easy dinner party

French onion soup is very easy to make and is deeply savoury and hearty - and cheesy croûtons make it extra special!

French onion soup

butter

onions,

garlic cloves, chopped

milliliters/3½fl oz white wine

tbsp Madeira, plus extra once cooked, to taste (optional)

beef stock

salt and black pepper

parsley

French bread

garlic,

grams/3½oz gruyère

Our simple step-by-step recipe video for delicious French onion soup.

How to make French onion soup

Mary Berry lets us into her secrets for a classic lemon tart. It can be made up to two days in advance, but don’t decorate it until just before serving.

Mary Berry's lemon tart

flour

grams/3½oz butter,

icing sugar

water

free-range eggs

125 milliliters/4fl oz double cream

caster sugar

lemons, juice and zest

icing sugar,

Mary Berry shows how to make the perfect tarte au citron.

How to make lemon tart

A family favourite, this is a simple one-pot dish which brings comfort and joy, and it is my pleasure to share that with you.

Chicken in a pot with lemon and orzo

chicken,

olive oil

lemons, zest and juice

garlic cloves, grated

tarragon (or dried thyme)

carrots,

leeks,

tsp sea salt flakes (or 1 tsp fine sea salt)

½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

orzo pasta

tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve

Parmesan, (optional)

So quick, so easy and so delicious, this is the perfect recipe with which to spoil loved ones, whether at Christmas or on Valentine’s Day.

Baked camembert with garlic bread

camembert,

garlic clove, sliced

thyme

ciabatta loaf,

garlic clove,

Pulled pork with a Mexican twist, these carnitas are crisped up with soft brown sugar for extra deliciousness!

Carnitas

boneless pork shoulder,

tbsp vegetable oil, olive oil

onion,

garlic cloves, roughly chopped

oranges, juice only

lime, juice only

100 milliliters/3½fl oz full-sugar coca cola

250 milliliters/9fl oz chicken stock

oregano

tsp cumin

tsp smoked paprika

garlic powder

mustard powder

cinnamon

brown sugar

salt

tbsp oil

An elegant dinner party dish which is inexpensive and easy to prepare

Mustard pork fillet with apple lentils & herb aioli

pork loin fillet

Dijon mustard

tarragon

Puy lentils

vegetable stock

lemon

apple

jar good-quality mayonnaise

garlic

green beans

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Rub the pork with a tbsp of oil, add some seasoning, then seal the outside of the meat all over in a hot frying pan. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet, brush the outside with the mustard, then press on half of the tarragon and cook for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and cover with foil for 5 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils in the stock until just tender, about 12 mins, drain, then toss with the remaining olive oil, half the lemon juice and the apple.

To make the aioli, mix the mayo, garlic, lemon zest and remaining juice and tarragon with some seasoning, then set aside. Slice the pork into thick slices and serve on a platter with the lentils, a bowl of aioli to dip into and some green beans.

The smooth, creamy liqueur gives this celebration cheesecake the wow factor. Top with grated chocolate and a dusting of cocoa.

Irish cream and chocolate cheesecake

grams/3½oz butter

250 grams/8¾oz digestive biscuits, crushed

cream cheese

milliliters/1fl oz Baileys

milliliters/3½oz icing sugar

300 milliliters/10½oz double cream, whipped

grams/3½oz chocolate

200 milliliters/7¼oz double cream, whipped

cocoa powder, to dust

All-in-one pan roast lamb with an aromatic coating and ratatouille-style vegetables. Once it’s in the oven you can forget about it for 4 hours. Great for feeding a crowd because you can make it in advance and forget about it.

Mary Berry’s slow roast leg of lamb with ratatouille

leg of lamb,

tbsp chopped fresh thyme

paprika

garlic cloves,

red peppers, chopped into large pieces

tin chopped tomatoes

300 milliliters/½ pint beef or chicken stock

tbsp sun-dried tomato paste

bay leaves

tbsp honey

My STP is altogether deeper and darker than the original version: it is still sweet, but the muscovado sugar and black treacle give it an almost savage intensity. It seems redolent of ginger, cloves, allspice – and yet none of these spices are used. It’s a miracle. I don’t understand it – but then, miracles are not to be questioned.

Equipment: You will need a 23x23cm/9x9in square baking dish. 

Nigella's sticky toffee pudding

200 milliliters/7fl oz water

tsp bicarbonate of soda

grams/2½oz unsalted butter, softened,

tbsp black treacle

grams/1¾oz dark muscovado sugar

free-range eggs,

150 grams/5½oz plain flour

tsp baking powder

grams/5½oz unsalted butter, softened

300 grams/10½oz dark muscovado sugar

200 milliliters/7fl oz double cream,

Nigella embraces the cosiness of tradition with a Christmas Classic, Sticky Toffee Pudding. The muscovado sugar and black treacle give her version an almost savage intensity

Nigella's Sticky Toffee Pudding

This simple fruit tart is made even more special with a spicy, boozy whipped cream. 

Nectarine puff tart with cinnamon and rum cream

puff pastry

egg,

nectarines,

dark rum (or amaretto)

ground cinnamon (or allspice, ground cloves

lime, zest only, to decorate (or lemon)

edible flowers, to decorate

300 milliliters/10fl oz double cream

tbsp icing sugar

Mary shows you how to make the perfect salmon en croûte. It's a great choice for a buffet table or party when you have lots of mouths to feed. This recipe uses roasted red peppers from a jar and a creamy spinach filling that will taste of summer all year round.

Salmon en croûte

225 grams/8 ounces baby leaf spinach

180 grams/6¼oz full-fat cream cheese

salmon

dill,

jar chargrilled mixed peppers

free-range egg

tbsp milk

pack ready-rolled puff pastry

flour,

spring onions, finely chopped

tbsp caster sugar

tbsp snipped fresh chives

dill

200 grams/7 ounces full-fat crème fraîche

½ lemon, juice only

Here’s an easy molten chocolate pudding that's a real crowd-pleaser. The chocolate sauce gets poured on the top, but miraculously ends up on the bottom. How do they do that?


Chocolate self-saucing pudding

175 grams/6 ounces unsalted butter,

300 grams/10½oz soft light brown sugar

free-range eggs, beaten

tsp vanilla extract

grams/1¾oz cocoa powder,

cream,

Dried porcini and fresh shiitake combine to bring an intense mushroom flavour to this vegan mushroom pâté.

For this recipe you will need a food processor. 

Each serving provides 134 kcal, 6g protein, 3.5g carbohydrates (of which 1.5g sugars), 10g fat (of which 2g saturates), 3g fibre and 1.1g salt.

Mushroom pâté

porcini mushrooms

cashew nuts

shallots, thinly sliced

grams/4½oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced

garlic cloves, finely chopped

thyme, leaves picked

rosemary, leaves picked

60 grams/2¼oz pitted green olives,

salt and pepper

Use any sustainable white fish or salmon in this easy, flavour-packed stew - perfect with crusty bread

One-pan Spanish fish stew

flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

onion

floury potato

cayenne pepper

can chopped tomato

fish stock cube

raw peeled king prawn

½ a 410 grams/14 ounces can chickpeas rinsed and drained

skinless fish fillets,

In a small bowl, mix the parsley with ½ the garlic and lemon zest, then set aside. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan. Throw in the onion and potatoes, cover the pan, then sweat everything for about 5 mins until the onion has softened. Add the remaining oil, garlic and spices, then cook for 2 mins more.

Pour over the lemon juice and sizzle for a moment. Add the tomatoes, ½ a can of water and crumble in the stock. Season with a little salt, then cover the pan. Simmer everything for 15-20 mins until the potatoes are just cooked.

Stir through the prawns and chickpeas, then nestle the fish chunks into the top of the stew. Reduce the heat and recover the pan, then cook for about 8 mins, stirring very gently once or twice. When the fish is just cooked through, remove from the heat, scatter with the parsley mix, then bring the dish to the table with the bottle of olive oil for drizzling over and some crusty bread, if you want.

Top 14 easy dinner party recipes from across the web

The most viewed easy dinner party recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

French onion soup

Mary Berry's lemon tart

Chicken in a pot with lemon and orz...

Baked camembert with garlic bread

Carnitas

Mustard pork fillet with apple lent...

Irish cream and chocolate cheesecak...

Mary Berry’s slow roast leg of lamb...

Nigella's sticky toffee pudding

Nectarine puff tart with cinnamon a...

Salmon en croûte

Chocolate self-saucing pudding

Mushroom pâté

One-pan Spanish fish stew

Top 14 easy dinner party recipes from across the web

The most viewed easy dinner party recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

French onion soup

Mary Berry's lemon tart

Chicken in a pot with lemon and orz...

Baked camembert with garlic bread

Carnitas

Mustard pork fillet with apple lent...

Irish cream and chocolate cheesecak...

Mary Berry’s slow roast leg of lamb...

Nigella's sticky toffee pudding

Nectarine puff tart with cinnamon a...

Salmon en croûte

Chocolate self-saucing pudding

Mushroom pâté

One-pan Spanish fish stew

The most viewed easy dinner party recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine