Easy dinner party menus

[Leavehim]

Need some easy prepare ahead suggestions for starter, main course & dessert for 4 people.
I'm not aterrible cook but not a great one either. Need to pull off some thing that looks impressive but effortless!!!

Do you have a slow cooker? That makes everything pretty effortless.

I'd go for good ingredients assembled as much as possible rather than cooking too much. For example a big platter of salmon and prawns for a starter, with bread, butter, creme fraiche and lemon (and a tiny pot of caviar if you want to push the boat out).

Main could be something from the oven or slow cooker if you have one - beef stew with polenta, lamb tagine with couscous, good sausages slow cooked with lots of onions and juniper berries served with colcannon. Serve simply steamed greens with butter or a big green salad with avocado, feta and pine nuts or walnuts for a bit of crunch. You can make any of the stewish things the morning of or even the day before and they will just get better overnight.

Dessert - back to assembly of good bought ingredients with no cooking. Eton mess is a common one suggested here. I also like a platter of Madeira cake cut in slices arranged with berries and served with good vanilla ice cream and a pot of raspberry or chocolate sauce (bought) and let people make their own.

You could then finish with cheese, grapes, biscuits and nuts (and port or dessert wine!) if you wanted to round things off properly!