Dinner Party Recipes — Mains, Starters & Desserts for Guests
A gathering needs dishes that scale, can be made ahead and look spectacular on the table. Here's a full menu — starters, mains and dessert — most of it ready before the guests arrive.
The recipes
Kibbeh (Fried Bulgur & Meat Croquettes)
Starter: fried kibbeh, always first to go. · 90 minBang Bang Shrimp
Starter: crispy shrimp in a sweet-spicy sauce. · 25 minMaqluba (Arabic Upside-Down Rice)
Main: maqluba, flipped in front of the guests. · 2 hClassic Roast Chicken
Main: a whole roast chicken. · 2 hSushi Bake
Main: a sushi bake tray for sharing. · 40 minHoneycomb Pasta Pie (Rigatoni Cake)
Main: pasta sliced like a cake. · 70 minCrinkle Cake (Muakacha)
Dessert: crinkle cake in syrup. · 60 minBiscoff Tiramisu
Dessert: Biscoff tiramisu, made the day before. · 5 h
Chef's notes
The party timeline
The day before: tiramisu and the kibbeh filling. Morning: assemble the maqluba and salads. An hour out: the chicken goes in. Last fifteen minutes: fry the kibbeh and shrimp so they arrive crisp.
How much to make
Plan one main for every 4 to 6 guests, and 2 to 3 pieces of each starter per person.
Questions
What should I cook for a dinner party?
A main like maqluba or roast chicken, with kibbeh and a salad, and Biscoff tiramisu for dessert.
What can be made the day before?
The tiramisu, the kibbeh filling and salads without lettuce.
A party on a budget?
Chicken maqluba and the honeycomb pasta pie feed a crowd for little cost.
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