How To Choose Perfect Dinner Party Recipes

Perfect dinner party recipes must fulfill two criteria. First, you must know your guests and recognize what it is they're looking for in a party. While you make the arrangements and send out the invites, your guests are the ones you want to please, so take their needs into consideration. The second aspect of choosing dinner party recipes is ease. Exotic and complicated recipes should be avoided.

While every dinner party should have a great atmosphere and wonderful conversation, you don't want drama. Dinner party food that does not arrive on the plate in a timely manner is not only embarrassing, but it's also inexcusable. Why does this happen? An excited hostess bit off more than she could chew.

When planning a dinner party, you don't need to invite more trouble by serving a recipe you have never made before or a recipe that takes a long time to create. You want to keep everything simple.

Plan Ahead And Make Lists
Make a list of foods, and then stick to the list. Beyond checking for dietary restrictions, do not ask guests what they'd like you to serve: You'll get too many different suggestions. You won't be able to make all of the requests and please everyone. Skip all this tension by making the decisions yourself and then sticking to your menu.

Meat Dishes
If you can serve only one meat, then make a choice, and don't waver. But, if you have a choice and the room, time and energy, choose two meats that can be cooked at the same time, such as roast beef and oven-baked turkey.

You might want to serve two different meats for two reasons. The first reason is portion control. If serving only one meat, make sure it will be more than enough meat to feed all of your guests. Because men generally eat a sizeable portion, if only one meat is on the table, guests will take a smaller-than-average serving and may end up leaving the table hungry. No hostess wants that to happen. The second reason has to do with taste. Not everyone likes roast beef. Not everyone likes turkey. Give them two choices, and you'll end up with happier guests.

Serving two meats will allow all guests to choose. If they don't like one protein, they can always choose the second. Once you have chosen the meats or protein, deciding on the method of cooking the meat is crucial.

Meat recipes can be anything you choose, of course, but, since this is your party, you'll want to make sure you have given yourself time to prepare and cook the meal and still enjoy the fun. Meat recipes that can be marinated the day before, and then just popped into the oven an hour or two before dinner or placed into an oven bag, are perfect choices. The same goes for the vegetables. If you can have the vegetables ready ahead of time, it will save you from having to leave your guests while you prepare.

Great Vegetable Choices
Vegetables that can be prepared in advance and are easy to make should top your list. No one wants her guests to fidget in their chairs, their eyes making the tell-tale I'm bored trek to the clock and back while they await the arrival your perfect vegetable dish. Instead of opting for a dish that requires special attention, go for ease.

Baked potatoes are great at dinner parties. You never have to worry about portion control-everyone receives one potato-and you don't have to worry about working up a sweat to create them. To prepare early, simply wash the potatoes in the morning, rub a bit of vegetable oil over the skins and sprinkle with sea salt. Wrap the potatoes in tin foil, and place them on a cookie sheet on the counter. Approximately 80 minutes before guests arrive, pop the entire sheet into the oven. They should require only 60 minutes baking time, but if you are also roasting two meats you may need to bake them longer.

Another way to serve potatoes is to use a crock pot. Scalloped potatoes can be made in the crock pot the morning of your event and done well in advance of the party. If you want your guests to think you slaved over the potatoes, serve them in a decorative glass casserole pan. No one will be the wiser.

When serving potatoes of any type, always serve a second vegetable, such as steamed broccoli or asparagus, or a medley of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Wash and prepare the vegetables beforehand. Steam vegetables minutes before serving.

Bread
Of course you'll want to serve bread with your meal. Again, do not turn this into work. If you want to bake the bread yourself, do so the day before. The bread will still be fresh, and so will you. Pick up three loaves of sliced French bread and a pound of butter. Soften three sticks of butter the day before the party, and add a few herbs. Mix well, and then place the butter into individual ramekins-one for every two guests-and place it in the refrigerator to harden again. Make up a few ramekins with plain butter, and add both kinds of butter to the table.

Dessert
Again, simple is best. Something that can be created in advance is perfect. Bake a pie or cake the day before, or pick up a dessert on the way home from work. Better yet, go with sherbet. And, if one of your guests brings a hostess gift that happens to be dessert, don't hesitate to add it to the dessert table for variety.