Best Recipes for a Dinner Party – The Ultimate Guide
best recipes for dinner party

Without a doubt, all of us enjoy dinner parties. It’s a chance to catch up with friends and family while also indulging in delectable fare. However, someone has to prepare the dinner party – and since you’re reading this article, it’s probably you!

Even though cooking that much food may seem challenging, we’re here to assist you with that – the only thing you’ll need to think about is what to wear to the party! 

Continue reading and find out the best recipes for a dinner party – from appetizers to entrees! 

Types of Food You’ll Need for Your Dinner Party

Choosing the menu for a dinner party can be challenging. There are so many alternatives, and each of your guests will have different preferences.

You will, however, be sure to satisfy the majority of your guests if you have a little bit of everything. Here are some interesting dinner party ideas:

Appetizers 

Appetizers are something that needs to come first on your dinner party plan. It includes finger food and light snacks to enjoy while mingling with the dinner guests and hanging around before the main course comes.

Furthermore, finger food never fills you up, so you won’t have to stress about putting off your guests’ appetites!

Fruits, vegetables, dips, and sauces are frequently tasty appetizer options. However, we’re also going to share with you our go-to dinner party appetizer recipe –  stuffed mushrooms! 

Stuffed Mushrooms 

stuffed mushroom

It’s time to prepare your first meal – stuffed mushrooms with herb-infused breadcrumbs and two kinds of cheese! The ingredients you’ll need for the recipe are listed below:

  • Cooking spray 
  • 1 ½ lb. mushrooms of your choice 
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • 1 tbsp. chopped thyme
  • 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 4 oz. softened cream cheese
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • Salt and ground black pepper 

Step 1 

First, preheat your oven to 400°.  Next, spray some cooking oil on a baking sheet, remove the stems from the mushrooms, and place the caps on the baking sheet.

Step 2

Melt the butter and add the garlic. After cooking the garlic for one minute, add the breadcrumbs and cook them for three minutes. Use salt and pepper to season. Remove from heat and allow to gently cool.

Step 3

Combine the mixture from step 2 with the Parmesan, cream cheese, parsley, and thyme in a big bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put the filling inside the mushroom tops and sprinkle with more Parmesan.

Step 4

Bake for 20 minutes and garnish the mushrooms with parsley! Bon Appétit! 

Vegan Dinner Party Dishes

You don’t want any of your guests to leave your dinner party on an empty stomach! Therefore, you need to prepare some vegan-friendly dishes.

For instance, you can make a hearty vegetarian-friendly dinner like garden lasagna or vegetarian pizza to ensure all of your guests are cared for. 

In addition to pizza and lasagna, we want to share something extra delicious with you – a beetroot hummus party platter! Here’s how to make it: 

Beetroot Hummus Party Platter 

beetroot hummus

This is the platter that’ll satisfy everyone at your party – both vegan and non-vegan. This delicious platter may serve up to 8 people and can be prepared in 15 minutes! The following is a list of ingredients:

  • 800g can drained chickpeas 
  • 2 packs of 300g cooked, drained beetroot
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbsp. of tahini
  • 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice 
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. of toasted hazelnuts
  • 1 tsp. nigella seeds
  • 1 tsp. sumac
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes

Step 1 

Put aside roughly 2 tablespoons of chickpeas – you’ll need them for the next step. 

Place the remaining chickpeas, beets, garlic, tahini, oil, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of salt in a blender and blend. Check the taste and, if necessary, add a bit more salt or lemon juice after blending until the mixture is smooth.

Step 2 

Spread the hummus out on a tray or into a big, shallow bowl. Sprinkle with the saved chickpeas, hazelnuts, nigella, sumac, and pepper. That’s it! Enjoy! 

Meat

Now that you’ve prepared something for the vegan guests, it’s time to make something for the meat lovers. However, cooking meat meals may be slightly more expensive than vegetarian ones. For instance, one salmon dish might cost more than a whole vegetarian plate.

Chicken is typically the most cost-effective option when planning a dinner party on a tight budget. Also, chicken is incredibly adaptable, and the majority of meat eaters choose chicken over pork or beef for a variety of reasons, including health, personal preference, and religion.

One of our favorite chicken dishes is without a doubt Chicken Cacciatore – an Italian dish that will astound your guests! Here’s how to prepare it: 

Chicken Cacciatore 

Chicken Cacciatore 

You won’t find a more delicious home-cooked dinner party main dish than this one if you’re craving authentic Chicken Cacciatore – an Italian favorite. All meat lovers enjoy Cacciatore because it’s simple to prepare and fills the house with comforting aromas while it bakes or cooks on the stove. 

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this meal:

  • 6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil 
  • 1 diced onion 
  • 6 cloves of garlic 
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 carrot
  • 300g mushrooms
  • 8 sprigs thyme
  • 2 tbsp. chopped parsley and basil
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ cup black olives
  • 150 ml red wine
  • 820g crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. tomato sauce
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

Step 1 

First, season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Following that, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and sear the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Remove the chicken thighs from the pan.

Step 3

Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. After that, add the peppers, carrot, mushrooms, and herbs and cook for 5 minutes until they’re soft. 

Step 4

Pour the wine in while scraping up any browned bits from the pan’s bottom. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the wine is reduced.

Step 5

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and red pepper flakes. You can also add some salt and black pepper. 

Following the directions below, add the chicken pieces back to the pan and continue to cook on the stovetop or in the oven.

On the Stovetop 

Combine all the ingredients, cover with a lid, reduce the temperature, and let simmer for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Add the olives and simmer for a further ten minutes. Serve right away after adding parsley as the garnish.

For the Oven

Cook for 50 minutes after transferring the covered pan to a 190°C (~375°F) preheated oven. Once the sauce has diminished and the chicken is cooked through and falling off the bone, take off the lid, add the olives, and simmer for an extra 20 minutes.

Don’t forget to serve it with crusty bread and green salad on the side! 

Dessert 

Never assume that your guests will be too full for dessert – even if you’ve provided a lot of food for them! In addition, the greatest way to end the dinner is with dessert! 

There are many choices for desserts for a dinner party: however, what we recommend is going with some budget-friendly options – brownies with a scoop of ice cream! It’s quick, easy, and inexpensive. 

Easy Brownies 

brownies

This is one of the best dessert choices for your dinner party. Making these simple brownies takes only 30 minutes, from start to finish. What’s even more interesting is that you might already have the ingredients in your kitchen.

Let’s look at the ingredients we’ll need for these brownies:

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ cup walnut halves for a nutty flavor
  • ½ tsp. salt

Step 1 

Grease the pan and set the oven to 175°C.

Step 2

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, melted butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Spread the butter on the preheated pan. Use walnut halves as decor.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the surface is dry and the edges are beginning to come away from the pan’s edges. Slice the brownies into squares and top each with a serving of ice cream of your choice.

We advise trying the Strawberry Shortcake Crumble if you decide to prepare a more exotic dessert!

Best Recipes for a Dinner Party – Final Thoughts 

Thank you for sticking with us all the way through! We sincerely hope that our tips for creating a memorable dinner party were interesting and helpful.

To repeat one more time: the best recipes for a dinner party can vary depending on your budget and your guest. However, don’t forget to include appetizers, vegan dishes, meat dishes, salads, and desserts on your table – nobody should be sent home hungry!

Visit cookroomkitchen.com for additional delectable recipes, practical cooking advice, and a wealth of information about satisfying your stomach and the tummies of your loved ones.

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