The other day, I had the pleasure of some unexpected dinner guests. I found out they were coming about ten minutes before they arrived. Despite the lack of warning, I prepared a dinner that fed everyone and managed to be delicious too. One of my lovely guests commented on my ability to throw together something as quickly as I did and asked me what my secret was. Well it was planning, even for the unexpected.

Here are my top five tips for preparing for the unexpected dinner guest. They are simple additions to your shopping list, but they will make all the difference when you are scrambling to make a dinner for more than you expected.

Tip #1: Everyone loves pasta! Not only does everyone love it, but it is cheap, it cooks fast, and it does not spoil. Keep your favorite kind on hand for those moments when you do not know what to make for dinner and you have a lot of mouths to feed. I prefer to keep spaghetti or Farfalle in my pantry. Spaghetti noodles pair well with many types of sauces while Farfalle pasta goes a little farther if you have to make a big meal.

Tip #2: Canned or frozen veggies can make a sparse plate look full. When planning for more places at the dinner table, make the main dish go father by adding a side of veggies. While salad is a great option, canned or frozen veggies will last a lot longer. A can of green beans or a bag of frozen broccoli pairs really well with almost any meal.

Tip #3: Bread is always a nice addition. A loaf of bread or rolls in the freezer can be a great way to fill out any meal and feed more people than you were planning. In addition, a loaf of bread baking in the oven makes a house smell heavenly. Serving Italian? Whip up some quick basil and garlic butter with some frozen crumbled basil and a minced clove of garlic and spread it on your warm bread.

Tip #4: Do you only have ten minutes as I did? Try this tip I learned from my future mother-in-law. Start sautéing some minced onion and garlic in a pan with some oil. The divine aroma will impress your guests as they walk in and give you a few minutes to figure out what you are going to cook. Add a can of tomatoes, cubed chicken, and some heavy whipping cream to the garlic and onion and you have a great pasta meal.

Tip #5: Give yourself some extra time to prepare dinner by popping some appetizers in the oven. The following recipe makes a great appetizer to make ahead, freeze, and heat up when you need something yummy and filling.

Italian Sausage Appetizer Bites

Ingredients:

1lb Italian Sausage
1lb Ground Beef
1lb Velveeta Cheese
1 loaf of Party Rye Bread or baguette sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 tsp oregano

Preparation:
Remove the casings from Italian sausage and brown the meat in a pan. Brown the ground beef in another pan. I cook them in separate pans because I like to make sure the meat cooks evenly.

When the meat is cooked, drain the fat and combine the meats in large frying pan. Add the cubed Velveeta, garlic, and oregano. Cover and stir occasionally until the cheese is melted completely.

Spoon mixture onto bread slices laid out on a cookie sheet. I use a tablespoon, but you could make the mixture go farther with a teaspoon.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes to crisp.

To Freeze:
Instead of putting the cookie sheet into the oven, put it into the freezer. Freeze for two hours. After the bites are frozen store them in a freezer Ziploc bag until ready to use. To thaw, place on a cookie sheet and cook at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

So next time you head to the store, stock up on a few items to prepare for the unexpected dinner guests that are bound to come over.

Enjoy!

This is an expository piece written for a Content Area Literacy Class