What’s your definition of easy recipes for a dinner party?

A small repertoire of easy recipes lets you throw stress-free dinner parties. I like to leave the complicated recipes for those leisurely Sunday afternoons when you feel like spending hours in the kitchen experimenting with Martha Stewart’s latest brainwave.

Nobody minds being served the same dish they loved six months ago at your house. In fact they may even look forward to it.

So with only two or three delicious recipes and a few easy cooking tips, you can sail through a year of hosting dinner parties.

So here’s my definition of easy recipes for your dinner party ideas file. It’s pretty straightforward.

Easy recipes are ones that you can finish up without leaving your guests alone for fifteen or twenty minutes while you work in the kitchen. Recipes like this make your guests wonder if you’ve gone off to the pizza store because you burnt everything.

Of course the easiest of all are make-ahead recipes, and you’ll find these on separate pages. But here I’m talking about recipes you finish preparing or cooking at the last minute.

Cheese and crackers is a good example of an easy appetizer recipe. It’s a matter of putting it out on a plate. Presentation is the main consideration in serving cheese and crackers.

In the oven or cooking before the guests arrive

This rack of lamb is so simple and it looks so sophisticated.

A great combination when you want to throw a special dinner party without spending all your time in the kitchen away from your guests.

Combine your rack of lamb with baby potatoes and peas or a salad.

Simplicity itself, and you have a winner.

No-stress secret for using a last minute recipe

Sometimes you crave something delicious that absolutely has to be prepared at the last minute. Just make sure it's about the only thing you need to do at the last minute.

A great example is my no-stress steak dinner.

You make it easy for yourself by doing almost all the other prep in advance. Here's a way you can serve a steak dinner without last minute stress

Store-bought

Almost everyone loves ice cream, pie, cake and tarts from the bakery.

And there are plenty of other store-bought desserts like tiramisu that give a sparkling finish to your dinner party.

So don’t stress over serving something store bought. Just make sure you try it in advance before serving it at a dinner party to make sure it tastes as good as it looks.

Then add this relaxing recipe idea “store bought” to your dinner party repertoire.

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