Yesterday you got to see a Movie Night {Under the Stars} in all it's glory -
today, you get the recipes.
I (and Ashley, too!) prepared everything from {nearly} scratch.. and it was hard work.
BUT- most wasprepped the day before, so the day of the actual party was mainly just assembly.
Since the party was held outside and the theme was encouraging guests to sit out on lawn chairs to watch a movie.. we wanted to make the food 'easy'. Easy to enjoy without issues, but worthy of serving at a party.
So, fancy sammysfor Picnic Party fare it was.
Picnic Party Menu
Food
Flank Steak on Ciabatta with Grilled Vegetables
Pork Tenderloin & Fontina on Texas Toast
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Caesar Vinaigrette
Home Style Potato Salad
Apple Slaw
Salsa
Assorted Chips
BBQ Chips, Tortilla Chips, Kettle-Cooked Sweet Potato Chips
Beverage
Red Sangria
White Sangria
Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
Assorted Beer
Water
Treat Station
AssortedMini Pies
S'mores Station
Boxed Movie Candy
Butter Popcorn & Seasonings
Cake (of course)
Potato Salad
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
10 peeled, cooked, and cubed potatoes
4 hardboiled eggs, chopped
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2/3 cup dill relish
--
Mix together thefirst 5 ingredients. Add in the potatoes, eggs, onion, celery and relish.
Mix gently to combine. Chill for several hours before serving.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
6 ounces Grilled Chicken Breast
1 heart of Romaine, chopped
2/3 cup croutons
¼ cup shredded or shaved parmesan cheese
4 ounces Caesar Vinaigrette dressing
Caesar Vinaigrette Dressing
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup distilled vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
--
Whisk together ingredients until combined. Chill until ready to serve.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin & Fontina on TexasToast
4 lbs boneless pork tenderloin
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Texas Toast, toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves, halved lengthwise
8 ounces fontina cheese, cut into (1/4-inch thick) slices
--
Preheat grill. Drizzle the pork on both sides with olive oil and season withsalt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle both sides with the Italian Seasoning and grill.Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of themeat registers 160 degrees F. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let restfor 10 minutes. Slice the tenderloin into 1/4-inch thick slices.
In a small bowl,combine the mayonnaise, basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Seasonwith salt and pepper, to taste.
To assemble thesandwiches: Lay the bottom half of the bread on a work surface and spread with mayonnaisemixture. Add the lettuce leaves, arrange the cheese slices on the lettuce andtop with the pork slices. Spread the top half of the toast with mayonnaisemixture and then arrange on top to complete the sandwiches.
Grilled Flank Steak on Ciabatta
Marinade
¾ cup soy sauce
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 ½ pounds flank steak, trimmed
Grilled Vegetables
2 large sweet onions
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 red bell peppers
Bacon Horseradish Sauce
2 teaspoons minced green onion
1 cup mayonnaise
6 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
6 (2- to 3-oz.) ciabatta rolls, split
1 1/2 cups loosely packed arugula
--
For the marinade:In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, oil, Worcestershiresauce, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper. Add the flank steak, seal the bag, andrefrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Preheat a grill tomedium heat.
Drain the steak,discarding the marinade. Place the steak on the grill. Grill 4 to 5 minutes oneach side, or until desired temperature. (You may also bake at 425 degrees Funtil a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion reads 145 degrees, 40 to45 minutes.) Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
For the vegetables: Grill onion andbell pepper strips, covered with grill lid, over 400° to 450° (high) heat 7 to10 minutes on each side or until lightly charred and tender.
Brush cut sides ofrolls with remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and grill, cut sides down, withoutgrill lid, over 400° to 450° (high) heat 1 to 2 minutes or until lightlybrowned and toasted.
For the baconhorseradish sauce: In a small bowl, combine the green onions, mayonnaise,bacon, horseradish, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover and chill.
To assemble: Spreaddesired amount of Bacon Horseradish Sauce over the bottom of the rolls. Topwith desired amount of arugula and onion/pepper mixture. Top with sliced flanksteak. Cover with roll tops. Serve immediately.
Apple Slaw HERE
The recipe calls for chopped cabbage and sliced carrots.
I took the easy route and used traditional bagged pre-made coleslaw to save on some labor.
Red Sangria HERE
White Sangria HERE
Lemonade HERE
Strawberry Marshmallows HERE
Mint Marshmallows HERE
