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

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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 should I cook for 20 guests? ›

    Suggested menu for a dinner party of twenty:
    • Whole cheeses and bowls of fresh fruit. ...
    • Two smoked hams with a pomegranate molasses glaze, cooked in advance and served cold. ...
    • Pinzimonio, laid out on two large dishes, with a couple of smaller bowls of olive oil, so that guests can dip in the vegetables.
    Sep 30, 2015

    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. ...
    • Lamb biryani. A star rating of 4.6 out of 5. ...
    • Crispy sesame chicken. A star rating of 0 out of 5. ...
    • Beef bourguignon with celeriac mash. ...
    • Mustard-stuffed chicken. ...
    • Goat's cheese & thyme stuffed chicken. ...
    • One-pan salmon with roast asparagus. ...
    • Butternut chilli.

    What to feed 15 people? ›

    • Hearty Baked Penne Pasta. This recipe feeds an army. ...
    • Tasty Taco Bar. Everything you need to make your own Taco Bar at home. ...
    • Baked Potato Bar. ...
    • Crockpot Ham. ...
    • Killer Carnitas. ...
    • Chicken Spaghetti. ...
    • Ham and Cheese Sliders. ...
    • Shredded Beef Tacos.
    May 6, 2024

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

    How about casseroles that are easy to make in bulk to feed to a large crowd?
    • Lasagna (Use this method to make it easy to build several Lasagnas at once. ...
    • Easy Breakfast Casserole (served with a variety of homemade muffins – recipes below – and fresh fruit)
    • Simple Crock Pot Taco Pasta.
    • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake.
    Jul 24, 2011

    What to cook for 22 people? ›

    Feed-a-crowd recipes
    • Spiced salmon with traybaked sag aloo. ...
    • Chicken dopiaza. ...
    • Chicken Provençal. ...
    • Chicken gyros. ...
    • Sharing bavette with blue cheese, beef dripping wedges & ranch salad. ...
    • Sticky tamarind tomato & spinach whirl. ...
    • App onlyChard, feta & sesame pie with olive oil pastry.

    What is the cheapest food to feed a crowd? ›

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

    What are the most common party foods? ›

    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 is a good meal for 12 people? ›

    19 Ideas For Easy Meals For Large Groups
    • Taco Bar. A taco bar is one of the best inexpensive meals for large groups. ...
    • Meatballs. ...
    • Butter Chicken. ...
    • Lasagna. ...
    • Chili. ...
    • Homemade Pizza. ...
    • Baked Pasta. ...
    • Skewers.
    Apr 4, 2023

    How to feed 20 people cheaply? ›

    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 are 3 dishes that would be suitable for a large event? ›

    69 Big-Batch Dishes & Recipes to Feed a Crowd
    • BLT Galette (8 servings) ...
    • Classic Macaroni Salad (8 to 10 servings) ...
    • Sheet-Pan Buttermilk Chicken Thighs with Plums, Shallots and Honey (8 servings) ...
    • Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Beer (8 servings) ...
    • Skillet Roast Chicken with Shmaltzy Potatoes (6 servings)
    Jan 25, 2024

    What is fun to cook together? ›

    • Blueberry Blackberry Crisp. Recipe : 80 minutes.
    • Blackberry Cobbler. Recipe : 85 minutes. Today.
    • Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta with Broccoli. Recipe : 40 minutes.
    • No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream. Recipe : 135 minutes. Today.
    • Creamy Cucumber Salad. Recipe : 45 minutes.

    What to cook for a dinner party of 20? ›

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

    What do you serve at a party of 20? ›

    The best finger foods for a party
    • Meatballs. While you could make your own meatballs, there are plenty of frozen options that are delicious and easy! ...
    • Mozzarella Sticks. Everyone loves hot, gooey cheese breaded and served with marinara sauce. ...
    • Corn dogs. ...
    • Popcorn chicken. ...
    • Jalapeno poppers. ...
    • Egg rolls. ...
    • Pretzel bites. ...
    • Pizza bites.

    How many full trays of food do I need for 20 guests? ›

    What Does a Typical Catering Tray Feed? Generally, a catering tray can feed 15-20 people. For example, a full tray of chicken breasts should have enough protein for 15-20 people. However, remember that people may choose sides like salads and desserts, which may not factor into this.

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

    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.

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