What are your dinner party/ 'having people over' recipes?

[TicklishPossession]

I ALWAYS do a curry of some description and want to branch out. What are you go to mains? Ideally not too complicated as I tend to cook whilst hosting and find the multitasking difficult!

Things in dishes like fish pie or moussaka are great (prep ahead and just pop in oven while you have a glass of wine with guests!). Moussaka can be served with salad with is nice and easy.

A really fancy but easy one if you can get hold of it is confit duck out of a tin. Just do in the oven, with a dauphinois potatoes (again, can be prepped ahead) and green beans... and you're free to enjoy the company!

Oh moussaka is a great idea!

Roast of meat, couple of sides and bread

Nigel Slater, Jamie Oliver or Hugh F-W all have good ideas.

The hairy bikers sausage casserole is really good with some homemade crusty bread.

The a big pavlova!

My mum makes this for family dos (and a veggie one too) and everyone loves it!

Lamb kleftiko. I'm a vegetarian so a long slow cooked meat recipe gives me more confidence. I cook various sides to bulk it out and make a vegetarian meal for me.

Am googling the sausage casserole!

This is delicious https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beef_and_aubergine_46108 and looks impressive.
I've done a similar one with lamb too, but can't remember whose recipe it was!

Curry is my go-to too. The Dishoom chicken biryani is a good one if you want something slightly different. So tasty and very easy as it's a prepare ahead kind of dish.

Ottolenghi 'Simple' has some great recipes in it, and has meal suggestions at the back of the book - combinations of dishes which go well together to feed groups.

5 hour lamb

lamb leg, onions, garlic, thyme, redcurrant jelly, mint sauce and lamb stock in a casserole with a lid for 5 hours. Roast potatoes and green beans to go with.

I made this for my DP on our first coming-to-house date and my mum said “this one’s a keeper then?” (Turns out yes 🥰)

We entertain a LOT.

I don’t cook but favourites that my husband does are monkfish wrapped in Parma ham, chicken saltimbocca, lobster and Parmesan risotto, salmon en croute or beef wellington. None of these seems too demanding I’m terms of time once guests arrive.

We keep starters simple - mackerel pate or a meat pate with Melba toast, broccoli and Stilton soup, crab cakes, scallops with chorizo…

My only area of expertise is pudding. I’ll often do cheesecakes, either baked or ‘cheat’ chilled versions, or pavlova or mousse.

We always do an over the top cheese board too.

In winter, I do dishes that can be prepped beforehand and then all I need to do is put in the oven when guests arrive. Cleaning all done too this way. So things like lasagne, parmiagana, garlic herby roast potatoes (parboiled and on the roasting tray with seasonings before guests arrive). I also do Lebanese salads beforehand and mix in the dressings just before serving so it doesn’t get soggy. The waitrose Mediterranean quinoa and pomegranate feta salad is lovely too- Prep beforehand and just mix in the quinoa before serving.
Ive also done a chaat board recently - spiced slightly mashed Bombay potatoes with layers of tamarind, coriander chutney, sev and spiced Greek yoghurt with fried papdi on the side

Chicken in red wine with herb dumplings
Beef bourgignon
Chicken souvlaki with Greek salad/roast new potatoes

I'm starving now

I like to do classics like coq au vin, beef bourguignon, osso buco or Spanish chicken, served with potatoes Boulangere or saffron rice.

Timing isn't critical for these type of dishes, so it doesn't matter if a guest is delayed.

For pudding I make things like chocolate or coffee mousse, homemade ice cream or sorbet or fruit fool. Around Christmas time I do a plate of chocolates, stuffed dates, Turkish delight, fancy biscuits etc etc for pudding, which is always popular.

I was going to suggest a tagine but I think moussaka is a great idea. With Greek style tapas to start ( olives, halloumi, stuffed vine leaves etc)

Lasagne - BBC good food one is fab

Lamb and Orzo - also BBC. with a Greek salad

Bœuf bourguignon with mash and salad

Cottage pie with peas and bottle of ketchup on the table!

In the summer - marinated steaks on the BBQ with a variety of salads

Forgot - salmon or white fish wrapped in Parma ham with new spuds and green veg and/or roasted tomatoes - yum!

Madhur Jaffrey's Lemony Chicken with Fresh Coriander, served with basmati rice and a selection of vegetables

Beouf en Daube/, ditto rice and veg

Gordon Ramsay's Fish Pie with a selection of veg

My very own Asian Chicken or Prawn stirfry

Middle Eastern Mezze: Tabbouleh, Baba Ganoush, hummus, Lebanese Minty Cucumber Yogurt Salad, my special hummus, tomato salad, olives, served with Middle Eastern flatbread or Labash

Christmas: Gordon Ramsay's Roast Turkey with Cider Gravy

I'm in a roast phase at the moment. All our visitors lately have been served something like roast beef with traditional trimmings, or roast chicken with various Middle Eastern salads/veg.

I like to do a big paella and some side dishes like garlic mushrooms, patatas bravas, olives, nice bread. Then people can just help themselves and pick away.

Roasted whole fish on sliced potatoes with peppers, garlic and tomatoes last weekend
Beef ragu with pappardelle
Monkfish with fennel, tomatoes and almonds
Pork and apple casserole cooked in cream and cider
various curries and ottolenghi dishes
Nasi Goreng with lots of side dishes

puds - various fruit and almond tarts, creme caramel, lemon posset, rose rice pudding

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