Surprise! What'cha Got Cookin'?

Mama Kat's writing prompt that I chose this week was, 4.) Your significant others family is coming over in two hours..think about what’s in your kitchen. Now QUICK…what’s for dinner!?!

What's that you say?  The in-laws are coming over for dinner in two hours?  I got this in the bag, honey.  This scenario is one excellent reason for meal planning, my friends.  I always know what's for dinner and I've done all of this week's shopping last weekend so I'm stocked and ready to roll.  Boo-yahhhh...as my daughter would say.  (Oh, dear Lord.)

BUT....

What I had planned for tonight's dinner was Broccoli Cheese Soup in the crockpot.  Here it is 2PM and I haven't started it.  Funny thing about crock pots - they're slow cookers.  So that idea is out.  Instead, what I do is go to the handy-dandy interwebs and look up a recipe for broccoli cheese soup that doesn't require the crockpot.  After all, I have all the ingredients!  So that's actually what's for dinner tonight.  I'm pulling out a ciabatta loaf I have from the freezer and calling it good.

Source: Food Network

There's always a chance that the in-laws come over on a night where a personal food preference or a food allergy leaves them hungry, or the amount of food I bought will feed our little crew but can't stretch quite far enough to feed a couple more mouths.  Let's run with that to make it interesting. 

In that case, I'm rifling through what's left of the meal plan for the week to see if anything else will work, or just go to the freezer.  First though, I'll set out chips and salsa which I always have...or right now I have a wheel of brie and even crackers to go with it, score! 

As for dinner, I'm still looking...I always have frozen chicken breasts - defrost, marinade and grill = done.  Right now I have a 10lb. bag of potatoes calling my name and all the ingredients to make twice baked potatoes = done.  I'm also trying to clean out my chest freezer in the garage because I plan on doing some MAJOR freezer meals this upcoming week so let's take out a ton of frozen broccoli and make a mean steamed broccoli = done.  How can steamed broccoli be tasty, you ask?  Why, with lots of salted butter, friend, lots of salted butter. That's what's for dinner in a pinch.  

Or, let's be honest here, I might suggest they just pick up a pizza on their way out to the house.

Bon apettit!