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Recently, a good friend called me in a near-panic: “I’m having eight friends over tomorrow night—what in the world should I make for that many people?” I’ve totally been there: it can be tough to think of recipes to feed a crowd that are still elevated enough for a dinner party. Especially if you don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen and/or lose your mind in the process. But thanks to the fact that I started my career in catering (combined with the countless dinner parties I’ve thrown over the years), I’ve assembled quite a collection of main dish dinner recipes to feed a crowd that check all my required boxes. All of these:
- Are crowd-pleasing dishes that almost everyone loves.
- Leverage large-batch cooking, like a sheet pan or grill, so that I’m not laboriously sautéeing 16 individual fish fillets or frying 12 eggs to top salads.
- And most importantly, I can do almost all the prep in advance so by the time my guests arrive, I can join the party with them.
I divided this post into recipes that I make for dinners with four to six guests (due to the cooking techniques, or the fact that they incorporate pricier ingredients), and the recipes that are really easy to double or triple to feed a true crowd. These leverage larger cuts of meat, build-your-own components that let guests adapt to their dietary needs, and less expensive ingredients so your party budget doesn’t get out of control.
So, the next time you find yourself hosting a dinner party and wondering what to make, bookmark this post for 16 recipes to feed a crowd… and leave them very happy.
Dinner Party for 4 – 6 Guests
What makes it party-ready: First off, everyone loves roast chicken, and this one has just enough interesting and surprising flavors to make it feel dinner party-worthy. Those charred lemons—yum! Watch me make it start to finish right here.
Make it a feast:
What makes it party-ready: My grilled pizza is truly made for a party but it’s a little chaotic to make for more than six people, so I usually bring it out at more intimate gatherings where everyone can get involved. The recipe above is for my homemade pizza dough. Make several dough balls in advance (I usually plan on three doughs for six people), let them rest at room temp for a couple hours before party time before proceeding with your favorite pizza toppings and method of cooking. Stay tuned for my grilled pizza method and my baked pizza method coming to the site soon.
Make it a feast:
What makes it party-ready: This is probably mine and Adam’s most frequently-made meal for a dinner party. It’s incredibly easy to pull together and fun for everyone to hang out down by the grill while we make it. I usually buy one large New York Strip for every two people. Slice into 1″ pieces and serve on a big platter surrounded by grilled tomatoes. Since this is a pricier cut of meat, it feels really special and I typically reserve it for a smaller dinner party. For a bigger gathering, an affordable cut of steak like flank is a great option too (you’ll want to marinate it beforehand and adjust the cooking time.)
Make it a feast:
What makes it party-ready: This poke bowl is a great meal for a summertime gathering on a hot day—it feels so light and refreshing, but still really special. For a girls night, I love to set out all the ingredients and let everyone build their own bowls. Not only is it a fun way to get people interacting, it also allows vegetarians or guests with other dietary restrictions to pick and choose their ingredients.
Make it a feast: One of the beautiful things about this dish is that it’s truly a complete meal in a bowl. The only thing I’d add is refreshing scoops of mango sorbet (or mango-basil ice cream) for dessert!
What makes it party-ready: Sometimes, a party just needs pasta. That said, it’s not really ideal for serving a super large group since it does need a bit of last-minute attention (plus, you’d need a really big pan for tossing it all together.) This spaghetti with tomatoes, burrata, and basil combines simple ingredients into one luscious and luxurious bowl of pasta that literally everyone loves.
Make it a feast: A loaf of crusty bread, plus a simple salad with fresh greens (and a bottle of pinot gris.)
What makes it party-ready: I make this one when my mother-in-law comes over since she loves pork tenderloin and this one is just really perfect with a double dose of carrots: both roasted, and puréed into a pesto. It’s a great one to make outside on the grill, but in the cooler months you can also roast it all in the oven. Pork tenderloin is one of those cuts of meat that is made for serving a crowd: you could easily scale this recipe up depending on your guest count, then slice it up and arrange on a big gorgeous family-style platter.
Make it a feast: The carrots are a super satisfying side dish on their own, and the pesto adds richness and flavor, so you’re almost already in feast territory with just this recipe. For a dinner party, I’d add some herb-roasted potatoes or a simple kale salad.
What makes it party-ready: This is one of those super satisfying one-pan recipes that feels way fancier than it really is. And in my experience, salmon is one of the most universally-loved fish dishes, so it’s a pretty safe bet that your guests will love it. And it’s foolproof! Baking the salmon with the vegetables and lemon slices yields a perfectly tender and flavorful fish every time, since the veggies release their juices to create their own flavorful sauce.
Make it a feast:
What makes it party-ready: Here is one of those super-impressive meals that also happens to take very little effort. Why? Because halibut is one of the best fish ever, and the fact that this is made on a sheet pan allows you to easily make several fillets at once.. It has a light, clean flavor, and buttery, flaky texture, so it doesn’t take much for it to be delicious. I simply roast mine with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then top it with a bright Italian salsa verde, or “green sauce.”
Make it a feast: Just add some potatoes that can roast right along with the fish on a separate baking sheet, or keep it low-carb like The Defined Dish did at our dinner party and serve it with a big kale salad.
Dinner Party Recipes to Feed a Crowd:
What makes it party-ready: Even those who aren’t well-versed in Indian cuisine will love Chicken Tikka Masala—I’ve used it on several friends and family members as their “gateway” meal to the wonderful world of Indian food. Although I frequently make this recipe on a busy weekday for our family, it’s also perfect for a big feast: triple or even quadruple the recipe—your slow-cooker can handle it! Plus, the fact that you make this several hours before dinner and it cooks away while you’re free to do other stuff is pretty awesome.
Make it a feast: An Indian-inspired feast means serving one or two other dishes like Saag Paneer, Samosa Chaat Fries, or Indian Butter Cauliflower. Also required: warm naan bread, and a big pot of rice.
What makes it party-ready: I’ve made this soup for countless book clubs, family gatherings, and friends who have just had babies. Everyone says it’s the best chicken tortilla soup they’ve had, and it’s just as easy to make a mega big batch by scaling the ingredients up. Sure, a big pot of soup may not sound like a party, but watch me make it here and see for yourself how festive all those beautiful ingredients look together. Plus, the smorgasbord of colorful toppings lets guests have fun building their own perfect bowl of soup.
Make it a feast: I usually serve this soup on its own—with all the toppings, it feels complete! But it’s never a bad idea to kickoff a Mexican-style feast with really good chips, a couple great guacamoles, and salsa.
What makes it party-ready: During my catering career, I learned that one of the best ways to feed a crowd elegantly is with a big roasted side of salmon. It looks really impressive coming out of the oven, and is the perfect centerpiece to a buffet setup. If you’re intimidated by buying a side of salmon, don’t be! There’s nothing to it, you literally just ask the fishmonger for “a side of salmon”—I usually plan for five to six ounces per person. You may even be able to convince him to remove the skin for you! ? This one, with roasted citrus slices, is a great main course option for Easter or Mother’s Day, and I’ve also served it with great success for cozy girls’ nights with a bottle of pinot noir.
Make it a feast:
What makes it party-ready: I love a “taco night”-themed party. When we’re talking recipes to feed a crowd, few dishes are more festive, and this surprisingly delicious combo of chicken, jicama, avocado, and mint elevates the entire setup. For a group, I usually set out a couple big platters on the table with all the ingredients, pass around the tortillas, and let everyone assemble their own tacos family-style. You can bet this will be served on repeat at our summer gatherings this year.
Make it a feast: For a larger group, I like to offer a vegetarian option since there’s usually at least someone who’s not eating meat. Taco night makes it easy—you can roast some cauliflower and let guests build these delicious all-veg tacos if they so choose. I actually love them just as much as the chicken, so I’ll usually eat one of each. ?
What makes it party-ready: Last year, Chef Seamus Mullen served these unbelievably delicious lamb meatballs as the centerpiece to a dinner party he hosted in Santa Monica. As someone who doesn’t cook with lamb very often, I came home feeling inspired to make this spicy lamb meatballs recipe for my next gathering; although they feel special occasion-worthy, they really couldn’t be simpler.
Make it a feast: Take a cue from chef Seamus Mullen’s dinner party, and serve with Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Salsa Verde, and a zesty Radish, Fennel, and Grapefruit Salad. Or, you could go more classic Italian and serve on top of a big bowl of olive-oil tossed spaghetti.
What makes it party-ready: The last thing we want to be doing at a party is worrying about lots of different meal components coming out of the oven at exactly teh right time. One solution? A “dinner board,” that contains everything guests need to build-their-own perfect plate. This super easy and flavor packed pita and kebab version is not only gorgeous to look at, it’s perfect for satisfying a range of dietary needs. Vegetarians on board? Make them meatless. Gluten-free friends can skip the pita, and the list goes on.
Make it a feast: This board has got it all: hummus, feta, roasted tomatoes, olives, sliced cucumbers, diced veggie salad, and roasted garlic—what more could you ask for?
What makes it party-ready: Though I’m a Tex-Mex girl at heart, I also love those Baja-style flavors, and my friend, Gaby Dalkin nails those Cali-Mexi mashups every time. This recipe from her cookbook gave me the courage to finally try making carnitas myself—although the extra large cut of meat is perfect for serving a crowd, it also can be intimidating. Thanks to this very simple, flavor-packed preparation, when I’m looking for recipes to feed a crowd, this Pork Carnitas Taco Night has become one of my go-to’s.
Make it a feast:
What makes it party-ready: This stew is a stealth pick for party food: it feels like the homey comfort food your mama might have made, but when presented with as much style as Shelley Armistead did at her beach dinner, it’s suddenly elevated to special occasions status. What makes this dish perfect for a crowd is that you can truly throw everything in the post and walk away, and an hour later, dinner is served. Shower with herbs and edible flowers.
Make it a feast: Serve alongside Spring Rice with Greens and Peas.
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