I am among the scant few who actually like “falling back.” For me, the end of daylight-saving time ushers in the season of cozy comfort food: soups, stews, casseroles, hearty pasta dishes. Although such fare may not be considered sophisticated, I do not shy away from serving it to dinner guests. Nor, reader, should you. Here are ideas for casual fall gatherings that feature comfort food.
Casseroles Can Be Elegant. Ish.
You might think of casseroles as being lowbrow. Really though, darling, what’s not to like about the conglomeration of a protein, a carb, and a veggie bound with a thickener and baked into a crispy, cheesy, bubbling mass? Served with a fresh green salad at a prettily set table, paired with a good wine, the humblest of casseroles soars high above its station. Among my (too) many cookbooks is Park Avenue Potluck, published as a fundraiser for a tony NYC charity, which contains many exceptional casserole recipes, such as Palm Springs chile con queso and a stellar recipe for moussaka (the Greek version of lasagna, but you probably already know that). You can email me for these recipes and for my cooking buddy the Insufferable Food Snob Don Loncasty’s legendary tuna noodle casserole and Chicken Divan. I’ll include Ina Garten’s endive, pear and Roquefort salad, which would be perfect in the role of the aforementioned fresh green salad.
Everybody Loves Noodles
Pasta is a universally loved comfort food that pleases a wide range of palates. I have a magnificent recipe called rigatoni country style, made with sausage, beans, and broccoli, perfect for a casual fall dinner party. Ina Garten’s baked rigatoni with lamb ragu (Can you tell rigatoni is my favorite pasta?) is fabulous and you can make the whole thing a day or two ahead. If you’re feeding vegetarians, they will love cacio e pepe from the Farina cookbook, and other pasta recipes that make it easy to remove meat or seafood. I also have a recipe for one-pan linguine (see recipe below). It’s so easy you can prepare it on one burner while on another you’re making the meat-based pasta sauce you’re serving your carnivore guests.
Chieeeeefs, Baby!
Even if you serve only Fritos and beer, it’s fun to gather friends around your telly to watch our world-famous Chiefs go for a three-peat. When providing something more substantial than snacks, you want make-ahead things so you don’t miss a minute of the game. Chili with toppings is a can’t-miss option. Ina Garten’s sliders with gruyere are a bit fancier, as are pulled pork sliders with slaw. Email me, I have recipes! Or you could pick up the most excellent buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce from The Peanut. Then again, you could go all-out and get the whole thing catered from Q39. Don’t forget you need something sweet, like Ina Garten’s peanut butter globs recipe or mine for blondies. Both are yours for the asking.
Comforting
Ask Merrily
Find answers to all your entertaining questions.
Q: I’m not in a position to entertain at home. What are some ways I can reciprocate the hospitality of friends who invite me over?
A: Most frequent hosts understand that not everyone can entertain as easily as they do. Don’t assume your friends expect you to reciprocate with the same type of hospitality they offer. What matters is that you stay in touch. Treat your friends to dinner at a nice restaurant. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend, call or text your friends and ask them to meet you somewhere for pizza and beer. Or buy tickets to a play or fundraiser and ask them to join you. Just make the effort to maintain the friendship and to let your friends know how much you appreciate their invitations, and that you’d like to do something to reciprocate. And when you do have a party, put them at the top of your list.
Do you have a question about entertaining? Email it to mjackson@inkansascity.com