A birthday is a celebration that you look forward to with special trepidation. After all, it is he who gives so many positive emotions, pleasant words, sincere congratulations and long-awaited gifts. And this is a reason to get together with family and friends. But you also want to thank them and please them with something tasty.

But what to do if there is no way to set a rich table, but you don’t want to lose face at all? It turns out that you can surprise your guests with luxurious dishes and an unusual menu without spending a large amount of money. We will tell you how you can save money.

The sooner you start preparing for the holiday, the more likely you are to spend less money.

It is better to monitor retail outlets a week before the celebration and note where you can buy certain products cheaper.

Seasonality and replacement of heavy foods

A lot also depends on what time you were born.

For example, if your birthday is in the summer, you should focus on fruits and vegetables - at this time they are much cheaper than, say, in winter and spring.

Fruits, berries, herbs and vegetables can not only be put on the table, but also various dishes and salads can be prepared from them.

In winter, the basis of the menu can be preserved food from the cellar: preparations, tinctures, compotes.

Create a menu

Think in advance about what you will put on the table. Here is an economical (but no less tasty) version of the birthday menu:

  1. A variety of snacks (the more, the better). These can be cold and hot sandwiches, canapés, croutons, toasts, rolls, tartlets...
  2. Several types of salads.
  3. Hot meat dish: cutlets, baked chicken, fish or meat, meatballs, meatballs, cabbage rolls.
  4. Side dishes: rice, mashed potatoes, buckwheat.
  5. Dessert. It’s better to bake cakes, pastries, and muffins yourself - you save on groceries, and homemade baked goods are much tastier than store-bought ones.
  6. From drinks you can make compote or jelly, from alcohol you can buy fruit cocktails.

Recipes for simple and economical dishes for the holiday table

For some reason, many people believe that the feast will not be successful if the guests do not prepare as much fatty meat food as possible, which causes a heaviness in the stomach. But people come to the holiday to have fun, not to fill their bellies, so make more light salads and snacks.

Products for such a tasty and nutritious snack can be taken in any ratio. And it is very easy to prepare.

  1. Cut sausage, tomatoes, fresh or pickled cucumbers into cubes.
  2. Mix all the products, do not forget to season with mayonnaise and place on pieces of loaf.
  3. Place grated cheese and herbs on top.
  4. Bake the sandwiches for 10 minutes in the oven.

  1. Grate the processed cheese and add mayonnaise to it.
  2. Add garlic (greens won’t spoil the taste either).
  3. Spread the filling onto Armenian lavash and roll it into a roll.
  4. Cut it with a knife into pieces 4 centimeters wide.

Tomato and cheese appetizer

  1. After cutting the tomatoes into slices, place them on a large flat plate.
  2. Grind the sausage cheese using a fine grater.
  3. Grind the garlic with a press.
  4. Mix cheese, garlic, add mayonnaise and place on tomatoes.

Chanterelle salad

If time does not limit you, you can design it in the form of a fox as in the photo, but this is not important.

  1. Boil the chicken (it’s better to use fillet).
  2. Cut 3 pickled or pickled cucumbers into strips.
  3. Grind the cheese using a coarse grater.
  4. Combine everything, 200 g of Korean carrots, greens and 3 cloves of garlic passed through a press will add originality to the salad.
  5. Season the salad with mayonnaise.

Hot dish – potatoes with chicken

This option is not only economical, but also incredibly tasty.

  1. You can cut the chicken into pieces or take it whole. It needs to be grated with pepper and salt and placed on a baking sheet.
  2. Place 1 kilogram of chopped potatoes next to the meat.
  3. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for one hour.
  4. Sprinkle the finished dish with spices and herbs.

This recipe is used as the base for many cakes. To prepare it you need very few ingredients. But before you start making it, remember the rules, without which baking may not work.

  • The container in which the dough is beaten must be completely dry.
  • During baking, do not open the oven door under any circumstances.

And here is the recipe itself.

Birthday is the most important holiday for most of us. But over time, imagination becomes exhausted, and monotonous dishes appear on the table. I want something new, but no less tasty. What should the birthday menu be like? What original thing can you put on the table and surprise your guests?

Birthday menu composition

If you decide to celebrate your holiday at home, then you need to decide in advance what dishes and in what quantity you will prepare. However, you shouldn’t overdo it and prepare too many different kinds of dishes; most likely, most of them will never come to fruition. In addition, these should be relatively easy-to-prepare dishes, especially if you will be doing the cooking alone. Otherwise, you will be so tired that you will no longer want a holiday or a festive table.

The choice of dishes for your birthday depends on the format of the event. Will you sit at the table all the time, or perhaps you want to have a buffet, and soon move on to the entertainment program and dancing. In addition, you should definitely take into account the age of your guests and the time of year. The colder it is outside, the more food will be eaten.

Write on a piece of paper how many salads you want to prepare, how many appetizers, how many hot dishes. Moreover, try to cook as few similar dishes as possible. For example, if you decide to make the traditional salad “Herring under a fur coat,” you should not make another fish salad, for example, “Mimosa.”

  • Firstly, these are, of course, snacks. There should not be too many of them; their goal is not to kill the appetite before the main course, but rather to stimulate it. Three to five types of snacks will be enough on the table.
  • Secondly, these are, of course, salads. Three types of different salads will be enough. And it’s just great if the base of these salads is different, for example, fish salad, vegetable and meat.
  • Thirdly, cutting. Slicing is not considered a separate dish, but it should always be present on the table. Do not make too many cuts of one product - such dishes quickly become stale and spoil the overall appearance. It will be enough to have 1 plate (depending on the number of people) of meat, fish, vegetables and cheese.
  • Fourthly, there must be a side dish on the birthday table. At least one type. Most often, it is either mashed potatoes or potatoes baked with mayonnaise.
  • Fifthly, and this is practically the main dish on the table, hot. One type of hot dish is a must. But you can prepare 2-3 types, for example.
  • And the final chord of the holiday is dessert. It must be on the holiday table. This could be a cake, a pie, a variety of pastries or cookies, ice cream, jellies and puddings. Here, focus on the preferences of the majority of guests. If you don’t know their tastes, you can prepare two or three types of dessert to definitely please everyone.

Snacks for a festive birthday menu

Lavash roll with crab sticks

Compound:

  • Crab sticks - 200 g
  • Sausage cheese – 200 g
  • Garlic - 2 cloves
  • Butter - 100 g
  • Mayonnaise - 100 g
  • Lavash - 2 pcs
  • Dill - 1 bunch

Preparation:

  1. Cut crab sticks into small cubes. Grate the cooled sausage cheese and butter and mix with crab sticks.
  2. Finely chop the greens, crush the garlic, mix with the previously prepared mixture, add mayonnaise and spices. Spread the resulting mass in a thin layer on pita bread, roll it up, wrap it with cling film on top and put it in the refrigerator for several hours. Before serving, cut into beautiful pieces, diagonally.

Salads for a festive menu for a birthday

Salad with chicken and pickled mushrooms

Compound:

  • Hard cheese - 200 g
  • Smoked chicken – 400 g
  • Marinated mushrooms – 50 g
  • Onions - 2 heads
  • Boiled eggs - 4 pcs
  • Garlic - 3 cloves
  • Fresh tomatoes – 5 pcs.
  • Lemon juice - from ½ lemon
  • Salt, mayonnaise

Preparation:

  1. Finely chop the onion and fry it along with the mushrooms. Cut the chicken into cubes. Three cheese and eggs on a grater.
  2. Let's make the sauce. To do this, mix mayonnaise with lemon juice and garlic.
  3. We begin to lay out the salad in layers, coating each layer with the prepared sauce and pressing down a little. The first layer is chicken. The second layer is mushrooms and onions. The third layer is eggs. The fourth is cheese. Fifth - tomatoes.
  4. You can cut out shapes from the tomatoes to decorate the top of the salad.

Hot for a festive menu for a birthday

Meat with cheese and mushrooms

Compound:

  • Pork – 600 g
  • Mushrooms – 250 g
  • Cheese - 150 g
  • Flour - 200 g
  • Mayonnaise - 200 g
  • Pepper, salt

Preparation:

  1. On a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil, place half of the onion, which we previously cut into rings.
  2. We cut the meat like chops, along the grain, about 1.5 cm thick, beat it, add salt and pepper. Place the meat on a baking sheet on top of the onions.
  3. Fry the mushrooms and place on the meat.
  4. Place the second half of the onion, cut into rings, on top and press lightly.
  5. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of our dish, pour over mayonnaise and place in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
  6. You can make this dish even simpler and use marinated mushrooms rather than raw ones. Then they won't need to be fried.

How to decorate a holiday table?


Even before organizing a festive evening, the hospitable hostess must first carefully think through the menu for the birthday. It is advisable not only to surprise your loved ones, but also to take into account all the preferences of those invited to the celebration. Therefore, it is best to select birthday recipes carefully and work out them in detail. You can look for those birthday dishes that you wouldn’t be ashamed to serve in periodicals about cooking or on a variety of relevant Internet resources. Let's take a closer look at what to cook for a birthday:
It would be best to make birthday snacks light but satisfying. For example, by including seafood or exotic fruits in their composition. However, in this case, it is better to make sure in advance that those present at the holiday do not have individual allergies to these products.
Salads for a birthday party should be delicious and nutritious. They should become a kind of highlight of your table. Every woman has her own tricks in preparing them. The main thing is to minimize the time spent on cooking. Because it should be enough for hot dishes and a variety of canapés and sandwiches. Birthday salad recipes vary greatly in terms of complexity of preparation and components, so it is better to try the chosen option in advance and first evaluate it with your family.
The festive table for a birthday does not have to be “full” of many dishes. It is enough to select several basic and interchangeable ones. When choosing recipes for your birthday menu, start, first of all, from the traditional feasting habits accepted in your circle. By browsing through a lot of forums, you can not only approve a festive menu for your birthday, but also chat about interesting topics with their regular visitors and moderators. Which, if necessary, will help you with practical advice, and perhaps even help you with your own birthday menu - with photos and necessary comments.
A birthday dinner requires special attention. Most of all you will have to work on main courses and baked goods. Since they are the most popular on our holiday tables. When thinking about what to cook for a birthday, consider not only food, but also alcoholic drinks. The taste and composition of the dish should not only match the chosen alcohol, but also emphasize its bouquet.
Simple and delicious birthday recipes are the key to a great holiday and a warm welcome. They can make your evening more pleasant and cozy. After all, home cooking cannot replace the standard menu of cafes or restaurants. And now you know it for sure!

24.01.2020

Whole stuffed chicken in the oven with potatoes and apples

Ingredients: chicken, potatoes, apple, spice, garlic, salt, pepper

Chicken with apples and potatoes is a tasty and impressive dish. It’s not difficult to prepare, so be sure to take note of our recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 chicken;
- 400 g potatoes;
- 2 apples;
- 2 tbsp. spices for chicken;
- 1 tbsp. dry garlic;
- salt to taste;
- pepper to taste.

17.12.2019

Herring roll with melted cheese and fresh cucumber

Ingredients: herring, processed cheese, dill, cucumber

The saddle is, of course, good on its own, but even more so in the form of rolls with processed cheese, fresh cucumber and herbs. Try it, you will probably like this option.

Ingredients:
- 1 herring;
- 50-70 g of processed cheese;
- 2-3 sprigs of dill;
- 0.5-1 fresh cucumber.

29.11.2019

Salad "Maki" with chicken and mushrooms

Ingredients: tomato, champignon, chicken fillet, cheese, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, bay leaf, allspice, onion, salt, pepper, peas, dill, poppy seeds

The “Maki” salad will make a great impression on your guests at the festive table. It contains chicken, mushrooms, cheese, but its main advantage is its spectacular appearance.

Ingredients:
- 2 tomatoes;
- 150 g champignons;
- 1 chicken fillet;
- 150 g cheese;
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil;
- 2-3 tbsp. mayonnaise;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 2 peas of allspice;
- 0.5 onions;
- salt;
- pepper;
- peas for decoration;
- poppy for decoration;
- dill for decoration.

26.10.2019

Cake "Natasha" with sour cream

Ingredients: flour, sour cream, egg, sugar, baking powder, butter, raisins. peanuts, poppy seeds, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, confectionery sprinkles

Ingredients:
For the test:
- 180 g flour;
- 200 g sour cream 155;
- 2 eggs;
- 200 g sugar;
- 2 tsp. baking powder;
- 30 g butter.
For filling:
- 100 g dark raisins;
- 100 g blanched peanuts;
- 40 g poppy seeds.
For cream:
- 350 g sour cream 26%;
- 55 g of powdered sugar;
- vanilla sugar or vanilla extract;
- confectionery topping for decoration.

21.02.2019

Juicy whole roasted duck in the oven

Ingredients: duckling, apple, sauce, syrup, dry wine, seasoning, salt, pepper, butter

I bake duck with apples several times a year. Previously, it didn’t always turn out juicy for me; more often than not, I dried it out. But this recipe has made my duck delicious for the past few years.

Ingredients:

1-1.5 kilogram duck;
- 2-3 green apples;
- 15 ml. soy sauce;
- 25 ml. maple syrup;
- 200 ml. dry white wine;
- black pepper;
- Red pepper;
- thyme;
- vegetable oil;
- salt.

09.02.2019

Duck with sauerkraut in the oven

Ingredients: duck, sauerkraut, onion, salt, pepper

Quite often I cook poultry dishes for the holiday table. Absolutely everyone in my family likes duck with sauerkraut in the oven. The duck turns out tasty and tender.

Ingredients:

- 1 duck;
- 400 grams of sauerkraut;
- 150 grams of onions;
- salt;
- black pepper.

23.10.2018

Black Forest Cake

Ingredients: sugar, egg, flour, cocoa, salt, cream, cherry, liqueur, chocolate, butter

Black Forest cake can be prepared for a festive table. The recipe is quite simple and quite quick.

Ingredients:

- 200 grams of sugar,
- 5 eggs,
- 95 grams of flour,
- 30 grams of cocoa,
- a pinch of salt,
- 550-600 ml. cream,
- 2-4 tbsp. powdered sugar,
- 450 grams of canned cherries,
- 150 ml. cherry juice
- 3 tbsp. cherry liqueur or liqueur,
- 70-80 grams of dark chocolate,
- butter.

27.09.2018

Chanterelles fried with sour cream and onions

Ingredients: chanterelle, onion, sour cream, butter, salt, dill, parsley

Ingredients:

- 350 grams of chanterelles;
- 100 grams of onion;
- 110 grams of sour cream;
- 30 grams of butter;
- salt;
- parsley;
- dill.

20.05.2018

Duck with apples and oranges in the oven

Ingredients: duck, apple, orange, honey, salt, pepper

Duck meat is very tasty. Today I want to tell you how to cook a very tasty holiday dish - duck with apples and oranges in the oven.

Ingredients:

- 1.2-1.5 kg. ducks,
- 1 apple,
- 2 oranges,
- 2-3 tsp. honey,
- salt,
- black pepper.

17.02.2018

Braised pork ribs with potatoes

Ingredients: pork rib, potatoes, carrots, onion, pepper, salt, bay, paprika, garlic, water, oil

I don't know a single man who would refuse pork ribs. This is a truly masculine dish. I cook a very tasty, hearty dish for my beloved - stewed pork ribs with potatoes

Ingredients:

- half a kilo of pork ribs,
- 400 grams of potatoes,
- 1 carrot,
- 1 onion,
- 1 sweet pepper,
- salt,
- pepper,
- paprika,
- dry garlic,
- 1 bay leaf,
- chilli,
- 2 glasses of water,
- 30 ml. vegetable oil.

27.01.2018

Tiramisu with mascarpone and Savoiardi cookies

Ingredients: mascarpone cream cheese, cream, coffee liqueur, ground coffee, instant coffee, water, sugar, Savoiardi cookies, cocoa powder, grated chocolate

It is difficult to find a dessert that surpasses tiramisu in sophistication and sophistication. Absolutely perfect, with a subtle aroma of buttercream, this delicacy seems impossible to make even better. However, our culinary research does not stand still, we decided to make coffee tiramisu.

Ingredients:

- 200 g mascarpone cream cheese;
- 100 ml cream 35% fat;
- 40 ml coffee liqueur;
- 2 tsp. ground coffee
- 1 tsp. instant coffee;
- 100 ml water;
- 3 tsp. Sahara;
- 8-10 pcs. Savoyardi cookies;
- cocoa powder and grated chocolate.

27.01.2018

Juicy ground beef cutlets

Ingredients: veal, egg, onion, ground paprika, thyme, ground black pepper, salt, garlic, breadcrumbs, vegetable oil, canned tomatoes, sour cream

Don't know what to feed your family today? And you buy a small piece of veal and prepare very tasty and satisfying cutlets in sauce according to our recipe.

For the recipe you will need:

- 300 grams of meat;
- one egg;
- a head of onion;
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika;
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- ground black pepper - to taste;
- salt - to taste;
- two cloves of garlic;
- 1 tbsp. spoon of breadcrumbs;
- 20 ml vegetable oil;
- 300 grams of canned tomatoes;
- half a glass of low-fat sour cream.

18.01.2018

Jellied beef and pork

Ingredients: beef, pork ribs, bay leaves, peppercorns, gelatin, salt, water

I suggest you prepare a very tasty jellied meat. Beef and pork go well together in this dish. I have described the cooking recipe in detail for you.

Ingredients:

- beef - piece,
- pork ribs,
- bay leaf - 2 pcs.,

- gelatin - 10 grams,
- salt,
- water.

18.01.2018

Beef jellied meat

Ingredients: beef, water, peppercorns, gelatin, salt

Jellied meat is a very tasty and satisfying dish. There are a lot of jellied meat recipes and they are all incredibly tasty. Today I have prepared for you an excellent beef jellied recipe.

Ingredients:

- beef - piece,
- water,
- black peppercorns - several pieces,
- gelatin - 10 grams,
- salt.

10.01.2018

Sponge cake with sour cream

Ingredients: sugar, eggs, flour, soda, lemon juice, salt, sour cream

We suggest preparing a sour cream sponge cake, on the basis of which you can make a cake if you grease the cakes with cream prepared to your taste. An indispensable recipe for delicious baked goods.

Ingredients:
- 120 g flour,
- 150 g sugar,
- 4 chicken eggs,
- 100 g sour cream,
- 1 teaspoon of soda,
- 1 pinch of salt,
- 15 ml lemon juice.

Setting a festive table is quite an expensive task. Let's talk about various options for budget-friendly, satisfying and tasty dishes.

To begin with, we choose a planning practice. We study the products available and try to use them in holiday dishes. We write a list of dishes with ingredients and a list for purchase in the store.

We offer examples of tasty and inexpensive dishes with a brief description.

Salads, snacks

Envelopes/tubes with cheese and mushrooms. Wrap fried mushrooms with grated cheese in thin pita bread or pancakes, heat in a frying pan with butter on both sides until the cheese melts. Can be served both hot and cold.

Salad with mushrooms. Ingredients: boiled red beans - 100 g, mushrooms fried in butter - 100 g, 2 boiled eggs, garlic, salt, sour cream or mayonnaise. Mix everything.

Herring under a Fur Coat. Ingredients: 0.5 onions, 1 herring, boiled grated potatoes, grated carrots, egg, beets, mayonnaise or sour cream)

Sandwiches with cheese clouds. Grate 2 processed cheeses such as “Nadezhda”, “Gorodskoy”, grate 2 eggs, garlic, sour cream or mayonnaise, mix. Place the resulting cheese cloud on bread, you can add cucumbers and sprats.

Sauerkraut.

Quick salad. Mix 1 can of canned green peas, 0.5 finely chopped onions with sour cream or mayonnaise, plus salt and pepper to taste. It turns out simple and quite tasty.

Spicy carrots. These are variations on the theme of “Korean style carrots”. Grate carrots with garlic and ground black pepper, coriander, and other spicy hot seasonings, season with sour cream or vegetable oil.

Radish with carrots. Grate radishes with carrots, add salt and season with sour cream.

Avocado with cheese and garlic. Grate 1-2 medium avocados, 150 gr. cheese, 2-3 cloves of garlic, salt, season with sour cream or mayonnaise.

Available cutting options: cheese, sausage, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers.

Pancakes with various “economical” fillings. We wrap various fillings in thin pancakes: finely chopped or grated boiled eggs, rice with fried onions; liver with onions and eggs; mashed potatoes with mushrooms and fried onions; cheese with mushrooms; sliced ​​boiled sausage with mushrooms and cheese.

Salad with “Fish” cookies. Lay out in layers: “fish” cookies, coat with mayonnaise, grated smoked cheese (“Kolbasny”), finely chopped chicken breast with green onions, 3 finely grated eggs, a layer of mayonnaise. It’s better to let it sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours so that the cookies “soak.”

Salad with fresh vegetables and herbs:
Option 1: young cabbage, cucumber, dill, green onions, sour cream, salt.
Option 2: cucumber, radish, 2 finely chopped eggs, lots of herbs, salt, sour cream.
Option 3: cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, cheese, onion, herbs, salt, sour cream.
Option 4: chicken breast or ham, cheese, bell pepper, tomatoes, 2 boiled eggs, salt, ground pepper, sour cream or mayonnaise.

Tomatoes with cheese and garlic. Cut the tomatoes into rings, put grated cheese with garlic and mayonnaise on top.

Liver plates. We make liver pate: 0.5 kg of boiled or fried liver, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 0.5 pack of plums. oils, salt and spices to taste. Grind the liver with vegetables in a meat grinder and mix everything. Then place on “wheat plates”, tartlets or bread.

Salo. Lard can be used both as cutting and as a kind of snack by chopping it together with garlic and pepper in a meat grinder. Then spread this mixture on bread. It turns out especially tasty if such sandwiches are slightly warmed over a fire on a grill.

It turns out to be more economical when using an abundance of seasonal ingredients: if you have freshly picked or canned, frozen mushrooms, we prepare dishes with them; in the season of an abundance of fresh vegetables, we use them to the maximum, etc.

Hot

Chicken breast pancakes. Finely chop raw chicken breast, 1 onion, salt, pepper, mix with mayonnaise and fry in a frying pan.

Chicken cutlets. Scroll through the chicken breast, add a small piece of lard or pork, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, a little milk, bread or potatoes. Mix thoroughly and fry.

Liver pancakes. Grind 0.5 kg of chicken liver in a meat grinder or blender, 1-2 eggs, 2 tbsp. spoons of milk, onion, 100-200 gr. flour. Mix thoroughly until it becomes thick sour cream and place the pancakes on a heated frying pan.

Fish in sauce. Ingredients: 3 large pollock, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 100 gr. milk, 2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, salt, pepper. Place the fish in a hot frying pan, fry on both sides, add chopped carrots and onions, simmer for 5 minutes, add milk, sour cream, seasoning, simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Fried potatoes with onions.

Fried mushrooms with onions and sour cream.

Fish cutlets.

Boiled rice with fried mushrooms.

Separately, cook the rice and fry the mushrooms and onions, then mix or place the mushrooms on top of the rice. Chicken wings baked in the oven.

A few hours before baking, soak the chicken wings in the sauce: sour cream or mayonnaise, salt, pepper, hot seasoning. Then place on a baking sheet and bake until crispy. Wrap in thin pita bread, laying out in layers: mashed potatoes, minced meat or stew, fried onions, cheese, sour cream.

Warm meat salad. Fry separately: finely chopped chicken breast, some beef and vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, onions. Place in a heap on a plate and serve hot.

Potato pancakes with sour cream and mushrooms.

Zucchini fritters with sauce(mayonnaise, sour cream and garlic)

For tea

Homemade baked goods are much cheaper and more natural than store-bought ones.

Sponge cake with apples. Beat 5-6 eggs and 150-200 gr. sugar, add 100 gr. flour, the dough should be like liquid sour cream. Cut 2 medium apples into a baking dish, add the dough and bake for 30 minutes.

Pie based cake. You can make a cake based on this pie. Cut the pie into several layers, coat with cream, add soaked dried fruits, marmalade, berries, and fill with chocolate glaze.

Pancakes or thin pancakes with jam, condensed milk, chocolate

Homemade cookies and waffles

Ice cream with jam or chopped bananas

Marshmallows and cookies

Cheesecakes for tea with jam and sour cream

Cottage cheese cake.
Lay out in layers: cookies like “Jubilee”, “Sugar”, a layer of cottage cheese with sour cream, a layer of thinly sliced ​​marmalade, a layer of cookies, a layer of cottage cheese with sour cream, a layer of marmalade, cookies, cottage cheese and fill with chocolate glaze.

For chocolate glaze, melt 2 tsp in 100g milk. cocoa powder, 4-5 cloves of dark chocolate, 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.

Fruits

The use of exotic fruits significantly increases the cost of the holiday table; you can use more affordable fruits: apples, pears, bananas, oranges. In season - watermelon, melon.

After the holiday

It happens that many products remain after the holiday. So, you can cook a hodgepodge soup from sliced ​​vegetables and sausages, make a kind of gravy for a side dish, and make a casserole from the remaining side dish and hot dishes. If there is a lot of food left after the celebration, then some can be frozen in the refrigerator, for example, chicken, cutlets, sausage, pancakes and cheesecakes, fish and many others. This way they will be kept fresh and will significantly reduce the time it takes to prepare food in the future; all you need to do is take them out and heat them up.

Birthday is a long-awaited and special holiday for every person. On this day, you want to gather all your close friends and relatives at one table and spend the evening in a warm atmosphere. As soon as such plans appear in your head, the need to create the right menu immediately arises. What should be the festive table for a birthday? This question confuses many, forcing them to look for alternative options for celebration that exclude a feast. In fact, everything is quite easy if you think through the dishes in advance.

How to correctly calculate the number of dishes

First you need to decide how many guests you will feed and how generous your table will be. First courses for banquets are usually not used, with the exception of some exotic oriental soups. However, even in this case, they are more problems than they are worth. Stick to appetizers, mains, and dessert.

If you are not planning a large-scale celebration, you can get by with an exclusively sweet table. Today there are many excellent confectionery shops offering cakes and pastries for every taste. You can go the other way by completely excluding dessert from the menu. In this case, you will have to pay more attention to the main dish.

Depending on the number of guests, calculate the volume of future treats. The easiest way to avoid mistakes is to serve dishes in portions, like in a restaurant. The only negative is that you will have to run around the guests quite a bit until everything is in its place. If this doesn’t suit you, do it the old fashioned way – cook with extra food. Remember: it’s better to have something left over than for everyone to sit at an empty table.

Planning a holiday menu

In some families and companies, it is customary to cook, if not the same, then very similar dishes from year to year. Whether this is good or bad, one can argue endlessly. However, you will know for sure that everyone will leave full and satisfied, and guests will not faint from the sight of exotic treats. So, the standard menu for all occasions of ceremonial feasts:

1. Birthday snacks and salads

Snacks are prepared quickly, do not require special investments and are always in demand on the table. Offer your guests a wide variety of treats and prepare light dishes to suit every taste.

Mandatory set

Prepare a separate plate for the meat appetizer, thinly slice the sausage, ham, boiled pork or any other similar ingredients. Do the same with cheese and vegetables. At the same time, the more types of a particular product you use, the richer and more festive your table will look.

Korean cuisine

At every vegetable market, you can easily find a stall selling Korean snacks. They will decorate the feast favorably and dilute its usual content. Be sure to take Korean carrots, cabbage, pork ears, soybeans and any other delicacies you like. Place everything into small bowls.

Pickles

Search your pantries for pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. Such snacks will not remain untouched.

Salads on the table - simple and tasteful

Salads will not only help feed guests, but with due diligence they will also make the table brighter. Don't forget that food should not only be tasty, but also beautiful!

You can use the good old Olivier, salad with crab sticks and Caesar. However, “Herring under a Fur Coat” has not been canceled either. For those who find the fishy taste of “Shuba” unpleasant, prepare “Bride”. The recipe is almost identical, but it will suit even the most demanding gourmets.

A very easy to prepare salad with ham and pineapple. Buy canned pineapples already diced. Cut the ham, boiled eggs and hard cheese (also into cubes) yourself. Add crackers (you can from a pack) and season with mayonnaise.

You can surprise your guests with “sea” salads - shrimp, mussels and squid are perfect, as well as lightly salted fish. Seafood goes well with vegetables, eggs and hard cheese. Use low-fat mayonnaise, sour cream or olive oil as a dressing.

Vegetable salads like vinaigrette will serve as a light snack and will certainly delight vegetarians. And to accompany the vinaigrette, prepare “Spring” and “Greek”. For the first, use all the greens that come to hand: dill, parsley, sorrel, green onions. Add a boiled egg and radish to them, season with sour cream. “Greek” is an improved model of the well-known cucumber and tomato salad. Cheese cheese, olives and sunflower oil are added to it.

2. Main course

First, you should think about what your guests like more - meat or fish. Please ensure that the dish looks decent. Try to give it a beautiful shape, bake until an appetizing golden crust and decorate it further.

Without meat during the feast, it will be bad, so be sure to prepare at least one main dish with this ingredient. Chicken is the easiest to handle. You can bake delicious legs and wings or use the sirloin for chops.

Beef and pork will take more time, but steaks or cutlets are perfect for a holiday menu. As a delicacy, you can prepare duck with apples or veal medallions.

For many home cooks, cooking fish does not seem like the most enjoyable pastime, so fish menus are not often chosen for the holidays. Of course, you will have to spend extra effort and nerves on removing bones, cleaning and cutting. However, stuffed pike, baked carp or pike perch in batter will be a real feat on your part and will definitely be remembered by everyone present.

Tricks for the lazy:

  • To minimize the time spent in the kitchen, you can use ready-made meal options. First, pay attention to grilled chicken, which can be found in any supermarket. It will look great on the table, and all you have to do is divide the bird into portions.
  • Home delivery of food is not a bad option either. Choose several varieties of pizza and order it right when your guests arrive. Japanese cuisine will cost a little more. Sushi and rolls are a great option for a holiday. Make sure everyone has enough of both.

Think separately about the side dish. Of course, it is better to leave various cereals for your daily diet. Potatoes are suitable for the holiday: mashed potatoes, fries, new ones with dill, rice with vegetables will look beautiful.

3. Dessert

The most common way to use dessert is cake. Moreover, in honor of a birthday, you can decorate it with burning candles. But one cake will not be enough for you. Be sure to place vases with sweets or cakes and a large plate of fruit on the table.

Although going to the store for holiday goodies is not at all necessary. After all, a birthday is a great occasion to please your friends with homemade baked goods. Even the simplest pie, made with your own hands, will make an indelible impression, and what can we say about cakes, baskets or Napoleon cake!

If you have planned the menu so that everyone is already quite full during the main course, prepare a light and fresh dessert. For this, a fruit salad seasoned with honey or sour cream, panna cotta (a dessert made from cream and vanilla) or any variety of cocktails (milk or alcoholic) are suitable.

4. Drinks

When choosing drinks, consider the preferences of all guests. If there is only strong alcohol on the table, this may put some guests in an awkward position. Make sure you have wine and champagne available. Don't forget about soft drinks. Place several types of juice and lemonade on the table, and offer coffee and tea for dessert.

Buffet or the delights of self-service

If you don’t plan to get hung up on constantly sitting at the table, but prefer a more active celebration and want to entertain your guests with fun, offer your guests a buffet.

The main rule that should be followed: all dishes should be divided into small portions that can be taken and eaten immediately. An excellent option would be various snacks: sandwiches on skewers, chopped vegetables and fruits, cheese and meat plates. You can immediately put sweets on the table. These can be eclairs and sweets or any other delicacies. At the same time, setting the table for a birthday will take you much less time, and you won’t have to constantly take away and bring plates.

As for the main course, you will have to use your imagination. Your guests will have to take more food with their hands, otherwise cutlery will be in all corners of the apartment. Baskets with various fillings (meat, fish, mushrooms) can help you out; you can also prepare delicious pancakes (it is better to cut them into small, neat pieces). If desired, chicken legs will also work. To do this, wrap the bone beautifully with a napkin in advance.

Place all drinks on the table immediately. Uncork bottles of wine in advance so that guests don’t have to waste time looking for a corkscrew. Don't forget to place glasses and saucers in a visible place.

Holiday picnic

A great option for celebrating is always going out into nature. Especially if you are lucky enough to be born in the warm season. Hot birthday meals cooked over a fire will be both appropriate and tasty.

Of course, the menu is planned before the trip. It is better to bring some dishes ready-made, but for others you will need preparations:

  1. Marinate your barbecue meat ahead of time. It could be steaks, kebab or the same wings. Remember that chicken marinates quickly enough, but pork and beef will have to start preparing almost a day in advance.
  2. The pilaf you personally prepare will cause genuine delight among your guests. Don't forget to take a cauldron and plenty of oriental spices with you.
  3. It is better not to take mayonnaise salads with you, or dress them immediately before eating, otherwise they may release juice and lose half the taste. Various sandwiches are perfect as snacks.
  4. You can prepare the side dish at home, or bake the potatoes in coals. Meat fried over a fire is quite fatty in itself, so fresh or baked vegetables are best suited to it.
  5. In addition to the standard set of drinks, do not forget to take plenty of water with you. During active recreation in nature, everyone will definitely want to drink. You may also need to rinse your hands.

Decorating the table and dishes to create the right atmosphere

Don’t forget that in itself it creates a festive atmosphere. Don't skimp on getting the best tablecloth and expensive dinnerware. Polish your glasses and cutlery to a shine in advance. Place a beautiful napkin on each guest's plate. Ideally, use cloth napkins to cover guests' laps while they eat. Try to make some original figures out of them. If it doesn’t work, just fold it into a wave or a neat square.

Don't forget to add some solemnity to your dishes. Even a simple bunch of greenery will add interest to your treats. You can purchase a special knife for curly cutting in advance. Then banal cucumbers and tomatoes will turn into real works of art. In addition, salads can be laid out in any original shape that comes to mind - from a hedgehog to the Eiffel Tower.

Try to create a holiday for yourself first. Even outdoors or in a restaurant. A few inflatable balloons and confetti bows are sure to lift the spirits of both you and your loved ones.

10 simple tips on how to make your holiday tasty and enjoyable:


Setting the table for your birthday yourself may not be the easiest task. But if you approach the task with soul and creativity, even the preparation process itself can bring a lot of positive emotions. In addition, this is another reason to show off your culinary skills and hospitality in front of your friends.