How to Timeline Your DIY Taco Bar Meal Prep

More than a couple of people to whom I’ve spoken about this blog have said that what they would really like to know about is putting a menu together as well as the time it takes to have it all get to the table and still be able to enjoy their guests’ company.  Timing seems to be a particularly big theme.

Taking the DIY Taco Bar post along with the posts about making Seven Layer Dip and Tropical Bananas Foster, these can be used to pull together an easy, friendly lunch, brunch, or supper.  So, here’s how I organized the meal prep when I hosted a luncheon for several friends about a month ago using all these recipes.

Tropical Bananas Foster

For the DIY Taco Party that I hosted, I decided to create a dessert that would be easy to assemble for a group while also being a bit dramatic to make in front of guests and provide a not-too-heavy finish to the meal.  I think that this recipe managed to deliver on all fronts and is one that I would keep in the make-it-again file.

 

Seven Layer Dip - Taco Night Leftovers

 Side view of 7 Layer Dip

 

Leftovers, fresh or pre-cooked, can, with a few tweaks, be the basis of the next day’s breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Some of the best inspiration can come from foraging in your own refrigerator or cupboards or freezer.  For a variation on the DIY Tacos aka Fork Tacos recipe posted previously, here's a way to use up the remaining items, or, the dish could start out this way, depending upon your choice. Again, this is a dish that you could prepare with your child/ren, having them help count the layers as they are added to total the number 7.

It is also a good party dish as it can go a long way and, served in a glass baking dish, it adds lots of color to a spread. The key to this dish as well as the recipe given earlier is the flexibility that it provides, for family dinner, or even for entertaining. Both meals are relatively easy to prepare ahead so that you can enjoy your guests' company without having to constantly be in the kitchen.

Wine Tasting and Pasta at Otto Enoteca Pizzeria

So, my undergraduate alumni chapter is trying to revitalize here in the Big Apple. They are trying out various events to see if they can lure us out of our usual social circles to meet other people with whom we all share a common tie. The biggest draw has been [as is typical of a Southern school] Beer and Football. As we are a small school, and as the college football season is but a blip in the year, the alumni board needed to come up with other ideas to draw us together.

This month, they organized a wine tasting at Otto Enoteca Pizzeria,* part of the Mario Batali-Joe Bastianich (Lidia’s son) restaurant group. Being on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and the beginning of the period of sacrifice and reflection, I thought that that was an interesting choice in days. It turned out that the dark smudge on my forehead (I never can seem to get the priest who makes a nice, neat cross.) somehow became a talking point a few times during the evening. I even managed not to get any black flecks in my glass!

Here’s how we started out – with a glass of Chardonnay