Throwing a dinner party is fun as it includes good food, good company, no corkage fees, and you can do it in the comfort of your own home. However, when you are the host of a dinner party, it can easily become stressful, most especially when it comes to preparations. Most people spend half the day preparing, and it always takes longer than you think. Sometimes, even when the guests are already arriving, you are still busy zooming around the kitchen. One tip is to consider using options like fancy and elegant disposable place sets to make setup and clean up easier and still have a great look.
One of the challenging parts of hosting a dinner party is coming up with what foods to serve. If you are planning for a dinner party and looking for some food ideas, you’re in the right place. Today, we are going to share with you a list of the best dinner party food ideas and recipes that we found, which you might like. Celebrate a special occasion, birthdays, private events, or just a night in the town at Old Homestead Steakhouse queens.
Meat and Poultry
If you are looking for some meat and poultry food ideas for dinner, here are some of the best ones you can check out:
Grilled Soy-Lemon Flank Steak with Arugula
If you are looking for something that can be prepared and cooked fast, then you can opt to grill meat. You can make the marinade of this recipe in the morning to achieve the best flavor. For the steak, all you need is a few minutes of grilling on each side and a few minutes to rest. You can also get the arugula and cheese from a farmer’s market to make this dish more special. You can check out the complete ingredients and cooking instructions of this recipe at This Mama Cooks.
Salami, Jalapeño, and Olive Pizza with Honey
You can also choose to serve pizza at a dinner party. Making some homemade pizza is easy as you can use store-bought dough and jarred sauce. To not end up with a soggy crust, avoid overloading the dough with toppings. You can check out one of the best pizza recipes for a dinner party at The Modern Proper.
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Garlic-Dill Yogurt Sauce
With this recipe, you will be able to make some meatballs in just 30 minutes. All you need to do is mix ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic, onion, and spices. Roll them into bite-size balls and bake them. You can also prepare its sauce in advance or while the meatballs are in the oven. You can serve these chicken meatballs on zucchini noodles, too. You can visit Diethood for the complete recipe.
Braised Chicken Legs with Fennel and Grapes
In this chicken recipe, think of grapes as a rustic way to braise the chicken in wine. You get the flavor while keeping the wine drinkable. For this dish, the red or green table grapes add a perfect amount of acidity apart from their sweetness. You can make sweet fennel and honey, spicy, red wine vinegar for shine, and spicy Calabrian chili paste.
Half of the grapes will break down at the bottom of the pan. These grapes will give a sweet and tangy braising liquid. The remaining raisins sit on the top of the chicken and remain intact to give a shiny and browned look out of the oven. To make this tangy and sweet recipe for dinner parties, go to Epicurious.
Grilled Pork Spareribs with Soda Bottle Barbecue Sauce
Grill master lingo is more than just slow and low grill. Also, it is an invaluable currency when it comes to grilling tender pork chops. During the 90 minutes, the chops or ribs are on the grill and the temperature never exceeds 300°F. This temperature limit results in tender, juicy, and bursting ribs with flavor.
The ribs are not placed directly over an open flame. That is why indirect heat is used to cook the ribs. As for the sauce, you have two options, each with the inherent subtle spiciness and sweetness of carbonated ginger ale or Coca-Cola. For this recipe, you can visit Epicurious.
Seafood
Here are some of the best seafood entrees for a dinner party that we can recommend:
Seared Ahi Tuna with Chimichurri Sauce, Avocado, and Arugula
For this recipe, it is very important to use high-quality tuna because its inside remains mostly raw. Shopping for the tuna can be quite challenging, but cooking this dish is simple and quick. It is a good dish for a dinner party that starts with an appetizer. You can also prepare the arugula and chimichurri in advance. This recipe is shared by Kitchen Confidante, and you can visit their website to see how it is cooked.
Maple-Glazed Sheet Pan Salmon
This dish can be cooked ahead of time. All you need to do is put the salmon and veggies on the sheet pan and cook them for 25 minutes. It will provide you with a healthy entrée that is filled with Brussels sprouts, squash, and radicchio. You can check the ingredients and detailed instructions on how to cook this dish at Tasting Table.
Roasted Hake with Clams, Cider Sauce, and Dill Oil
You can let your guests get a taste of the Spanish Camino with this elegant seafood dish. It is a light but delicious main course, leaving your guests some room for dessert. You can check out Olive for the complete recipe for this dinner party seafood dish.
Lemon Sole With Potted Shrimp Butter
Serving a whole fish is a feast and perfect main course while having a dinner party at home. The meat of the fish remains intact because of the bones but the lemon sole is one of the best you can choose for a dinner party. You can serve sole with brown shrimp, which is a classic seafood dish.
Instead of fresh shrimps, you can use canned shrimps. They make a delicious holiday seasoning with nutmeg and added capers. Hence, you can serve buttery shrimp to your guests. Try this recipe from the delicious magazine.
Steamed Fish With Scallions and Ginger
A classic preparation method for a whole steamed fish comes from this recipe. The ginger and scallions not only add flavor to the fish but also help to tone down the aftertaste of fish. As among the Chinese, serving a whole fish during Chinese New Year is a symbol of year-round prosperity.
Several serving tips for whole fish are meant to be kept in mind:
- Aim for the most distinguished guest.
- One side of the fish should be cleaned of meat and do not turn over.
- Simply lift the tail and the carcass will separate from the bottom half of the fish.
Vegetarian Foods
It is also a great idea to include some vegetarian dishes. This way, your guests who do not eat meat or fish will still be able to enjoy good food. These are also perfect for those who are into a healthy diet. Here are some of the best vegetarian dishes that are perfect for a dinner party:
Cauliflower Steak with Olive and Caper Salsa
This is a very simple dish, but it looks wonderful. You can make the salsa of this dish in advance because the more time you let it sit, the more flavor it yields. The cauliflower steak is easy to make. You just need to slice it and then roast it. You can pair this dish with a simple side salad. You can find the complete recipe for this healthy dish at the Cook Republic.
Eggplant Cannelloni
This is a dairy-free dish that mixes cashews in a delicious spinach and basil filling. To make this, you need to soak the cashews the night before your party. It is an important step as it yields the best result. You can also go for store-bought tomato sauce to make cooking easier. That way, all you have to do is roast or grill the eggplant slices, fill them, top them with sauce, and cook them in the oven before your guests arrive. You can find the complete recipe for this dish at Every Last Bite.
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
If you are looking into making soup from scratch, this one is easy. The only challenging part is grilling the red peppers, which is only for about 5 to 15 minutes. After that, everything else happens in the pot. This is a healthy and comforting soup that is perfect for a dinner party. You can find the detailed recipe for this soup at Minimalist Baker.
Grilled Jerk Tofu and Plantains with Mango Salsa
Tofu is the perfect canvas to reflect the other flavors. Extra-firm tofu is ideal because it holds up well on the grill after being pressed and marinated with homemade Jerk sauce. Freezing tofu for a planned dinner party can give you a better texture. Also, the marination is absorbed well.
Homemade mango sauce and grilled sweet plantains balance out the spiciness of the dish. Hence, it provides a full island flavor for vegan guests. Get this recipe from Epicurious to serve your guests well with jerk tofu.
Wild Mushroom and Parsnip Ragout with Cheesy Polenta
An earthy flavor can be obtained from this heart mushroom stew with a creamy polenta recipe. Also, umami-packed tomato and miso paste add flavors to this vegetarian dinner. You can use a mix of wild mushrooms such as boletus, shiitake, and maitake to add richness to the ragout. As a substitute, button or crimini mushrooms can be used. Serve the dish with sautéed garlic spinach or a side salad.
Dinner Party Food – Serve Guests With Best Dishes
When you plan a dinner party at home, you look for the best food ideas to please your guests. Sometimes, your guests prefer meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetarian food items. When you know their preference, you can make a perfect dinner for them using the above-mentioned food ideas.
When you serve your guests with unique recipes, they will be surprised and amazed by the taste, flavor, and serving techniques. Hence, you make a dinner party memorable for yourself and the guests too.