dinner party ideas

Easy Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse. A quick, super easy, light as air mousse using only 4 simple ingredients and no artificial strawberry flavour. An easy but impressive dessert!

Easy Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

water

white sugar

mini marshmallows

whipping cream

Start by adding the strawberries, sugar and water...

Start by adding the strawberries, sugar and water to a medium sized saucepan.

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for...

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and mash...

Remove the pan from the heat and mash the berries a little with a potato masher or fork.

Add the mini marshmallows and stir constantly until...

Add the mini marshmallows and stir constantly until they are completely melted. This will take about 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool...

Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool down to almost room temperature.

Beat the whipping cream to soft peaks and...

Beat the whipping cream to soft peaks and fold it through the cooled strawberry marshmallow mixture.

Spoon into individual serving dishes and chill at...

Spoon into individual serving dishes and chill at least 2 hours before serving. Wine glasses work nicely too, and you can put additional chopped strawberries at the bottom for a very nice presentation.

To serve, garnish with strawberry slices and a...

To serve, garnish with strawberry slices and a little whipped cream.

Here's how to make the best ever sheet pan pizza! This easy method makes a big pan for everyone to enjoy with your favorite toppings.

20 Dinner Party Ideas to Impress: Party Pan Pizza &amp; More!

375 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour

tablespoon instant yeast

teaspoon each dried oregano and garlic powder

teaspoon kosher salt

264 grams (1 cup – 2 tablespoons) warm water

tablespoon olive oil,

cup pizza sauce (purchased

cup (3 ounces) shredded smoked gouda cheese

Parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese

Optional topping: 4 cups (3 ounces) baby arugula, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

basil leaves,

Make the dough (5 minutes)

 In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, yeast, kosher salt, oregano and garlic powder. Add the warm water and olive oil and stir until flour is incorporated.

Knead the dough (8 minutes)

 Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.

Roll out and rest the dough in a sheet pan (15 minutes)

 Using floured hands, gently shape the dough into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Add a light sprinkle of flour to the boule. Then roll out dough on floured surface to roughly the shape of the 13×18 sheet pan. Brush 3 tablespoons olive oil on the bottom and sides of a standard 13″x 18″ sheet pan. Add the dough and brush it lightly with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes to relax the dough.

Rest the dough again (45 minutes)

 Press the dough back into the corners of the pan so it evenly covers the pan. Cover and rest 45 minutes.

Bake the pizza dough* without toppings: 

After the 45 minute rest, bake the pizza dough for 6 minutes without sauce and toppings.

Add the toppings and bake again

 Remove the dough from the oven. Add the pizza sauce, smoked mozzarella, fresh mozzarella (torn into pieces), and Parmesan cheese, and top with a few pinches of kosher salt. Take care, since the pan will be hot! Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly brown.

Serve

If using, in a small bowl, mix the baby arugula with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sprinkle the pizza with torn basil, then add the arugula on top. Cut into pieces with a knife (a pizza cutter doesn’t get all the way to the pan edges) and serve immediately.

This variation on a classic French apple tarte tatin is so delicious and makes the most of the stone fruit season.

Plum tarte tatin

flour,

butter

150 g caster sugar

plums

To make the pastry, put the flour in a food processor with 125g butter, cut into small cubes, and 25g caster sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then add 2-3tbsp cold water and pulse until the mixture begins to form a ball. Wrap and chill for 30min.&nbsp;

Melt the remaining butter and sugar in a heavy-based frying pan. Cook, stirring, for 2-3min until the sugar begins to turn light brown. Immediately add the halved and stoned plums and cook for 5min or until the juices begin to run and the plums start to soften. During this time incorporate the plum juices into the sugar mixture. Increase the heat and bubble until the juices are very syrupy. Lift the plums out of the pan into a 23cm diameter, shallow ovenproof dish or cake tin, cut-side up, and pour the juice over. Allow to cool.&nbsp;

On a lightly floured work surface roll the pastry into a circle slightly larger than the dish and about 5mm thick. Lay the pastry over the plums, tuck the edges down into the dish and make a few slits through the pastry with a knife to allow steam to escape. Chill for 20min.&nbsp;

Bake at 220°C, mark 7 for 20min or until the pastry is golden. Cool for 5min before carefully inverting on to a plate. Serve sliced with a sorbet.&nbsp;

All-in-one salads are the easiest supper dishes of all. This low-calorie goat's cheese and walnut salad takes only 15 minutes to prepare, making it a great midweek meal or last-minute dinner party starter.

Goat’s cheese and walnut salad

tbsp. red wine vinegar

olive oil

caster sugar

radicchio,

watercress,

red onion,

150 g (5 ounces) walnut pieces

x 100 g packs goat's cheese, crumbled

To make the salad dressing, mix the vinegar, olive oil, caster sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper thoroughly. Put to one side.

Put the radicchio, watercress and onion in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss well.

This quick and easy appetizer is perfect for any occasion. A creamy, fluffy dip made with whipped salty feta, paired with a honey blend of chili flakes and garlic. Serve alongside crispy pita bread, crackers or a veggie platter for a delightful starter.

Whipped feta dip with spicy honey

200 g/7 oz feta

100 g/3.5 oz full fat ricotta

g/1.5 oz full fat sour cream

salt + black pepper (to taste)

tbsp honey

garlic (finely

lemon juice

tsp crushed red chili flakes

chives (for topping (optional))

tsp za’atar (for topping)

tsp black & white sesame seeds (for topping)

pita chips (naan

Feta, ricotta and sour cream should be at room temperature.

Add feta, ricotta and sour cream to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Taste, add salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over low. Add garlic, sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Stir in honey, lemon juice and chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the whipped feta drizzled with spicy honey. Top with chives, za’atar, sesame seeds, some extra freshly ground black pepper and chili flakes.

Enjoy with pita chips, naan or on a veggie platter.

Leftovers can be used as a spread or a dressing.

Make-ahead savory Chicken Crepes with Mushrooms are perfect for a romantic date night dinner or a dinner party. These easy chicken and mushroom crepes are blanketed in a cheesy mornay sauce. Not only do they look sensational, but you won&#039;t believe how delicious they are. 

Easy Chicken Crepes with Mushrooms

unsalted butter

onion

mushrooms

salt

chicken

all-purpose flour

milk (whole

black pepper

Swiss cheese (plus additional for topping)

¾ cup half and half

dry sherry (optional)

parsley

unsalted butter (melted)

panko bread crumbs

crepes (purchased)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about five minutes or until they are translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for seven to ten minutes, or until they are cooked. Stir in the chicken and salt and set aside.

Chicken and Mushroom Filling Directions:

Melt four tablespoons of butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Let cook for two to three minutes. Whisk in the milk slowly until well incorporated and smooth. Cook until it starts to boil and thicken.

Add pepper and slowly add the Swiss and parmesan cheeses. Heat and stir until the cheese melts and the mixture is smooth. Add the sherry (if using) and stir. Remove one cup of the sauce and add to the chicken and mushroom mixture. Mix well.

Add the half-and-half to the remaining sauce and stir until well combined. Set aside.

Sauce Directions:

Add the melted butter, parsley, panko, and remaining Swiss cheese to a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Topping Directions:

Place ½ cup of the chicken and mushroom mixture in the middle of each crepe and gently roll up like a cigar. Place the filled crepe, seam side down, in a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Repeat with the rest of the filling and crepes.

Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the crepes and sprinkle the topping evenly over the top.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until the topping is brown and crusty and the cheese has melted.

Crepe assembly:

Made this for dinner tonight, I used hearts of palm instead of mushrooms as I didn't have any one hand, added nutmeg to the sauce and used the water from the chicken I poached, and half and half as the milk.  The crepes were homemade as well, too easy to make for me. The sauce was amazing the cheese made it with that Swiss pungent that make Swiss cheese so delicious. I think adding in spinach would have been excellent add but didn't have any at the time, but thought it would make a nice addition as well. But I didn't miss it as it was good without it.

My friend and I made this last night and it was great!  We both felt it could use some more spice - I was especially craving some hot spices - but it was still very good.
We both STRONGLY disagree that this is EASY.  It's not hard but it's definitely at least a medium and there's a good deal of cleanup.
We opted to make our own crepes from scratch.  My friend found a recipe online, it was her first time making them, and they turned out great!
We both observed the dish was similar to enchiladas &amp; tortillas (especially filling the craps and placing them in the dish) and there was also a noodle quality to the crepes.
Unlike enchiladas, the crepes were much easier to separate intact - maybe because they were already so moist as compared to tortillas which are dry and will absorb a lot of liquid while cooking.
We both commented on how *white* everything was in the dish.  Spinach sounds like a great addition and will add some color.  We also talked about using different cheese and maybe garlic.

Made this last night for a dinner party with rice pilaf and a green salad, they were a huge it, I made my own crepes and added some fresh spinach, they were delicious!

Oops, I just saw above that you do suggest Gruyere as a substitute for swiss cheese.  So my question would be about using shallots.  If you agree that they would be a nice substitution, I'd love to know what volume in cups of diced shallots you might advise.  Thank you again!

Hi, Sharon and thanks for this recipe.  What would you think of my substituting shallot for the onion and gruyere or emmentaler for the swiss cheese?  Thanks.

I made this recipe tonight for my son and his girlfriend!  It was phenomenal!  I recommend using the sherry, since I think it really added a unique flavor!

I made my own crepes and used cooked chicken breast (not a rotisserie chicken).  I overlooked mixing the cream sauce in with the chicken before stuffing the crepes.  OOPS!   I took a chance and dumped all of the sauce on top and baked it like that.  Even with the error, it still turned out great! 

Thanks for the recipe!!

This recipe is delicious!!!  I also added it to my saved recipes.  This one's a keeper.  
One crepe per person is plenty.  I added some leftover asparagus that was in the fridge for some extra vegetable.  I made the crepes from scratch and also grilled the chicken breasts with some basic spices, so it took some extra time, but well worth it.   

Thank you for the recipe, Sharon.  I'll be making it for company.  Love it.

Top 6 dinner party ideas recipes from across the web

The most viewed dinner party ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Easy Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

20 Dinner Party Ideas to Impress: P...

Plum tarte tatin

Goat’s cheese and walnut salad

Whipped feta dip with spicy honey

Easy Chicken Crepes with Mushrooms

Top 6 dinner party ideas recipes from across the web

The most viewed dinner party ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Easy Strawberry Marshmallow Mousse

20 Dinner Party Ideas to Impress: P...

Plum tarte tatin

Goat’s cheese and walnut salad

Whipped feta dip with spicy honey

Easy Chicken Crepes with Mushrooms

The most viewed dinner party ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine