The Perfect Dinner Party Menu
How to plan the perfect dinner party menu. Why choosing the right menu is so important. Best tips for planning the ultimate well-balanced menu
Plan the perfect dinner party menu… Why is it so important?
Well, my friends, planning a well-balanced menu is the key to success for your next gathering!!
Not only having a well-balanced menu will be more appealing to your guests, but it will also help you save time and money! …Really? Want to know why?
This post will talk about all the different things to consider to balance your meal. Believe me; you will soon become the queen of well-balanced menus!!
So let’s dive into it!!
How to plan the perfect dinner party menu: 15 other things to consider
Of course, you will have to choose dishes that go well together; you will also have to balance the flavors, colors, and textures…but on top of that, there are many other things to think about when the time to select your menu comes. Some are obvious, but others are not, and we often forget about them.
So here are the main things to keep in mind to help you choose that perfect menu. A meal that your guests will enjoy, but must of all, a meal that will be easy to prepare and serve! Why should you spend all evening hiding in the kitchen instead of enjoying your dinner with your guests!!
Of course, I will share tips and solutions for each of them 🙂 So old on, you’ll find my best tips right after!!
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15 other things to consider:
1-The costs:
Not to mention that the price is an essential part of your menu planning!! Unless you have an unlimited budget ( lucky you!! ), you will need to choose plates according to your budget. A good trick is to choose one or two costly items and then try to save on the rest…But remember that less expensive doesn’t mean less quality!! I have tons of ideas right here on how to plan and host a 4-course dinner party on a budget; I’m sure you’ll find great tricks to save some money!
2-Offering a healthy menu:
Of course, you want to offer a good healthy meal to your friends and family. It’s ok to have a few dishes with sauce or frying, but you also have to add fruits and veggies! Also, try to alternate between fatty and light dishes.
3-Cooking time:
How important it is! We often forget about that point, but it should be one of the first things we think about! You just can’t manage everything at the same time!! Try to choose not more than one dish that takes longer to prepare; all the others should be easier or make-ahead dishes.
4-Preparation time:
Again, another important one! Unless you don’t mind spending days preparing your meal 🙂
5-Seasonal products:
Offering fresh products to your guests is the best. And it also makes you save on costs! Your friends will appreciate that you took the time to buy fresh products instead of frozen ones…not that the frozen ones are not good, but, you know…
6-Special theme for your dinner party?
If so, you will definitely have to choose a meal menu according to that theme…Mexican fiesta, fancy French dinner, Italian…there are many possibilities, and it’s always fun to have one of those dinners to discover new dishes and recipes.
Some more things to consider…
7-According to utensils on hand:
Pots, pans, baking sheets…It would be sad to realize that you have nothing to cook the appetizers because all the baking sheets are already used!
8-Oven availability:
Again, it might look funny, but let’s say you chose many plates that need to be cooked in the oven, all at the same time…mmm…you might run out of space there!
9-Grocery stores rebates:
I like to take advantage of the rebates every time I can! Why pay more if not necessary? 😉 Of course, it has to make sense. Don’t buy something just because it’s on sale! But you can find inspiration by looking at the grocery store’s rebates…
10-According to our guest’s tastes:
If you know them well, it sure is special attention! Above all, your guests are the most important part of your dinner party! And they will be so happy that you remember what they like.
11-The number of guests:
Obviously, planning a dinner for four is kind of different than planning a meal for a big crowd! Not only are the quantities not the same, but you will also have to select dishes that are easier to serve.
…And some more…
12-Your baking and cooking abilities:
No one is expecting a five-star fancy dinner! And it’s ok to have fewer abilities or experience… But hosting a fancy dinner might not be the right moment to practice… 😉 Simply choose easy recipes, and all will be fine! And if you don’t feel like being a pastry chef, don’t be shy to buy a nice ready-cake for dessert!!
13-What can be make-ahead:
I like to make as much as possible in advance so I have more time to chat with my guests. For this reason, I always try to choose as many dishes as possible that are make-ahead dishes…although they are easy recipes, not having to care about them until the time to serve is the best!
14-Will there be kids?
Another essential thing to consider! Sometimes, kids don’t eat the exact same as we do. Unless you don’t mind preparing two different meals, you better choose plates that are kids-friendly 🙂 or at least one, so they can eat too! It would also be a great idea to plan some snacks to help them wait for dinner…
And while they’re waiting for dinner, 😉 keep them busy and calm with this fun game!
15-Your tools: BBQ, slow-cooker, Instantpot…
It’s always nice to use one of these for your main course dish, especially a slow-cooker or Instantpot. These are great tools to help you save time! Having only the side dishes to take care of will undoubtedly help you keep your stress level low! And you could even start from a slow-cooker recipe to plan your entire meal 😉…
As you see, these are small but important things to keep in mind when it’s time to plan your menu. You want to please your guests, but you also want to have time to enjoy their company!!
…And above all, don’t forget the wine!!!
Wine is an essential part of any fancy dinner! Pairing wine with each plate is as important as selecting what you’ll serve on these plates! Of course, I love wine… but I’m not an expert!! I always research to find the perfect pairing or ask for advice at the wine & liquor store. I also like to try new wines, but I realized that we don’t always need to pay too much for fancy wine bottles, so, unless your guests are real wine experts, just go with mid-range bottles, it should be more than ok! As long as the pairing is perfect, almost any wine should be perfect! 😉
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Now, a few tips and tricks to balance your next dinner party menu like a pro!!
Here are some great ideas on balancing your meal; which dish to choose according to the complete meal…
From appetizer to dessert!!
How to plan a perfect dinner party menu: My best tips
What we need to consider for balancing the perfect meal:
- If the main course is heavy, choose lighter entrees and appetizers;
Let’s say you serve pasta as your main dish. It would be a good idea to choose a nice salad or potage as an entree. The goal is to not overload our guests by serving them too much food or too many heavy dishes to avoid them rolling under the table!!
- Appetizers are bread or pastry-based? Choose a lighter entree;
For the same reason, if appetizers are bread or pastry-based, choose a lighter entree. Again, a salad or vegetable-based entree would be perfect.
- Don’t add cheese everywhere and on every dish!
I’m a cheese lover, and I know that it’s sometimes hard to resist adding cheese everywhere!! 😊 It’s ok to serve a cheesy appetizer and maybe add a little cheese into your main course dish, but not more than that…it would make your meal too heavy.
- Same with creamy sauce…
Serve a cream-based sauce only once. Try to avoid serving too many different sauces on your main course plates. Select lighter side dishes if you do sauce with the meat; otherwise, your plates will look messy.
- Balance colors, textures, and flavors.
A colorful plate is always more appealing. So please, add veggies! I also like playing with textures and flavors. If one of the items on your dishes is very spicy, then choose elements with a more delicate and neutral taste to accompany. And don’t hesitate to add garnishing and topping to offer a bit of texture; nuts, seeds, or crispy bacon bits are the best…but don’t add too much, remember that it’s only garnishing; it shouldn’t cover the entire plate! And, of course, fresh herbs would add a bit of color to any dish.
… and a few more tips
- Alternate between more filling dishes and lighter ones.
That is the key to ensuring that your guests feel comfortable all evening long. Again, the last thing you want to do is to overfeed them! They would feel too full and bloated…
- Be careful with pasta, cream, cheese, nuts, pastry dough, or bread-based dishes.
Balance pasta, cream, nuts, cheese, bread-based…These are the heaviest items, so make sure you don’t serve too much of them. I know I’m repeating myself, but we forget so often…
- Try to avoid serving meat at each course.
Too much meat can quickly become too heavy…and variety is the best! There are so many recipes to choose from that it’s barely impossible that you can’t find anything but meat dishes!
- Beautiful plates.
Keep in mind that a beautiful plate is always more appealing! We also eat with our eyes. Garnishing is essential here! A small bunch of fresh herbs always add that little something that completes your plates well.
- The dessert!
Finally, the dessert! My favorite part! 😊 I’m such a dessert lover!…and I mean any dessert! But to balance your menu, you need to consider the entire meal before choosing between a 4-layers cake and a raspberry mousse!
You should find inspiration here! Nothing but the best Make-Ahead Desserts… I mean; All Kinds of Desserts!
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Let’s go back to our main topic!
Plan the perfect dinner party menu: some examples
Here, I’m sharing four different 4-course meal dinner party menus. I will also explain why I chose these dishes; it should give you an idea…but, of course, feel free to change some items according to your tastes! Simply follow the patterns…
I won’t share all recipes for now, but I will add some links to help you but no worries, you will find the rest on Pinterest!! 😉
Dinner party menu #1
-Appetizers: Smoked salmon rolls
-Entree: Pears and nuts, fancy salad
-Main course: Chicken breast with creamy spinach sauce
- Garlic roasted small potatoes
- A mix of whole colored carrots
-Dessert: Lime and strawberry frozen parfait
As you see, I alternated between heavy and lighter plates.
I chose cheese for the appetizers and a creamy sauce for my main dish, but the starter is very light.
And the nuts will add a slight crunchiness to this lovely salad!
I also serve whole colored carrots whit chicken and potatoes to add more color to my plates
…And because I do a creamy sauce and potatoes, I selected a lighter, refreshing dessert
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Dinner party menu #2
-Appetizers: Brie and peaches bruschetta
-Entree: Green potage and croutons
-Main course: Pork tenderloin with wild mushrooms sauce
- Garlic mash potatoes, topped with fried onions
- Brussels sprouts with crispy pancetta dice
-Dessert: Chocolate and caramel cake
This time, I chose to serve a heavier appetizer, including cheese and bread.
For this reason, I chose a very light entree. I selected a green potage to alternate with colors, too… remember that we also eat with our eyes! 😉
My main dish is well balanced itself. Colors, flavors, and textures are there! I chose a wild mushrooms sauce, but because it’s not a cream-based sauce, I opted for mashed potatoes as one of the side dishes… And Brussels sprouts, of course, to add color!
And finally, fried onions on top of the potatoes and crispy pancetta will add the texture.
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Dinner party menu #3
-Appetizers: Stuffed cucumber with shrimp
-Entree: Asparagus and mushrooms pastry puffs
-Main course: Salmon filet with honey and pistachios
- Wild rice
- Snow peas and roasted onions
-Dessert: any cake or pie… but I would choose My famous chocolate pie... because I love it!! 😊
Here, I chose a heavy entree, so I had to select lighter appetizers and main course dish…
And because more than half of my meal is light… I can choose any heavy dessert I want!! Isn’t that great? 😉
That’s why I choose to serve my famous chocolate pie… believe me, this pie is perfection!! And most of all, you can make it the day before!
Not to mention that my main course dish is well-balanced too…it contains color, crunchiness, and a sweet honey touch.
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Dinner party menu #4 Italian fiesta!!
-Appetizers: Pesto, salami, and bocconcini skewers
-Entree: Mixed Italian salad
-Main course: Italian sausage & veal, tomato linguini with garlic bread
-Dessert: Affogato or iced orange parfait
I can’t tell how much I love Italian food!! I like to serve Italian dishes, from appetizers to dessert!
As you see, the main course dish is hefty here, so the rest of my meal has to be light.
I like serving these mini-skewers as an appetizer. They are so cute and SO tasteful!! Also perfectly balanced. All the colors, the textures, and the flavors you need.
Same for the Italian salad… the trick here is to make your own Italian dressing; that would sure add a special touch!!
I chose linguini but feel free to use any other kind of pasta; really up to you! A rich sausage and veal tomato sauce go well with everything! 🙂 Think about adding a little Parmesan cheese too!
And of course, after that kind of meal, you must serve a very light dessert! That’s why I chose Affogato 😊 I just love that!! Espresso and ice cream…what a great way to end a perfect meal!!
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So these were my simple ideas to create well-balanced menus! Of course, you can change any items of these menus, but use them as templates to build your own. By following these examples, you’ll easily be able to plan the perfect dinner party menu!
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Plan the perfect dinner party menu: A few little tips in bulk
I can spend hours looking at recipe books or searching online for new recipes!! Definitely one of my favorite hobbies… and I know that I’m not the only one!!
So better take advantage of this hobby…
- Keep a book of your favorite recipes close to you
- Make a list of all the new recipes you want to try, by categories; main courses, desserts, appetizers…
- Let that list inspires you when the time comes to plan your next dinner party menu! 😉
- Don’t hesitate to build your whole menu around one plate that you really want to try.
- Browse Pinterest to find tons of great easy recipes!!
…Plan the perfect dinner party menu: In conclusion
Planning a fancy dinner party menu is much easier than we think. And when we know what to consider to choosing each plate, things get even easier!
Let’s now do a little recap of this post. What are the essential things to look at when the time to plan a dinner comes
- Make sure to offer a good healthy meal and offer fresh seasonal products to your family and friends.
- Keep in mind cooking time, preparation time, and the utensils and tools you have on hand.
- Pay attention to the costs. Take advantage of the rebate that grocery stores often offer.
- Your guests are the most important part of your dinner party! So try to select dishes that you know they’ll like.
- Select dishes that you can make ahead so you’ll have more time to enjoy the evening with your friends!
- Choosing a particular theme for your dinner party could be a lot of fun. But above that, it is usually easier to plan!
- You’ll also have to consider the number of guests and do a little something special for kids.
- Choose wines that perfectly pair with each dish of your meal.
- And, of course, select dishes according to your cooking and baking abilities!
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Don’t forget that the simplest it is, the easier it will be to prepare!
So better keep that in mind when you select recipes!! 😉
As always, I would love to hear from you! 🖤 Please use the comment box for any questions or share your biggest challenge regarding meal planning. Or even better, tell me about your best trick…or your favorite dinner party menu!… I’m such a curious girl, I just can’t wait to discover it!! 😉
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Talk to you soon!
Related Post:
-Buffets Vs. Formal Dinners
-50 Tips For An Easy Fancy Dinner Party!
-4-Course Dinner Party On A Budget (Tips To Save Money!)
