Festive dish in the oven. Hot dishes for the festive table. Recipes for appetizers for the holiday table

Previously, the most festive meat dish was homemade dumplings. The whole family sculpted them in the evenings for a whole week in advance. But all New Year's days you could throw these “ears” into the water and literally in a few minutes you could eat with pleasure with a homemade gorloder. And manti also delighted the soul when a whole mountain of these beautiful half-roses - half-envelopes steamed in the center of the table on a huge platter.

Then came the era of all kinds of chops, steaks and huge tenderloins, baked whole. They were marinated, stuffed with spices and vegetables, fried with or without breading. Yes, they did everything they could to boast of their ability to cook pork or beef to the highest standard. They even tried to bake the whole bird so that it was juicy and tasty.

Nowadays, housewives strive to prepare some new, beautiful and unusual dishes every time. Even the good old zrazy and minced meat rolls are decorated in such a way that you can’t immediately recognize them by their appearance. Why not?

I added a bacon mesh or swapped the order in which the dish was formed and it turned out original. What about pot roast? I replaced the meat cubes with meatballs and a chic, festive looking dinner is ready! Try the interpretation of familiar recipes proposed in the article and please your loved ones with a delicious hot main course.

When I first saw such an interesting wicker block at a friend’s birthday party, it seemed to me that it was very difficult and probably wouldn’t turn out so beautifully. It turned out that everything is actually quite easy.

Long thin strips of bacon are intertwined into a rectangular “matting”, into which any filling, shaped like a sausage, is then wrapped. When she showed me how to make such a shell, I immediately remembered the craft lessons at school - we made something like this out of paper and ribbons!

Ingredients:

• Bacon, minced cutlets - 0.5 kg each.
• Fresh champignons – 200 gr.
• Onion – 1 pc.
• Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• Ground pepper, salt - to taste.

Preparation:

Let's disassemble the package of bacon into individual single strips. If you couldn’t buy one, then homemade lard with a layer of meat is quite suitable. Just freeze it first for at least half an hour to make it easier to cut long slices of equal thickness. For a more even cut, use a ruler and a very sharp kitchen or stationery knife.

16 pieces of bacon strips will be enough. Let's fold 8 pieces in one direction and then cross the remaining 8 with them, alternating the placement on top or bottom of the laid out strips. We get a beautiful wicker rectangle.

Cut the champignons and onions into cubes, add salt and pepper, and then fry in oil for 5 minutes until half cooked. Then we form a square layer from the minced cutlet and place the onion-mushroom fry on it.

If the minced meat is purchased, then do not forget to lightly salt it first so that it does not turn out too bland.

Carefully wrap the mushrooms in the meatloaf, trying to seal the joint well so that the juice does not leak out during frying. Let's place our “sausage” blicke to one edge of the braided bacon.

Now let’s roll up a small edge and carefully begin to roll it towards the long edge of the “matting”, thereby completely wrapping it in this shell. Seal and press the ends of the bacon around the edges.

Place in a baking dish or on a baking sheet, seam side down, so that the slices do not rise or curl during baking. Place in a preheated oven to cook at 190 degrees for an hour.

It is advisable to serve hot with a light side dish: vegetables, crushed potatoes, etc.

Bon appetit!

Pork chop with mushroom filling - meat balls

I love zrazy very much, but I don’t always have time to prepare puree or minced meat for the outer layer. I spotted an interesting idea in our cooking and now I cook it from time to time.

The chop is filled with a filling of potatoes, sauerkraut, sliced ​​eggs or rice with vegetables, and then rolled into balls and tied with twine to prevent them from unraveling. And then several options are prepared: fried, baked or steamed. All options turn out very tasty!

Ingredients:

• Pork chop – 5 pcs.
• Slice of bacon – 5-10 pcs.
• Mushrooms – 200 gr.
• Carrots, onions - 1 pc.
• Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. l. + for deep frying.
• Ground pepper, salt, spices - to taste.

Preparation:

We take ready-made slices of pork for frying, or a part of the neck and cut it into equal pieces. We wash them well, lightly add salt to each of them and season with your favorite spices or just ground pepper. Beat to get a thin chop.

In parallel with the grated carrots and diced onions, fry purchased or frozen honey mushroom legs boiled in the fall in sunflower oil. Be sure to add a little salt to them and let the excess liquid evaporate for about 5-8 minutes. Then place 1-2 tablespoons of mushroom-vegetable mixture on each chop.

We gather the edges of the beaten meat into a kind of kolobok to tightly seal the filling inside. It turns out to be a ball similar to a whiting ball, only without a hole in the middle.

To prevent the shape from falling apart, wrap it on all sides with one or two strips of bacon, and then tie it with string.

Let cool slightly before serving so as not to burn yourself when removing the rope binding. Remove the twine and serve with fresh coleslaw, sour cream sauce and French fries.

Bon appetit!

Beef rolls with vegetable filling

We have long been accustomed to Japanese rolls made from seaweed and rice. But you can also make wonderful meat rolls stuffed with vegetable strips.

To make a very soft and tasty dish, the beef should first be beaten and marinated in the sauce for at least half an hour, and the vegetables should be sautéed for a couple of minutes. Only then put the rolls together and fry.

Ingredients:

• Beef fillet – 500 gr.
• Balsamic vinegar, meat broth - 50 ml each.
• Bell pepper, carrots, zucchini - 1 pc.
• Green feather onions - 0.5 bunch.
• Garlic clove – 2 pcs.
• Chopped shallots – 2 tbsp. l.
• Worcestershire sauce - 3 tbsp. l.
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp. l. + 2 tbsp. l.
• Brown sugar – 2 tbsp. l.
• Butter – 2 tsp.
• Provençal herbs – 0.5 tsp.
• Ground pepper, spices, salt - to taste.

Preparation:

Cut fresh beef fillet into 10-15 rectangular slices, as for steaks, and beat them well. Then in a deep plate, mix olive oil (2 tablespoons) with Worcestershire sauce, pepper and a pinch of salt. Dip each chop well and place them on top of each other in the same bowl with the sauce so that the meat marinates for at least half an hour.

In the meantime, you can prepare caramel sweet and sour sauce, which we will then cover our rolls with. To do this, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and simmer pre-chopped shallots in it for a couple of minutes until it becomes translucent. Then pour in the broth and vinegar and let them warm up a little. Add sugar and dissolve it completely. Reduce the sauce by half until it resembles a thick syrup. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.

Chop vegetables manually or using a Korean grater into oblong strips. We cut the garlic cloves into slices and place them in heated olive oil (2 tablespoons) for literally a minute and a half so that they release their aroma, and then we catch them and remove them. Let the sliced ​​vegetables simmer in garlic and olive oil for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle them with Provençal herbs, add a little salt and remove them with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with a paper towel.

Now take the marinated meat slice and place the vegetables on it. We roll it into a roll and pin it with a toothpick so that the structure does not fall apart. Repeat this way with all prepared components.

Heat the frying pan in which the vegetables were fried again and if there is not enough oil, add a little bit of it. We lay out the rolls in rows, trying to ensure that the “toothpick seam” is at the bottom first - this will bake it and it will not unwind without a wooden fastener. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, remove the toothpicks and brush with caramel sauce.

Bon appetit!

Pork with prunes, baked in the oven and festive potatoes

A simple but very festive dish can be prepared from pork with prunes. A beautiful presentation of meat in the form of a book and even with festively decorated potatoes will certainly make such a dish a decoration for the holiday table.

Meatballs with cheese, baked with potatoes and mushrooms

You've obviously tried cooking a delicious pot roast. But when you don’t have a piece of meat on hand, but have minced meat, then it’s quite possible to cook an equally original dish in the oven. Only we won’t put it in a flat cake, but roll it into small balls, like for soup with meatballs.

Ingredients:

• Minced meat, potatoes - 350 g each.
• Mushrooms – 250 gr.
• Cheese – 100 gr.
• Tomato, onion – 2 pcs.
• Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• Mayonnaise - 1-2 tbsp. l. per serving.
• Favorite spices, salt to taste.

Preparation:

Chop one onion very finely and mix with the minced meat. Add some salt and season with your favorite spices. Knead well and scoop it out so that it becomes a little denser. And then we roll balls of the same size between our palms and put them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes so that they do not flatten in our fingers.

Cut fresh or boiled thawed mushrooms into convenient pieces of equal thickness. Cut the second onion into centimeter squares and let them sauté lightly in oil for a minute. Literally after a minute, add the mushroom slices and fry until a browning crust appears. Add a little salt and pepper.

Chop the peeled potatoes into pieces one and a half centimeters thick. It is better if it is cut into cubes so that the vegetable is evenly stewed. Add a couple of pinches of salt and mix well.

Now let's start placing the dish in layers in oiled heat-resistant molds. First, distribute 2/3 of the potato slices evenly over all the pots.

Next will be the fried mushrooms. They will add a forest aroma to the dish and nourish the potatoes with their juice.

We lay out the remaining potatoes and place the chilled meat balls on them. They can be lightly pressed into the vegetables so that there is not too much free space between them.

Using a sharp knife, quickly chop the tomatoes so that they do not have time to release juice and place the tomato pieces between the meatballs. Lubricate with mayonnaise - it will not allow the top layers to dry out and, having melted, will permeate the entire contents with its aroma.

Instead of mayonnaise, you can use sour cream with garlic or yogurt with finely chopped herbs.

Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 30 minutes. All that remains is to make the cheese cap. We grate the cheese through large cells and sprinkle all the almost finished portions with these shavings.

Then we leave our masterpieces to bake for another 15 minutes, so that the cheese melts and the dish inside the molds is completely cooked.

Bon appetit!

Drunken chicken stewed in wine with sour cream

Serving simply fried chicken pieces on a holiday table is not very interesting. But if you stew them in wine, they will not only be imbued with a gorgeous aroma, but will also slightly change their color to creamy. It will be difficult for guests to immediately determine what type of meat is on their plates.

Let's also add a little tomato sourness and nutty-creamy taste. If you wish, you can add your favorite spices, but they can interrupt the refined note.

This dish reminds me very much of Indian Shahi paneer, only instead of cheese there is tender meat.

Ingredients:

• Chicken fillet - 500 gr.
• Tomatoes – 500 gr.
• Semi-sweet wine – 200 ml.
• Starch – 1.5 tbsp. l.
• Sour cream – 4 tbsp. l.
• Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• Salt, pepper, herbs - to taste.

Preparation:

Cut the washed fillet into equal two-centimeter pieces, lightly salt them and fry for 5 minutes over medium heat until lightly browned.

Pass the tomatoes through a blender to obtain a homogeneous tomato paste. Pour it over the chicken and leave to simmer for 5 minutes in a closed frying pan.

The next liquid will be wine. You can choose it according to your taste. I like white better. But red will add a tart note and the color of the flesh will become like that of boiled veal. Add it to the tomato sauce, mix well and leave to simmer for another 8 minutes.

All that remains is to add a creamy flavor. Sour cream will help us with this. Add it to the frying pan with the previous ingredients and stirring occasionally, cook the dish for another 5 minutes. Then add starch to thicken the sauce.

Continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes. As soon as the delicious chicken is completely ready, add finely chopped dill to it and mix. Serve with any side dish.

Bon appetit!

Don’t forget to serve pickles and a variety of sauces along with the hot main courses. Ketchups, mayonnaise with chopped green onions, Tkemali or Narsharab, as well as a mixture of olive oil with spices and balsamic vinegar will be an excellent addition to fried or baked meat.

Also, for the stronger half of the family, you can serve onions marinated in a sugar-vinegar solution, cut into half rings. Don't ignore the bread! It should be either fresh or lightly toasted in a toaster or in a frying pan until it becomes a half toast, so that it has a slight crunch on top, but remains soft inside. For Eastern men, serve pita bread, chapati or fresh flatbread.

If a large number of people have gathered at the table, then the hot dish can be served with a complex side dish. That is, in addition to rice with additives, or assorted stews, you can add a second heap of slices or salads from fresh vegetables and lettuce. This way, visually, the dishes will appear larger, and the amount of hot meat can be distributed onto plates in slightly smaller portions, so that there is enough for everyone.

Bon appetit and delicious meat dishes for the main course!

And what Russian doesn’t like delicious food! A festive feast is a favorite pastime in our country. And although the crisis does not invite special financial recklessness, the holiday is sacred. And for the holiday, how can you not prepare something special from meat to please your man and other meat-eaters!

So, let's begin to surprise and amaze. But let's start with something traditional.

• Pork (neck or shoulder, preferably slightly fatty) – 1 kg;
• garlic - about half a large head;
• salt, black pepper, cinnamon - to taste;
• water – 1 (or a little more) glass;
• egg - 1 piece;
• flour - as much as needed.

Wash the meat, clean it from excess and simply ugly, giving it a pleasant, finished shape.

Carefully wipe off moisture and rub with spices. You can first stuff it with garlic, or season it with finely chopped garlic along with spices.

Wrap the meat in cling film and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, from eggs, water and flour, prepare the dough as for fried pies: not hard and not liquid. There should be enough to wrap around a piece of pork. If it’s not enough, do more.

The best side dish for boiled pork is cucumbers or pickled fruits. Don't forget to serve horseradish. The wine is, of course, red.

Roll out the dough quite thin, wrap the pork in it, and pinch the edges. Now we wrap everything together in foil (the foil should not be close to the meat) and place it in the oven at 200 degrees. You know your oven better, think about whether you need to pour a little water into the pan or the meat won’t burn anyway?

Bake for 40 minutes, then reduce the temperature by 10 degrees and bake for another hour, adding water if necessary.

It is better to cool the meat in foil, then remove the foil and baked dough (it does not need to be served, but some people like to eat it) and leave it to rest for several hours in the refrigerator. Can be prepared for boiled pork.

Buzhenina is a traditional dish for. But boiled pork will be appropriate on any holiday table and is eaten with appetite and gratitude by everyone, young and old, who gets it. Please your parents with boiled pork.

Meat in French

Let's try to slightly reduce the calorie content of this amazing dish, killer for almost any figure.

• Meat (take pork without fat) - 1 kg;
• onion - a couple of medium-sized onions, maybe smaller;
• oyster mushrooms – 400 grams, you can take a standard package;
• hard cheese (take low-fat cheese) - to taste, who likes it - 300 grams, who doesn’t - and 100 is enough;
• mayonnaise – homemade or regular, don’t take light mayonnaise - it contains only GMOs;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Wash the oyster mushrooms, cut them not too finely, and chop the onion finely.

In a frying pan with a small amount of oil, fry the oyster mushrooms and onions a little for 7-10 minutes, no need to fry.

Cut the meat across the grain into pieces about a centimeter thick, cover with cling film and lightly beat.

Place the pieces on a baking sheet lightly greased with fat or vegetable oil. If you like salty and peppery, it's time to make your meat that way. But don’t get carried away - the cheese and mayonnaise will be salty.

The dish is fatty, so it is better to serve it with fresh tomatoes or herbs. We wash it down with dry red wine, of course. And whoever doesn’t like it, let him drink water: washing it down with semi-sweet stuff is not for the faint of heart.

Lubricate each piece generously with mayonnaise, place the onion-mushroom mixture on it, and sprinkle (more or less generously) with grated cheese on top.

Bake for 40 minutes in the oven at 180-190 degrees. If the cheese is not browned, increase the temperature to 250 degrees for 2-4 minutes, but do not overcook the meat!

Perhaps another variation on the theme of meat traditions is pork ribs. Let's cook them with vegetables.

• Pork ribs – 1 kg;
• potatoes – 4-5 pieces;
• carrots – 1 medium;
• frozen broccoli, or cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts, or a mixture - two handfuls;
• green beans - a couple of handfuls;
• frozen peas - a handful;
• young corn - 1-2 cobs;
• mustard, ketchup, vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons each;
• salt, mixture of peppers, oregano, paprika - to taste; You can add cumin or rosemary, but this is not for everyone.

Wash the ribs thoroughly and cut into portions.

Mix ketchup, mustard, oil, spices and rub the ribs with this marinade. Cover with film and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

We will peel the potatoes and cut them into slices, the carrots into slices, the Brussels sprouts into halves, and we will separate other types of cabbage into small inflorescences. If your beans are not frozen, but fresh, cut them into pieces 3-4 centimeters long. Cut the corn cobs crosswise into slices up to a centimeter thick.

Serve hot, no additional side dish needed. You can serve sour cream or yogurt with chopped herbs as a sauce.

Place all the vegetables in a saucepan with a little oil, add water and simmer for about 7 minutes. If you can’t live without onions, add a little, but it’s fine without them.

Place the vegetables in the pan, place the ribs on them and pour in the remaining marinade.

We will bake at a temperature of 200 degrees for 40 minutes under the lid, and then another 10 minutes without the lid. Ribs vary widely, so be sure to check for doneness.

This dish is good if you don’t know exactly how many guests there will be and how hungry they will be.

And here are a couple more similar dishes from the series “Darling, I’ll be there in half an hour, and there are about ten other people with me.” Joke. In general, when “there is no time, but you need meat.”

If you really don’t have time, then “pork with eggplant”, but “chicken with eggplant” is not the same at all. Although, everything is individual.

• So, meat – 1 kg;
• eggplants – 3-4 pieces;
• onion - a pair of heads;
• garlic – 1 medium head;
• vegetable oil for stewing - quite a lot;
• salt - to taste.

Wash the meat well, dry it, cut it across the grain into small pieces. You can cover with cling film and beat it a little.

Then salt it and rub it with garlic, passed through a garlic press, cover it with cling film and let it stand.

In a good saucepan, heat the chopped onion until it becomes transparent.

For a side dish you need something neutral - boiled potatoes or even rice.

Wash the eggplant and, without peeling it, cut it into cubes (or, if you prefer, into half rings).

Place the meat and eggplants in a saucepan with the onions, add oil and water and simmer over low heat until the meat is cooked.

The dish will turn out to be very spicy and spicy, children will not eat it (and nutritionists would not recommend it to them), but adults will do just fine.

The second festive meat dish from the same opera is pork with mushrooms.

• Pork (shoulder, ham) – 1 kg;
• mushrooms (champignons, oyster mushrooms, forest mushrooms - just not a mixture; different mushrooms have different cooking times) - let's say the same amount, but maybe less.
• onion – 2-3 heads;
• sour cream is quite fatty (at least 20%) - 400 grams or more;
• butter – 50 g;
• vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons;
• salt - to taste;
• if desired - grated cheese, 150 grams.

Wash the mushrooms; if they are wild mushrooms, boil them and cut them into large pieces. Chop the onion.

Place the butter in a frying pan, melt and hold the onion in it until it becomes transparent. It is advisable not to fry!

Wash the pork, dry it, cut it into small pieces.

This dish goes well with mashed potatoes or vegetables, but you can also use rice. Then preferably rice stewed with vegetables: peas, corn and sweet peppers.

Mix the meat, mushrooms and onions into the pan. Mix sour cream with salt and water (the sauce should cover the meat and mushrooms) and pour into the mold. Place in the oven at 180-190 degrees.

If possible, it's best to cook covered for the first 40 minutes, but the sauce tends to run off, so see what works for you.

Then you need to remove the lid, add cheese, if you like, and cook for another 20 minutes until the meat is ready. Offer to cook this dish.

Knuckle with cabbage and other goodies

• Boiled-smoked shank (can be boneless) – a couple; however, look at the size of the knuckle and the number and “quality” of guests: some guests will eat a whole knuckle;
• semi-smoked sausages – 400 grams;
• sauerkraut - about half a kilo;
• fresh cabbage - half a head of small;
• bay leaf, peppercorns, tomato paste;
• vegetable oil – 5 spoons;

Wash the knuckle thoroughly, scrape it if necessary, and let it cook in a small amount of salted water (just to cover it). There are also peppercorns and bay leaves.

While it cooks (at least an hour), chop fresh cabbage. If the sauerkraut is coarsely chopped, you need to chop it. Kitchen scissors are suitable for this purpose.

Sometimes the cabbage burns. Make sure that this does not happen by stirring it from time to time.

Cut the sausages into small circles, quickly fry them in a saucepan in vegetable oil, add both cabbages there, mix them - and let it all simmer for about 40 minutes.

Now it’s time to take the mold, lay out the cabbage with sausages, and put the knuckle on top of it. And all this goes into the oven at a temperature of about 170 degrees.

The only thing missing for this dish is beer. Read what sandwiches to complement your holiday beer table in.

Pork roll

• Pork tenderloin – 1 kg;
• smoked or raw bacon strips;
• champignons – 800-900 g;
• onion or garlic - to taste;
• parsley or other greens - 1 bunch;
• butter – 50 g;
• cheese – 300 gr.

Clean the champignons, cut them into slices and fry in oil with the addition of chopped onion or garlic. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Wash the parsley, chop it and add it to the mushrooms. Grate the cheese on a fine grater.

Wash the pork, dry it, cut it across the grain. Now cover with cling film and beat it off.

It is better to serve this dish with potato salad or any salad.

Place the chopped pork on the film in one layer to form a layer of meat.

Place the filling and grated cheese on it.

Using film, wrap the roll, wrap it in bacon, and put it in the mold.

Cover with foil and place in the oven at 180 degrees.

Bake for about an hour, check readiness by piercing the roll with a narrow knife.

If the juice is clear, you can remove the foil and bake the roll at 220 degrees until crusty.

And now the dishes that children will appreciate. They are perfect for a children's party.

• Pork – 800 gr;
• potatoes - according to the volume of pork;
• mayonnaise - pack;
• garlic - half a head;
• cheese – 300 gr.

Prepare the pork: cut it across the grain, cover it with film and beat it lightly.

Put the pork in a saucepan, add a little water, squeeze out a couple of cloves of garlic, add salt and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.

The side dish is already included, but it would be nice to add some fresh vegetables.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices (you can even use a potato peeler), place them on top of the meat, squeeze out another clove of garlic, lightly salt them and pour mayonnaise mixed with water so that the potatoes are covered.

Let's cook for another 20 minutes under the lid.

Now squeeze out the rest of the garlic and cover everything with cheese. If the saucepan is suitable for this, put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 220 degrees. If not, keep it covered for 10 minutes over low heat.

Pate

• Minced meat – 1 kg;
• chicken liver 300 gr;
• bread soaked in milk;
• eggs – 3 pcs;
• sweet pepper – 2 pcs, preferably red;
• greens – 1 bunch;
• cauliflower - half a head of large;
• butter – 50 g;
• salt, pepper, onion, garlic - to taste.

We wash the liver, clean it, and put it through a meat grinder.

Mix the minced meat with eggs, liver, bread and eggs in a blender. Cut the pepper into cubes and simmer for about 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic.

Now add chopped herbs, pepper and cauliflower divided into inflorescences, salt and pepper to the minced meat.

Grease the pan with oil, lay out the minced meat, cover with foil and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Check for readiness.

Now, if the juice is already clear, remove the foil, grease the surface with butter and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

A light pate can be prepared.

A meat dish, and more than one, will become a favorite at any holiday!

Before the onset of this significant date, the heart invariably swells with joy in anticipation of gifts, fun, and friendly meetings. But some people don't like their birthdays for various reasons. Someone because they are at least a year older, but they are getting older. And some, especially thrifty people, tensely calculate how much it will cost them and the announcement of the estimate spoils their mood. Life is such that everyone is forced to save money from time to time. But this is not a reason to deprive yourself of the holidays. Therefore, we will try to answer the question: how to inexpensively set a table for a birthday?

Where does the tradition come from?

When did people start celebrating birthdays? There are two versions. According to the first, the tradition was based on Roman rites held in honor of the gods. The pagans set rich tables, congratulations were heard, and various gifts were given. This hypothesis is more modern. And the second version says that the roots of the tradition go back to ancient times, when there were beliefs about the special vulnerability of a person on his birthday. It was believed that any wishes or curses had double power on such dates. Therefore, ancient people tried to appease the spirits with offerings so that they would not harm the newborn.

Name day of Mukha-Tsokotukha

Gradually they got personal, but for a long time no one paid attention to the date of birth of children and women. The first woman whose birthday was celebrated on a grand scale was the beautiful Cleopatra. It was not customary for ordinary people to record and celebrate ladies' birthdays.

The Greeks and Egyptians often and pompously celebrated the birth dates of the gods, as well as pharaohs and kings. Sometimes, on the occasion of the birth of the pharaoh, prisoners were released from prisons. In ordinary families, it was common practice to celebrate only the birthday of the head of the family.

The position of Christianity on this issue was initially extremely harsh: life was given to man to atone for sins, so he had no time for fun. Later, the church softened somewhat and allowed baptisms with name days. But the Soviet system was against name days and, figuratively speaking, trampled tradition with its iron boot. Even the famous birthday fly was ordered to be removed from the works of old man Korney.

By the way, name days in Rus' were very popular: they baked a loaf, brewed delicious beer, made pies and always sang songs. Of course, peasant holidays were much more modest than the royal ones: sometimes the amount spent on the name day of the crowned person could build several luxurious palaces.

Cake with surprise

It is clear that ordinary people have always dreamed of setting a tasty and inexpensive table for their birthday. But what's a holiday without cake? Few people know where this indispensable attribute of birthdays came to us. If you dig deeper, it is believed that the idea itself came again from the times of paganism, when sacred altars in honor of the ancient gods were lit in pitch darkness.

But the tradition was introduced into use by the Germans. They created a common ritual for celebrating a child's birthday. To do this, they prepared a delicious cake in which they hid various symbolic objects, placed candles on top according to the number of years of the hero of the occasion, and, waking up the child at dawn, sang cheerful songs to him. It is noteworthy that the pie was not eaten until evening, until the whole family had gathered at the table. The child had to wish for something cherished and blow out the candles in one go. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Jam Day: their morals

Different countries treat such holidays differently. Most people on the planet have a reverent attitude toward anniversaries. But some nationalities celebrate odd or non-round dates. Traditions are also different: in Italy, spaghetti is an indispensable dish on the birthday boy’s table (so that he lives for a long time), and in Latin American countries they always break a piñata with gifts loaded into it.

Englishmen who have lived to 80 years or more are personally congratulated by Her Royal Majesty. But the most unlucky birthday people live in Japan: instead of children, their parents are congratulated, and gifts are generally given only after the age of 60.

Economy table rules

If the birthday hostess still decides to gather close people under her hospitable roof, but wants to balance her needs with her capabilities, then there is a way out.

Setting the table for a birthday at home is inexpensive, very tasty, and in such a way that it looks presentable - an absolutely doable task. To do this, you need to adhere to the simplest rules:

1. The menu must be thought out in advance. It’s a good idea to delve into cookbooks and leaf through magazines. You need to pay attention to the ingredients: it’s cheaper to buy seasonal products, so the menu is selected accordingly. If a housewife wants to set a birthday table at home inexpensively, recipes with photos are especially welcome, because you can immediately see how the dishes will look on the table.
2. Accurately calculate the number of invitees (taking into account, of course, several uninvited guests). You can prepare hot food in portions, but in this case the birthday girl will have no peace. It is better to make a common dish with a reserve.
3. As a rule, first courses are not included in the birthday menu. The exception is exotic gourmet soups.
4. If you are planning a traditional celebration, then it is quite possible to set the birthday table at home inexpensively. Recipes for budget dishes can be found in any source to suit your taste. But it must include cold and hot appetizers, a main course (meat or fish), salads and dessert.

Alcoholic drinks are also an important attribute of the holiday table, since they increase the mood, forgive the pun.

Modest cut and luxurious roll

Many families adhere to classic, long-standing traditions and set the table with their favorite dishes that guests know by heart. But this approach has its own benefits: people will never leave hungry and are guaranteed to be satisfied.

Standard cold appetizers include meat, cheese and vegetable slices. This classic approach has never failed anyone. The main thing is the variety of varieties in the cutting composition. Everyone knows that any feast should start with cold appetizers. This is the so-called organizational moment: it is useless to hope that no one will be late. And while waiting, the rest of the guests will be able to have a great meal so as not to drink on an empty stomach.

For those who want to set a birthday table at home inexpensively, Korean snacks are perfect: buy a little of everything (try the dishes first) and place them on the table in small plates. Homemade pickles and marinades are also in great demand among guests.

There are express recipes for those initiated on how to deliciously and inexpensively set the table for a birthday: a cold roll and an appetizer with the romantic name “Raffaello”. The first one is prepared as follows:

• a sheet of thin pita bread is greased with a mixture that includes: mayonnaise, garlic, dill and grated cheese;
• Thinly sliced ​​ham is placed on top;
• then the actions are repeated;
• roll the pita bread into a roll;
• Wrap the product in cling film and put it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

This inexpensive but original dish should be served by cutting it into portioned pieces with a very sharp knife.

The Raffaello appetizer will require the following ingredients:

• crab sticks;
• garlic;
• hard cheese;
• mayonnaise;
• cashews (but to save money, you can use walnuts).

A nut kernel is rolled into a mixture of cheese, full-fat mayonnaise and garlic. Next, grate the frozen crab stick on a fine grater. Roll in grated crab meat with a surprise: the dish is ready. Using this recipe, you can reveal the secret of how to quickly and inexpensively set the table for a birthday. To make these balls look festive, they are placed on fresh lettuce leaves.

You can also use seasonal dishes. The budget version of the menu is prepared in the summer. For example, eggplant tongues or fingers. The second option is more expensive, since it contains very little meat, but it does include meat.

Delightful hot snacks

A hostess asking herself the question of how to set a tasty and inexpensive table for a birthday party should not forget about hot appetizers. They follow the cold ones when everyone has gathered at the table and it’s time for the first toasts. There should not be a lot of them, and they are prepared shortly before serving. This is a light dish with small portion sizes. An example of such a snack would be easy-to-prepare meat balls:

• traditional minced cutlets are made, with the addition of raw eggs;
• the finished dough layer is rolled out and cut into strips;
• meat balls are wrapped with dough threads like a ball;
• The dish is baked in the oven until cooked.

This snack looks very presentable.

Nowadays it is not a problem for a housewife to set a table for a birthday at home inexpensively; recipes simply jump out of magazines, cookbooks, and Internet portals. Here, for example, is a dish similar to julienne, which is prepared ridiculously quickly and tastes simply charming. We present to housewives champignons in sour cream sauce.

The dish is prepared like this:

• Add peeled mushrooms to carefully sautéed onions and carrots and simmer for about 10 minutes;
• later sour cream and seasonings are added and everything is stewed until cooked.

The simplest dish can be made beautiful by sprinkling it with grated cheese and herbs on top and serving it in ceramic pots.

Salads for the date

If you intend to set the table for a birthday at home inexpensively, then you can’t do without salads. For the traditional approach, Olivier, herring under a fur coat, Mimosa or Caesar are suitable. You can use the simplest option, which will require products such as:

• green pea;
• ham;
• pickled champignons;
• mayonnaise.

This salad is suitable when guests are literally on the doorstep or come unexpectedly. After all, you don’t need to prepare anything in advance, all the components are simply mixed.

Salads with seafood can look original; the female half of the guests especially like them.

Main serving of dishes

A very important moment when, after the artistic exclamation: “Fedya! Game!" For example, a delicious baked duck appears on the table, stuffed with dried apricots and apples. But the question was how to inexpensively set the table for a birthday, what does the game have to do with it? You don’t have to bake the duck this way; you can do the same with chicken. You can use not the whole bird, but its legs or wings. If you marinate them well and roll them in honey, you will get an excellent dish with a delicious crispy crust.

In general, before planning the main serving, you need to ask yourself what your guests like more: meat or fish? Only after this can you prepare the treasured main course. Of course, with fish there is several times more trouble than with meat, but pike will become truly festive and will be remembered by guests for a long time. It’s a good idea to serve medallions or steaks to the holiday table. One thing is certain - meat must be present on the table.

As a side dish for main courses, you should choose potatoes in any form: mashed, fried, fried, boiled with herbs.

What about compote?

To set the table for a birthday inexpensively, food recipes are not all that a housewife needs. Drinks are also important. Of course, you can’t do without compotes, juices, carbonated drinks, maybe even croutons. What about alcohol? It is important to take into account here that not everyone drinks strong alcohol, so champagne and other wines are a mandatory attribute on the festive table.

Desserts require tea or coffee. For dessert, of course, in the classic version, they serve a cake with candles, but how can you set a festive table for a birthday inexpensively? After all, cakes are quite an expensive pleasure. There is a solution: either bake a cake with your own hands, or buy cakes, cookies or candies. By the way, a confectionery product prepared personally is better than any purchased product, because the hostess puts her soul into the dish.

Mistress's secrets

To set the table for a birthday at home inexpensively, but at the same time make it unforgettable, you need to know the main secret: competent serving and decoration of dishes. You should not waste your time on this.

What you need for serving and decorating:

1. Tablecloth. The classic version is white, but other colors are allowed.
2. Dishes. Cutlery and glasses should be polished to a shine. For a special occasion, it would be useful to take out your best set from the bins.
3. Don't forget about cloth napkins depending on the number of guests. They can be beautifully laid out in waves or in the form of shapes.
4. Decorate dishes with herbs, bright berries, like cranberries, peas, olives. There is a special knife for curly and fruit, it would be nice to buy it. If you ask yourself: how to set a table for a birthday inexpensively, the recipes may be very surprising. And not only the not too expensive and tasty dishes described in them, but also a presentable appearance. This happens because the dish is decorated correctly, because when you look at the food, your appetite should come.
5. You shouldn’t do a lot of culinary experiments, let everything be as usual, with the exception of one or two dishes.

The holiday table should not be complete without a variety of vegetables and fruits. If you plan to have strong alcohol, then take care of a hearty and plentiful snack.

Little birthday boy

Many mothers probably think about how to inexpensively set the table for a child’s birthday so that he is delighted.

It's actually not difficult at all. There are several tips that you can use to make an unforgettable celebration for your child and his friends:

• paper dishes in bright colors - safe and beautiful, and you don’t need to wash anything;
• decorating the room with balloons, paper garlands;
• small-sized dishes - mostly canapés, salads in bowls, pita rolls with various fillings, chicken croquettes - children do not really like to overeat, unless, of course, it is sweets;
• water drinkers can be offered homemade lemonade, fruit drinks, juices, compotes and milk and fruit cocktails;
• desserts made from cottage cheese are preferable;
• It is better to season salads with sour cream and yoghurt.

Anything is suitable for canapés: ham, cheese stars, pepper slices, olives, corn, shrimp. The sweet version is made like this: bananas, grapes, and kiwi are stuck on skewers.

You can make a delicious salad from boiled chicken, tomatoes, sweet peppers and hard-boiled eggs, decorating it in the shape of a hedgehog with fly agarics on its back. The salad is laid in layers: chicken cut into pieces → tomatoes → grated eggs → chopped pepper. Each layer is coated with sour cream and yogurt dressing. The hedgehog should be sprinkled with grated carrots, and its face should be marked with egg white. The eyes and nose are made from olives and prunes, and fly agaric mushrooms are made from eggs and tomatoes.

It is important to create a festive atmosphere and provide the baby with the opportunity to move actively.

Alternative ideas

Finally, we can offer a few ideas when there is neither time nor desire to spend time in the kitchen, but the soul requires a holiday. You can set the table for a birthday at home inexpensively and deliciously by purchasing ready-made food from a deli or restaurant. This option is especially suitable for a young, advanced company. You can order pizza, ready-made grilled chicken and salads. Japanese cuisine will cost a little more.

There is also an interesting and modern option - a buffet table. But it obeys certain rules:

• division into single portions;
• dishes should be mostly on skewers;
• you can put all kinds of goodies on one large table;
• the main course should be in baskets or make plates by cutting them first;
• If chicken legs are served, the bone is wrapped in a napkin.

Alcoholic drinks must be uncorked, and guests must be provided with glasses. But a huge plus will be that the birthday girl does not have to constantly change plates and cutlery.

The most interesting option would be a birthday party in nature. Happy people born in the summer months know what this means. Picnic in nature, barbecue, barbecue, air and sun - what could be more tempting? But there are nuances here too:

• salads with mayonnaise are not recommended dishes for a picnic;
• the meat must be marinated in advance;
• you should take care of drinking water;
• Sandwiches and side dishes can be taken from home.

And what delicious pilaf on a fire or potatoes baked in ash!

But no matter what the birthday boy chooses, the main thing is his loved ones nearby.

Setting a festive table is quite an expensive task. Let's talk about various options for budget-friendly, satisfying and tasty dishes.

To begin with, we choose a planning practice. We study the products available and try to use them in holiday dishes. We write a list of dishes with ingredients and a list for purchase in the store.

We offer examples of tasty and inexpensive dishes with a brief description.

Salads, snacks

Envelopes / tubes with cheese and mushrooms. Wrap fried mushrooms with grated cheese in thin pita bread or pancakes, heat in a frying pan with butter on both sides until the cheese melts. Can be served both hot and cold.

Salad with mushrooms. Ingredients: boiled red beans - 100 g, mushrooms fried in butter - 100 g, 2 boiled eggs, garlic, salt, sour cream or mayonnaise. Mix everything.

Herring under a Fur Coat. Ingredients: 0.5 onions, 1 herring, boiled grated potatoes, grated carrots, egg, beets, mayonnaise or sour cream)

Sandwiches with cheese clouds. Grate 2 processed cheeses such as “Nadezhda”, “Gorodskoy”, grate 2 eggs, garlic, sour cream or mayonnaise, mix. Place the resulting cheese cloud on bread; you can add cucumbers and sprats.

Sauerkraut.

Quick salad. Mix 1 can of canned green peas, 0.5 finely chopped onions with sour cream or mayonnaise, plus salt and pepper to taste. It turns out simple and quite tasty.

Spicy carrots. These are variations on the theme of “Korean style carrots”. Grate carrots with garlic and ground black pepper, coriander, and other spicy hot seasonings, season with sour cream or vegetable oil.

Radish with carrots. Grate radishes with carrots, add salt and season with sour cream.

Avocado with cheese and garlic. Grate 1-2 medium avocados, 150 gr. cheese, 2-3 cloves of garlic, salt, season with sour cream or mayonnaise.

Available cutting options: cheese, sausage, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers.

Pancakes with various “economical” fillings. We wrap various fillings in thin pancakes: finely chopped or grated boiled eggs, rice with fried onions; liver with onions and eggs; mashed potatoes with mushrooms and fried onions; cheese with mushrooms; sliced ​​boiled sausage with mushrooms and cheese.

Salad with “Fish” cookies. Lay out in layers: “fish” cookies, coat with mayonnaise, grated smoked cheese (“Kolbasny”), finely chopped chicken breast with green onions, 3 finely grated eggs, a layer of mayonnaise. It’s better to let it sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours so that the cookies “soak.”

Salad with fresh vegetables and herbs:
Option 1: young cabbage, cucumber, dill, green onions, sour cream, salt.
Option 2: cucumber, radish, 2 finely chopped eggs, lots of herbs, salt, sour cream.
Option 3: cucumber, tomato, sweet pepper, cheese, onion, herbs, salt, sour cream.
Option 4: chicken breast or ham, cheese, bell pepper, tomatoes, 2 boiled eggs, salt, ground pepper, sour cream or mayonnaise.

Tomatoes with cheese and garlic. Cut the tomatoes into rings, put grated cheese with garlic and mayonnaise on top.

Liver plates. We make liver pate: 0.5 kg of boiled or fried liver, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 0.5 pack of plums. oils, salt and spices to taste. Grind the liver with vegetables in a meat grinder and mix everything. Then place on “wheat plates”, tartlets or bread.

Salo. Lard can be used both as cutting and to make a kind of snack by chopping it together with garlic and pepper in a meat grinder. Then spread this mixture on bread. It turns out especially tasty if such sandwiches are slightly warmed over a fire on a grill.

It turns out to be more economical when using an abundance of seasonal ingredients: if you have freshly picked or canned, frozen mushrooms, we prepare dishes with them; in the season of an abundance of fresh vegetables, we use them to the maximum, etc.

Hot

Chicken breast pancakes. Finely chop raw chicken breast, 1 onion, salt, pepper, mix with mayonnaise and fry in a frying pan.

Chicken cutlets. Scroll through the chicken breast, add a small piece of lard or pork, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, a little milk, bread or potatoes. Mix thoroughly and fry.

Liver pancakes. Grind 0.5 kg of chicken liver in a meat grinder or blender, 1-2 eggs, 2 tbsp. spoons of milk, onion, 100-200 gr. flour. Mix thoroughly until it becomes thick sour cream and place the pancakes in a heated frying pan.

Fish in sauce. Ingredients: 3 large pollock, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 100 gr. milk, 2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, salt, pepper. Place the fish in a hot frying pan, fry on both sides, add chopped carrots and onions, simmer for 5 minutes, add milk, sour cream, seasoning, simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Fried potatoes with onions.

Fried mushrooms with onions and sour cream.

Fish cutlets.

Boiled rice with fried mushrooms. Separately, cook the rice and fry the mushrooms and onions, then mix or place the mushrooms on top of the rice.

Chicken wings baked in the oven. A few hours before baking, soak the chicken wings in the sauce: sour cream or mayonnaise, salt, pepper, hot seasoning. Then place on a baking sheet and bake until crispy.

Potato casserole. Wrap it in thin pita bread, laying it out in layers: mashed potatoes, minced meat or stew, fried onions, cheese, sour cream.

Warm meat salad. Fry separately: finely chopped chicken breast, some beef and vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, onions. Place in a heap on a plate and serve sizzling.

Potato pancakes with sour cream and mushrooms.

Zucchini fritters with sauce(mayonnaise, sour cream and garlic)

For tea

Homemade baked goods are much cheaper and more natural than store-bought ones.

Sponge cake with apples. Beat 5-6 eggs and 150-200 gr. sugar, add 100 gr. flour, the dough should be like liquid sour cream. Cut 2 medium apples into a baking dish, add the dough and bake for 30 minutes.

Pie based cake. You can make a cake based on this pie. Cut the pie into several layers, coat with cream, add soaked dried fruits, marmalade, berries, and fill with chocolate glaze.

Pancakes or thin pancakes with jam, condensed milk, chocolate

Homemade cookies and waffles

Ice cream with jam or chopped bananas

Marshmallows and cookies

Cheesecakes for tea with jam and sour cream

Cottage cheese cake. Lay out in layers: cookies like “Jubilee”, “Sugar”, a layer of cottage cheese with sour cream, a layer of thinly sliced ​​marmalade, a layer of cookies, a layer of cottage cheese with sour cream, a layer of marmalade, cookies, cottage cheese and fill with chocolate glaze.
For chocolate glaze, melt 2 tsp in 100 g of milk. cocoa powder, 4-5 cloves of dark chocolate, 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.

Fruits

The use of exotic fruits significantly increases the cost of the holiday table; you can use more affordable fruits: apples, pears, bananas, oranges. In season - watermelon, melon.

After the holiday

It happens that many products remain after the holiday. So, you can cook a hodgepodge soup from sliced ​​vegetables and sausages, make a kind of gravy for a side dish, and make a casserole from the remaining side dish and hot dishes. If there is a lot of food left after the celebration, then some can be frozen in the refrigerator, for example, chicken, cutlets, sausage, pancakes and cheesecakes, fish and many others. This way they will be kept fresh and will significantly reduce the time it takes to prepare food in the future; all you need to do is take them out and heat them up.

Complete the list. What options for delicious and inexpensive dishes do you prepare for the holiday?