Holiday Dinner Party - Part II

Having a dinner party on a Friday night when you've been stuck in the office all day is a challenge. But with a little planning you can make it a roaring success.

This was the situation for me last month. It was in the middle of the holiday rush, and I was in the midst of year-end crunch time at work. I love to celebrate, so I was determined to have friends over for dinner in December. The night that worked best for everyone was a Friday, so I had to get organized.

First I made sure the house was decorated a good two weeks before the dinner was scheduled (We covered this last month in Part I). Next I started thinking about the menu. I wanted it to be tasty and festive, but simple to prepare. This is the perfect time to haul out the crock pot! My crock pot is an invaluable appliance in my kitchen. There's nothing better than coming home from a long day at work to find dinner ready and only one pot to clean. For my dinner party I decided to bake a ham in the crock pot, so I bought a good, fully cooked ham.

Once the main course is decided on, side dishes fall into place. Potatoes go with ham very well, but I didn't want the hassle of making time-consuming scalloped potatoes. Instead, I decided to simply peel, quarter, and boil the potatoes, and then make a white sauce to pour over them. For a green veggie I picked a favorite recipe for fresh green beans which is elegant but quick to make.

Ok, meat, starch, veggie all decided. The last course will be dessert, and that's where I decide to spend a wee bit more time. I decided on something that will look and taste incredible, but still cut some corners: Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and covered in chocolate ganache. The night before the party, I baked a regular chocolate cake, using my favorite box mix. Once the layers were cool, I poked holes all over both layers with a fork, then brushed grand marnier over them with a pastry brush. Instead of frosting, I spread gourmet black raspberry preserves between the layers. I found a recipe for a poured chocolate ganache - basically melted dark chocolate with cream and vanilla - and once it had thickened and cooled off some, I poured it over the cake, spreading it down the sides. In a pretty, domed glass cake stand, this makes quite an impression.

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