Noodles, roasted root vegetables, a fabulous salad most of which I would buy pre-prepared at the grocery, including spring vegetable mix . . . and then brownies for dessert, either from a box or from the bakery. A nice fruit pie would also be good, as long as I either didn't have to make it or if I could use the pre-made pie crust and frozen fruit. I make a mean and impressive peach raspberry pie that is literally thrown together with frozen fruit.

Mashed potatoes! and snap peas dunked in boiling water just until their colour brightens then drained and tossed with a bit of very nice sea salt and a bit of butter.

ETA: I don't put potatoes in my Boeuf Bourguignon like Julia does. I prefer to serve it over mashed. And a really nice bread!

Daisy, I don’t put potatoes in the Boeuf Bourguignon either. I usually make enough to have leftovers and I don’t like leftover potatoes. I think the texture changes when they are re-heated.

Pink, I’ve been craving brownies. I have a recipe that is easy to make. Plus, I have vanilla ice cream in the freezer. I also thought about Lemon Pudding Cake. After a heavy meal, I like something lemony.

Changing my mind about the peas. They are too light to pair with Boeuf Bourguignon. I think I would just do mashed potatoes, a rustic bread, and salad. Pink's idea of a root veggie, if you don't put them in with the beef already. Yum.

Save the snap peas for another meal. They are delightful. I love blistered snap peas with garlic and parmesan.

Absoultely a potato. Either mashed like Daisy suggests or small red riated potatoes.

I would do green beans as the green vegetable.

Yeah, the peas would be OK with the beef but their special qualities might be a bit overwhelmed. But thanks for the reminder to do something with the snap peas I have in the fridge!!

The only reason I thought brownies was the "bourguinon" part, I love chocolate and red wine . . . Maybe something a bit lighter like some crispy almond cookies with a few dark chocolates on the side . . .

Although I love lemon deserts!! Hubs does not like lemon so I rarely get to indulge my love of that fruit . . .

I am so lazy I would buy some of those pre-prepared filo cups, fill them with pre-made store bought lemon pudding and top with raspberries . . . dust it all with powdered sugar and put it on a pretty plate so no one would be the wiser . . .

We make Julia's recipe and serve over noodles, green salad and sourdough garlic toast. We never make dessert for just the two of us, but brownies and vanilla ice cream would be great.

My beef bourginon seems a somewhat heavy meal on its own and I don't add potatoes - I do a crusty bread and a crisp green salad with it only. Barefoot Contessa's recipe.

I made boeuf bourgignon the other day (no potatoes in it), and served in surrounded by a delicious rice blend of white and brown basmati, red rice, wild rice, and red quinoa. It was different with the stew, and delicious. Last night we had the leftovers, and DH made asparagus and a hollandaise. The texture was a nice combination.

Boeuf bourgignon is complete enough that a nice French bread is all you need, but you could add simple roasted carrots alongside.

For dessert, well, I love a hot fudge sundae, even for company. and a plate of cookies. It’s a nice refresher and finisher. Cold comfort food after hot comfort food!

Probably too late to weigh in, but polenta is a excellent conduit for the stew. No side dishes for me, aside from Romaine lettuce based salad with a very a lemony dressing.

OMG now I have to have a dinner party with rice, chicken piccata, (hubs likes that) sugar snap peas and lemon ricotta cake for dessert and a fab salad for a starter. ;)

Fnm, I love your menu and your ambition. Thanks for posting that fun menu!!

I could see us doing mashed potatoes, noodles or even polenta. Right now, we've been seeing a lot of fresh asparagus and would probably do that as a side -- either roasted or sauteed. Crusty bread and green salad are always good.

I've made brownies to serve as company dessert by baking in round cake pans instead, so you serve a small wedge instead of a square. The My Favorite Brownies from 100 Cookies are so good and so chocolatey, they would hold up to the richness of the meal but only need a small serving to be satisfied. A dollop of whipped cream on top is indulgent but lighter than ice cream. Add berries if they are looking good. Brownies are one of the quickest desserts, but they dress up or down so well too.

Have fun and enjoy whatever you decide. The company will be good -- keep it easy so you can enjoy yourself.

In case anyone needs a simpler recipe than Julia's, this is from a standard French cooking cite, like Epicurious, with English subtitles. I add mushrooms to the recipe. It's super simple and delicious.

I’ve just gotten the stew on. I cook it slowly in the oven for several hours. My friends are ”meat and potato” kinds of folks. I think I’ll do the mashed potatoes. For salad, I’m thinking a spring mix with goat cheese, dried cranberries, and Praline Pecans (store bought).

I’m still struggling with dessert. Instead of doing it myself, I think I’m going store bought. There is a local cheesecake sold at the grocery that is good. I have Trader Joe’s lemon curd that I bought ”just in case,” but I don’t know just in case what. I have no idea how to use lemon curd. The fillo/phyllo cups with lemon pudding (substitute lemon curd?) topped with raspberries sounded great, but the wife will not eat fruit, particularly berries. Maybe make hers without berries. I’m going to make her salad without cranberries.

Just tasted the lemon curd. Tastes fine, but seems to need a little ”lightening.” It is very thick. Do I whip a little cream and fold into the lemon curd? If so, do I sweeten the cream and add vanilla, the way we usually make whipped cream?

If you have time to go to the store, they sell these flower shaped or round sugar cookies with an indent in the center. (I think Peperidge Farms makes them for example). I have made quickie "tarts" with them by plopping a dollop of whatever in the center. Lemon curd would be good that way . . . or don't they sell unfilled puffed pastries in the freezer section. Again, bake, fill with lemon curd, dust with powdered sugar . . .

Trader joes has fabulous macarons in the freezer. Lemon curd on gingerbread?

Pink, wish I had seen your comment before I went to the grocery so I could have looked for the Pepperidge Farm cookies. The store was out of the phyllo cups. I could see where they should be, but the shelf was empty. 🙁

I ended up buying Martha Stewart frozen brownies. I was feeling too overwhelmed/disappointed to make brownies. And I’m not good at shifting gears on the fly.

Oly, my TJ Lemon Curd is from a trip several months ago. The closest TJ to me is a couple of hours away.

You'll just have to throw another dinner party featuring lemon curd! That stuff is awesome!

Cheesecake with a thin layer of lemon curd on top, whipped cream and a few raspberries— just leave off the berries. For next time . . You can also buy lime curd or make it and do the same thing and call it Key Lime cheesecake.

I serve hearty beef dishes like bourgnon over egg noodles, with a good salad and garlic bread just as someone above posted. Night before last i made a quick blueberry tart with all our blueberries (leaving town early tomorrow for Washington again). Cooked the blueberries, fresh and added in a small pkg of dried blueberries, with lime juice, sugar, cinnamon cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom. After 30 min on a low boili added a slurry of 2 tblsp cornstarch mixed with a small amount of cold water, and cooked until thickened. cooled itin a bowl in the freezer, then unfolded a sheet of puff pastry almost thawed, used a pizza cutter to cut strips on an angle on both sides just to the middle where the blueberries were and cross the strips over each other. Brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with turbinado sugar, cooked on parchment paper over a half sheet pan in the oven for 20 min on 400 convection, then lowered temp for 350 and continued cooking until bottom crust was crisp. Served with vanilla ice cream. Easy peasy!

I didnt take a picture, i make these often withdifferent fruits and spices as the frozen puff pastry makes it so easy. I made this lne the same way, with apples ( and used boiled cider, cinnamon, nutmeg and rum extract) and the crossed stripsof pastry.

I have puff pastry in the freezer and I was just thinking I need to use it soon. I’ll put the fruit tart on the list for the next dinner party!

Easy peasy.

Ha, KSWL, your easy peasy is my, I am so lost ;-) Which is horrible, because that dessert looks scrumptuous.

I don't know if this is a dessert or not but it sort of is and it's been very popular and it's so easy. Lay out a puff pastry sheet and cover it with a mixture of goat cheese and ricotta to a quarter inch from the edge. Top with very thin concentric rows of sliced Pear or Apple, sprinkle with chopped rosemary, chopped walnuts and a thin layer of table sugar. Bake till all puffed and golden, drizzle with honey.

Yumm, Bbstx! I make something similar as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre with cocktails. Rosemary is such a great and unexpected flavor in a sweet and savory tart.

Zalco…. when i was first learning to cook I made my own puff pastry. Then i found myself as primary caregiver for our very active young family and discovered the frozen stuff, which is just as good or better. I still make my own pie crust though!

Kswl, what brand PP do you buy? I've only been able to find Pepperidge Farm here and it is foul. I pass up any recipes calling for PP because I can't seem to find another brand.

Oly, look for Dufour frozen PP. Our WF has it, and so does our small specialty market.

I don't have a WF in my town, but maybe someday when I'm near one elsewhere, I'll get some for the freezer. Thanks.

Thanks to the group effort here, my impromptu dinner party (is 3 a dinner party?) went well. The husband loved my mashed potatoes because they were stiff. His wife said she makes hers too loose for his taste. The Boeuf Bourguignon was slightly disappointing. My beef did not stay cubed. It totally fell apart. The flavor was good but the eye appeal left something to be desired. Martha Stewarts’ frozen brownies were acceptable. I wouldn’t go out of my way to find them, but in a pinch they are fine.

Olychick, I use Publix market's Greenwise organic brand. It's okay. Dufour is the best but our stores don't stock it although my mom's market in Atlanta does. Pepperidge Farm is okay ONLY if it is fresh and hasn't been defrosted. A lot of frozen food (IMO) has been inadvertently thawed or partially thawed and refrozen due to delays unloading trucks, pallets left while unloaders are on their breaks, high temperatures in the unloading docks, etc. etc. etc. That's one of the reasons I have just a tiny freezer compartment in the garage fridge and no freezer in my kitchen fridge. If you open a packet of puff pastry and it looks or feels sticky throw it out or take it back.