17 Easy Recipes For A Dinner Party (2024)

Colder weather is coming, and throwing a dinner party is the only socially acceptable way to stay home all weekend.

Christine ByrnePublished on October 25, 2014
17 Easy Recipes For A Dinner Party (2)
17 Easy Recipes For A Dinner Party (3)

1. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Beer-Braised Chicken

17 Easy Recipes For A Dinner Party (4)

halfbakedharvest.com

Serve it with rice (here's how you make rice without a rice cooker) and maybe have one of your guests bring over some crusty bread, too. Recipe here.

2. One-Pan Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce

17 Easy Recipes For A Dinner Party (5)

foodiecrush.com

Cook it in a pretty cast-iron skillet and leave it in there to serve. Recipe here.

3. Slow Cooker Lamb with Olives and Potatoes

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Romulo Yanes / marthastewart.com

There are two parts of this recipe that might make you nervous and I'm going to explain to you why NOTHING ABOUT THIS RECIPE SHOULD MAKE YOU NERVOUS.

1) Maybe you've never bought lamb shanks before. Don't worry, most butchers have them, and they're happy to cut and trim them for you.

2) You need to brown the meat before you put it in the crockpot. This should not scare you. Get a skillet really, REALLY hot, then put the lamb shanks in and turn them a couple of times so that they're browned on ever side. And honestly, if you over- or under-brown, it's not a big deal.

Recipe here.

4. Garlic and Rosemary Roast Pork Loin

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Chris Court / foodandwine.com

First, heat a skillet and brown the outside of the pork loin on the stove top. Then, stick the whole skillet in the oven to finish cooking the meat. To complete the meal, these garlic roasted potatoes are great, and you can cook them at the same time as you cook the pork, since both call for a 400°F oven. This simple green salad would be good on the side, too. Pork loin recipe here.

5. Pasta with Chorizo and Chickpeas

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Hirsheimer & Hamilton / bonappetit.com

Buying a super-flavorful sausage like chorizo takes no extra effort, but makes an otherwise easy and simple dish dinner party-worthy. Recipe here.

6. Thai-Style Shrimp Curry

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Liren Baker / kitchenconfidante.com

Red curry paste, which is sold in the ethnic aisle of most standard grocery stores, adds a ton of complex flavor to an otherwise simple dish. If you can't find Chinese spinach, sub regular spinach or mustard greens. Serve over rice or rice noodles for an impressive but quick (20 minutes, start to finish!) dinner party dish. Recipe here.

7. Chicken in Milk

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jamieoliver.com

Jamie Oliver tells you to "baste with the cooking juices when you remember," because even if you forget, the end result will be delicious. To serve, no need to carve (which really isn't that hard but I get it, it's intimidating), just let the chicken cool a little, pull it off the bone, and serve it on plates on top of mashed potatoes, drizzled with the delicious sauce that's creating in the pot with the chicken as it cooks. Recipe here.

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8. Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale

Tina Rupp / foodandwine.com

This impressive-looking dish is almost stupidly simple: Remove kale leaves from the stem, slice potatoes, cut chicken legs in half, throw everything together in a pan with oil and seasoning, and roast. If separating the chicken thigh from the drumstick sounds intimidating, just buy 8 chicken drumsticks and 8 chicken thighs. Recipe here.

9. Easy Beef Lasagna

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jocooks.com

Easy, and everybody's favorite. Recipe here.

10. White Bean Chicken Chili with Butternut Squash

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foodiecrush.com

This easy stew is so pretty and so hearty that all you need to serve it with is tortilla chips! The recipe is for 6, but if you have a big (at least 6 quart) pot, you can double it and freeze the leftovers. Recipe here.

11. Braised Pork Shoulder

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marthastewart.com

You could serve this with a quick stovetop polenta. That would be good. Recipe here.

12. Sunday Night Stew and Potatoes

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thepioneerwoman.com

The best part of beef stew is that it pairs well with both red wine and bourbon, the two greatest things about staying in when it's cold outside. Recipe here.

13. "Stacked" Chicken Enchiladas

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gimmesomeoven.com

Enchiladas can be easy to make, but this enchilada casserole is even easier. And face it, everything falls apart on the plate anyway. Recipe here.

14. Passover Brisket

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thepioneerwoman.com

You need to plan ahead, since this one takes 12-24 hours to marinate and 7 hours to cook. But other than that, all you need to do is mix ketchup and soup mix, smother it on brisket, put it in the fridge, take it out of the fridge, put it in the oven, and take it out of the oven. Sandwiches are a good idea, I think, but if that's too lowbrow for you, you can serve this with potatoes. Recipe here.

15. Pork Shoulder Ragu

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dinneralovestory.com

The only ragu you'll ever want to eat again. Serve it with pasta, prefereably a thick noodle like pappardelle. Recipe here.

16. Best-Ever Homemade Tacos

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yummyhealthyeasy.com

Sometimes you just want to have a bunch of people over, and you just want to feed them something delicious. This recipe serves 4, but you can easily double it to serve 8. Recipe here.

17. Baked Ziti

17 Easy Recipes For A Dinner Party (21)

simplyrecipes.com

Red sauce Italian is always a crowd pleaser. Recipe here.

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    17 Easy Recipes For A Dinner Party (2024)

    FAQs

    What is a good meal to serve 20 people? ›

    19 Ideas For Easy Meals For Large Groups
    • Taco Bar.
    • Meatballs.
    • Butter Chicken.
    • Lasagna.
    • Chili.
    • Homemade Pizza.
    • Baked Pasta.
    • Skewers.
    Apr 4, 2023

    What is the best food to serve at a dinner party? ›

    Dinner party mains
    • One-pot chicken chasseur. A star rating of 4.8 out of 5. ...
    • Mustard-stuffed chicken. ...
    • Slow-braised lamb shanks with dried limes & barberries. ...
    • Spiced aubergine bake. ...
    • Truffle chicken & potato gratin. ...
    • App onlyWild mushroom risotto. ...
    • Lasagne soup. ...
    • App onlyFish & chorizo stew with confit garlic aioli.

    What is a good meal to make for a large group? ›

    Introduction: Easy Meals For Large Groups
    • The Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs. What's not to love about a heaping plate of spaghetti and meatballs? ...
    • Tantalizing Tacos. Who doesn't adore tacos? ...
    • Perfectly Baked Potatoes. ...
    • Pizza Extravaganza. ...
    • Mouthwatering Pulled Pork. ...
    • Fabulous Fajitas. ...
    • Hearty Chili. ...
    • Build-Your-Own Sandwiches.
    Oct 19, 2023

    What to cook when having friends for dinner? ›

    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.

    How to feed 15 people cheaply? ›

    Feed the masses without breaking the bank with these budget-friendly dishes.
    1. Mexican Lasagne. A spicy lasagne for those of us who love Mexican and Italian food. ...
    2. Cheese Cob Dip. ...
    3. The Best Burger in Oz. ...
    4. Kangaroo Casserole. ...
    5. Sausage Casserole. ...
    6. Nanna's golden sausage casserole. ...
    7. Quiche Lorraine. ...
    8. Turkey and Pumpkin Lasagne.

    How much food do I need for 15 guests? ›

    Rules to Plan By

    Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet. Guests will always eat — and drink — more at night than during the day.

    What is the most popular food at a party? ›

    38 Ideas For Party Food That Will Please Any Crowd
    • Ham & Cheese Pull-Apart Bread. ...
    • Garlic Parmesan Potato Stackers. ...
    • BBQ Pulled Pork Fries. ...
    • Peanut Butter Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites. ...
    • Chocolate Caramel Oat Bars (Carmelitas) ...
    • Curly Fries. tasty.co. ...
    • Strawberry Cheesecake Crackers. tasty.co. ...
    • Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas. tasty.co.
    Dec 21, 2023

    What to cook for 12 people? ›

    17 Easy Meals for a Group of 12 (Budget-Friendly)
    • Blueberry Balsamic Goat Cheese Appetizer. Blueberry Balsamic Goat Cheese Appetizer. ...
    • Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs. Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs. ...
    • Baked Honey Mustard Chicken. Baked Honey Mustard Chicken.
    • Savory Cheesy Zucchini Muffins.
    Jul 12, 2020

    How do you feed 50 guests on a budget? ›

    Create a “Bar” and feed everyone cafeteria-style

    There are lots of bar ideas out there, such as the Nacho bar, Baked potato bar, Burrito bar, Hot dog bar, Root Beer float bar, Hawaiian Haystacks bar, Sandwich bar, etc. All of these can be done on the cheap, and links to all these ideas can be found below.

    What should I cook a group of friends? ›

    Feed-a-crowd recipes
    1. Spiced salmon with traybaked sag aloo. ...
    2. Chicken Provençal. ...
    3. Chicken gyros. ...
    4. Sharing bavette with blue cheese, beef dripping wedges & ranch salad. ...
    5. Sticky tamarind tomato & spinach whirl. ...
    6. Summer vegetable & flatbread platter with dill & mustard dip. ...
    7. Spring sharing board. ...
    8. Waste-nothing loaded potato wedges.

    What do you bring to a casual dinner party? ›

    what to bring to a dinner party
    • Something to drink. This is probably the most obvious. ...
    • fresh flowers. This is another safe one and something I personally love receiving. ...
    • a good book. ...
    • an appetizer. ...
    • dessert. ...
    • top shelf olive oil. ...
    • a homemade consumable gift. ...
    • Sea Salt and a salt cellar.
    Jan 17, 2024

    How much food do you need for a 20 people party? ›

    The overall rule that most caterers and party planners use is to calculate a pound of food per person, and a half pound per child.

    How to cater for 20 people? ›

    Finger foods, canapes, and grazing tables are great options that can feed a crowd and are easy to shape around any style. From gourmet cured meats and cheeses to catering classics like mini pies and pastries, there is bound to be something for any theme.

    How much food do you need for 20 guests? ›

    Food for Dinner Parties
    FoodUp to 10 guests20-30
    Green salad10 cups30 cups
    Fruit salad5 cups15 cups
    Rolls or bread slices20 pieces60 pieces
    Cakes1 layer cake3 layer cakes
    9 more rows

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