13 Easy Entertaining Recipes Your Guests Will Rave About
It can be incredibly stressful to organise a dinner party that’s not only perfect in your eyes, but caters to everyone’s dietary requests and leaves a lasting impression for all the right reasons. What dishes should you make? What if someone doesn’t eat meat? How many dishes should you cook? When will you have the time to buy all the ingredients and prepare all the food?
As stressful as it sounds, it’s not something that should keep you up at night because pulling together the most memorable dinner party can actually be incredibly simple if you follow the right steps.
Firstly, you need to pick a theme – what cuisines are you going for? Then, consider if any of your guests have dietary requirements. Once you’ve got this down pat, you can start to pick the dishes. In need of some inspo? Well, from vegan to gluten-free, vegetarian and pescatarian dishes, we’ve rounded up the tastiest yet easiest recipes your guests will rave about.
Oh, and don’t forget you also need to consider how you're going to create the perfect table setting; but don’t worry – here’s your complete guide to creating the most picture-perfect tablescape that you’ll totally want to Instagram.
Start off with a cheeseboard...
Recipe by: Lia Townsend
Shop Lia's look with our Olive tablecloth and Sage napkins.
The beauty of a cheeseboard is that there's no cooking involved at all, and you can have it fully prepared before your guests arrive.
That said, there is a trick to building the ultimate cheeseboard. Give your guests a moment of discovery by sourcing your cheeses, dips, and crackers from artisan makers. Plus, don't forget finishing touches like fruit and nuts to really round it out.
Select a colour palette and tie all the elements back to this. Seek inspiration for your colour palette from a beautiful ingredient that is in season, florals or the table linen you would like to use.
Head here for a complete guide on building the ultimate cheeseboard.
Salads....
Grilled Broccolini, Lemon and Lentil Salad With Crunchy Breadcrumbs
Recipe by: Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Shop Julia's look with our Oatmeal tablecloth, White placemats, and Oatmeal napkins.
This salad is worthy of being a main event in it's own right. It really has it all – creaminess, crunch, freshness and a good zing from the lemon. With a generous dose of buffalo mozzarella to top it all off, it isn't your average garden salad.
The best thing about this recipe is that it can be varied, depending on what you have on hand. You can use different herbs like coriander or basil, ricotta or burrata instead of mozzarella, and chickpeas instead of lentils. If you’re short on time, canned legumes are a more than fine substitute as well.
Baked Eggplant With Chickpea Puree, Tomato Salad and Herb Dressing
Recipe by: Anastasia Zolotarev
Shop Anastasia's look with our Mineral tablecloth, Lavender placemats and White napkins.
This show-stopping dish (that’s also vegan) is a celebration of fresh produce. In addition to the eggplant, there’s juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, zesty lemon and crunchy walnuts, so each mouthful provides a burst of different flavours and textures.
You only need 15 minutes to prep this dish, and then the eggplant needs just 30 minutes in the oven for it to get nice and charred. In the meantime, sit down and enjoy a well-deserved glass of wine with your dinner guests.
Fettuccine With Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Eggplant and Burrata
Recipe by: Sian Redgrave
Shop Sian’'s look with our Rust tablecloth, Terracotta napkins and Bitossi Home accessories.
While this dish is incredibly simple to make, it tastes decadent thanks to the luxurious melted burrata cheese that's gently folded through the long strands of silky pasta.
It's packed with flavour from the roasted eggplant, bright cherry tomatoes, a touch of chilli and fresh basil. And while it's completely vegetarian, even the meat-lovers will be converted.
Mains and shared plates...
Prawn & Ginger Wontons
Recipe by: Jessica Nguyen
Shop Jessica's look with our Lavender tablecloth, Sage placemats and Olive napkins.
All you need is seven ingredients and 30-minutes to have these dumplings ready to be devoured by all. Our tip? Double the recipe and freeze half for those days when you really can’t be bothered to cook.
Mushroom & Thyme Pappardelle
Recipe by: Ashley Alexander
Shop Ashley's look with our Olive tablecloth, Rust placemats and Oatmeal napkins.
Silky, wide ribbons of pasta meet buttery mushrooms in this heavenly dish. Fragranced with thyme, it's a rich and decadent option that will please meat-lovers and vegetarians alike.
For an even tastier meal, opt for fresh egg pasta from your local Italian grocer. If you can't find pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine will work just fine. We recommend serving this alongside quality butter, sourdough and a bottle of merlot.
Spicy Peanut Noodles
Recipe by: Diana Chan
Shop Diana's look with our Olive tablecloth, Sage placemats, and Oatmeal napkins in our Build Your Own Table Bundle.
As far as mouthwatering dishes go, Diana Chan's spicy peanut noodles have to be up the top of our list. This gem of a recipe is quick, simple, and delightfully full of flavour, requiring mostly pantry staples and a few other ingredients.
Silky noodles are coated in a wonderful umami combination of peanuts, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and chilli oil, topped with sesame seeds and spring onions for a fresh hit.
Vegetarian Egg Fried Rice
Recipe by: Jessica Nguyen
Shop Jessica's look with our White tablecloth, Rust placemats and Terracotta napkins.
Jessica Nguyen's recipe only calls for 11 ingredients and is filled with nutritious fibre (hello, gut health) and protein thanks to the variety of vegetables and egg.
If you're carb-conscious, you can also swap out the white rice for cauliflower rice, which will triple the veg content of the dish, or use brown rice for a dose of wholegrains. #health.
Sides...
Homemade Focaccia With Leeks, Ricotta and Honey
Recipe by: Sian Redgrave
Shop Sian’'s look with our Turmeric tablecloth, Terracotta napkins and Bitossi Home accessories.
This recipe is something even the most novice of cooks - or nervous of entertainers - will be able to execute with ease.
Bonus, if you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, the day-old focaccia will double as some of the best toast you’ve had in your life. Which, as far as we’re concerned, is the perfect reward for any post-party cleanup.
Vietnamese Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Recipe by: Jessica Nguyen
Shop Jessica's look with our Terracotta tablecloth, Turmeric placemats and Terracotta napkins.
These spring rolls are a true crowd pleaser (have you ever met someone who doesn't like spring rolls!?). Freshly made and vegetarian-friendly, these hot and crispy rolls will be a foolproof addition to any dinner party, picnic or summer entertaining you've got in your future.
Dessert...
Comforting Carrot Cake
Recipe by: Charlotte Ree
Shop Charlotte's look with our Petrol Tablecloth, Sage Napkins and Bitossi Home accessories.
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients because it's actually very simple to make.
Incredibly moist and smothered in a velvety cream cheese icing - is this the world's best carrot cake recipe?
Eton Mess With Fresh Raspberries
Recipe by: Charlotte Ree
Shop Charlotte's look with our Lavender Tablecloth, Terracotta Napkins and Bitossi Home accessories.
The most crucial part of this dessert is patience. You need to ensure you allow the time for your meringue to cool in the oven to create its perfectly crunchy outside with fabulously fluffy innards. The meringues can be made a day ahead to save you time, simply store them in an airtight container.
This recipe is for individual portions but you can make one giant eton mess to share, too. The best part is that this recipe is completely adaptable. Simply add your favourite fruits or take your pick from whatever is in season - the choice is yours!
Sticky Date Pudding With Rich Butterscotch Sauce
Recipe by: Charlotte Ree
Shop Charlotte's look with our Rust Tablecloth, Turmeric Napkins and Bitossi Home accessories.
This is a recipe whose batter can be made, baked and served all within an hour. The pudding is best served warm but don't worry if you are time poor and need to make in advance. You can serve with the warm butterscotch sauce or even just reheat it in the microwave.
Hungry for more? Explore all of our recipes here.
