Chook Me!

What should I have for dinner on my birthday?

I want something a bit classier than fried chicken or chicken casserole, but not anything too expensive. I'd like to have a really REALLY delicious dinner for my birthday, but I'd also like for it to be relatively easy and quick to make (3 hour preparation max, preferably around 1 hour.) I'd like something a bit exotic, like traditional mexican, european, or asian food, but there has to be some side dish for my family members that don't like anything but traditional meat and potatoes. Could you please help me think of something really special I could ask my family to make for me? Thank you! Perhaps I wrote my question wrong. My family usually has baked potatoes, frozen veggies, bread, meat and bagged salad for dinner. I want something a bit different than that-something a bit more planned than a bunch of things tossed together. for example, maybe meat ravioli with garlic bread and some vegetable that makes sense with that-maybe spinach? I'm just basically looking for some good ideas for meals that make sense and are almost guaranteed to be good. I can't go to a restaurant-we really don't have the time.

Public Comments

1. Maybe you could get everyone to bring a different dish to the party like one person bring something from the Thai take out place and another something from a mexican restaurant or something Greek perhaps? make it like a voyage around the world theme?
2. Why burden your family, it's a nice "gift" if they have the talent and skills, exotic and classy doesn't go with quick and easy. Do you have a kitchen big enough for more then two people to prepare this meal? Let everyone enjoy your B-day, make reservations at your favorite restaurant, your family will thank you.
3. Appetizer: Tortilla Chips with homemade mexican cheese sauce Then a salad with a variety of dressings (find out what people eat the most and buy just 3 different ones or so, or make an italian dressing and put that on the salad right before it's served) Homemade Beef Enchiladas Spanish Rice Refried Beans Mexican Cheese dip take a little margarine and put in pot drop in 1/2 cup onions and bell pepper saute til onions are clear add 2 cans green chiles cube up a large block of velveeta cheese while that is cooking add cheese and heat on low til done add a little milk til you get your desired thickness (or add 1-2 can's rotel, then the milk to your spicyness/thickness) Enchiladas make taco meat heat enchlada sauce fry corn tortillas til soft and drain place tortilla in cake pan fill with meat top with cheese and 1 spoon of enchilada sauce roll. continue this way for whole pan when all enchiladas are done, pour remaining sauce over them and cover with cheese, bake til cheese is melted. you can serve sour cream or guacamole on them if you wish.
4. One of my fave's is pork chops in mushroom soup (fry your fave cut of pork chop and just be for it is done add a can of mushroom soup and half a can of milk that you pre mixed. For a veggie I love cream corn ,use what you like i can't think of any thing that wouldn't work. For potatoes I love mashed, but pan fried is a close second .