Planning a dinner party can be exciting but also daunting. If you’re not sure what to cook, take the faff out of entertaining with our simple recipes. These delicious main course ideas are all easy to assemble and cook. Some can be made ahead, some are quick to prepare on the night, and all of them offer maximum flavour for minimum effort.
Take your pick from classic dinner party ideas like creamy risottos, fishcakes, venison, pork and lamb. Choose from elevated chicken traybakes, a whole sea bass with a tomato sauce, or homemade gnocchi. You’ll also find plenty of vegetarian and vegan dinner party mains, which are impressive enough to feed the whole gang.
Need help deciding on what to serve with your lasagne, or looking for an idea for a full menu? We’ve pulled together dinner party menu ideas – from vegetarian to seasonal options.
For those nights when hosting isn’t on the cards…check out our easy midweek dinner recipes.
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Alternative Christmas roast recipesHerby tamarind lamb with baked jollof rice
This tamarind and herb-stuffed lamb leg with baked jollof rice recipe is a celebratory Senegalese-inspired one-pot by award-winning author and...
Dairy-freeGluten-free
Medium
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Duck recipesRoast duck breast with honey, sesame, orange and celeriac
Thrumming with earthy autumnal sweetness, this dish has serious duck à l’orange undertones. The celeriac – half made into a...
Gluten-free
Easy
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August seasonal recipesBraised chicken with a runner bean fricassée
This is a simple and summery chicken dish which makes great use of seasonal produce (and plenty of garlic). Runner...
FreezableGluten-free
Easy
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30-minute meal recipesGrilled miso, lime and ginger mussels
Perfect for a starter or served with chips for a main, these crispy-zingy mussels come complete with their own mini...
Easy
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New potato recipesSummer roast chicken with holiday potatoes and courgette and peach salad
delicious. food producer Pollyanna loves roasting a chicken in the summer: “There’s nothing more universally loved than a simple, home-cooked...
Fill guests in on the plans when they arrive — when dinner should be ready, who else is coming and where the bathroom is. As the host, you set the tone for the evening. Guests will feel your tension, so if you aren't relaxed, guests will feel tense and unwelcome. Make sure everyone is comfortable.
Don't forget who your dinner partner is (to the right for men, to the left for women) and chat with them first. Do not turn your back on someone, and never make them feel like they're not interesting (or that someone else is more important, interesting, etc).
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