Plan your Menu: The first item on the Mystery Menu Dinner is the menu itself. It's in code, and only the Cook knows the key. The guests must all make their choices for the Dinner courses from the Menu without knowing exactly what they may be ordering! An example: "Hourly Wage", when selected, will produce a serving of - "bread". (A sample Menu follows.)

Assemble your supplies: Along with the food items for your particular menu selections, you will need to have one copy of the (Sample)Mystery Menu for each Guest, as well as a pen or pencil for them to make their selections with. They will make their selections, in any order, with no help form the Host/Hostess, who will remain impervious to their plaintative wails of confusion, and return said Menu selections for their Dinner.

Select Your Guests: Average number of Guests is 4. Make sure all your guests bring their sense of humor, especially since, as in the Sample Menu, some of the selections are their eating utensils! (Note to the Cook: make sure nothing is too hot for fingers.)

The Wise Host/Hostess will have a "Helper": One person can host a Mystery Menu Dinner by themselves, but things flow much more smoothly and there is less chaos in the kitchen when serving up each Guest's course if there is someone conspiring with the Cook. The Menu is broken down into four courses, served individually, so that the Guests are not "overwhelmed" by their suprising selections. The obvious choice for a "helper" is a previous Guest, of course.

Modifying the Menu: You know your Guests. If you think a certain group might balk at having food served with no silverware ( it has been known to happen) then, by all means, take the silverware off of the Menu and put it back on the table. You can then either just shorten the Menu, or make your own substitutions. Also, if you happen to Host subsequent Mystery Dinners, and invite one or more of the same people, you will then be challenged to think up new items and/or different "code names" for the same items. Don't worry - you can do it! (Remember, this is where the Cook's conspiritor - I mean "helper" can come in handy.) Or you could be really wicked, and give them a Blank Menu.

A Note to the Host/Hostess: What about when you eat when you host a Mystery Menu Dinner? The easiest way is to have already eaten before your guests arrive, that way you can serve them 'restaurant style' and stand back to enjoy their reactions.(Or take pictures!) But me and others prefer to eat with our guests (this makes some of them much more comfortable about the whole thing) and in that case, you choose your menu items like you don't know what's going on either (even though you do - and you have the advantage of getting an eating utensil that way, too!) Of course, you have to keep with the spirit of the dinner, and order it out of sequence like your guests obviously will: for my "first course", I always order my dessert first (I know, bad girl), one eating utensil (smart!), and other unrelated items. And the other courses were out of order, too. Much fun! I always love deserts first! But here it really helps to have a 'helper' to clear each course and bring the next - you don't want any guests trying to help you and maybe seeing what's in the kitchen! Some of them are mighty smart, and they WILL go back and talk! Either way, it is so much fun!

The Sample Menu: My sample menu is simply a guide that you can either use as is, or use as a jumping off point of your own. Some people have fabulous imaginations, and can make a Cordon Bleu Mystery Menu Dinner without breaking a sweat. Me, I use heat-and-serve rolls. The food choices are also your own: for bread, I use the above mentioned rolls; my Mom used homemade garlic toast. You might choose something else. The point is, if the Cook/Host/Hostess does it right, everyone has a good time! *One little reminder: keep food portions small! Don't let a lonesome single serving make you go overboard with portion size. Trust me, no one will leave hungry. And remember, mistakes are part of the game! Have fun!

A Sample Mystery Menu Dinner Menu You can print this out for Guests.

The Mystery Menu Dinner "Code"For the Cook, not the Guests!

More Mystery Menu Dinner "Codes" Go ahead! Pick and choose and go wild and crazy with your own Mystery Menu!
( Thank You to Barbara, Sherry, that Buffalo Gal Mary and Jeannie C. for their input.)

A Blank Menu This is for those guests, like my Dad, who know every item on the Mystery Menu, but you want them to be surprised, too! You can mix up the menu before hand, or do it last minute in the kitchen.

Pictures! of a Mystery Menu Dinner I held for my sister's Birthday!

These Beautiful Banners courtesy of my friend Maggie.

Animated gifs courtesy of Mike Shaikun's List

So - Let me know if you had fun!

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