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Preparing a homemade meal is a great way to impress your date with not only your cooking skills (don't worry if yours are lacking) AND your thoughtfulness! Cooking is, in some ways, an art. 'But you don't have to be an artist to make a good tasting meal. This article is going to help you cook a terrific meal, complete with sides and dessert, without bogging you down with confusing and time-consuming techniques. This won't be head chef work, but by golly you'll certainly convince your date that you can do a thing or two around the kitchen!
First, we're going to start off with a nice appetizer. Since the main dish is going to be lasagna, which takes nearly an hour to cook, it's always a good idea to have an appetizer you and your date can munch on while waiting for the meal to cook. The following recipe is for an easy, yet tasty homemade cheese ball. The best thing about this cheese ball is that you can wrap up the leftovers and pop it into the fridge for a snack later on.
Cheese Ball
What You'll Need:
1 (8-oz) package of cream cheese
1 (1-oz) package of ranch dressing mix
1 1/4 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup of chopped pecans
How to Make It:
First, you need to soften the cream cheese. To do this, simply put it in a bowl and mash it with a fork until it's nice and soft. Add in the dressing mix and cheddar cheese, then mix well. Shape the mixture into a ball, then roll it in the pecans until fully coated. Place the cheese ball on a serving dish and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until time to serve. Serve with crackers (preferably Ritz or Town House's "toppers").
Next is the main dish. Lasagna is a fairly easy dish to put together, but it does take a while to cook. Be prepared to spend about 25 minutes preparing the dish, then 55 minutes for it to cook. If you want it to come out of the oven soon after your date arrives, start cooking about an hour and 20 minutes before your date is due to show up.
Lasagna
What You'll Need:
1 lb ground beef
9 lasagna noodles
1 (32-oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
32 ounces of cottage cheese
3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons of dried parsley
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make It:
In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over a medium heat. The meat is done when it's brown all the way through. To drain the excess grease, pout the meat into a colander, then dump it back into the skillet. Add the spaghetti sauce and cook over a low heat for about five minutes. While the sauce is simmering, get a large bowl and mix together the cottage cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, half of the grated Parmesan, the eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix this well. Get a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (casserole pan) and spread about 3/4 cup of the sauce mixture in the bottom of the pan. Lay three uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread 1 3/4 cups of the cheese mixture over the noodles, then pour 1/4 cup of sauce over that. Repeat this layering two more times. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top of the lasagna. Gently pour 1/2 a cup of water around the edges of the pan to keep it from drying out. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, then bake for another 10 minutes. Let it stand about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
That sounds nom nom, but what is lasagna without salad and bread? If you are out to impress, then you should definitely consider whipping up a quick salad and toasting some French bread slices. The best thing about salad is that as a side dish, it doesn't have to have a lot of extra ingredients, and you can toss in pretty much whatever you like!
Salad
What You'll Need:
1 head of leafy green lettuce
1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
Diced green onions (optional)
Diced tomatoes (optional)
Sunflower seeds or slivered almonds (optional)
Chopped hard-boiled egg (optional)
Dressing (Italian or Ranch go best with lasagna)
How to Make It:
Rinse the lettuce well under cold running water. Chop into bite-sized pieces, starting from the leafy edge. Stop chopping when you get to the crunchy, white parts. This is quite bitter tasting and not very pleasant! Toss the lettuce in a bowl and dump in the grated cheddar cheese. If you are unsure of what your date likes in their salad, it might be a good idea to put the "extra" ingredients into separate bowls on the side so you guys can add whatever you like to your own salads. Toss the salad with salad prongs or wooden spoons, then cover and refrigerate until serving time. Be aware that the earlier you prepare this, the more of a chance it has to "wilt," so don't make the salad too early.
French Bread
What You'll Need:
A loaf of French bread from your grocer's bakery
Butter or garlic butter spread
How to Make It:
Slice the French bread into 1-inch slices. Spread the butter or garlic spread onto the slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 5 - 10 minutes, or until the bread has toasted. Keep your eye on this to ensure you don't over cook it!
Dessert isn't a necessity when cooking for a date, but it is definitely appreciated! If you want to prove you can satisfy a sweet tooth, then have a go at this easy ice cream pie recipe! Be warned that it takes several hours of freezing time, so you might want to prepare this the night before your date.
Raspberry Ice Cream Pie
What You'll Need:
10 chocolate cream-filled cookies, crushed
14 chocolate cream-filled cookies, whole
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 gallon of raspberry ripple ice cream, divided in half
1/2 cup of hot fudge topping, divided
Raspberries to garnish (optional)
How to Make It:
Mix together the crushed cookies with the butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Prop the whole cookies against the edge, going the entire way around the pie plate. Freeze this for an hour. For the filling, "soften" the ice cream using a fork or electric mixer. Spread half of the ice cream over the crushed cookies (crust), then drizzle with 1/4 cup of the fudge topping. Freeze for another hour. Spread the remaining ice cream on top, then drizzle the remaining fudge topping on it. Freeze for several more hours, or overnight. Garnish with raspberries, then let the pie stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before cutting and serving.
I hope these recipes turn out as well for you as they have for me. They are easy to prepare without lacking in flavor and are a sure way to impress your date! Good luck!
