Recipes | Setting the Table, by Kevin Lee Jacobs on YouTube. 39 min 16 s.
- Video length
- 39 min 16 s
- Time to do it
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Pick a menu you can cook ahead: butternut squash soup, thyme and wine beef stew, apple crisp and instant mashed potatoes. Write one shopping list and buy everything in a single trip.
Simmer or roast the squash with onion and a little stock until it falls apart, about 25 minutes. Blend it smooth with a stick blender or in a food processor.
Stir a splash of sherry and a little cream into the soup. Season with salt and pepper, cool it, then chill it in the fridge.
Cut the beef into chunks and brown it in batches. Add thyme, wine and stock, then simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours until the meat pulls apart.
Toss sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon, pack them into a baking dish and cover with a flour, butter and oat topping. Bake at 180C (350F) for about 40 minutes.
For the mashed potatoes, heat 1 3/4 cups water, 1 cup milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in 2 cups instant potato flakes and let them stand.
Cool every dish, cover it and store it in the fridge overnight. Keep the soup, stew and potatoes in separate containers.
Set the table the night before or in the morning with plates, glasses, cutlery and a simple centrepiece.
Reheat the stew slowly on low, warm the soup in a pot and loosen the potatoes with a splash of milk. Heat the crisp in the oven and serve.
Tips and common mistakes
Cool hot dishes quickly and get them into the fridge within two hours so they stay safe to reheat.
Reheat the stew gently and add a splash of stock or water if it looks dry.
Taste the soup after reheating, because chilled soups often need more salt.
Use oven gloves for hot pans and vent the blender lid away from you when pureeing hot soup.
Questions
Can I make the whole dinner two days ahead?
Yes. The soup and stew keep for about three days in the fridge, and the crisp can be baked a day ahead and warmed before serving.
How many people does the mashed potato recipe serve?
The amounts given make four servings: 1 3/4 cups water, 1 cup milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons butter and 2 cups potato flakes. Double them for eight.
What can I use instead of sherry?
Dry white wine or a splash of apple juice works well. Add it a tablespoon at a time and taste as you go.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
