5 Recipes To Wow Your Friends At A Dinner Party

Seasonal Vegetable Frittata

I love a dinner party. I don’t think there is any better way to show your friends and family how much you love them than serving them delicious food. I also know that for many people hosting is intimidating. And I totally get it, all the menu prep, the cooking, the cleaning and the multitasking of finishing the dishes with guests over. It can be A LOT. My goal on my cooking show Nosh with Tash is to take out some of the stress of cooking, so you can focus on the important stuff like having a good time feeding yourself and the people in your life. So, how do we make dinner parties easier for you? I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve.

  1. Keep your recipes pretty simple.
  2. Cook dishes you’ve made before (it’s amazing to try out new recipes on friends, but it does not reduce party stress… keep those new recipes for a different night).
  3. Clean as you go. If you leave all the cleaning until the end you will be very sad. When you finish using a mixing bowl, pot or pan… clean it, then you can either use it again if you need or put it away.
  4. Ask for help. If you’re doing most of the cooking, have a friend bring a cocktail, bottle of wine, a pre-dinner snack or dessert. There is no need to take on the entire operation.
  5. Put on some good music, have a glass of wine and don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s totally ok if the food doesn’t turn out perfect. Your friends are there for you, not just the food. You are providing an amazing experience, putting your love into the food and most importantly, allowing your guest to NOT have to cook their own dinner. That’ll take some of the pressure off.

Now that you’ve got some structure in order to mentally tackle your party, let’s talk about the recipes. As I said, it’s best to try out recipes you want to make for a party in advance. With that in mind, over the next few weeks, slip these dishes into your life and then keep them in your back pocket for the next dinner party. These recipes are straight from my YouTube series Nosh with Tash, so lucky for you… there is a video attached to each recipe to help you through the process!

It’s an impressive way to serve a chicken, it yields a juicy and tender bird, and best of all it’s something your guests probably don’t know how to make themselves.

Spatchcocked Chicken With Braised Asparagus

OK, so cooking a whole fish seems scary, but it’s the best way to make sure that you don’t dry out your fish and that it’s really flavorful. The thing I love about this recipe is once you get used to making it with the fennel seeds and lemon, you can swap out the ingredients and make this recipe taste like it came from any corner of the world! Maybe try it with curry powder and ginger, or chili powder and chipotle peppers, or, I don’t know, with basil and sun-dried tomatoes. The possibilities are endless!

Foolproof Lemon + Fennel Branzino

Oh man, every time I make these the crowd goes wild. Serve them with a steak and this Horseradish Arugula Salad and you’ll be the MVP for the entire month!

Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
Horseradish Arugula Salad

This one is a little wild, but hear me out. People love variety, and you love leftovers. So why not turn your dinner party into your lunch for the week. Open up a few cans of beans, roast a few vegetables, put out some sun-dried tomatoes, a few herbs and shred a rotisserie chicken (that you bought at the store perhaps) and BAM, you have brown rice bowls!

Brown Rice That Doesn't Suck

Don’t forget brunch! You can also have your people over for brunch and the same rules apply. I always recommend making something that easily feeds a crowd, like my seasonal frittata. Make some bacon and a side salad, and brunch is on.

Seasonal Vegetable Frittata
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2 Comments

  • Marcia

    Hi Katie!!! Just finally read this holiday issue (after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays!) That frittata sounds wonderful, I’ve never made one but LOVE omelettes, so I’m sure I would love this! I hope you and your family had a great Christmas and I wish you the best of the coming new year! I’m headed on a couple big trips this year and rather excited as it’s been a while since I have traveled! So in your next newsletter if you have any (exercise at home) tips, let us know!! My New Year goal is to start getting in shape! Keep the helpful food tips coming too! Till next time and you take care! Always, Marcia

    December 30, 2018 at 4:07 pm Reply
  • Natalie

    Hi Katherine! Sorry for the late post. I made the spatchcocked chicken last night (actually spatchedcocked for the first time!) and the chicken was amazing! I even forwarded the recipe along and shared your blog on FB. Thanks for the wonderful recipes!

    January 9, 2019 at 12:51 pm Reply
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