Easy dinner party ideas

Dinner parties can be a bit stressful, especially when you’re a parent and you don’t have much time between putting the kids to bed and welcoming your guests through the door.

So i’ve come up with a couple of recipes for your repertoire that’ll give you a bit of extra time to play with. The kind of dishes that don’t need much in the way of cooking and can just be constructed, yet look quite fancy are what we’re talking about here.

Creamy salmon, cucumber and horseradish pots – layer up smoked salmon and cucumber in pretty glasses and top with ricotta cheese beaten to a fluff with chopped dill, lemon zest and a touch of horseradish.

Get the recipe here>>>

Mini chocolate oreo trifles – super easy to put together and even easier to scoff in about 60 seconds! The combination of dark chocolate infused custard with sultry cherry compote and crunchy oreos is pretty intoxicating stuff.

Get the recipe here>>>

I’m entering this particular recipe into Sarah Maison Cupcake’s brand new event Dead Easy Desserts, which encourages people to share their pudding ideas that take 30 minutes or less to throw together… hop on over if you need some inspiration or just fancy looking at some tasty pictures!

And here are a couple more recipes from the Good Food Channel which I made for the last photoshoot that are dead easy to make but will give your culinary image a sure-fire boost

Nigella Lawson’s Spiced nuts – ideal for slinging in a bowl in the middle of the table as guests arrive – they’re delicious when they’re still warm and the sweet, salty, spicy combo will have everyone necking those pre-dinner drinks in no time!

Get the recipe here>>>

Adrian Richardson’s Bacon jam – serve it up with the cheese board and watch people melt as the sticky salty sweetness takes hold. It also makes a great gift if you package it up all lovely.

Get the recipe here>>>

I hope some of these ideas give you a bit of inspiration for some easy entertaining over the winter months. If you give any of them a try do come back and let me know how you got on with the recipes – I love hearing your experiences!

Thanks again to Sharron Gibson of The Image Garden for such beautiful photography.