Beat out boring meals with a fall recipe swap

September 21, 2009

If you're bored by burgers or can't stand another night of chicken and frozen vegetables, a fall recipe swap may help you and your friends bring some variety back to the table.

Before the party, design personalized cards on which each guest can write the recipe for their favorite fall dish. You may use stamps, stickers or puffy pens to give each set of cards its own flair. Give each guest enough cards to give out their recipe to every attendee.

Ask everyone to prepare their meal and make enough to serve everyone. Hold an anonymous taste test by placing each of the dishes on fall color-coded paper plates. Vote on the best one and ask the cook to hold a workshop on how to make their autumnal masterpiece.

Surprise everyone with individualized recipe holders tailored to the same theme as their cards so everyone can go home with a collection of creative meal ideas.

Get the kids involved later by having them help prepare one of the dishes for dinner. Design fall-themed personalized aprons for each of your child chefs to wear when they help prepare the meal.