Please help me avoid emergency beans on toast for my dinner party

[DomesticDisaster]

I am having a dinner party in two weeks and haven't a clue what to make. I've not had people round for dinner for years so am totally out of practice. I'm not the best cook in the world so don't want anything that could go too wrong...

I've decided to make a baked cheesecake for pud and possibly a nigella chocolate trifle which I've made before and have loads of cherry brandy left for, hence the good excuse to make it again. I'd like ideas for a main course to go with these puddings please.

As it's summer I'd go for a baked fish dish - this looks nice. Serve with new pots.

Easy to do as you can prep in advance and then bung in the oven when guests arrive.

For starters I'd be tempted to do antipasti - again you can prep these in advance.

Serve with prosecco

How many are coming?

They are quite rich desserts so I would go with fish or chicken for the main. Lemon Sole springs to mind for some reason, or stuff chicken breasts with goats cheese and oregano, or pesto, or anything else that takes your fancy.

I second choosing something where the prep is done in advance and you have an absolute minimum to do on the night.

I spent years trying to do fancy dishes for dinner parties. Now I do good, but not fancy, food, provide plenty of wine and accept that if things go wrong in the kitchen to just treat it as a cabaret. I have a lot more fun now and so do our guests.

I second the idea to have a baked main course that can sit in an oven until your guests arrive. Simple things like lasagne or a chicken casserole can be put together well in advance and won't spoil if anyone's late. For a starter, I'd assemble a small salad of avocadao slices, crispy fried bacon strips and parmesan shavings.

The BBC good food website is fantastic for finding recipes.

Definitely something that can be made in advance and then left or something that only takes a very small amount of prep - you want to spend your evening with your friends not in the kitchen.

I really want bacon and avocado now!

Make a baked spanish risotto for main? Its easy & basically cooks itself so you are not constantly tedning to it, plus it tastes delicious! It only needs some nice crusty bread to serve with it.

recipe here

Ooh those ideas are great. I was worried about a starter as that might be one more course to mess up! Antipasti is a great idea, especially with the no cooking element Jajas. The prosecco addition is genius.

Thanks for your advice TSK. I am a total dinner party novice and can barely manage to cook for us on a day to day basis so to keep it simple is my best way forward. The stuffed chicken is a good idea.

I hadn't thought of a risotto as I love them but always find they are really labour intensive so a baked one would be brilliant.

Thank you everyone.

Now, can anyone come and cook it for me?!?!

Oh I'm glad it's not just me.

I'm making the puddings the day before as it gives me enough time to think of a plan b if they all go wrong. I recently made a cheesecake (not the one I'm doing this time thank the lord) that was a total disaster as I burnt it. We battled through it but it was awful. Lesson learned there to make it in advance!

Must make a mental note to restock cocktail glasses as I have a tendancy to break them on my kerplunk style draining board. I'm sure we've not got enough and I don't think it's a good start to ask people to bring their own glass :o

Antipasto for a starter is brilliant something everyone likes our favourite main with chicken breast is simply stuffing them with mozzerella and spinach then wrapping in proscuitto serve it with Jersey Royals and real butter and fresh english asparagus the aspragus and royals are both in season so will taste wonderful just simply cooked right now with no added extras.