Easy dinner party mains
Planning a dinner party can be exciting but also daunting. If you’re not sure what to cook, take the faff out of entertaining with our simple recipes. These delicious main course ideas are all easy to assemble and cook. Some can be made ahead, some are quick to prepare on the night – and all of them offer maximum flavour for minimum effort.
Take your pick from classic dinner party ideas like creamy risottos, fishcakes, venison, pork and lamb. Choose from elevated chicken traybakes, a whole sea bass with a tomato sauce or homemade gnocchi. You’ll also find plenty of vegetarian and vegan dinner party mains, which are impressive enough to feed the whole gang.
Need help deciding on what to serve with your lasagne or looking for ideas for a full menu? We’ve pulled together dozens of dinner party menus, from vegetarian to seasonal and festive options.
For those nights when hosting isn’t on the cards, check out our easy midweek dinner recipes.
Showing 1-16 of 135 recipes
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Healthy dinners
Roasted hake with salsa verde and clams
Serve roasted hake with clams and a herby pan sauce in this easy but impressive recipe from Rosie Mackean. Perfect for summer entertaining.
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Easy
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Paella
Paella verde (vegan green paella)
Learn how to make a vegan paella with this easy recipe from Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy. It's packed with artichokes, spinach and courgettes.
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Easy
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Chips
Ham, egg and chips
Ham, egg and chips with a twist is an laid-back dinner party winner. Think sour cherry glaze, perfect egg and homemade chips.
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Easy
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Mussels
Mussels in ginger, coconut and red chilli broth
These fragrant mussels in ginger, coconut and red chilli broth, from cookbook Indian Kitchens by Roopa Gulati, make a simple but elegant dish.
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Easy
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Pasta bakes
Blonde ragù pasta bake with prosciutto (nidi di tagliatelle al forno)
Swap out lasagne for this sophisticated yet satisfying blonde ragù pasta bake with prosciutto (nidi di tagliatelle al forno) by Rosie Mackean.
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Easy
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Favourite chicken
Chicken marbella
Learn how to make 1980s favourite chicken marbella with our easy recipe. This chicken traybake is packed with olives, prunes and capers.
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Easy
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Impressive recipes for a special occasion
Picanha steak with parmesan fonduta, radicchio, anchovies and shallots
Tender and juicy picanha steak is cooked to perfection and served with creamy parmesan potatoes and a peppery radicchio and anchovy salad.
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Easy
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Pies
Crab and prawn pot pies with chips and salad
Rosie Mackean's luxurious crab and prawn pot pies make the perfect main for a laid-back dinner party, served with chips and a zingy salad.
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Easy
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Easy dinner party mains
Chicken braised in vinho verde with romesco potatoes
This dinner party main will transport you to the Iberian Peninsula. Serve chicken braised in Portugal's vinho verde with romesco potatoes.
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Easy
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Monkfish
Fragrant roast monkfish with green curry beurre blanc and crispy noodles
Roast monkfish, served with green-curry beurre blanc and topped with crispy noodles, is a dinner party main with real wow factor.
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Easy
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Easy dinner party mains
Classic saltimbocca
Italian saltimbocca sees thin tender slices of veal wrapped in sage leaves and prosciutto and served with a white wine pan sauce.
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Easy
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Creamy pasta
Chicken alfredo
Creamy and rich with a hint of garlic and dried herbs, this easy chicken alfredo pasta is the ultimate in Italian-American comfort food.
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Easy
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Fennel
Fennel tarte tatin
This fennel tarte tatin is a great vegetarian dinner or side for a roast. Fennel seeds temper the sweetness and goat’s cheese adds tang.
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Medium
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Chicken thighs
Chicken thighs in a mustard, tarragon and grape pan sauce
The sauce is the star of this easy bistro dish, made using all those delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan for buckets of flavour.
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Easy
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Lamb curries
Atul Kochhar’s lamb pepper fry
Atul Kochhar's Keralan lamb pepper fry is flavoured with curry leaves, cloves and plenty of black pepper. It's ready in just 30 minutes.
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Easy
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One-pot chicken
Braised chicken with kefir, orzo and dried limes
An easy chicken dinner with big flavour. Tender braised chicken and toothsome orzo mingle in a tangy kefir sauce in this elegant one-pot.
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Easy
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