Need an easy dinner party recipe

[SammyTheDog]

hey everyone, I have four friends coming to dinner this weekend. I'm a pretty lousy cook so need a recipe for something easy to prepare. Something simple like a chicken and pasta bake, that'd cook in the oven. Does anyone have any foolproof recipes or know of a good website? Thanks a million in advance!

I highly recommend this lemon and oregano chicken traybake. It pretty much cooks itself and tastes really delicious. I usually just serve it with some green beans. If you can't get fresh oregano use thyme instead.

I'd do a slow cooked joint of beef. Sides from m and s with bread to fill up on if necessary. Then a shop bought pudding.

I'd do a lamb or chicken tagine served with jewelled couscous. I'd get the Moroccan theme going with houmous and other dips for starters, maybe some falafel too.
I'd finish with baklava, dates and Turkish delight for pudding.

All very easy to do, most of it bought ready to eat. The warm spicy flavour of the tagine would be completely different to the traditional Christmas foods, so a very nice contrast.

Have a look at the BBC News website Food section (use the drop down menu from the top banner) for lots of recipes and inspiration.

Slow cooked duck legs

Put them very snug into a small glass dish or ceramic and roast at about 140 for two or three hours as long as poss they will pretty much confit themselves

Take out fat and into oven 220 just before serving to crisp the skin

Port gravy with duck potatoes

Spinach in a colander and pour over a kettle for perfect no washing up wilted spinach

Carrots cooked slow at same time as duck

Sounds hard really isn't

Like this basically
Bay leaves taste v good with it

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easyduckk_confit/

Ottolenghi cardamon chicken. Looks a bit sprauncy, tastes amazing, but dead easy.

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/chicken-with-caramelized-onion-and-cardamom-rice/

Truffle macaroni cheese with a green salad

Simple but tasty, a chicken kiev pasta bake. There's some different recipes for it if you search on google. It's easy to prep ahead and you can serve with garlic bread and salad.

I have just suggested this on another thread, it's really simple and absolutely delicious. Bonus that it's all done in one pot.
Nigellas lemon chicken and orzo

I came on to suggest exactly this. So easy, so comforting and yummy. Nigella’s chicken curry in a hurry is also very easy and tasty (though I’d halve the amount of water she suggests). www.nigella.com/recipes/curry-in-a-hurry

Lasagna / Bolognase and jacket spuds

Anything by Nigella is foolproof and dead easy. Usually impressive too.

Chicken breasts spread with either pesto, onion chutney or chilli jam according to taste and coveted with goats cheese or mozzarella and grated cheddar. Baked in the oven for 40-50mins
Served with veg or salad and potatoes. Easy and delicious

Buy 3 Charlie Bingham meals…decant into oven dish and serve with salad and new potatoes with butter and herbs. Buy a pudding or make tiramisu (v easy). Or just roast a chicken….

This chilli is 👌🏼 www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/chilli-con-carne
I make it every week and it hits the spot.

A roast - super easy and doesn’t require a starter.

Or - if you want to be a bit different - take the elements of a roast (eg chicken, potatoes etc) and dice them and do it as a tray bake.

I'd suggest this, scaled up. It's so blooming easy and delicious.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/asian/indian/spiced-chicken

My friend made this for a group of friends, it's delicious and has now become a family staple as super easy:

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/ottolenghis-orzo-with-prawns-tomato-and-marinated-feta/