Casual entertaining at home need not be a daunting prospect when you choose some impressive, simple, prepare-ahead dinner party recipes. It comes down to choosing recipes that don’t require you to be tied to the kitchen all night long. Select dishes that are impressive but at the same time only you know they were really quite easy to make.

Serve a selection of pre-dinner nibbles as your guests arrive and are chatting away before sitting down to eat. Try combining something you made yourself, such as Goats Cheese & Walnut Bites, Smoked Mackerel Dip or Bacon & Onion Mini Frittatas with a platter of cheese, nuts and olives.

If you serve a good selection of nibbles then there is no need to serve an entrée. You can go from nibbles straight to the main course and then onto a dessert which will be plenty in terms of quantity of food.  If you do want to serve an entrée, serve a soup that you can prepare ahead and reheat such as this tasty Smokey Bean & Chorizo Soup which always gets fantastic feedback or perhaps serve something light such as Spinach & Goats Cheese Tarts.  Accompany these with a simple side salad of baby green salad leaves and cherry tomatoes.

For the main course, my absolute number one priority (apart from serving a great tasting dish of course) is to choose a recipe that you can prepare in advance. These individual Cottage Pies are a great example of a main course that can be made the day before so that all that is required is baking in the oven on the night of your dinner party. Served in individual baking ramekins with this superb side dish of Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes, it is a lovely dinner that has mass appeal. It looks colorful when served together on the plate and is substantial enough for men and women.

For a simple yet “wow” dessert that I promise will receive “ooh’s and “aahs” when you present it to your guests are these individual Pavlovas. The outside of the meringue has a light crunch and the inside is soft and sweet. The addition of whipped cream and mixed berries on top with a dusting of icing sugar makes for a winning dish.

There are so many delicious Dinner Party recipes to select from. Try to remember to choose recipes that can be prepared in advance and that you know will hold universal appeal. Make sure you use recipes that you have practiced before-hand to minimize any kitchen disasters and most importantly, enjoy the night with your guests.

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