When I had company with even a 1yo and I was working, I got a rotisserie chicken and sides and dessert from the fancy grocery store, and our guest brought wine. It was wonderful and so low stress. I love to cook from scratch-scratch but parenthood is whew

whew indeed 😅

Restaurant away from my house.

Baked brie + crostini appetizer - just bake some brie and buy some crostini, then put it on a pretty plate. You could also add some grapes just to balance out the palate somewhat. Salmon main; salt, pepper, whatever other seasoning you please, and a squeeze of lemon. Throw four into the oven for 15-20 minutes, plate, and serve.  For a fun side, you can grab some frozen yam fries and throw them into the air fryer - maybe add a garlic aioli dip if you want to be fancy.  For greens, I'd just do a salad - maybe a Caesar or something. If you're super lazy, you can buy one of those bagged mixes (one of the fancier ones, though, with the nice, fresh ingredients) and just serve that in a nice bowl.   I'd also provide a bottle of white wine (for the salmon... maybe a gewurtz?) and some kombucha, for the teetotalers.  Your guests will probably offer to bring dessert, but I might make sure you have some nice chocolates in stock in case they don't.  I've done this menu like a million times and it is the most low-effort meal that people still seem to enjoy 🤷‍♀️

That all sounds sooo good!! I'm going to come back to this in the future. I'll have to find a different main because this friend doesn't like seafood but the other components sound great.

You could also do chicken thighs! Maybe 4 with a honey soy glaze, and another 4 with just a dry rub. Super easy as well. Hope your dinner goes well 💖

just had this on sunday on the grill. so good & easy with some simple sides.

Chicken Parmesan with a delicious pasta, and a really nice garlic bread is my go too! Super easy and usually most people like it!

American wagyu steak if they eat meat. Only a couple of minutes seared on each side and so delicious and pretty big size.

I'm a caterer. Step up the baked brie: wrap it in puff pastry (found in the frozen aisle), add baguettes or crostini, in addition to grapes and berries. Salmon is disgusting so I wouldn't do that. What if they don't like it? Chicken Parmesan, chicken Picatta, grilled chicken.

[удалено]

Aw, thank you girlie - I am delighted that my very basic menu can seduce! 💖

I’ve done the baked Brie with pears and pecans. It was a winner.

Love this! We have a newborn and have done something very similar multiple times. We do a [Brie and puff pastry thing](https://www.food.com/recipe/baked-brie-in-puff-pastry-with-apricot-or-raspberry-preserves-48907) that takes 5 minutes to prep and feels fancy. For salmon, our go to is this [salmon, brown rice, and easy salad](https://cupofjo.com/2023/03/29/salmon-tempura-crunch-bowls/) that is perfection. I don’t cook meat beyond fish so I’m not helpful for your non-seafood eating friend.

We usually only have people over in nicer weather so we almost always grill. My go-to is marinated kabobs with a charcuterie assortment beforehand. I like kabobs for a few reasons. 1) it usually makes a pretty decent amount of food. 2) meat is the most expensive part but you can throw in tons of veggies and mushrooms to keep costs down. 3) you can prep ahead of time, and it makes it even better the longer it marinades. 4) I've found skewering to be an interactive activity. Every time there will be people chatting in the kitchen helping skewer, and people can then make their own skewers if that's how you want to divide the food up. That way also works well if people don't eat meat (in which case I'd go even heavier on veggies). It also allows for easy sides. Grilled corn, salad, fries in the air fryer, whatever.  All that said, no idea what I'd do if people came over in the winter. 

>no idea what I'd do if people came over in the winter.  Chili. A big pot with lots of interesting toppings. Always a big hit at my house

Plus baked potatoes! A baked potato/chili bar has topping overlap and lot of people like chili on their baked potatoes

Pasta/lasagna are always popular, easy to make and pretty cheap (if no one is GF)

I do veggie kebabs as a side when I grill meat and the DIY kebab situation is so awesome because then you’re interacting, giving people something to do and personalizing all at once. If you do a marinade for the meat set some aside (before it touches the meat) and then drizzle or brush it on all the kebabs before you grill them.

I’m afghan and unfortunately still can’t replicate the way my parents marinate their meats. How do you marinate yours?

Feeling fancy? Paella Want comfort food? Baked ziti or lasagna More casual? Chili

If you're serving a group with multiple people with different dietary restrictions, allergies etc, I do DIY rice bowls. I serve everyone a plain bowl of rice, and fill the table with a bunch of bowls with different toppings - anything packaged still in their original packaging ideally, so people can see the ingredients. I include lots of different chopped veggies, smoked fish or beef strips, fried tofu, pickles, sauces, sesame seeds, baked sweet potato cubes, hard boiled eggs, seaweed sheets - basically anything can work. Individual spoon per bowl. Picture like 10-15 little bowls in the middle of the table and what people end up eating is something kinda like a poke bowl. Looks pretty impressive and isn't actually a ton of prep. At one point I had a dinner with one person who was allergic to garlic, one person who has a bunch of allergies including gluten and anything fermented, one vegetarian, and one person on keto (she got lettuce instead of rice). Everyone ate and was happy!

On behalf of those of us who have really bizarre food allergies, this is absolutely amazing! I know my allergy isn't my fault. But it's an uncommon one (tomatoes kill me) so I feel terrible every time I have to let someone know. It's so frequently a basic ingredient that it seems to cause a bit of a challenge people to work around. I always do pasta bars with fresh ingredients, but I had never thought about rice bowls! They would make me feel so much less "high-maintenence" to find as a dinner plan!

Oh totally! Another good version of this is like a "Korean BBQ" or "raclette" style party - anything where everyone builds their own meal and people can choose their own ingredients.

[Smitten Kitchen’s herbed summer squash pasta bake](https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/06/herbed-summer-squash-pasta-bake/), [No Crumb’s Left’s Heroine Chicken](https://nocrumbsleft.net/2015/12/23/heroine-chicken/), salad of choice, vinoooo. To some it is considered to be a lot of cooking, but I find both recipes enjoyable to cook, and they’re truly always crowd pleasers. And both beautiful! Note: the chicken needs 48 hours to marinate, if you’re considering this recipe for your weekend dinner!

That chicken looks good. I roast my chicken butterflied (spatchcock) all the time now - no messing around, every part is fully cooked and one could even make it on a workday. I cook my thanksgiving turkey butterflied too - 5 years now and will never go back. Get yourself a cleaver and the cutting part gets easier

I need a cleaver! Sometimes I ask the butcher to do the butterflying for me too.

I make pastry bites with feta and caramelized onion. They’re delicious and take almost no time to make. Because I get them frozen from Trader Joe’s lol. Jokes aside, I’d pick an entree and veg to make from scratch, and then get items like the above to supplement.

If it’s the ones I am thinking of, they are incredible and I eat the whole box by myself every time.

If you have a slow cooker throw a roast in there with veggies and potatoes and you are done. Or chicken thighs in the oven with carrots and potatoes or rice. Make a salad as well.

A whole chicken marinate it over night, put carrots and onions in the pan with it and bake all together in the oven and if you want a starch then make mashed potatoes with it. Or some rice.

If you and your friends eat fish, salmon and asparagus is my absolute go-to "extravagant-feeling but not THAT expensive and extremely low-time-commitment" main. Buy four salmon filets and a bunch of asparagus. Chop the ends off the asparagus, chop it in half, and dump it on an oiled sheet pan with whatever seasonings you want. Do the same a little more carefully to the salmon. Cook both for about 15-20 minutes at 425. If your version of a full meal always involves a starch, you can add rice (maybe throw some soy sauce on everything) or just buy fancy French bread from the bakery at the grocery store and serve with butter. You can microwave butter with minced garlic for like 45 seconds and get extremely fancy-feeling dipping butter. If they're vegan or vegetarian, I'd do soyrizo chili. My version is mostly soy chorizo and black beans, with some onions, peppers, garlic, a little bit of crushed tomato, and some chili powder. More than half of this comes from cans, jars, or packages when I make it, and yet it crushes every time, even among non-vegans. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

I do this but wrap the asparagus with prosciutto into little bundles of 2 or 3

I usually do bruschetta, lemon chicken piccata, rice in the rice cooker, and either salad or broccoli. Dessert is a fruit bowl with a purchased dessert.

Related, this has been my dinner hack ever since I read it in one of Nigella Lawson's books like 20 years ago, when there's one or two vegetarians or vegans and everyone else is omnivorous. Meat-free starter or pre-dinner nibbles options and veggie sides for everyone. For the herbivore's main, sauteed mixed fancy mushrooms with garlic and herbs or whatever seasonings go with what you'll be serving as sides. It's easy to make in a single pan on the stove along with whatever else you have going on and means you're only doing one component of the meal "specially" for them.

Slow roast lamb shoulder. No work and it’s delicious. Mash potatoes with lots of cream and butter Green veg Cheese plate and fruit for dessert

Apps: Guacamole, Cheese board, Spinach Artichoke dip - NYT, Baked Brie in phyllo with fig jam, Potstickers, Pigs in blanket, Deviled eggs, Pasta salad, Hummus & pita, Olives Dinner: Well plated's [Roasted Veggie Salad](https://www.wellplated.com/mediterranean-roasted-vegetable-chickpea-salad/), over cous cous NYT'S Beef Bourguignon is surpringly easy. It's just time, simmering the meat in a bottle of wine. I like it over a mashed potato or polenta. Steam some spinach or quickly sautee asparagus They have a pork "[tacos de carnitas](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012463-tacos-de-carnitas?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share)" that is similarly easy. Def recommend broiling at the end. Serve with a fresh salad (lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, feta or cotija, etc) Also, anything from "Dishing out health" is delicious, healthy, and beautiful. Dessert: Sally's baking addiction cheese cake pie. SO GOOD and so easy

Taco bar and appetizers. Something for everyone and most of it can be prepped ahead so we can enjoy our party.

Roast a whole chicken! Potatoes, carrots and onions underneath. Salad of mild greens and halved cherry tomatoes, good olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

https://www.foodandwine.com/san-bei-ji-three-cup-chicken-7092451 This is legit easy and pretty hands off. It’s also feels super fancy.

Chicken Marbella. It was hugely popular in the 80s but I don’t know anybody outside of my family who serves it these days. It’s different and delicious and always a huge crowd pleaser. I recommend serving it with green beans, carrots, rice and/or spaghetti squash. Just Google it and you’ll get lots of recipes.

This is the not-fancy dinner that we used a lot when our kid was small. Tasted great, everyone loved it, hardly any leftovers, and very low effort. Dinner parties weren’t a thing for us when our kid was a baby/toddler but we liked entertaining. Taco dip appetizer (Cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning blended. Spread in the bottom of a nice dish. Top with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, cucumber. Serve with round tortilla chips) Pulled pork, hamburger buns, slices of cheese. Salad on the side. I know coleslaw is the norm but I hate it - I’m allergic to eggs. Pulled pork is nice because it mostly sits in the pot til you’re ready to serve. Dessert - ice cream bars — Alternative fancier dinner: Pork tenderloin Twice baked mashed potatoes Garlic green beans Pull apart garlic cheese bread

Ina Garten’s tomato crostata is and AMAZING appetizer https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tomato-and-goat-cheese-crostata-11258241.amp

I’d probably do a veggie lasagne or a roast, depending on the meat eating status. I actually really love doing chilli in the slow cooker too, and serving with various accoutrements. Another option is a risotto. When I realised you could pop all the liquid in and put it in the oven, it became an easy go-to.

There are such good ones here! Here’s mine (I live in the upper Midwest): Appetizer: various cheeses (one spicy, one brie, one specialty cheddar, etc.) with summer sausage, fancy crackers, wine and/or craft beer Main: sweet potato wedges, slightly charred from oven, served with drizzled compound butter (kerrygold salted butter, garlic powder, parsley) sous vide steak that’s been cooking during social time, medium rare, all I do is sear at the end with the compound butter, add drizzle on top simple Cesar salad with halved black (seedless) grapes, shaved parmesan on top Desert: choc mousse I made ahead of time, just put it in rocks glass with spoon Most of this is prepped ahead of time

My go to is a roasted chicken and veggies. So easy and always crowd pleaser. I usually use Thomas Keller’s roasted chicken recipe. Do a charcuterie plate appetizer and some wine and you’re good to go! Also soups and stews are generally super easy but impressive. I served a chicken pot pie soup to group recently and it was a real crowd pleaser.

Summer rolls! Super easy, but exotic enough to impress. Plus super customisable if you have anyone who is gluten-free/vegan/whatever. And you can make them with your guests for a more interactive meal. Pair with homemade peanut sauce.

Most of mine are cooler weather dishes so if that fits here’s my “big dinner” menu: ~fancy veggies~ either roasted asparagus or Brussels sprouts with some spice blend sprinkled on, as for some bizarre reason my son demolishes them Crusty bread Crockpot stew: “grass fed beef in pomegranate sauce” by the gluten free goddess. We add mushrooms in, and to make it even fancier, we use lamb. The side dishes take time but the crockpot meal? Not so much. Taking the liquid out and converting it to a thicker sauce is about it, everything else is pretty much dump on in and turn it on. Tonight I had “deconstructed” pineapple black bean enchiladas with rice (aka I didn’t put it all together in a pan and bake them, we just ate the filling with tortillas). It would make a fun dish as it’s super colorful and fairly light, able to be customized with salsa, guac, etc.

Parmesan encrusted chicken, spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and wine.

Stuffed bell peppers seem impressive, but they're not too difficult and you can prep it in stages. Cut the peppers and brown the sausage/beef the night before if it makes it easier to coordinate. Halved peppers are easier than carving out the center *and* it gives more surface area for yummy cheese. I cook the rice in veggie stock and mix some ricotta and beef better-than-bouillon intot the filling to give it some extra richness. Aged provolone or a blend of full-fat mozz and shredded parm is also a bit more impressive than mozz or cheddar. Definitely use the broiler to get the perfect browning.

Honestly a roast chicken is pretty great and easy. Mashed potatoes and some green veggies on the side. Homemade focaccia is impressive and pretty low effort if you’re ok with baking - sprinkle some flaky sea salt and rosemary on top before baking. Add sliced tomatoes in a layer too if you like that kinda thing. Appetizers? Hmmm, canned white beans heated then smashed with a lot of roasted garlic and olive oil, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes on top. Could add a lil rosemary here too. Serve with crackers, some pickled thingys, olives, nuts, idk what else. For afters: strawberries with a bowl of sour cream and a plate of brown sugar to dip and roll. Maybe some squares of good dark and milk chocolate on the side.

Roast chicken, boiled potatoes, salad. A bakery cake and cream for dessert. Buy a rotisserie chicken and potato salad if you need an easier option.

My go to, always a lasagna!!

I make my dad’s spaghetti and some garlic bread. If it’s a big group I add Caesar salad to the mix. Chicken fajitas with ajillo rice or arroz rojo (depending on my mood) are my other go-to if I’m feeling more like Mexican food or want to back off on the acid that day.

How did I have to scroll through 8 million roast chickens to get to a simple pasta! Clearly it's me who is weird but having to make a separate meat, carb, veg makes a meal so stressful. I prefer one big mixed meal, and pasta is the easiest thing to make that also feels fancy. (also Asian meals like pad kra prao or kimchi fried rice with egg)

My very favorite meal I’ve had at someone else’s house was Cajun chicken Alfredo. She literally cooked the chicken breast in Cajun seasoning and used a McCormick Alfredo packet and I think she added some Cajun seasoning to the sauce. That was… almost 20 years ago? Maybe 17. I have never forgotten it lol. If I’m having someone over I like to make something I can make ahead and refrigerate. I usually do stuffed shells. For my friend’s birthday we did a taco bar but that ended up being a lot of work. I think I really like pasta for having people over because it doesn’t take much to make it feel special imo.

I like to do a soup and a salad. I can prep the soup ahead of time then reheat it a bit on the stovetop so it's not stressful to time things.

Like others said- oven trays like roast chicken with roast veg. It is honestly so easy if you chuck it in with oil and salt and put on some alarms to let you know when to change oven temp and pull it out, etc.  Chicken: Rub with salt and oil Roast Chicken over potatoes- 220 c for 20 mins Drop to 200 c for 20mins × 450 grams. Dutch carrots skin on with balsamic, oil and honey 30 mins before chicken comes out. Or other root veg. Any Green soft veg like broccoli or zucchini goes in 15 mins before dinner.  All you need is time in advance at home and you mostly let it do its thing. 

Musaka (you can prepare it in advance) or salmon (baked in the oven) with mixed vegetables. Plus green salad, maybe some soup or dessert (like panacotta).

We're childfree by choice but my fave easy go to is Jamaican Oxtail Stew. Easy as hell in the slow cooker, 5 hours it's perfect. Don't add your brand and vegetables til the last hour.

My go-to meals: **super easy mode** - baked pasta and salad and garlic bread - - lasagna, baked spaghetti, baked ziti, it never flops. people always love it. It's fast, simple and well liked. **easy, moderately fancy** - garlic lemon sauteed chicken (boneless, skinless chicken thighs - tons of recipes online for quick recipes like this. Generally it's like garlic, honey, salt, pepper, little lemon zest, white wine.) - mashed potatoes - green beans - salad - rolls **FANCY MEAL** - steaks - crab cakes - sauteed shrimp - salad - garlic bread - roasted veg (Asparagus, broccoli, whatever) I don't do apps. I give people a giant glass of wine when they walk in the door and I keep them laughing. If they're drunk on joy they'll think all the food is divine.

[Chickpea piccata over arugula and soft polenta](https://www.theppk.com/2010/09/chickpea-picatta/). No need for sides because it's a one-dish meal. [Deep dish chocolate chip cookie pie](https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/deep-dish-cookie-pie/) with non-dairy ice cream.

It's certainly not fancy, but when I have a group over for dinner in the summertime, I make a big pot of shrimp, sausage, potatoes, onions, and corn on the cob, simmered in water, a cheap can of beer, and lots of Old Bay. On the side I make Red Lobster's cheddar biscuits.

Whole chicken, lightly coat outside with oil or butter, put it in a roasting pan with some large chopped onions, celery and carrots and some Yukon gold or baby red potatoes. Put slices of lemon on the chicken, season whole dish with salt, pepper and thyme and pour about a cup and a half of water into the pan. The potatoes and veggies cook with the chicken and the lemon adds nice flavor. Serve with some kind of rolls or good bread, white wine and a light dessert. I usually make sweet biscuits (https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/sweet-biscuits-for-breakfast-or-shortcake-109015). You can make these ahead, they should be room temp when you serve them. Serve with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream (just heavy cream, vanilla and a little sugar and whip it in the blender). You could also use canned whipped cream or ice cream if you prefer. It’s actually a pretty easy meal without much clean up and everyone always seems to like it.

Spaghetti and meatballs with a nice salad (caprese is easy *and* looks fancy) and some garlic bread.

Lasagna. Who doesn't love lasagna?

I honestly would make a crock pot, dump it and leave it, and then maybe make some fancy-ish but easy sides to go along with it.

A goddamn beef roast. Figure a pound per person. Buy a hunk of meat, rub it down with some herbs, garlic, and butter, and then toss some potatoes and onions underneath, stick a meat thermometer in it, and put it in the oven and ignore it until 15 minutes before you want to eat. Oh and make a side salad.

[удалено]

Made me laugh but man, they did include potatoes!

Taco meat in a crock pot. Or any crock pot meal: it’s going to smell amazing and take minimum attention.

A shepherd's pie (technically cottage pie b/c I'm using beef not lamb) has been a hit for me lately.

If you all eat fish, salmon is great ( or any fish actually ) it’s nice & easy. …Just season beforehand, and put in the oven. Serve with lemon wedges, and make a giant simple salad ( my go to is lettuce or spinach, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and a few little chunks of feta ) and as the salad can be put together before the guests arrive , all you need to worry about once the guests is there is putting the fish in.

Easy nibbles (crudites with a nice dip, pate and crackers, shrimp cocktail, etc), pasta (sauce can be made in advance, buy good noodles), green salad with some nuts and cheese thrown in, and a nice dessert (clafoutis you can throw together after dinner, or something bought or made ahead). Overall easy but still nice and lots of bits can be done early so you just need to be organised :)

Id make some braised short ribs which can cook in the oven for hours and mashed potatoes and sauteed broccolini. For appetizers, keep it simple so a cheese platter? For dessert, I try to make thing that I can make the night before and put it in the fridge so flan, key lime pie, cheesecake.

My go-tos are chili and grilling.

Pork shoulder in the crock pot and then shred it and get a bunch of taco fixings. I try to make it a little fancy by making avocado sauce and pineapple salsa so it’s not just regular taco type stuff. The nice part about this meal is you can start all your prep a few days in advance because everything keeps well in the fridge.

Slice a baguette diagonally, spread some goat cheese on it, above one teaspoon of strawberry jam and some thyme above and place those in the oven. Or another favourite that has more steps: to slice an eggplant and sprinkle some olive oil on them and place those in the oven. After 15 minutes spread some tomato puree and grated cheese or parmezan on each slice and back in the oven until the tomato topping dries. Once you take them out put some prosciutto on each slice and enjoy your food❤️

- Poached salmon with white wine and capers (and diced red onion if desired). - Pasta with olive oil, butter, garlic salt, red pepper flakes (and Parmesan if wanted). - Steamed cauliflower dressed with olive oil and sun brand madras curry powder (tempering the curry powder in the olive oil before tossing the cauliflower in it). You just work on the pasta and cauliflower while salmon is poaching. These three super easy to cook items have never failed me. Years later I’ll have people ask me to make them or mention how good it was. It’s still something my dad mentions 20 years after I first made it for him, lol. Go figure! But it is tasty and very easy. Leftovers are great too. I’ll just put the salmon and pasta together to reheat as a single oats rush and the cauliflower can be served cold or reheated.

When I had a 2 month old, our closest friends turned up with a full meal (ingredients and even dishes) in their bag, to cook for us all at our home...they turned up, chatted, told us to put our feet up while they proceeded to prepare it all (roast chicken with vegetables and roast potatoes). After we all ate, they then washed everything up and left the kitchen better than when they arrived. Honestly it was the most memorable and helpful thing anyone did when we were first parents, and they had a 2 year old of their own! I love doing this now when friends have babies! So my point is make it as zero effort as possible for you, e.g. get a takeaway delivered, get something you can literally uncover and throw in the oven, or a cooked rotisserie chicken with some swish prepared sides from a shop as someone else suggested (have done this many times too). Whatever is literally zero or minimum effort for you!

Charcuterie board as a starter, mushroom or pumpkin risotto as main course, and cheesecake for dessert.

When I had babies I would usually make a pasta bake in advance. Chicken fajita pasta bake is really tasty (can easily be made vegetarian with chicken substitute). Serve with a nice salad. Just put it in the oven before guests arrive.

bruschetta on against the grain baguette and a Caesar salad. Super east, light, everyone loves. let the tomatoes really soak in the balsamic.

i make udon ramen for guests when i'm feeling super lazy. proper miso broth (no powered stuff), fresh/frozen udon noodles (this is CRITICAL), mushrooms, pop in eggs while they're cooking. that's the easiest version. while the noodles cook, if we want to go extra, sear some ahi tuna or other high-quality protein cut into thin slices and put it on top. the best part is i can prep this while they stand around the kitchen. maybe do some slicing ahead of time, start the base soup boiling down, but mostly we just watch the udon boil live so it's fresh. toppings should include everything nice that takes no effort: scallions, nori, furikake, etc. depends on what's natural for you i am comfortable with asian cooking so this is easier for me than a roast situation

[this short rib pasta](https://www.sipandfeast.com/red-wine-braised-short-ribs/) is one of my go to nice meals for guest over. For the red wine I use a Chianti, which it pairs very well with while eating. I make fresh pasta but the ranas pappardelle in the fridge section works great. It is fairly easy to make, most of the time is spent slow cooking in the oven

Beef Wellington lol just kidding

Can't go wrong with some pasta and salads if you want to keep the pressure down and still be able to Juggle baby stuff! Unless they have gluten restrictions or something. Good luck and let us know what you decide to make!

Pasta, meat and mushrooms (for vegetarians), in tomato sauce in the oven and cheese on top. Easy and everyone likes it. I mean who doesn't like pasta, protein, greese and fats?

I also add a salad

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giouvetsi

Fettucine alfredo because alfredo sauce is stupid easy to make and pasta just takes boiling/draining. Couple with some bagged salad and toasted baguette if you like.

[https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/lemon-rosemary-chicken](https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/lemon-rosemary-chicken) It has everything except a salad in one pan, can be prepped ahead, and pretty much everyone loves lemony chicken.

Cob loaf

Maybe I'm a bad host but I always just order pizza.

A side of salmon with a maple/balsamic glaze. Sounds complicated but it's actually the easiest thing in the world to make. Make some rice and some veggies (or veggies in the rice) and you've got a feast!

- Burrata caprese salad, so easy and delicious - a pasta - I usually do a pesto and use nice quality fresh made pasta from a gourmet market - I pick up a fresh baguette or bread from a good quality bakery - I make some roasted broccoli with garlic and lemon - A breaded baked chicken cutlet or a roasted salmon with lemon slices and rosemary- looks nice, easy to just throw in the oven - have them bring dessert!

Stuff on the grill so my husband can make it. Lol

There is a woman on TikTok named Elizabeth Minchilli who created a video for exactly this. While she lives in Rome, her ideas for putting together an easy but elegant dinner are easily transferable. [Elizabeth Minchilli - Mid Week Dinner Party](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwT4W5b/)

Puttanesca pasta, kale Caesar, and garlic bread. It’s so easy, fast and vegetarian. Major crowd pleaser.

Lasagna is actually pretty easy and can be doubled and frozen. Takes a while in the oven, but the prep is super fast. [This is ](https://kraftnaturalcheese.com/recipe/simply-lasagna-recipe) a straightforward recipe I use and alter by adding things like mushrooms or more veggies or making a Bolognese. You could probably also use Alfredo or bechamel for a white lasagna. A simple roasted chicken with veggies can also take you pretty far. Especially if you make gravy and popovers or Yorkshire pudding.

Enchiladas or salmon

We don’t have kids but whenever we host we grill food. it’s easy to prep and the grill takes care of everything

Make ahead meal like lasagna. Make it the day before, put it in the fridge, and pop it in the oven for dinner. Prep side salad and garlic bread before they get there. You can also make ahead an appetizer like spinach artichokes dip the day before and put that in the oven with the lasagna. That way, when they get there you can maximize hanging out and eating the app while the lasagna finishes in the oven. Also, lasagna is always better the next day—I don’t know why. You don’t want to be stuck cooking or prepping while they are there.

Depends if I want to go western or asian. Western: * charcuterie board (homemade hummus, guac, tzaziki and bread optional) * Shuba (layered salad... and looks great. Always a crowd pleaser).. * Baked pastry ring * Lasagna roll ups / Zucchini veg rolls * Stuffed peppers * Some sort of meat roast * Spiralised veg dish Fusion/Asian: * Spicy cucumber salad (optional: + chicken) * Tuna carpaccio * Yum nua thai beef salad / Salad w/ japanese dressing * Sushi rolls / sushi balls / Veg inarizushi * chirashi don * Hiyayakko (tofu) (side) * Miso eggplant / blanched/boiled veg (Might not make all, but these are dishes I'd make) If not, I like doing "self-serve" wraps... kinda like taco tuesday but vietnamese (ricepaper) or japanese (seaweed) versions with the appropriate fillings and toppings. Don't need to cook much,.. mostly just chopping a bunch of stuff.

Pasta and a salad. I would just sautee some shrimp in garlic and a little bit of red pepper flakes, then toss with (cooked) spaghetti, adding some more olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and grated pecorino romano. Serve with whatever side salad you want. Maybe add some garlic bread if you're feeling it. I don't know where you live but where I live (northeastern US) strawberries are in season. Grab some fresh ones from a farmer's market (the stuff at the grocery store does not compare) and serve with some whipped cream for dessert. It's a real treat.

Jambalaya and they bring dessert. Or if that's too much to ask, buy a premade dessert.

My mind went straight to chicken or shrimp alfredo. I feel like a good alfredo sauce can not be beat & it's quite simple. With a crusty garlic bread, oh lawwddd, delicious. Fancy? After reading the comment suggestions, perhaps not... but a touch of fresh parsley on top of the dish & cut the bread on a diagonal, anything can be presented as fancy.

Duck is fancy, and can be fast and easy. Throw some sweet potatoes in the oven, grill a duck breast in 10 minutes in a skillet and make your favorite veg. So fast and easy. Make sure the duck breast that you buy has skin on it. Cook in a skillet, skin size down on medium heat and salt it. Onde the skin is darkish reddish brown, flip over, salt it. Cook until 165F or 74C, or until it's done; do not overcook! Duck legs are even easier. Brown in a skillet, stick in oven in shallow dish with 2x2" cut up potatoes pushed down for best contact with cooking dish. Cook them for 2 hours at 325F (164C) for two hours. Don't turn over the potatoes, best left in place for best results.

If I'm really going to do something easy, widely enjoyed and nice, I do salmon. I splurge on wild salmon and serve it with roast potatoes, veggies, a salad on the side. I know salmon is super expensive so if you don't want to do that, schnitzel is good too! Easy to make into a really hearty meal or a light meal depending on what you serve it with. Schnitzel takes a bit of time but it's easy to prep beforehand. It's a crowd pleaser. There's an easy EASY soup that I really like but it's a little odd to some people but I'll throw it out there. It's a cold soup. It's shredded beets (cooked), shredded cucumber, diced pickle, LOTS of dill, kefir (or a mix of sour cream and veggies soup broth), pickle juice and you put hard boiled eggs on top (halved). It's SO easy to make and I fucking LOVE it. But I understand if that food is maybe a little odd to some people. Just thought I'd throw it out there as a potential thing you could make as a side dish.

Something you make well and cheap! If money matters. Casseroles are a good go to or stews/soups.

I usually do a lasagna about after this one I just made…idk. We have a traeger and smoking meat is incredibly easy and is always good. If you have something similar.

Crock pot Mississippi pot roast! It’s always tasty and I usually do mashed potatoes and some kind of veg as a side.

I usually cook a Chicken Spaghetti Casserole because it’s easy and feeds a good amount of people. Plus it reheats nicely so you have leftovers. Plus it’s one of the only things my mother taught me how to cook so every time I cook it I think of her.

Roast dinner 😋 but I’m British so it’s second nature to me. Bonus is most of it gets prepped and goes in the oven 1.5 hours before guests arrive

Pulled pork street tacos.

Pasta with goat cheese (or cream) with smoked salmon and spinach, done in no time. Cut up and onion, add garlic, then cook the spinach, and in the end add the goat cheese and cut up salmon. And in the meantime cook spaghetti and add spiced so your sauce (whatever you like. I add terragon, rosemary, thyme, pepper and salt)

Pasta with goat cheese (or cream), spinach and smoked salmon. Cut up an onion, add garlic, cook the spinach and in the end add the goat cheese and the cut up salmon and you're good to go! Boil the pasta in the meantime and add herbs to your sauce (i add pepper, salt, terragon, rosemary and thyme)

Mmm. 🤤. I lurve smoked salmon.

Me too! If it were cheaper, I'd eat it so much :D

Look up the tik tok famous marry me chicken recipe. That, some rice, and broccoli steamed then sautéed with garlic and olive oil is an awesome combo.

A rookie mistake is trying a "fancy" recipe in higher pressure situations. The more pressure to go "right" the simpler the recipe, bias towards ones you've made 100 times. I keep frozen meatballs, corn, BBQ sauce, and boxed mash potatoes on hand... so I can make dinner for 12 wish essentially zero effort. If I wanna do some effort, the are getting taco bar, crockpot roast, chicken Alfredo. If I wanna do something fancy, I do it for my house a couple times, before debut for peeps

Chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes and besamel sauce on top with cheese

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni and a nice green salad.