Before they get married, most men like to have one last night of celebrations with their best friends. When organizing a bachelor party – also known as a stag do – a popular option is to plan a dinner party. When arranging a dinner party for a stag do, choosing the right food is one of the top priorities. Men love to eat, and they like meals that are hearty and filling. Italian foods seem to fulfill these requirements and can be easily made from fresh, healthy ingredients.
The following are just a few suggestions of simple Italian fare that would get rave reviews at a stag do dinner:
Starters
Most men love meat so starting the stag do food with antipasto might not be a great idea; instead, make antipasto kabobs. These are simple to prepare because they only require arranging items on a metal or wooden kabob skewer. If you want to have your outing as a picnic, then store them in bags for some creative Italian picnic foods.
First, marinade simple items like olives, peppers, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, and cooked cheese tortellini in Italian dressing for several hours. Then, alternate these items on a stick, folding the meat slices several times to make them fit neatly. Add a sprig of parsley to the end for garnish.
Main Course
Italian cuisine offers at least two manly favorites for a unique stag do, pasta or pizza. If the affair is to be a sit down supper, pasta is perfect. Men are usually crazy about lasagne, and the more meat and cheese that it contains, the better they like it.
Simple lasagne can be made with store bought tomato sauce and no cook lasagne noodles. Just add the sauce to ground beef that has been cooked and drained of grease. Then, alternate this meat sauce with the noodles and shredded mozzarella cheese until a 9×13 inch pan is filled.
Cover with foil and bake for about an hour at 400 degrees. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes.
If the stag do is completely informal, Italian pizza is a great crowd pleaser. Gather a number of meats, sausages, vegetables and cheeses. Use readymade pizza bases, coat them pizza sauce, and then pile on these toppings.
Another good idea for a stag do is to make individual calzones so that they do not have to be cut or shared. These can be made by using frozen bread dough and bottled pizza sauce with meat. Make 6 inch circles by dividing the dough into four parts and rolling each section.
Spoon the meat sauce into the center of the circles, add a tablespoon of mozzarella cheese and fold over. Use a fork to press the edges together and brush with milk. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs. Bake for 20 minutes at 350, and watch the gentlemen line up for seconds.
Dessert
For the perfect ending to an Italian stag do dinner, most men would appreciate a chocolate Panini. These can be made by buttering one side of two pieces of bread and adding a pinch of sugar.
The alternate sides should be spread with cream cheese and half of a milk chocolate candy bar should be put between the slices with the buttered side out. These should be heated in a Panini press for two minutes and served with whipped cream and fruit if desired.
A healthier dessert for a stag do is to make a cheese and fruit platter presented in an attractive manner.
The key to a successful stag do dinner is to cater to the male palate and to have plenty of food. Italian food can be used to meet both of these requirements.
Guest writer Andrea Thompson enjoys preparing simple Italian dishes for friends and family.
