25 Dinner Party Ideas to Impress

Want to make pizza that's perfect for a dinner party? Let’s make Sheet Pan Party Pizza! This style of pizza is a bit different than the standard circular variety, but it’s an instant favorite. It makes a big pan that's the equivalent of 3 medium pizzas, and it’s so easy to make. Top the thick crust with tangy pizza sauce smothered in smoked and fresh mozzarella, and everyone will be talking about it.

Serve with: Favorite Chopped Salad

This shrimp and grits will impress everyone! This restaurant-style Cajun recipe is the ideal dinner party idea. The grits are intensely creamy and savory and the shrimp is ultra tender, all covered in a luscious veggie gravy.

Serve with: Popovers

A great lasagna is a fantastic centerpiece for a dinner party, and this one is tops. The tomato sauce has just the right zing and garlic nuance, and the spinach ricotta cheese filling is classic and creamy. It’s scented with fresh thyme and a little lemon zest, which takes it to over the top status. There’s no one who will turn down a piece!

Serve with: Pear Salad with Pecans

Real homemade falafel is at the top of our dinner party ideas! Eating them in sandwich form is ideal: the crunch of the fried chickpea fritters and the sauces that dribble down your chin….it’s pretty much the ultimate sandwich. This one features the crunchy fritters with ultra soft flatbread, crunchy veggies and creamy, garlicky sauces. For an easier spin, try Falafel Burgers or even a Falafel Salad.

Serve with: Hummus, Classic Baba Ganoush and Quinoa Tabbouleh

Here’s an incredible dinner party idea that’s impressive every time: these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas! Tender sweet potatoes are the perfect contrast to savory black beans and tangy salsa verde. Top it off with Colby cheese, it’s the best gooey comfort food around. This one will please everyone: we guarantee it. Or, try our Chicken Enchiladas!

Serve with: Mexican Salad, chips and guacamole

Every now and then you come across a recipe that is a cut above the rest – one that makes everything you’ve made before pale in comparison. We present: this Vegetarian Meatloaf! Somehow, the ingredients meld into an appearance and texture just like a meatloaf: and it tastes AMAZING. That is: better than the meat version! It’s perfect for dinner parties when you want to impress.

Serve with: Parmesan Potato Wedges, Brussels Sprout Casserole or Parmesan Broccoli

Here’s a recipe that’s a total winner every night of the week: Greek chicken! We’re suckers for impressive-looking one pan meals, and this Mediterranean-style meal has charisma in spades. Bake the chicken with tomatoes, olives, garlic, lemon, and feta cheese, and it comes out with beautiful bold flavors. It’s easy to put together and works for quick weeknight dinners or for parties.

Serve with: Lemon Rice, Easy Couscous, Green Beans Almondine, or Sauteed Broccolini 

It’s got bubbly cheese, garlicky tomato sauce, and savory, meaty breaded eggplant: it’s Eggplant Parmesan! This vegetarian Italian classic is hearty, filling, and pleases just about everyone. It's the perfect dinner party idea! This spin is faster and easier to make at home than most recipes and full of incredible flavor. 

Serve with: Easy Arugula Salad, Italian Salad, Endive Salad with Parmesan, Crisp Apple Salad or Fennel Orange Salad

This Hawaiian bowl of seasoned raw fish, rice and crunchy veggies has caught on here on the mainland, and everybody’s doing it! Poke bowls are easy to make in the comfort of your own home: they're a great meal for dinner parties and entertaining.

Serve with: Spicy Edamame

Here’s how to make your favorite restaurant style scallops at home: easy Pan Seared Scallops! Scallops have a beautiful, mild sweet flavor that’s easy to love: and there’s nothing better than that perfect seared crispy outside. But let’s be straight about it. Scallops are easy to cook, but they’re tricky to get right. Here's how to get that golden brown crust without under cooking or overcooking them. 

Serve with: Butternut Squash Puree or Sweet Potato Puree and Perfect Roasted Broccolini

This Italian dinner party idea is all about simplicity! The vodka sauce pasta takes about 1 hour to simmer, but it’s mostly hands off. You can put it on the stove and let it simmer while you make the rest of the recipes and preparations. It’s truly all about the goodness of simple, high quality ingredients.

Serve with: Favorite Chopped Salad and an antipasto platter

Here's a dinner party idea we use often: Shrimp Tacos! These are quick and easy to whip up and they have a fun and festive vibe. The shrimp is juicy and savory, spiced with Old Bay and cumin, the cabbage is crunchy and tangy, and the creamy cilantro taco sauce brings it all together.

Serve with: Bean dip, tortilla chips and margaritas

Here’s a dinner party idea that’s simple, hearty and pleases a crowd: this easy Stuffed Shells! Stuff pasta shells with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and spinach, then bake them up in a bath of garlicky tomato sauce. It makes your kitchen smell heavenly, and the first bite into one of those jumbo shells confirms it’s just as tasty as the smell. 

Serve with: Sauteed Broccolini, Lemony Sauteed Green Beans, Watercress Salad with Apple or Arugula Salad

Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish: it’s a bowl of warm white rice topped seasoned vegetables, spicy gochujang, and a fried egg. The best part: you stir the dish together just before eating it! This melds together all the zingy pickled and fermented flavors from the vegetables with the creamy egg yolk. This one is ideal for serving for dinner parties!

Here’s a meal that consistently makes everyone who takes a bite say Wow. Try this Pecan Crusted Salmon! It has an air of restaurant-style fancy, but it’s quick and easy to whip up. It takes basic salmon to the next level, coating it in a crunchy topping of nuts, seasoned breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. The flavors are elevated enough for a dinner party, but also tasty enough for kids to shovel in bites. 

Serve with: Arugula Goat Cheese Salad,  Brussels Sprouts with Maple Glaze or Lemony Broiled Asparagus

Is there any recipe more festive than a pot pie? This one's got a ton of veggies, pesto and Parmesan in the filling, which makes for a filling that smells (and tastes) incredibly savory and earthy. Top that with a crispy, flaky crust, and it’s crazy delicious. It's ideal for a fall or winter dinner party.  

Serve with: Brussels Sprout Salad or Perfect Pomegranate Salad

Here’s a stunning one pan dinner that’s made for dinner parties: paella! This traditional Spanish rice dish has thousands of variations. but it’s always rice with an explosion of colorful toppings. This one is our best classic paella recipe, based on our travels through Spain! It stars saffron-scented rice, mixed colorful vegetables and shrimp, and it’s full of traditional flavor.

Serve with: Manchego cheese and marinated olives, Pan Con Tomate, Arugula Salad or Citrus Salad, and Classic Sangria

When you've got some time to prep, try this tasty stuffed peppers recipe! The filling is seasoned irresistibly with Italian spices, pizza sauce and melty cheese. Even better: it works for many diets, with variations for meat eaters, vegetarian, and gluten-free eaters! Also try: Stuffed Green Peppers

Serve with: Easy Arugula Salad, Sauteed Green Beans or Favorite Chopped Salad

Another great dinner party idea: try these baked fish tacos! The white fish is baked until it’s flaky with a zingy dry rub of spices, then topped with a tangy slaw and a creamy fish taco sauce! It’s a spin on Mexican Baja tacos using the flavors and style of this cuisine. They’re tasty, easy to make, and ideal for dinner parties (double the recipe for a crowd).

Serve with: Homemade Refried Beans, Easy Mexican Salad, Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Coleslaw Recipe

This vegan shepherd’s pie is cozy comfort food to the max! Imagine: a creamy gravy filled with tender vegetables, lentils and scented with fennel and sage. Then a fluffy layer of Yukon gold potatoes, topped with fresh rosemary. It’s layered together in a baking dish and then baked until golden. 

Serve with: Pear Salad with Pecans, Brussels Sprout Salad or Sauteed Green Beans

Ever tried making meatballs…with eggplant? Garlic, herbs, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese make one insanely juicy and savory meatball. Roasted eggplant makes them moist and textured, vs dry or mushy like lots of vegetarian balls. Combine it with marinara sauce and pasta and it’s out of this world delicious.

Serve with: Arugula Beet Salad or Favorite Chopped Salad

Here’s a dinner party idea to impress: Cajun Shrimp Pasta! This one scores major points with kids and adults alike at our table. It features irresistibly seasoned Cajun shrimp, colorful veggies, and a rich garlic Parmesan flavoring that lightly seasons the entire batch.

Serve with: Classic Cornbread Muffins or Skillet Cornbread, Easy Succotash, Roasted Broccoli or Broiled Asparagus

Try a homemade sushi dinner party to impress all your friends, no raw fish required! This recipe for Vegan Sushi proves that this Japanese dish is perfectly adaptable no matter what the filling. Savory, flavor-popping marinated tofu joins crunchy veggies and tender sushi rice to make a craveable roll filling. Or, try Maki Sushi or use either recipe as a template and fill it with ahi tuna or sushi-grade salmon.

Serve with: Edamame or spicy edamame, purchased miso soup

“Life changing” is a phrase that’s completely over-used, but here’s a little kitchen trick that we think truly is…yep, life changing. Try this incredible oven baked chicken thighs recipe! This easy method is the secret to perfectly seasoned meat with a crispy skin and juicy, succulent interior. Dunk them in a bit of buffalo ranch and it’s pure heaven.

Serve with: Lemon Rice, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Corn, Lentil Salad, Crisp Apple Salad, Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Green Beans Almondine

Looking for a dinner party recipe that’s easy and impressive? Try this spinach artichoke stuffed salmon recipe! It’s got a creamy, savory filling flavored like everyone’s favorite dip to contrast to flaky, tender salmon. Honestly, this might be one of our favorite salmon recipes because it’s so simple and tastes restaurant-style. 

Serve with: Fennel Orange Salad, Perfect Roasted Broccolini, Roasted Green Beans or Perfectly Seasoned Quinoa