Dinner party menu ideas
“What do you cook for a dinner party?”
28 answers from 20 people · Updated Nov 2, 2026
10 recs
Genuinely one of the best tasting, easiest and quickest recipes on Earth. Will impress you every time you make it, and impress guests more.
Marry Me Chicken is simple but really delivers for guests.
It’s straightforward and really delicious. People licked plates last time! Well maybe not but I was asked for the recipe by two of the guests which is either the best compliment or a really kind thing to do for a tired host. Th is recipe is also my favourite one.
5
An easily executable summer dinner party
to drink: vino verde and beer Pre dinner snacks: marinades olives with feta from the bar at the grocery store, salt and vinegar chips, roasted chili pistachios Dinner is greens with Gotham greens green goddess dressing, the pasta recipe linked here, and smitten kitchens grilled chicken recipe with the lemon herb vinaigrette - grill while your guests are hanging and snacking. I did boneless breasts and thighs and it turned out great. For the kids, a box of Annie's Mac and cheese, the grilled chicken, strawberries Dessert is Alison Roman's blueberry cornmeal tart with vanilla ice cream Easy to execute - I made the tart and vinaigrette in the morning. Pasta is truly a 30 min to plate situation, made it right before guests arrived and just left in the pot and warmed for a few min before serving. Had 4 adults and 3 kids with plenty of leftovers.
734
take a page from the french and serve roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and a simple salad with ice cream for dessert! roasting the whole chicken is a nice dinner party move but roasting chicken thighs and legs is even easier and kid-friendly. keep the salad truly simple with just one variety of lettuce dressed in a mustardy red wine vinaigrette. if mashing potatoes feels like too much work, layer thinly sliced potatoes underneath the chicken and cook it at the same time. extra points if you farm out part of the work to a guest, salad and ice cream being the easiest!
21
a fresh take on coq au vin that always hits. make it ahead to reduce day-of dinner party duties with the added bonus that flavors will deepen overnight. yum!
Living in LA, you will have a friend(s) who is both gluten free and dairy free, including them in dinner parties will feel daunting. However this recipe is both (if you exclude the finishing cheese on their serving) and it's one of the most delicious things you can make.
31
This recipe is so easy but looks/sounds/tastes impressive and makes me feel like a little umami chef genius every time I make it for someone. I’m making it tonight for a friend and can’t wait to eat it!
2
as a former vegetarian this meatless recipe impressed my family and friends. I’ve hosted several lasagna + cannoli nights with this one. I think Garfield would approve.
7
Dishes We've Cooked For Our Events
6 recs
Highlighting some of our favorite things to cook for our own parties, cohosted events and ongoing dinner series.
Momofuku Bo Ssam Recipe (NYT gift link)
I love a braised or low and slow meat situation for a party. They can be so impressive on flavor while not being very high maintenance right before ppl arrive. This Bo ssam is easy and fun, and if you have a rice cooker, you can do all the heavy lifting early. The only thing to do right before eating is crisp up the top. Go wild with condiments and kimchis and pickles!
152
The answer to your dinner party main dish is beef tenderloin
We aren't attending enough dinner parties starring beef tenderloin, and it's time we rectify that. You get to tie this up with twine, satisfying! Show stopping! Low and slow in the oven. Make a horseradish sauce and DELIGHT your guests. We used the attached Caro Chambers recipe when we hosted Christmas last year. It was GOOD I still think about it.
385
Curried cauliflower and cheese filo pie
It's so simple and so good! A mainstay in my recipe rotation.
1
A pavlova is my favorite low-lift dinner party dessert. Make a big one orrrrr individuals if ur feelin fancy. A little whipped cream on top and your favorite fruit (i went black cherry + passionfruit here) and you’re set!!!
171
Filet Mignon! Classic, here's how to get the perfect sear. Serve with an arugula, shaved fennel, and parm salad dressed in a light lemon vinaigrette and maybe make some mashed potatoes or roast some baby potatoes or quickly sauté some asparagus (if you're feeling fancy do a béarnaise sauce).
2
Crispy Gnocchi with Mozzarella
Nearly 17k ratings on NYT Cooking, they can't all be wrong! Quick to throw together and can easily be scaled up. Top tip: If you're using store-bought gnocchi, the shelf-stable kind usually has a higher potato % than the kind you'll find in the fridge cabinets.
1
It’s pretty hands off especially if needing to focus on hosting. Season the salmon how you like, bake, finish with fresh dill and lemon. Some low effort sides like a nice rice medley situation, broccoli or asparagus (that could also be roasting in the same oven), or potatoes or angel hair pasta all go well.
22
We are certified curry connoisseurs and this might be as good as it gets. Beef rendang is an Indonesian/Malaysian/Singaporean curry made with coconut milk, chilies, lemongrass, galangal and kerisik until the meat is ultra tender and the sauce thickens to almost a paste. It takes a while. It is so very worth it. If you have a pot that can hold the increase in meat, double up the recipe. It freezes extremely well. Ingredients 2 turmeric leaves or 6 markut lime leaves shredded ~2.5lb beef shin 2 cups coconut milk 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised 4 tbsp kerisik (if you can't find, honestly homemade is better. Toast 4tbsp of shredded coconut and mortar/pestle with a little bit of coconut milk until it turns into a paste) Ingredients to be ground 30 dried cili kering (most small, low heat chilis will do) 3 stalks lemongrass 1 inch galangal 2 inches ginger 5 cloves garlic 2 large white onions, quartered ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp ground coriander Fried shallots, cilantro and sliced fresh chilis to garnish Break the dried chilis in pieces and soak them in a bowl of hot water for at least 15 minutes. Drain and rinse when done before setting aside. Heat some neutral oil in a dutch oven while patting dry your beef shins. Brown them on both sides, about a few minutes each, then remove and set aside to rest. Start blending the 'to be ground' ingredients in the order that they are listed above. Start with lemongrass, blend for 10 seconds, then galangal, another 10 seconds, then ginger, then garlic, the prepared rehydrated chilis, and so on. Add a quarter of an onion for moisture when the paste seems dry. Continue until you have a fine and consistent mix. Place shins back in the dutch oven, then add your ground paste, the coconut milk, the kerisik, a tsp of salt, the remaining lemongrass, a cup of water (or beef broth) and finally the thinly shredded turmeric/lime leaves. Let it come to a gentle simmer over low heat. Stir before leaving, uncovered, to cook for about 3 hours, until the beef is meltingly tender and you have a dry-ish curry. Alternatively, if you feel uncomfortable with the whole stove top for hours situation, you can place in the oven at 275 for as long. Check on the rendang at two hours and mix if spots are looking dry. Continue to mix every 15 minutes or so until meat is borderline disintegrating. Taste test and ad salt if needed. Serve over rice or with paratha and garnish.
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18 recs
