Spring Break Staycation
Angela Beck
It’s always around this time of year where we run out of dinner ideas, and cooking feels like even more of a chore. Add to that the fact that few of us are traveling for spring break, and we’ve decided to bring spring break to us: set the table with beachy place settings, pour some fun and fruity cocktails and mocktails, and try a new recipe or two. Read on for some dinner ideas (tiny cocktail umbrellas sold separately) and use your best judgement in terms of quantities. Who has time for measuring ingredients these days!
Bahamian Mac & Cheese with Lyford Collection
One might not expect it from a warm-weather destination, but baked mac and cheese is a Bahamian specialty and for good reason—it’s crazy delicious. To make, cook any kind of pasta until it’s just al dente. Make a cheese sauce from a roux (flour and butter), add whole milk and your favorite shredded cheeses. Stir the cheese sauce into the drained pasta and feel free to add additional elements, like cooked peas, bacon, or cubed grilled chicken. Pour the entire mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish and cover with more shredded cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Bake until the top is crusty and golden and serve alongside Lyford table linens.
Lettuce Cups with Turtle Collection
Turtles aren’t the only ones who love nibbling on lettuce—particularly if said lettuce is filled with this Chinese-inspired chicken and water chestnuts (yum) filling. Cook ground chicken in a small amount of vegetable oil then add in a bit of garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, white rice vinegar, diced shiitake mushrooms, and some freshly minced ginger. Once the chicken is cooked, add in chopped water chestnuts, sliced scallions and finish with a dash of sesame oil. Drop a large spoonful of the mixture into the center of each lettuce leaf (using butter lettuce is key for crispy and delicious cups) and serve with extra hoisin sauce and Turtle table linens.
Maine Lobster Rolls with Ahoy Collection
We might be months away from lazy summer days in New England, but homemade lobster rolls can be devoured any time of year. Buy chopped lobster meat at any good seafood market, and make Connecticut-style lobster rolls (where the meat is warm and served with butter) or Maine-style (cold lobster meat with mayo and celery leaves). Whichever way you decide to serve the lobster rolls, be sure to butter and toast all sides of the buns and top them with a handful of good potato chips. Set out the rolls on Ahoy collection of table linens.
Floridian Pasta Salad with Starfish Collection
Super-customizable, filling and fun, pasta salad is particularly delish if the pasta itself is cute. Enter: pastina… tiny star-shaped pasta that’s typically used in soups. For this dish, treat the pasta as a blank canvas for your favorite flavors and toss in such additions as chopped grilled vegetables, feta crumbles, pesto and more. Toss it together with a simple dressing of olive oil, salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve in a glass bowl amidst Starfish collection of table linens.
