DIY Network

Comfort Food Family Night

By Stephanie Welch Alexander

The Ultimate Home Media Room just begs to be shared with family and friends. A Comfort Food Family Night is a way to warm the soul and relax from the stresses of the week. Inviting friends and family for a cozy meal is a great way to keep the atmosphere casual ... it's a night featuring comfortable clothes, favorite movies (or TV shows) and meals just like Mom used to make.

Secrets for Success

• Brainstorm a menu with friends and ask everyone to bring a potluck dish to share.
  
• Think of easy, bite-sized treats and fun foods for kids.
  
• Think of the number of people being served when choosing your dishes. A traditional Sunday-style dinner is appropriate for a small number of guests; a casserole might be easier and take less time to prepare for a crowd.

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Try these recipes from the DIY Recipe Archives!

Honey Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/4 pound) butter or margarine
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mild honey
1 tsp. salt
1 rounded tsp. curry powder
2 Tbs. peach or mango chutney
Small handful dried currants or chopped dark raisins
2 roasting chickens (3-1/2 to 4 pounds each)

Preparation:

To make sauce: Melt butter in a heavy 1-1/2- to 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, saute onion and garlic until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except chicken, stirring until combined. Heat until warm throughout and set aside to cool slightly.

To prepare chicken: Rinse and pat each chicken dry. Cut each into 8 serving pieces as directed. (Reserve and freeze backs for stock.) Dip each piece in honey mixture, coating completely. Lay chicken pieces (skin side up) on one or two shallow baking pans. Spoon any remaining sauce over chicken.

To bake: Place chicken in a cold oven, turn heat to 400 degrees and bake for an hour. If you're using two baking sheets, roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and switch shelf positions after half the baking time.

To serve: Transfer chicken to a warmed serving platter and serve hot, at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Miniature Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sprinkle cocoa powder on a cutting board lined with parchment paper. With a sharp knife, cut an ice-cream sandwich in half lengthwise and then crosswise, 5 times. Then thread a plumb raspberry onto a pick and into the sandwich for a quick, delicious treat.

Family Night Marquee Selections

For your consideration, some popular choices for family entertainment.

Shrek / Shrek 2
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Whale Rider
October Sky
The Wizard of Oz
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Finding Nemo
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Robots
E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial
The Secret Garden
Finding Neverland
Haunted Mansion
Daddy Day-Care
Muppets from Space
The Pacifier
Ella Enchanted
The Princess Diaries
Brother Bear
Freaky Friday
Radio

RESOURCES :

Best Ever Comfort Food
Liz Trigg
Lorenz Books, 2005
ISBN: 0754814734

300 Best Comfort Food Recipes
Johanna Burkhard
Robert Rose, 2002
ISBN: 0778800598

From Our House to Yours:
Comfort Food to Give and Share
Joyce Goldstein
Chronicle Books, 2002
ISBN: 0811836916

The Big Book of Potluck:
Good Food - and Lots of It - for Parties, Gatherings, and All Occasions
Maryana Vollstedt
Chronicle Books, 2003
ISBN: 0811838188